Today, December 16th, is the Day of Reconciliation in South Africa (Afrikaans: Versoeningsdag)

The Voortrekker Monument in Pretoria, South Africa. This monument is viewed as an architectural wonder by many. Yet, it has a troubling legacy in South Africa, as it honors the Boer victory over Dingaan at the Battle of Blood River, and the Vow that those Boers took, effectively proclaiming the land to belong to the Boer people (now known as the Afrikaners). It was built during the early days of apartheid rule. I took this picture during my visit to the monument in September of 2024.

Today is a national holiday in South Africa, known as the Day of Reconciliation. It was officially designated a holiday in 1994, when the first post-apartheid, black majority government took power following decades of white-minority rule and the official, racist policies of the apartheid government.

Prior to that, the day had been a holiday known as "The Day of the Covenenant" (at least to Afrikaners, and was also known sometimes as "Dingaan's Day"), and commemorated the Battle of Blood River, when roughly four hundred Boers, who had moved inland during the Great Trek, prepared for a battle against somewhere between 16,000 to 30,000 of Dingaan's fierce Zulu warriors. The Boers literally circled their wagons to form an impregnable fortress with no weaknesses, and then fought off thousands of advancing Zulu warriors. So many Zulus were killed on that day, that the waters of the nearby Umslatos River were colored red from the blood of those killed and injured.

Photo courtesy of Nagarjun Kandukuru's Flickr page -  Zulus v Afrikaaners: https://www.flickr.com/photos/nagarjun/18186517093/in/photolist-tH5DVx-unttze-6TPaGe-zbkGg7-zsWsLH-zbqsGe-ztNwmK-zrS8XG-zsWkmT-zbjgx3-zbqiGa-zbjd5w-zbkpCC-yvUvrq-zsW9wr-ztNfpz-yw3ENV-uDtPdj-uE9XRc-unk9VW-uE9Urr-uE9S8t-uDVvkg-uBAL7w-bKF5Wi-6cwRS1-bKF64K-i9gMA8-dM6Fps-3dpwtB-dM6Fu5-bwLnwy-dM6Ft1-dM17MB-dM17LP-2Uhw5q-2Ud8QT-2Ud8nx-2Uhv9C-2UhuHw-6csMFD-uDywFG-tGZhFQ-uBFuGd-tGZ6nh-unpygA-uBFbA3-unpFdy-uDxSeG-unpc9f
Creative Commons License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/

The Zulus retreated, and the Boers had won, avenging an act of deceit by Dingaan, when he had not long before invited Boer leaders into his camp, and then murdered them while there. They were wary of this act by Dingaan, and Boer General Jan Gerritze Bantjes, knowing how badly outnumbered his group was, wrote before the battle that, should the Boers be granted victory by God, that the day should be honored and celebrated as a symbol that the Boers (Afrikaners) had been given a covenant by God himself to rule over this land (South Africa):  

"Day of The Vow or Covenant" that "if the Lord might give us victory, we hereby deem to found a house as a memorial of his Great Name at a place where it shall please Him, and that they also implore the help and assistance of God in accomplishing this Vow and that they write down this Day of Victory in a book and disclose this event to our very last posterities in order that this will forever be celebrated in the honour of God."

With that covenant, the Afrikaners began to feel that God had given them this country to rule over. When they obtained political rule over it following the election of 1948, they established a rigid set of  laws, famously known as apartheid, that set up a legally binding racial caste system. This system was challenged many times, but remained in place until the 1990's. Some people suggest that apartheid ended in 1990, when Prime Minister FW DeKlerk announced that apartheid as a system had failed and reforms would be instituted, and that all political organizations that had formerly been banned would be legalized. Most famously, he released Nelson Mandela. But legal segregation remained for some time afterwards, and I remember reading once that beaches in popular tourist resorts remained segregated even as recently as 1992 and 1993. Ultimately, it was in 1994 that a black majority government elected in a multiracial election first took power, and that legalized racism was finally banished in South Africa.

Since then, life has hardly been a paradise in South Africa. They face enormous problems. The AIDS crisis spiraled out of control, government officials have been found to be blatantly, outrageously corrupt, and economic inequality, still in great part based on race, has been flow to be addressed. Millions of homes were given running water, heat, and electricity after 1994, but there are still millions of homes that still lack these basic essentials.

Still, the police no longer raid communities in overnight raids searching for people who do not have their pass books in order, and opportunities within the country are no longer limited officially by race. The nation addressed past crimes and excesses by instituting the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, where dirty laundry was aired publicly, but it allowed the country to confront this dark past and come to terms with it. You cannot move forward if you are always looking back, and the country seems to have moved forward as a whole.

Perhaps it is not the glowing success story that some seemed to suggest shortly after Mandela took power, but South Africa was able to eliminate apartheid in an admirable way. That, I believe, is what the Day of Reconciliation is all about, and so on this day, I honor it.

December 16th: 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 755, An Lushan revolted against Chancellor Yang Guozhong at Fanyang, initiating the An Shi Rebellion during the Tang Dynasty of China. In 1577 on this day, Danzig surrendered to troops of Polish King Istvan Bathory. Parliamentarian General Oliver Cromwell was appointed as Lord Protector of England, Scotland and Ireland, on this day in 1653. The last recorded eruption of Mount Fuji in Japan took place on this day in 1707. On this day in 1773, one of the earliest and most famous episodes of the American Revolution took place when colonists dressed up as Native Americans and dumped tea into Boston Harbor to protest a tax imposed by the British Parliament. The episode is now famously known as the Boston Tea Party. This date is a very important one in South African history. In 1838 on this day, the Boers (those whose ancestors were the original Dutch and Huguenots who had settled the Cape Colony a couple of centuries earlier), led by Andries Pretorius, defeated Zulu Chieftain Dingaan at the Battle of Blood River. They had been trying to exact a measure of revenge for Dingaan's killing of another group of Boers who had entered Dingaan's Zulu camp unarmed and expecting peaceful negotiations, but were instead victims of a surprise attack. The Boer victory came to be known as the "Day of the Vow" (also sometimes known as the "Day of the Covenant") and was officially celebrated in South Africa during the days of apartheid. These days, it remains a holiday, but has changed in both name and meaning, as it is known as the "Day of Reconciliation." On this day in 1900, a Boer army under General Kritzinger invaded the Cape Colony. One year later on this same date, Kritzinger was shot in the chest and ultimately captured. In 1914 on this day during World War I, the Germans bombarded the English ports of Hartlepool and Scarborough. On this day in 1944, the Germans launched what proved to be their last major offensive of the war during the Battle of the Bulge. In 1978 on this day, Ronald Reagan denounced American President Jimmy Carter's re-establishment of diplomatic recognition of the People's Republic of China, which included recognizing Taiwan as a part of China. On this day in 1979, members of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) decided to raise the price of oil. The Independence of the Republic of Kazakhstan came on this day in 1991. In 2009 on this day, astronomers discovered GJ1214b. It was the first-known exoplanet on which water could exist. A gang rape of a woman on a bus in India which ultimately resulted in her death led to national and international outrage on this day in 2012.

