Openers: Little did I dream, when I penned the account of Dr. Hargraves' epoch-making discovery under the title "The Retreat to Mars," which appeared in the August issue of this publication, that even more astonishing events were to take place within a few short months.
Soon after I had forwarded the narrative to the Editor, I received a telegram from Washington, signed by Hargraves, asking me to come at the earliest possible moment. Naturally, it was not long before I was on my way in response to his request, for I knew that my friend would not call me away from my work without good reasons. Moreover, my expenses were to be paid, and that appealed to my Scottish blood!
Hargraves met me at the depot upon my arrival and whisked me away to his apartment at once. No mention, other than it was something big, was made of the cause of his telegram, until I was comfortably settled in his study, after a good hot shower and a general clean-up necessitated by my journey.
When we were snugly ensconced in front of a comfortable open fire, my host took a pile of foolscap and drawings from a side table, and laying them on his knee, and leaned back in his chair and began:
"I have here a translation of one of the volumes contained in the library and need the assistance of a psychologist and an astronomer to work out the details of the apparatus described here and, afterwards, in the operation thereof. It is nothing less than a signaling apparatus with which we can get into communication with the Martians -- that is, if they are still there," he added. "It is really a type of radio transmitter, but to me it appears to be totally new in principle. Knowing that you are a radio enthusiast and that you have done much work on the subject, I secured permission to get you to oversee the construction of the apparatus and assist me in getting in touch with the Martians. There are many men in Washington who would be glad to give an arm for the opportunity I offer you, but many of the secrets disclosed in the transcribed library are to become government property, and you will see, there are some that will be of inestimable value to the country holding them. For this reason we prefer to call in one who has already proved himself trustworthy. If you accept the appointment and pledge yourself to secrecy, all the information you need will be placed at your disposal. The necessary money for the experiment will be granted without demur, although we have made but the roughest estimate of the cost as yet. You will be granted a salary which, I think, will be satisfactory to you, while you are engaged in the work. Will you accept the appointment?"
-- "The Return of the Martians" by "Cecil B. White," pseudonym of William H. Christie, 1896-1955 (from Amazing Stories, April 1928; reprinted in Martianology, compiled by Forrest J. Ackerman and edited by Anne Hardin, 2003)
Let's go back to the early days of science fiction -- back when Hugo Gernsback was still calling it "Scientifiction" -- for this creaky story, the third and last published by the author. Fair warning: the story may or may not be in your wheelhouse.
Here's Gernsback's introduction: 'Those of our readers who have read 'Retreat to Mars' will be interested in the present story, which is a sequel thereto. Mr. White, the author, who is an astronomer, is so well informed about this subject, that we read with bated breath, his most unusual, as well as powerfully written story. Many things are brought out here, which, very likely, the average reader never realizes, yet the story is not technical at all. On the contrary, it will hold the interest of practically every reader, no matter what his inclinations may be."
With a pitch like that, how can you go wrong?
Just a couple of random observations: 1) Radio, and its influence on Gernsback as presented in these early days of SF, cannot be ignored. Gernsback was a significant figure in the early days of electronics and radio. He was a pioneer in amateur radio and in 1908 founded the first electronics and radio magazine, Modern Electronics. In 1909 he founded the Wireless Association of America and claimed four years later that 400,000 people in the U.S. were involved in amateur radio. In 1913 he started The Electrical Experimenter (later to become Science and Invention), and Radio News in 1919. As an entrepreneur, Gernsback imported radio parts from Europe to sell in America. Needless to say, because of his influence, radio was an important motif in early science fiction. 2) The cover of the April 1928 issue of Amazing Stories (by Frank Paul) is an interesting one: it is Gernsback's concept of a symbol for 'Scientifiction" -- a giant eyeball emerging from the Earth into space, with the pupil containing various drawings of machinery and the lower part of eyeball's white displaying a horde of people. Creepy. The issue itself contains Part 2 of a serial by H. G. Wells and reprint. of two stories by Gernsback from The Electrical Experimenter and a reprint of a story from Science and Invention, as well as five original stories. Gernsback was not-so-lovingly called "Hugo the Rat" by H. P. Lovecraft and others for his refusal to pay, or to significantly delay payment to, his authors -- anticipating Donald Trump by many years.