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

755 - An Lushan revolts against Chancellor Yang Guozhong at Fanyang, initiating the An Shi Rebellion during the Tang Dynasty of China.

882 - Marinus I begins his reign as Catholic Pope succeeding John VIII

1392 - Nanboku-chō - Emperor Go-Kameyama abdicates in favor of rival claimant Go-Komatsu.

1431 - King Henry VI of England crowned king of France

1538 - King Francois I orders renewed pursuit of Protestants

1575 - The 1575 Valdivia earthquake takes place.

1577 - Danzig surrenders to troops of Polish king Istvan Bathory

1598 - Seven Year War: Battle of Noryang Point - The final battle of the Seven Year War is fought between the Korean and Japanese navies, resulting in a decisive Korean victory.

1617 - Spanish viceroy Hernando Arias de Saavedra founds provinces Rio de la Plata (Argentina)/Guaira (Paraguay)

1631 - Mount Vesuvious, Italy erupts, destroys 6 villages& amp; kills 4,000

1653 - Parliamentarian General Oliver Cromwell appointed as Lord Protector of England, Scotland and Ireland

1659 - General Monck demands free parliamentary election in Scotland

1689 - English Parliament adopts Bill of Rights after Glorious Revolution

1707 - Last recorded eruption of Mount Fuji in Japan.

1740 - Prussian Libya falls to Silezie

1761 - Seven Years' War: After four-month siege, Russian army under Pyotr Rumyantsev takes Prussian fortress of Kolobrzeg (German: Kolberg).

1767 - Van Ritter von Glucks opera "Alceste" premiers

1773 - Big tea party in Boston harbor - indians welcome (Boston Tea Party); protest against taxes imposed by British parliament

1811 - Earthquake hits New Madrid, Missouri, causing widespread damage

English Military and Political Leader Oliver CromwellEnglish Military and Political Leader Oliver Cromwell 1817 - Leaders of Molukkas uprising hanged in Ambon

1824 - Great North Holland Canal opens

1826 - Benjamin W. Edwards rides into Mexican controlled Nacogdoches, Texas and declares himself ruler of the Republic of Fredonia.

1835 - Fire consumes over 600 buildings in NYC

1838 - Boers beat Zulu chieftain Dingaan in South Africa

1850 - Ships the Charlotte-Jane and the Randolph bring the first of the Canterbury Pilgrims to Lyttelton, New Zealand

1857 - Earthquake in Naples, Italy

1858 - Dutch government decides to vacate Schokland Island

1862 - Kingdom of Nepal accepts its constitution

1864 - Battle of Nashville ends after 4400 casualities

1877 - Anton Bruckner's 3rd Symphony in D, premieres

1880 - Transvaal region declares itself as the Republic of South Africa

1884 - Great Britain recognizes King Leopold II's Congo Free State

1886 - Rift at Dutch Reformed Church over "Doleantie"

1890 - Negro Methodist Episcopal Church founded in Jackson, TN

1892 - Commencement of 1st Sheffield Shield cricket game, SA v NSW

1893 - Anton Dvorak's "New World Symphony" premieres

1897 - 1st submarine with an internal combustion engine demonstrated

1900 - Boer army under gen Kritzinger take Cape colony

1901 - Boer general Kritzinger captured

1903 - Majestic Theater, NYC, becomes 1st in US to employ women ushers

1905 - "Variety" covering all phases of show business, 1st published

1907 - Eugene H Farrar is 1st to sing on radio (Bkln Navy Yard NY)

1907 - Great White Fleet United States Navy battle fleet commencing circumnavigation of the globe) sails from Hampton Downs on its World Cruise

1908 - 1st credit union in US forms (Manchester NH)

1909 - US pressure forces Nicaraguan Pres Jose Santos Zelaya from office

1912 - 1st US postage stamp picturing an airplane, 20 cent parcel post, issued

1912 - Austria-Hungary engage in conflict with Serbia

Comedian/Actor/Filmaker Charlie ChaplinComedian/Actor/Filmaker Charlie Chaplin 1913 - Charlie Chaplin began his film career at Keystone for $150 a week

1914 - French offensive in Artois (Pétain)

1914 - World War I: German battleships under Franz Von Hipper bombard the English ports of Hartlepool and Scarborough.

1915 - Albert Einstein publishes his "General Theory of Relativity"

1918 - Jack Dempsey KOs Carl Morris in 14 seconds

1920 - 8.5 earthquake rocks the Gansu province in China, killing an estimated 200,000

1922 - Mutual Association of Eastern Colored Baseball Clubs formally organizes

1922 - NSW all out for 786 against South Australia Cricket

1924 - Noel Coward's "Vortex" premieres in London

1925 - Alpha Phi Omega national service fraternity is founded at Lafayette College.

1926 - Darius Milhauds opera "Le Pauvre Matelot" premieres in Paris

1926 - Kenesaw Mountain Landis renewed 7-years as baseball commissioner

1926 - WOW-AM in Omaha NE begins radio transmissions

1927 - Cricket 1st-class debut of Don Bradman, NSW v South Australia

1929 - Chic Blackhawks 1st game at Chicago Stadium, beat Pittsburgh Pirates, 3-1

Heavyweight Boxing Champion Jack DempseyHeavyweight Boxing Champion Jack Dempsey 1930 - Golfer Bobby Jones wins James E Sullivan Award

1931 - German SPD begins Iron Front against fascism

1933 - Abe de Vries & Sipke Castelein win Elfstedentocht

1936 - John Monks/Fred Finklehoff's "Brother Rat" premieres in NYC

1937 - Theodore Cole and Ralph Roe attempt to escape from the American federal prison on Alcatraz Island in San Francisco Bay; neither is ever seen again.