The August 1928 issue of Amazing Stories in available to be read on the internet. The Hardin/Ackerman anthology is more difficult to locate (ISFDb and other sources do not recognize the title; one copy only is available on Abebooks for $44.96).
Incoming:- "Daniel Boyd" (Dan Stumpf) - Hamlet Among the Pirates. Adventure romp! "When Captain Jacobus Hooke, Master of the Dread Pirate Frigate DEBACLE, meets up with Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, the action never stops. Get ready for laughter and excitement, as a hard-working Pirate Captain accidently kidnaps the Melancholy Dane and finds himself saddled with a princely hostage no one wants to ransom! Swordfights...Strumpets...Sea Battles...Literary Allusions...Surprise Encounters...Super Storms...And Just Plain Silliness." Why hasn't this reached #1 on the NYT bestseller list yet?
- Irvin S. Cobb, J. Poindexter: Colored. A very dated (and outdated) novel from 1922. Joel Chandler Harris, the creator of Uncle Remus, wrote, "Cobb created a south peopled with honorable citizens, charming eccentrics, and subservient blacks..." One recent publisher (Nabu Press) offered as an excuse for publishing this out-of-copyright book, "We believe this work is culturally important" -- a namby-pamby way of saying that racial stereotypes abound.
- John Creasey, Six early novels about Department Z, a British intelligence agency headed by Gordon Craigie and consisting of an ultra-secret collection of civilians. The Death Miser (1933), the first book (of 28) in the series. "Millions of lives are at stake if a sinister international conspiracy succeeds," Redhead (1933). "An American gangster brings his bloody business to 1930s Britain." Death Round the Corner (1935). "Leopold Gorman studies the World Economic conference with interest -- and then picks five rich and powerful men to bring his plan to fruition. If any one of them shows reluctance to fall in with his scheme, he'll be dead within the hour..." The Mark of the Crescent (1935). "A mysterious symbol is the key" to a "desperate investigation involving drugs and murder." Menace (1938). Agent Bob Kerr 'is alerted to new developments in the principality of Vallena.' Then there's "a knock on his door. And the visitor is [a] man in a fur coat -- who has arrived from Vallena..." The Day of Disaster (1942). "A French refugee is washed up on the English coast. Feverish, delirious, he babbles incoherently to the men who find him. A single phrase, repeated: 'Loftus. Spell it backwards.' the discovery sparks an explosive reaction" as agents of Department Z fight a "desperate battle to uncover a Nazi scheme that threatens the very heart of British defense." All quick, easy, entertaining reads.
- Avram Davidson & Ethan Davidson, David&Son: Peregrine Parentus and Other Tales. "This collection prints or reprints several pieces by award winning Avram Davidson for the first time, including novella 'Arten of Ultima Thule.' Also featured in this volume are the first publications of writings by Davidson and his son Ethan Davidson, including the final story in the 'peregrine' series, 'Paragrine Parentus.' "
- Cullen Gallagher, High Fliers, Middleweights, and Lowlifes: David Goodis in the Pulps. Pulp historian Cullen Gallagher takes a deep dive into David Goodis's fiction. "Legendary noir author David Goodis is as haunting and mysterious a figure as is any of the protagonists in his novels. Among the most alluring of the mysteries surrounding him is how did he go from Retreat from Oblivion in 1939, his first novel, a melodrama about several inter-connected couples, to Dark Passage, his second novel and first noir masterpiece, in 1946? The answer is in the pulp fiction stories he wrote between those two books: tales of daring aviators, dashing athletes, and ruthless gangsters. In these short stories, Goodis evolved into the master of noir that he is known today...This critical-reference volume includes summaries and commentary on nearly all of Goodis's identified magazine work published under his own name or under pseudonyms." Also, companion piece Looking for Lost Streets: A Bibliographic Investigation of David Goodis's Pulp Fiction. "The pulp career of David Goodis has long been shrouded in mystery. Newly discovered evidence sheds light not only on which stories he wrote, but also the vast network of fellow pulp writers who shared the same pen names. Looking for Lost Streets presents the most complete bibliography of Goddis's short work to date." Although noted for his noir work, Goodis published widely in aviation, war, mystery, sports, and western magazines. I picked these two books up after James Reasoner poured high praise ln them ("They're two of the best books I've read this year.") As, as all right-thinking people know, when James Reasoner says "Jump," the proper response is "How high?"
- Charlaine Harris & Toni L. P. Kelner, editors, Many Bloody Returns. Anthology of thirteen stories mixing vampires with birthdays because, why not? authors include Charlaine Harris, Christopher Golden, Bill Crider, Kelley Armstrong, Jim Butcher, P. N. Elrod, Rachel Caine, Jeanne C. Stein, Tanya Huff, Carolyn Haines, Tate Hollaway, Elaine Viets, and Toni L. P. Kelner.
- Tony Hillerman, editor, with Otto Penzler, series editor, The Best American Mystery Stories of the Century. 46 stories first published from 1903 to 1999. Many of the stories are familiar, but all are worthwhile. The authors are: O. Henry, Willa Cather, Jacques Futrelle, Frederick Irving Anderson, Melville Davisson Post, Susan Glaspell, Dashiell Hammett, Ring Lardner, Wilbur Daniel Steele, Ben Ray Redman, James M. Cain, John Steinbeck, Damon Runyon, Pearl S. Buck, Raymond Chandler, James Thurber, Cornell Woolrich, William Faulkner, Harry Kemelman, Ellery Queen, John D. MacDonald, Ross Macdonald, Stanley Ellin, Evan Hunter, Margaret Millar, Henry Slesar, Patricia Highsmith, Shirley Jackson, Flannery O'Connor, Jerome Weidman, Joe Gores, Harlan Ellison, Robert L. Fish, Joyce Carol Oats, Stephen King, Jack Ritchie, Lawrence Block, Stephen Greenleaf, Sara Paretsky, Sue Grafton, Donald E. Westlake, James Crumley, Brendan Dubois, Michael Malone, Tom Franklin, and Dennis Lehane. It's hard to argue with any of these choices. (Although I would have added Charlotte Armstrong's "The Enemy.")
- Kevin Lucia, editor (for Cemetery Dance Publications), The Terror at Miskatonic Falls. A collaborative horror novel with over 30 contributors. "This January, winter has fallen hard on the small Massachusetts town of Miskatonic Falls. The icy wind has brought more than ice and snow, however. It has brought something ancient, alien, and evil. As the temperatures drop and the snow drifts build, a creeping horror crawls over the town and its inhabitants, pulsing an insistent mantra into their slowly unraveling minds: The Long Man Cometh.'
- Jonathan Maberry, Patient Zero. Horror, the first novel in the Joe Ledger series. "Monday, 1300 hours: Joe Ledger kills terrorist Javad Mustapha, aka Patient Zero, with two point blank shots from his Glock .45. Wednesday, 0800 hours: Patient Zero rises from the dead...When you have to kill the same terrorist twice in one week, there's either something wrong with your world, or something wrongs with your skills...and there's nothing wrong with Joe Ledger's skills. Ledger, a Baltimore detective assigned to a counterterrorism task force, is recruited by the government to lead a new ultrasecret rapid-response group called the Department of Military Science (DMS) to help stop a group of terrorists from releasing a deadly bioweapon that can turn ordinary people into zombies."
- Francis M. Nevins, Cornucopia of Crime: Memoria and Summations. Nonfiction collection of writings about some of the author's fellow mystery writers, including Erle Stanley Gardner, Cornell Woolrich, Ellery Queen, Anthony Boucher, Anthony Abbott, Cleve F. Adams, John Lawrence, Milton Propper, William Ard, Michael Avallone, Edward D. Hoch, Harry Stephen Keeler, John Lutz, John D. MacDonald, Jack Richie, James Atlee Phillips, David Atlee Phillips, Christianna Brand, Ray B. Browne, Joel L. Hensley, Stuart M. Kaminsky, Joseph H. Lewis, and Aaron Marc Stein. 420 pages!