1938 - Bradman scores 143 South Aust v NSW, 11 fours 91 singles

1939 - Bradman scores 251* SA v NSW, 271 minutes, 38 fours 2 sixes

1940 - British air raid on Mannheim

1940 - Joe Louis KOs Al McCoy in 6 for heavyweight boxing title in Chicago

1941 - Sarawak occupied by Japanese

1942 - Hitler orders combat against partisans in Russia& amp; Balkan

1943 - "Tamiami Champion" (New York to Florida) trains collide, kills 73 & injures 200

1944 - Ardennes campaign ('Battle of the Bulge') begins in Belgium

1944 - German V-2 strikes Antwerp bioscope (638 kill)

1944 - US 2nd Inf division occupies "Heartbreak Crossroads" Wahlerscheid

Dictator of Nazi Germany Adolf HitlerDictator of Nazi Germany Adolf Hitler 1945 - Cleveland Rams win NFL championship

1948 - "Lend an Ear" opens at National Theater NYC for 460 performances

1949 - Sukarno becomes president Indonesia, Mokammed Hatta premier

1949 - Svenska Aeroplan Aktiebolaget, later knows as SAAB, is founded in Sweden.

1950 - "Let's Make an Opera" closes at John Golden Theater NYC after 5 perfs

1950 - Harry Truman proclaims state of emergency against "Communist imperialism"

1953 - 1st White House Press Conference (Pres Eisenhower& amp; 161 reporters)

1953 - Charles E Yeager fly > 2,575 kph in Bell X-1A

1956 - "Fanny" closes at Majestic Theater NYC after 888 performances

1957 - Sir Feroz Khan Noon replaces Ibrahim Ismail Chundrigar as Prime Minister of Pakistan.

1958 - Bogota warehouse fire kills 82

1959 - Snow falling in Lowarai Pass West Pakistan kills 48

1960 - "Wildcat" opens at Alvin Theater NYC for 172 performances

1960 - TWA 266 & United 826 collide over Staten Island, kills 134

1961 - "Evening with Yves Montand" opens at John Golden NYC after 55 perfs

33rd US President Harry Truman33rd US President Harry Truman 1962 - David Lean's "Lawrence of Arabia" premieres, starring the late Peter O'Toole

1962 - NY Giant YA Title sets NFL season touchdown pass record at 33 with 6 touchdowns vs Dallas (41-31)

1962 - Nepal gets constitution/becomes Constitutional Hindu Monarchy

1964 - US performs nuclear test at Pacific Ocean

1965 - Gemini 6 returns to Earth

1965 - Pioneer 6 launched into solar orbit

1965 - Taufa'ahau Tupou IV, becomes King of Tonga

1966 - Beatles release "Everywhere it's Christmas" in UK

1966 - Jimi Hendrix Experience releases its 1st single, "Hey Joe," in the UK

1967 - Wilt Chamberlain of NBA Phila 76ers scores 68 points vs Chicago

1968 - KFIZ TV channel 34 in Fond du Lac, WI begins broadcasting

1969 - Brit House of Commons votes 343-185 abolishing the death penalty

1969 - "War is Over! If You Want It, Happy Christmas from John & Yoko" posters begin appearing

1970 - 1st successful landing on Venus (USSR)

1970 - US performs nuclear test at Nevada Test Site

Rock Guitarist Jimi HendrixRock Guitarist Jimi Hendrix 1971 - Bangladesh (East Pakistan) declares independence from Pakistan

1971 - Don McLean's 8+ minute version of "American Pie" released

1971 - India's army occupies Dacca, West Pakistani troops surrenders

1972 - Bangladesh Constitution goes into effect

1972 - Miami Dolphins become 1st undefeated NFL team (14-0-0)

1973 - O J Simpson becomes 1st NFLer to rush 2,000 yard in a season

1973 - US kidnap victem Paul Getty III freed

1974 - US performs nuclear test at Nevada Test Site

1974 - USSR performs nuclear test at Eastern Kazakh/Semipalitinsk USSR

1975 - 1st broadcast of "One Day at a Time" on CBS TV

1975 - Bill Veeck buys 80% of White Sox from John Allyn

1976 - Andrew Young named Ambassador & Chief US Delegate to UN

1976 - Charlie Finley's $10 million damage suit against Bowie Kuhn begins

1976 - Government halts swine flu vaccination prog following reports of paralysis

1976 - Liberian tanker stranded at Nantucket, 180,000 barrels oil in sea

US President & Actor Ronald ReaganUS President & Actor Ronald Reagan 1978 - Ronald Reagan denounces President Jimmy Carter's recognition of China PR

1978 - Cleveland, Ohio becomes the first post-Depression era city to default on its loans, owing $14,000,000 to local banks.

1979 - 68th Davis Cup: USA beats Italy in San Francisco (5-0)

1979 - QB Roger Staubach's last regular season game with the Dallas Cowboys

1980 - President-elect Reagan announces Alexander Haig as secretary of state

1981 - Dutch Van Agt's 2nd government falls

1982 - Tom Seaver agrees to new contract with Mets

1982 - The Federal Reserve announces that the operating capacity of factories has gone down to 67.8%.

1983 - Spokesperson for The Who announces the group is disbanding

1983 - Yogi Berra named Yankee manager for 2nd time

1983 - Riverside, California; judge denies cerebral palsy victim Elizabeth Bouviato request to starve herself to death in a county hospital

1985 - Challenger moves to Vandenberg AFB for mating of STS 51-L mission

1986 - Revolt in Kazakhstan against Communist party, known as Zheltoksan, which becomes the first sign of ethnic strife during Gorbachev's tenure

1987 - Roh Tae Woo elected president of South Korea

1988 - Political cult leader Lyndon LaRouche convicted of tax, mail fraud

1989 - Commencement of 1st Test Cricket play at Bellerive Oval, Hobart (v SL)

1989 - Geoff Marsh completes 355* for WA against South Australia

1989 - Protest breaks out in Timişoara in response to an attempt by the government to evict dissident Hungarian pastor, László Tőkés.

1990 - Jean-Bertrand Aristide elected pres of Haiti

1990 - KUSW, Salt Lake City Utah, final shortwave radio transmissions

1990 - Rev Jean Betrand Aristide elected president of Haiti

1991 - Fla Marlins sign their 1st player, 16 year old pitcher Clemente Nunez

1991 - UN reverses ruling that Zionism is racism by 111-25 (13 abstain) vote

1991 - Independence of the Republic of Kazakhstan.

1993 - "Red Shoes" opens at Gershwin Theater NYC for 5 performances

Actress Shannen DohertyActress Shannen Doherty 1993 - Shannen Doherty (Brenda) is fired from Beverly Hills 90210

1994 - Davy Jones (Monkees), charged with DWI

1997 - President Clinton names his Labrador retriever "Buddy"

1998 - Iraq disarmament crisis: Operation Desert Fox - the United States and United Kingdom bomb targets in Iraq.