- Robert J. Randisi, The Reluctant Pinkerton. Western, a Talbot Roper novel. In my heart of hearts, I felt that uber-productive Robert J. Randisi would go on forever as a perpetual motion writing machine. Sadly, he proved me wrong, passing away earlier this year after writing more than 650 books and editing more than 30 anthologies, mainly in the western and mystery genres. He left behind more than enough books to keep me busy for the ret of my life, including this one: "Former Pinkerton agent Talbot Roper has a begrudging respect for his old boss. When Allen Pinkerton dies and his sons send for Roper to attend the funeral, he has no choice but to oblige him. But Pinkerton's sons, who now run the agency, want Roper to do more than pay his respects. They have a dangerous assignment that no man on their payroll can handle. Now roper is headed to Fort Worth, Texas, where someone is sabotaging the Union /Stockyard company. Undercover to infiltrate the industry, Roper knows that the men he's up against aren't just smart, they're deadly. And he'll need to remember everything Allen ever taught him to finish the job...and stay alive." This was the second, and last, Talbot Roper novel.
- James Reasoner, Lair of the Serpent Queen. Sword and sorcery novella, the third in the Snakehaven series. "Jorras Trevayle is back, exploring the sprawling city of Nucarrah, a cesspit of sin and corruption, the hub of a world of danger and sinister sorcery where the giant serpents known as Nloka Maccumba roam. Rescued by the beautiful Llorna Valyasha from an attempt on his life, Trevayle pledges his allegiance tot he queen of Nucarrah's underworld, unaware that he's sinking deeper and deeper into a war between criminals from which he may not escape!" Previous entries in this series are Doom of the Dark Delta and Fear on the Fever Coast; James has indicated that he will eventually publish these as one volume, but I can't wait.
Happy Birthday, Mayflower Compact! The Mayflower compact was the first governing document of the Plymouth Colony, signed while the Mayflower was anchored off the hook of Cape Cod on November 11, 1620, according to the calendars of the time (November 21 by the calendars of today). 41 of the ship's 101 passengers signed the document, including such well-known names as William Bradford, Myles Standish, and John Alden.
Financed by the Company of Merchant Adventurers of of London, and originally intended to land at the Colony of Virginia that Octonber using two ships, delays and complications allowed then to use only vessel, the Mayflower. Storms forced the ship north of their intended target, and, with provisions running short, it was unwise for them to continue further. Although the popular concept is that the passengers were Puritans, Separatist Puritans and other Protestant Separatists were only a part of the voyagers; the remaining consisting of adventurers and tradesmen. Once it had been determined that they would not be settling in the agreed-upon Virginia, a number of non-Puritans proclaimed their independence: that they "would use their own liberty, for none had power to command them." In reaction to this, the Pilgrims created the Mayflower Compact (titled Agreement Between the Settlers of New Plymouth) to establish "a social contract in which the settlers consented to follow the community's rules and regulations for the sake of order and survival."
[Survival was difficult. Five persons died at sea while the Mayflower was anchored in Provincetown Harbor: three young servants,, one aged 7 and two under 21; and Dorothy Bradford, about 23, and the wife of William Bradford, she evidently slipped and fell into the icy waters off Cape Cod and her body was never recovered; the other fatality was a 64-year-old Separatist from the Leiden, Holland church who died in "the First Sickness." Around mid-December it was decided that the colonists would leave the ship and settle in the area of Plymouth. Forty additional passengers of the Mayflower died during that first Brutal winter of 1620-1621; two more perished in the Spring of 1621, including Governor John Carter; at least four additional deaths occurred before the first Thanksgiving in November. The total estimated deaths that first year ranged between 51 and 56. Deaths were attributed to lack of shelter, scurvy, pneumonia, and the general living conditions]
The Compact allowed the settlers to establish their own government while remaining loyal to the Crown of England. Even then the Pilgrims were wary of the Church of England and the limits of the English Reformation, as well as King James's reluctance to advocate for further reforms.
Three hundred years after the Mayflower landing, then-Massachusetts governor Calvin Coolidge said, "The compact which they signed was an event of the greatest importance. It was the foundation of liberty based on law and order, and that tradition has been steadily upheld. They drew up a form of government which has been designated as the first real constitution of modern times. It was democratic, an acknowledgment of liberty under law and order and the giving to each person the right to participate in the government, while they promised to be obedient to the laws.'
Veteran's Day: A brief history of the holiday from the History Channel:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zPnz5zjOf1o
And Two Go-To Songs From Eric Bogle: Lest we forget.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DxkhBvO8_kM
and
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WG48Ftsr3OI
Also On This Day In History: 1923 -- Adolph Hitler was arrested for high treason for his role in the failed coup d'etat, the Beer Hall Putsch.
But the son of a bitch came back.
And so it foes.
Happy Birthday, Stubby Kaye! Bernard Shalom Kotzin (1918-1997) was an actor, comedian, vaudevillian, and singer, perhaps best known for his roles in Guys and Dolls and L'il Abner. As
Nicely-Nicely Johnson in Guys and Dolls, he introduced the songs "Fugue for Tinhorns" ("I got the horse right here, his name is Paul Revere...") and "Sit Down, You're Rockin' the Boat." as Marrying Sam in L'il Abner, he sang "Jubilation T. Cornpone." Stubby Kaye and Nat King Cole played the strumming minstrels Sam the Shade and Sunrise Kid in the 1965 film Cat Ballou.
Stubby Kaye's early work in vaudeville translated easily into his many roles later on Broadway, films, and television.
"Jubilation T. Cornpone"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oh2S3k3M1GI
"Sit Down, You're Rockin' the Boat"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nJq7J2uzSlc
"Fugue for Tinhorns"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BAIlVCStp3c
"Ballad of Cat Ballou" (with Nat King Cole0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ghnpUNTR1I
"I'm Past My Prime" (with Leslie Parrish, voiced by Imogene Lynn)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xlyOCf_SOUY
"Happy To Make Your Acquaintance" (from Most Happy Fellow, with Ray Bolger, Gertrude Berg, and Kay Armen)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=digmojYJL5M
"My Wife's a Striptease Dancer" & "Lydia, the Tattooed Lady"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ECiQIdtSac
"Mr. Five by Five"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KvGQ-vKLV7o
"Everybody Loves My Baby"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kSzHBMfhy6M
"Oh, What a Son of a Bitch I Am" (with Anthony Newly and Ron Rubin)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xl_6fFHRKXg
"Hit 'Em on the Head"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ejznGWfLtDs
"Market Today"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UaEhtIeznO8
"I Love to Cry at Weddings'
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LstAIe7Qvwo
And, because it's my blog, here's Stubby Kaye shilling for Corn Chex cereal:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zPnz5zjOf1o
Some More Birthday Boys (and Gals): The Holy Roman Emperor Henry IV (1050-1106; Emperor from 1084-1105), who ticked off German aristocrats by appointing commoners to high positions, and had an adversarial relationship with Popes Alexander II and Gregory VII, and who has gone down 1154-1211), who ruled from in history as either a tyrant or an exemplary monarch who protected the poor; Sancho I of Portugal (1154-1211), who ruled from 1185 until his death, and who had at least 20 children -- eleven of them legitimate; Charlotte of Savoy, Queen of France (1441-1483), she married the future Louis XI when he was 23 and she was 9, and served as Queen from 1468-1483, a contemporary once noted that "while she was an excellent Princess in other respects, she was not a person in whom a man could take any delight" (ouch!); Catherine of Podebrady (1449-1464), Hungarian Queen, the second wife of King Matthias Corvinus, who married her when he was 18 and she was 13 (child brides evidently being a thing back then), she died in childbirth at age 14; Martin Bucer (1491-1551), German