2012 - 4 people are killed after Cyclone Evan strikes Fiji

2012 - Corinthians defeat Chelsea 1-0 to win the 2012 FIFA Club World Cup

2012 - A gang rape of a woman on a bus in India that resulted in her death leads to national and international outrage

1653 - Oliver Cromwell became lord protector of England, Scotland and Ireland.   1773 - Nearly 350 chests of tea were dumped into Boston Harbor off of British ships by Colonial patriots. The patriots were disguised as Indians. The act was to protest taxation without representation and the monopoly the government granted to the East India Company.   1809 - Napoleon Bonaparte was divorced from the Empress Josephine by an act of the French Senate.   1835 - In New York, 530 buildings were destroyed by fire.   1838 - The Zulu chief Dingaan was defeated by a small force of Boers at Blood River celebrated in South Africa as 'Dingaan's Day'.   1850 - The first immigrant ship, the Charlotte Jane, arrived at Lyttleton, New Zealand.   1901 - "The Tale of Peter Rabbit," by Beatrix Potter, was printed for the first time.   1903 - Women ushers were employed for the first time at the Majestic Theatre in New York City.   1905 - Sime Silverman published the first issue of "Variety".   1912 - The first postage stamp to depict an airplane was issued was a 20-cent parcel-post stamp.   1916 - Gregory Rasputin, the monk who had wielded powerful influence over the Russian court, was murdered by a group of noblemen.   1940 - French Premier Petain arrested Pierre Laval after learning of a plan for Laval to seize power and set up a new government with German support.   1944 - During World War II, the Battle of the Bulge began in Belgium. It was the final major German counteroffensive in the war.   1950 - U.S. President Truman proclaimed a national state of emergency in order to fight "Communist imperialism."   1951 - NBC-TV debuted "Dragnet" in a special preview on "Chesterfield Sound Off Time". The show began officially on January 3, 1952.   1960 - A United Air Lines DC-8 and a TWA Super Constellation collided over New York City, killing 134 people.   1972 - The Miami Dolphins became the first NFL team to go unbeaten and untied in a 14-game regular season. The Dolphins went on to defeat the Washington Redskins in Super Bowl VII.   1973 - O.J. Simpson broke Jim Brown’s single-season rushing record in the NFL. Brown had rushed for 1,863 yards, while Simpson attained 2,003 yards.   1981 - The U.S. Congress restored the $122 minimum monthly social security benefit for current recipients.   1984 - The play "Diamonds" opened in New York City.   1985 - Reputed organized-crime chief Paul Castellano was shot to death outside a New York City restaurant.   1990 - Jean-Bertrand Aristide, a leftist priest, was elected president in Haiti's first democratic elections.   1991 - The U.N. General Assembly rescinded its 1975 resolution equating Zionism with racism by a vote of 111-25.   1993 - The United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution calling for negotiations on a comprehensive test ban.   1995 - Many U.S. government functions were again closed as a temporary finance provision expired and the budget dispute between President Clinton and Republicans in Congress continued.   1995 - NATO launched a military operation in support of the Bosnia peace agreement.   1996 - Britain's agriculture minister announced the slaughter of an additional 100,000 cows thought to be at risk of contracting BSE in an effort to persuade the EU to lift its ban on Britain.   1998 - The U.S. and Britain fired hundreds of missiles on Iraq in response to Saddam Hussein's refusal to comply with U.N. weapons inspectors.   1999 - Sigourney Weaver received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.   1999 - Torrential rains and mudslides in Venezuela left thousands of people dead and forced at least 120,000 to leave their homes.   2000 - Researchers announced that information from NASA's Galileo spacecraft indicated that Ganymede appeared to have a liquid saltwater ocean beneath a surface of solid ice. Ganymede, a moon of Jupiter, is the solar system's largest moon. The discovery is considered important since water is a key ingredient for life.   2000 - U.S. President-elect George W. Bush selected Colin Powell to be the first African-American secretary of state. Powell was sworn in January 20, 2001.   2001 - In Tora Bora, Afghanistan, tribal fighters announced that they had taken the last al-Quaida positions. More than 200 fighters were killed and 25 captured. They also announced that they had found no sign of Osama bin Laden.   2001 - Cuba received the first commercial food shipment from the United States in nearly 40 years. The shipment was sent to help Cuba after Hurrican Michelle hit Cuba on November 4, 2001.   2001 - A British newspaper, The Observer, reported that a notebook had been found at an al-Quaida training camp in southern Afghanistan. The notebook contained a "blue print" for an bomb attack on London's financial district.   2002 - Canada ratified the Kyoto Protocol. The 1997 treaty was aimed a reducing greenhouse gas emissions.   2009 - Astronomers discovered GJ1214b. It was the first-known exoplanet on which water could exist.









1653 Oliver Cromwell became lord protector of England, Scotland, and Ireland. 1773 The Boston Tea Party took place. 1916 Grigori Rasputin assassinated by a group of noble Russian conspirators. 1920 One of the deadliest earthquakes in history hit the Gansu province in China. The 8.6 quake killed 200,000 people. 1944 The Battle of the Bulge during World War II began in Belgium. 1990 Jean-Bertrand Aristide was elected president of Haiti in the country's first democratic elections. 2000 Colin Powell was selected to become the first African-American secretary of state.   




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/dec16.htm

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

http://www.infoplease.com/dayinhistory

NFL 2024 Week 15 Review

The biggest game this weekend had to have been the Buffalo Bills visiting Detroit to take on the Lions. These are both two of the best teams in the league so far, and it was a possible Super Bowl preview. Buffalo came into the game with a 10-3 record, while the Lions were tied with Kansas City for the best record in the league, at 12-1, and sporting a franchise record 11 straight wins.

As it turns out, the Bills played extremely well. Their offense looked explosive, and the Lions just could not stop them. The defense simply had no answers for Josh Allen, who had another MVP caliber performance. On the day, Allen completed 23 of 34 passes for 362 and 2 TD's. He also added another 68 yards on the ground, with 11 carries, and two more rushing touchdowns. James Cook helped out with an additional 105 yards and two touchdowns on 14 carries Overall, the Bills amassed 559 total yards of offense. Ultimately, all of this proved too much for Detroit's defense, which really felt scorched and more vulnerable than perhaps their 12-1 record entering this game would have suggested. 

Both offenses looked great. Combined, they produced 90 points, which I believe ranks as the second highest scoring game this season (behind the Rams-Bills game last week). That said, the Lions managed to score a touchdown with just seconds left, making the final score appear closer than this one actually proved to be. Detroit amassed 521 total yards, although 473 of those yards were in the air, which perhaps revealed a serious imbalance. In short, if you like offensive football, this would have been a fun game to watch.   

With the win, the Bills improve to 11-3, and keep their hopes for the AFC's top seed alive. With the Steelers losing at Philadelphia and dropping to 10-4, the Bills now have the second best record overall in the AFC, and are the only team who can catch the defending champion Chiefs. However, they did not gain any ground over Kansas City, as the Chiefs bested the Browns in Cleveland, 21-7.

Detroit, meanwhile, drops to 12-2. That means that they are now tied with Philadelphia (who again, soundly defeated the Steelers yesterday) for the NFC's top spot. It also means that they might be tied with the Vikings by tonight, if Minnesota defeats the Bears in the first Monday Night Football game scheduled. So this was a big loss for the Lions, and frankly compromises the lead that they have long held for the top spot not only in the NFC overall, but the NFC North division title, for that matter. 

In other action, the Bucs solidified their hold on the NFC South by earning an impressive 40-17 road win against the Chargers yesterday. With the Saints losing to Washington, 20-19, 8-6 Tampa Bay now will await the results of the 6-7 Falcons game against the 2-11 Raiders in the second Monday Night Football game tonight to see if they now will open up a two-game lead in the division race, with each team having three games remaining on their schedule. 

There was a pretty big game with serious playoff ramifications up in Seattle last night, as the 8-5 Seahawks hosted the 9-4 Packers. Seattle was looking to preserve their narrow lead over the Rams. Meanwhile, Green Bay wants to remain in the NFC North divisional race, or at least strengthen their position to qualify for the postseason. Ultimately, they were able to tame the Seahawks and inch closer to what feels like an inevitable playoff appearance, as they improve to 10-4. On the other hand, the Seahawks drop to 8-6, and it is starting to look like their regular season finals in Los Angeles against the Rams will probably be for the division title, and possibly for the playoffs hopes for both teams along with that.

Another game with some big playoff ramifications took place in Houston, when the Texans and Dolphins clashed. The Texans could expand their lead in the AFC South if they won and the Colts - the only other team in the division still with a chance at the division title - lost. Houston took care of business, beating Miami, 20-12, and hurting the Dolphins flickering playoff chances in the process. Then, the Colts got blown out at Mile High in Denver, as the Broncos romped, 31-13. So the Texans finally became the third team - all of them so far in the AFC, for some reason - to clinch the division title. Denver, with that win, solidified their playoff hopes even more. They are almost certain to qualify, and the impressive win seriously compromised Indianapolis's fading chances of qualifying for the postseason. 

In Arizona, the Cardinals also kept their flickering hopes for both the playoffs and a division title alive, earning a solid 30-17 win over the Patriots to improve to 7-7. So they remain in third place, a game behind both the Seahawks and the Rams, the two teams currently tied atop the NFC West. The Cardinals will have one more crack at the Rams in a couple of weeks when they travel to Los Angeles, so they still might have something to say about the NFC West division race. We shall see.

Baltimore also is likely heading to the postseason. They improved to 9-5 by earning a solid, dominant 35-14 road win at the Meadowlands against the hapless Giants. The G-Men now have dropped nine straight games, tying a franchise record. Next week, they will try to avoid establishing the kind of history that no team wants when they visit the Falcons in Atlanta. If they do lose that one, then their current losing streak becomes the longest one in franchise history. 

Yikes.  

Otherwise on Sunday, the Jets earned a road win over the Jaguars to improve to 4-10, dropping the Jaguars to 3-11 in the process. Also, the Cowboys earned a 30-14 win in their desperate hopes to cling to their slim playoff hopes. With the win, Dallas improved to 6-8 on the year.

The Good Ol' Lawrence Welk Show

Ran into this rather amusing meme on Facebook recently. Just thought that it seemed worth sharing here, as an amusing little post for Sunday. Yes, I still try and make an effort to keep blog entries on Sunday a bit more lighthearted than most other days.

This one is about the Lawrence Welk Show. It still regularly aired during my childhood. My grandparents enjoyed the show, so we ended up watching it more often than I admittedly would have liked at the time. As a little kid with a ton of energy (possibly too much) at the time, I often eagerly waited for the show to end. In fact, I cannot say for sure that I actually watched the show from beginning to end often, or perhaps just came down to the basement (which is where the television at my grandparent's home was located) towards the end, in hopes of being able to watch something more to my liking.

In any case, I admittedly felt that the show was intolerably boring at the time. of course, I was a little kid, and this was clearly music and entertainment generally geared for people of an older generation.

What I learned in recent years is that other people roughly my age also remember this show. Apparently, they also had to suffer through it. In fact, it has become kind of a running joke among some, which always makes me laugh. At the time, and really until recently, I had believed - mistakenly, obviously - that my grandparents must have been one of the few to actually watch the Lawrence Welk Show. As it turns out, a lot of people watched it, including a lot of people roughly my age.

Now, I cannot say that I have watched an episode of the show recently. It might be interesting to see how my reaction to watching it would surely be different nowadays. Evidently, however, my brother and I were hardly the only ones to suffer through watching this show, as the obviously joking meme below clearly suggests.

Here is the link to the Facebook page where I originally found this meme:

The Ultimate Eighties Page 9 December (2024):  

https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=996607515842120&set=a.552852366884306

A Powerful Cover of Serge Lama's "Je Suis Malade" By Belgian & Canadian Singer Lara Fabian

Serge Lama's "Je suis malade" was one of the most distinctive individual French songs which my father frequently listened to/ It was one of the most memorable French songs which I can remember growing up. In time, it became one of my favorites, as well.

Not too long ago, I came across this version by Belgian and Canadian singer Lara Fabian. She adds a different, almost more intense feel to it. You can really hear the anguished emotions she conveys in her voice. 

It has a different sound and feel than the original, which I still obviously very much appreciate. But this seemed worth sharing here, since I have found myself listening to it quite a bit.

Take a listen and enjoy. 