Protestant reformer and an early pioneer in ecumenism, he once acted as an emissary between Martin Luther and Huldrych Zwingli, who differed on points of the Eucharist; Martin Ruland the Younger (1569-1611), German physician and alchemist, he penned Lexicon alchemiae sive dictionarium alchemisticum, published in 1612 and later cited by such diverse people as Karl Jung and A. E. Waite; Flemish painter Frans Snyders (1579-161657), known for his paintings of animals, hunting scenes, market scenes, and still lifes (including all sorts of foods, utensils, and kitchenware); Ottavio Picclomini (1599-1656), Italian nobleman who served as a general for Spain and as a field marshal for the holy roman Empire, in 1632, during the Battle of Lutzen, he had five horses shot out from under him, his family tree included two Popes (Pius I and Pius III) and his brother served as archbishop of Sienn;
Johann Albert Fabricius (1668-1736), a German classical scholar and bibliographer who has been credited with 128 books, including Bibliotheca Latina, Biblioteca Graeca, Bbilioteca Antiquaria, and Biblioteca Ecclesiatica; Andrea Zani (1696-1757), Italian violinist and composer, here's his Sinfonnia no 1 in Do maggiora: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C8Gorqm8OSM; Carl Peter Thunberg (1743-1828), Swedish naturalist, called "the father of South African botony," "a pioneer of Occidental medicine in Japan," and the "Japanese Linneaus"; Fyodor Dostoevsky (1821-1881), author of Crime and Punishment and The Brothers Karamazov; Thomas Bailey Aldrich (1836-1907) long-time editor of The Atlantic Monthly and popular author of The Story of a Bad Boy, "Marjorie Daw," and other works; Stevan Sremac (1855-2906), Serbian realist and comedy writer, generally accepted as one of the best truly humorous Serbian writers (Did you know there was such a thing?); Janet Erskine Stuart (1857-1914), English nun who eventually became the Superior General of the Society of the Sacred Heart and visited every community associated with the order throughout the world, among her writings is The Education of Catholic Girls (1912), a beatification process is evidently ongoing; Paul Signac (1863-1935) French Neo-Impressionist painter who helped develop the Pointillism technique; Alffred Hermann Fried (1864-1921), co-founder of the German Peace movement and winner of a Noble Peace Prize in 1911, he also was a great supporter of Esperanto; Martha Annie Whitely (1856-1956), English chemist and mathematician who helped advance women's equality in the field of chemistry, one of the Royal Society of Chemistry's "175 Faces of Chemistry"; Shrimad Raychandra (1867-1901), Jain poet, mystic, and scholar who was a spiritual mentor of Mahatma Gandhi, he claimed to have gotten recollection of his past lives at age nine; Victor Emmanuel III (1869-1947), king of Italy from 1900 to his abdication in 1946, Emperor of Ethiopia from 1936 to 1941, and King of the Albanians from 1939 to 1943, he rolled over for Mussolini before and during World War II; Gaetano Bresci (1869-1901), Italian anarchist who assassinated King Umberto I of Italy in 1900, Bresci's act inspired Leon Czolgosz to assassinate William McKinley, Bresci died of suicide while imprisoned; Maude Adams (1872-1953), known for taking the title role in the 1905 Broadway production of Peter Pan, she was the most successful and the highest-paid performer of her day, the character of Elise McKenna in Richard Matheson's Bid Time Return and the subsequent film Somewhere in Time, was based on her; General George S. Patton (1885-1945), "Old Blood and Guts," an outstanding military leader, not without many controversies, he has been deemed having narcissistic personality disorder by many modern day psychologists, Roland Young (1887-1953), English-born actor, he played the title role in 1937's Topper (and sequels; he also wrote a biography of Topper creator Thorne Smith), he was also Henry Blore in 1945's And Then There Were None, other roles included Watson T in 1922's Sherlock Holmes and Uriah Heep in 1935's David Copperfield; Rabbit Maranville (1891-1954), baseball shortstop and second baseman, he played for the Boston Braves, Pittsburg Pirates, Chicago Cubs, Brooklyn Robins, and St. Louis Cardinals between 1912 and 1934, his record of 23 seasons in the National League was finally broken in 1986 by Pete Rose; Beverley Bayne (1894-1962), silent film actress who appeared with Francis X. Bushman (and his request) as a romantic couple in 24 films, she and Bushman were married three days after the divorced his first wife, they remained a couple for seven year, she remarrying once and he remarrying twice; Wealthy Consuelo Babcock (1895-1990), an American mathematician who taught for 46 years at the University of Kansas, her doctoral thesis in Physics was titled On the Geometry Associated with Certain Determinants with Linear