Je suis malade   Lara Fabian   French and English subtitles

December 15th: 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 533, Byzantine General Belisarius defeaed the Vandals, commanded by King Gelimer, at the Battle of Ticameron. In 1582 on this day, the Spanish Netherlands/Denmark/Norway adopted the Gregorian calendar. The American Bill of Rights was officially ratified on this day in 1791 after Virginia gave its approval. On this day in 1794, the Revolutionary Tribunal was abolished in France. In 1917 on this day during World War I, an armistice was reached between the new Bolshevik government of Russia and the Central Powers, effectively taking the Russians out of the war. On this day in 1961, the "Architect of the Holocaust" Adolf Eichmann,, the Nazi SS officer who organized Adolf Hitler's "final solution of the Jewish question," was condemned to death by an Israeli war crimes tribunal in Tel Aviv. In 1993 on this day, the movie "Schindler’s List" opened, which would ultimately give Steven Spielberg his first Oscar.

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

533 - Byzantine general Belisarius defeats the Vandals, commanded by King Gelimer, at the Battle of Ticameron.

687 - St Sergius I begins his reign as Catholic Pope succeeding Conon

1124 - Chancellor Haimeric selects pope (Lamberto becomes Honorius II)

1167 - Sicilian chancellor Stephen du Perche moves the royal court to Messina to prevent a rebellion.

1256 - Hulagu Khan captures and destroys the Hashshashin stronghold at Alamut in present-day Iran as part of the Mongol offensive on Islamic southwest Asia.

1467 - Stephen III of Moldavia defeats Matthias Corvinus of Hungary, with the latter being injured thrice, at the Battle of Baia.

1488 - Bartholomeus Diaz returns to Portugal after sailing round Cape of Good Hope

1569 - Westmoreland flees to Scotland

1582 - Leidse university names Rembert Dodoens prof of botany/medicine

1582 - Spanish Netherlands/Denmark/Norway adopt Gregorian calendar

1586 - Laevinus Torrentius, becomes bishop of Antwerp

1593 - State of Holland grants patent on windmill with crankshaft

1612 - Simon Marius, is 1st to observe Andromeda galaxy through a telescope

1640 - Duke of Braganca crowned King Johan IV of Portugal

1660 - Philippines: Andres Malongs rebels plunders Bagnotan

1664 - English colonizing Connecticut

1667 - Brandenburg declares himself neutral in Devolutie War

1680 - Tax revolt on Terschelling due to tax on cereal

1688 - Lord Delamere sides with King James II [NS 12/25]

1745 - Battle at Kesseldorf: Prussia beats Saksen & Austria

1791 - 1st US law school established at University of Pennsylvania

The American Bill of Rights (picture that I took of a copy of the Bill of Rights, not the original)

1791 - Bill of Rights ratified when Virginia gave its approval

1792 - 1st life insurance policy issued in US (Phila)

1794 - Revolutionary Tribunal abolished in France

1810 - 1st Irish magazine in US, Shamrock, is published

1815 - Rossini gets assignment for Il barbiere di Siviglia

1820 - 1st General pharmacopoeia in US published, Boston

1836 - Patent Office burns in Wash, DC

1854 - 1st street-cleaning machine in US 1st used in Philadelphia

1859 - GR Kirchoff describes chemical composition of Sun

1863 - Skirmish at Bean's Station, Tennessee (Knoxville Campaign)

1863 - Romania is using for the first time a mountain railway (from Anina to Oravita).

1864 - Battle of Nashville, TN

1864 - Raid on Stoneman: Abingdon & Glade Springs, VA

1868 - Shogunate rebels found Ezo Republic in Hokkaidō.

1874 - 1st reigning king to visit US (of Hawaii) received by Pres Grant

 Inventor Thomas Edison 1877 - Thomas Edison patents phonograph

1891 - James Naismith invents basketball (Canada)

1893 - Dvoráks "From the New World" premieres at Carnegie Hall NYC

1894 - Cricket day 2 1st T Aus v Eng Aus 586 (Gregory 201) England 3-130

1899 - Battle at Colenso, South Africa (Boers-British army)

1905 - The Pushkin House is established in St. Petersburg to preserve the cultural heritage of Alexander Pushkin

1909 - Thomas J Lynch becomes president of baseball's National League

1913 - Nicaragua becomes a signatory to the Buenos Aires copyright treaty.

1914 - Battle of Lodz ends; Russians retreat toward Moscow

1914 - British fleet forfeits chance to destroy German fleet in North Sea

1914 - Serbian troops retake Belgrade in Austria-Hungary

1916 - French defeat Germans in WW I Battle of Verdun

1917 - Moldavian Republic declares independence from Russia

1917 - World War I: An armistice is reached between the new Bolshevik government and the Central Powers.

1918 - American Jewish Congress holds it's 1st meeting

 Inventor James Naismith 1919 - Edna St Vincent Millay's "Aria da Capo," premieres in NYC

1919 - Fiume (Rijeka) declares it's Independence

1922 - IVVV (association) peace congress on war forms in Hague

1925 - 1st hockey game at Madison Sq Garden, Mont Candiens 3, NY Americans 1

1925 - 1st road with a depressed trough (Texas) opens to traffic

1926 - Facist national symbol elevated in Italy

1927 - Ed Hickman kidnaps child he later beheads

1929 - Walter Mittelholzer flies as 1st about the Kilimanjaro

1930 - Don Bradman takes his 1st Test Cricket wicket (Ivan Barrow, WI, lbw)

1933 - Baseball owners agree to ban Sunday doubleheaders until after June 15

1934 - Fokker F18 Snip flies to Neth West Indies

1935 - Detroit Lions win NFL championship

1935 - Max Euwe becomes world champ chess beating Alexander Alekhine

1936 - KVL-AM in Seattle Wash changes call letters to KEEN (now KING)

1938 - Groundbreaking begins for Jefferson Memorial in Wash DC

1939 - "Gone With the Wind" premieres in Atlanta

1939 - 1st commercial manufacture of nylon yarn, Seaford, Delaware

1939 - Snip departs for 1st flight to Paramaribo/Curacao

1941 - Gas/electrical use restricted in Holland

1941 - German submarine U-127 sinks

1941 - Nazi's transfers 100 Czech citizens/Heinrich Himmler falls faint

1941 - North Africa: allied assault up Italians Gazala-posing

1941 - USS Swordfish becomes 1st US sub to sink a Japanese ship

1941 - The American Federation of Labor adopts a no-strike policy in war industries.

1942 - Massachusetts issues 1st US vehicular license plate tabs

1944 - Bandleader, Major Glenn Miller, lost over English Channel

1944 - Hizbu'allah (Arm forces for Allah) forms

1944 - US Congress gives General Eisenhower his 5th star

1944 - US troops lands on Mindoro

1945 - John J "Cardinal" O'Connor, ordained as a priest

1946 - Chic Bears beat NY Giants 24-14 in NFL championship game

1946 - Giants Filchock & Hapes suspended by NFL, didn't report bribe attempt

1948 - Former state dept official Alger Hiss indicted in NYC for perjury

 Author Albert Camus 1949 - Albert Camus' "Les Justes" premieres in Paris

1950 - Ezzard Charles KOs Nick Barone to retain heavyweight boxing title

1950 - NYC's Port Authority opens

1952 - "Two's Company" opens at Alvin Theater NYC for 90 performances

1952 - Christine Jorgenson is 1st person to undergo a sex-change operation

1952 - KHON TV channel 2 in Honolulu, HI (NBC) begins broadcasting

1952 - Pope Pius XII publishes encyclical Orientales Ecclesias

1953 - WJHG TV channel 7 in Panama City, FL (NBC/ABC) begins broadcasting

1954 - Fordham University scraps football team for financial reasons

1954 - Netherlands Antilles becomes co-equal part of Kingdom of Netherlands

1956 - Emergency crisis in North Ireland proclaimed after IRA strikes

1956 - KGW TV channel 8 in Portland, OR (NBC) begins broadcasting

1956 - WRAL TV channel 5 in Raleigh-Durham, NC (CBS) begins broadcasting

1959 - Everly Brothers record "Let It Be Me"

1961 - Adolf Eichmann convicted of crimes against humanity in Israel

1961 - Equal access rule, political parties get TV broadcasting time

1961 - JFK visits Puerto Rico

1961 - L J Suenens appointed archbishop of Mechelen-Brussels

1962 - Vaughn Meader's "1st Family," album goes #1 & stays #1 for 12 wks

1964 - 1st time 4 people in space

1964 - American Radio Relay League (organization for hams) founded

1964 - Canada adopts maple leaf flag

1965 - 3rd cyclone of year kills 15,000 at the mouths of the Ganges River in Bangladesh

1965 - D Heneker & J Taylor's musical "Charlie Girl," premieres in London

1965 - Gemini 6 launched; makes 1st rendezvous in space (with Gemini 7)

1965 - Queen Juliana opens Zeeland Bridge to Oosterschelde

1965 - William Eckert replaces Ford Frick as 4th commissioner of baseball

1966 - "Joyful Noise" opens at Mark Hellinger Theater NYC for 12 performances

1966 - Audouin Dollfus discovers 10th satellite of Saturn, Janus

1966 - John W Mecom Jr becomes 1st owner of New Orlean Saints

1967 - Beatles release "Christmas Time is Here Again"

1967 - Joe Garagiola joins Today Show panel

1967 - Silver Bay bridge (Oh-WV) collapes during afternoon rush hr, 34 die

1967 - The Silver Bridge collapses, killing 46 people.

1969 - Plastic Ono Band, play their only concert at London's Lyceum Ballroom

1969 - SF Fire Dept replaces leather helmets with plastic ones

1970 - Ferryboat capsized in Korean Strait drowning 261

1970 - S Korean ferry Namyong-Ho sinks in Strait of Korea, 308 killed

1970 - Soviet Venera 7 is 1st spacecraft to land on another planet (Venus)

1970 - Illinois State Constitution is adopted at a special election.

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

1973 - American Psychiatric Association declares homosexuality is not mental illness

1973 - Golf Resort (Disney Inn) opens

1973 - Pirates of Caribbean ride opens at Disneyland

1973 - Sandy Hawley becomes 1st jockey to win 500 races in 1 year

1973 - Tennessee beats Temple 11-6 in low scoring NCAA basketball game

1973 - US Psychiatrist say homosexuals are not mentally ill

1974 - A's Catfish Hunter is ruled a free agent (later signs with Yankees)

1976 - Argo Merchant tanker off Massachusetts' SE coast, spills 7.6 m gallons of crude when ship ran aground

1976 - Jamaica premier Manley wins elections

1976 - Samoa becomes a member of the UN.

1978 - Saint Maarten Patriotic Movement (SPM) forms under W James

1978 - Test Cricket debut of Malcolm Marshall, v India at Bangalore

1979 - Deposed Shah of Iran leaves US for Panama

1979 - World Court in Hague rules Iran should relase all US hostages

1980 - NY Yankee Dave Winfield becomes highest-paid player, 10 years $15M

1980 - Premier Queddei troops conquers Chad capital N'djamena

1980 - ZBZ Sangha registered after 5 yrs of administrative hassles in Warsaw

1981 - 4th Emmy Sports Award presentation

1981 - NASA launches Intelsat V satellite, no. 503

1982 - Bill Parcells becomes 12th head coach of NY Giants

1982 - Roy Williams, Teamsters pres, & 4 others convicted of bribery

1982 - Sao Tome & Principe constitution approved

1982 - Spain reopens border with Gibraltar

1983 - 3 KC Royals suspended due to cocaine usage

1983 - Columbia flies to Kennedy Space Center via El Paso, Kelly AFB

1983 - Last 80 US combat soldiers in Grenada withdrew

1983 - Wendy Wasserstein's "Isn't It Romantic," premieres in NYC

1984 - USSR launches Vega 1 for rendezvous with Halley's Comet

 Actor/Director Sylvester Stallone 1985 - Sylvester Stallone & Brigitte Nielson wed

1986 - 150 killed during race riot in Karachi

1986 - CIA director William Casey suffers a cerebral seizure

1986 - Carnegie Hall reopens after a $50 million facelift

1987 - "Les Miserables" opens at Shubert Theatre, Boston

1988 - Lori Davis of Long Island sues Mike Tyson for grabbing her buttocks

1991 - "Nick & Nora" closes at Marquis Theater NYC after 9 performances

1991 - Deb Richard wins JBP Cup LPGA Match Play Golf Championship

1992 - Arthur Ashe is named Sports Illustrated Sportman of Year

1992 - WNew AM (1130) NYC resigns air, replaced by WBBR

1993 - C-130 flies into a Philippines hill & explodes, 16 killed

1993 - Haitian premier Robert Malval resigns

1993 - John Williams final appearance as conductor of Boston Pops

1993 - Lee Aspen resigns as secretary of defense

1993 - Y-12 crashes at Phonesavanh, Laos: 18 killed

 Heavyweight Boxing Champion Mike Tyson 1993 - British premier Major/Irish premier Reynolds signs Downing Street Declaration concerning Northern Ireland self determination

1994 - "Tuna Christmas" opens at Booth Theater NYC for 20 performances

1994 - John Bruton becomes Ireland's premier

1994 - Liberia militia kills 48 inhabitants of Monrovia

1994 - Palau becomes a member of the UN.

1995 - Playboy goes back on sale after 36 year ban in Ireland

1995 - The European Communities Court of Justice hands down the "Bosman ruling", giving EU footballers the right to a free transfer at the end of their contracts, with the provision that they are transferring from one UEFA Federation to another.

1996 - Dottie Pepper & Juli Inkster win LPGA Diner's Club Golf Matches

1996 - Jim Colbert & Bob Murphy wins Diner's Club Senior PGA Golf Matches

1996 - Tom Lehman & Duffy Waldoff wins Diner's Club PGA Golf Matches

1997 - SF 49ers retire Joe Montana's #16

2001 - The Leaning Tower of Pisa reopens after 11 years and $27,000,000 to fortify it, without fixing its famous lean.

2005 - Latvia amends its constitution to eliminate possibility of same-sex couples being entitled to marry.

2005 - Argentina's president Néstor Kirchner announces the early repayment of its external debt to the IMF.

2005 - Introduction of the F-22 Raptor into USAF active service.

2005 - The 2005 Atlantic Power Outage began.

2006 - First flight of the F-35 Lightning II.

2009 - Boeing's new 787 Dreamliner makes its maiden flight from Seattle, Washington.

2012 - 18 Asylum seekers drown in the Aegean Sea on the way to Greece from Turkey

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/dec15.htm

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

http://www.infoplease.com/dayinhistory

After Promising to Lower Grocery Prices as Candidate, President-Elect Trump Now Suddenly Backs Away From That Promise

Donald Trump as a candidate for president back in the 2016 race promised to do a lot of things which, once he was actually in the White House, many of those promises just did not come true. Like building the wall and making Mexico pay for it. Paying the national debt off in eight years, and then adding over 25% to it in his first four years. He promised not only to create a national healthcare system that would be affordable and would cover everybody, but then said it would be easy. But as president, he did not lift a finger to actually create such a system. He said that he would bring back the coal mining jobs, but they did not come back. Another promise which Trump made at the time was that the United States under him would be very well respected, and nobody would be laughing at us. But he was literally laughed at in front of world leaders assembled at the United Nations. 

There are other promises which he made back then, and which he failed to produce on. That is not unique to him, of course. Politicians make a career out of doing such things. But where he is unique is in portraying himself as something other than a politician, even though by now, he clearly is one. He is also unique in the extent to which he gets away with these things. 

Now, not yet in the White House again after winning the 2024 presidential election, Trump is already backing off from one of his major campaign promises: lowering the price of groceries.

Indeed, he and his campaign relentlessly attacked the Joe Biden White House, holding them responsible for inflation. The general consensus was that if you wanted to see lower prices for gas, or pay less for eggs at the local supermarket, you should vote for Trump. Indeed, that was one of the running themes of his campaign. 

Below is a snippet of a speech he gave in North Carolina just a few months before Election Day, when he specifically promised that, under him, the prices of groceries would indeed go significantly down, and quickly at that ((taken from the article by Sarah Fortinsky of The Hill - see link below):

In a speech in August in North Carolina, Trump told voters, “From the day I take the oath of office, we will rapidly drive prices down and make America affordable again.”

“Prices will come down. You just watch,” he continued. “They’ll come down, and they’ll come down fast. Not only with insurance, with everything.”

What he is saying now, however, sounds very different. Now, after having secured a second term in the Oval Office, Trump was asked if failing to lower food prices would leave a stain or mar his presidency in a significant way:

But asked if his presidency will be a failure if food prices don’t come down, Trump replied, “I don’t think so.”  

“Look, they got them up. I’d like to bring them down. It’s hard to bring things down once they’re up. You know, it’s very hard. But I think that they will. I think that energy is going to bring them down. I think a better supply chain is going to bring them down,” Trump said, noting the supply chain is “still broken.”

This from the man who once attacked President Obama and claimed that the president's authority is total, and so a president should be held completely accountable for all things that go wrong.

Once again, it seems that this is a perfect illustration of how different it is once you actually rule a country, as opposed to merely making promises to put yourself in a position of power.

Also, it feels like more of the same from Trump. For all the talk and opinions that he is so different from other politicians, or that he even isn't a politician, it sure seems like he has grown used to playing that particular politican's game of adjusting his answers now to excuse not being able to follow up on his numerous campaign promises once he actually obtains the office that he clearly wanted so badly.

Below are the links to the two articles I used in writing this particular blog entry. The quotes used in the above were both taken from the first article, the article by Sarah Fortinsky of The Hill:

Trump says slashing grocery prices will be ‘very hard’ by Sarah Fortinsky - 12/12/24 5:

https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/5038002-trump-food-prices-lowered/

When it comes to grocery prices, Trump suddenly changes his tune by Steve Benen, Dec. 12, 2024:

Is Donald Trump going to succeed in lowering grocery prices? In successive weeks, the president-elect answered the question in two very different ways. 

https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/comes-grocery-prices-trump-suddenly-changes-tune-rcna183958

Bill Belichick Takes Head Coahing Position at North Carolina

One of the most legendary American football coach - and the most decorated NFL head coach in history - made a surprise move yesterday.

It was generally expected that Belichick would get another head coaching position somewhere. But in recent weeks, there was speculation that he might be considering coaching at the collegiate level.

As it turns out, he was serious about it, because he just accepted the head coaching position at the University of North Carolina. 

Apparently, he felt it was a good fit. Some people were suggesting that there might be a better chance of him building a competitive team - a winner - quicker than it would be possible in the NFL. 

That very well may be the case. I am not sure, either way.

However, it should be interesting. Can he turn the program around there? 

Admittedly, I am not really familiar with college football, like I am with the NFL or, to a lesser degree, the CFL. What I know is that some programs always seem to be very good, and you hear about them a lot. Those are the one which we all hear about often on the news, right? Alabama. Clemson. LSU. Notre Dame. Michigan. Ohio State. Oregon. Penn State. Georgia. Texas. Maybe Tennessee. When I was growing up, you also had Oklahoma and Nebraska, as well as Miami. Also UCLA and USC. Colorado. Maybe Washington, for that matter. And West Virginia was good at times.

Rarely do you hear about North Carolina when it comes to football. College basketball, yes. They are a powerhouse there. But college football, you just don't hear about them all that much.

Let's see if Bill Belichick can change that.