Elements, she had a really cool first name; Rene Clair (1898-1981), French filmmaker who directed the aforementioned And Then There Were None, as well as The Ghost Goes West, I Married a Witch, and It Happened Tomorrow; Pat O'Brien (1899-1983), actor, known for Angels with Dirty Faces and Knute Rockne, All American (in which he said, "win one just for the Gipper"); Maria Babanova (1899-1983), Russian and Soviet actress and pedagogue,, named a People's Artist of the USSR in 1954;
Sam Spiegel (1901-1985), film producer for On the Waterfront, Bridge Over the River Kwai, and Lawrence of Arabia, other films were The African Queen, Suddenly, Last Summer, and The Night of the Generals; F. Van Wyck Mason (1901-1978), popular author of historical novels and of 25 "novels of intrigue" featuring Colonel Hugh North, the titles of his historical novels usually contained thirteen letter -- the first two accidentally, the remaining on purpose; Alger Hiss (1904-1996), convicted spy, perhaps innocent; J. H. C. Whitehead (1904-1960), British mathematician and one of the founders of homotropy theory, which has been used in algebraic topology, algebraic geometry, and category theory (don't ask me to explain any of this); Brother Theodore (born Theodore Gottlieb, 1906-2001), German-born American comedian and monologist, a master of dark humor, he appeared on many television talk shows, Albert Einstein (a family friend) had helped him immigrate to America; Actor Robert Ryan (1909-1973), he of Flying Leathernecks, Clash by Night, Bad Day at Black Rock, Odds Against Tomorrow, and so many more; Daisy Bates (1914-1999), American civil rights activist who played a leading role in the Little Rock Integration Crisis in 1957; she was fierce; novelist Howard Fast (1914-2003), author of Citizen Tom Paine, Freedom Road, Spartacus, and April Morning, as well as a number of detective stories under the pseudonym "E. V. Cunningham"; William Proxmire (1915-2005), US senator from Wisconsin, the longest-serving senator from that state, he exposed wasteful spending on military programs, and called his immediate predecessor Joseph McCarthy "a disgrace to Wisconsin, to the Senate, and to America," Proxmire was an early advocate of campaign spending reform and his actions followed his beliefs; Kurt Vonnegut (1922-2007), influential american author of The Sirens of Titan, Cat's Cradle, and Slaughter-House Five, he was interned in Dresden during the bombing of that city and that horrific experience colored his world view, reportedly he based his character Kilgore Trout on author Theodore Sturgeon; comedian and actor Jonathan Winters (1925-2013), a master of both improvisational and character comedy, he appeared in over 50 films and a gazillion television shows, in addition to performing his stand-up act., he could be really, really funny; Mose Allison (1927-2018), jazz and blues pianist, singer, and songwriter, here's his signature song, "Parchment Farm": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RRAYLabbHPk; Carlos Fuentes (1928-2012), Mexican author of The Old Gringo, and other acclaimed works; singer Laverne Baker (1929-1997), from 1955 to 1965, 20 of her songs mad=e the R&B charts; here's "Tweedlee Dee": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mFpliZ6Aqa4; Mildred Dresselhaus (1930-2017), American physicist, materials scientist, and nanotechnologist, the "Queen of Carbon Science," she has won the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the National Medal of Science, the Enrico Fermi award, the Kavli Prize, and Vannevar Bush Award, she supported efforts to promote increased participation of women in physics and was the face of a GE television advertisement which asked, "What if female scientists were celebrities?"; Hugh Everett III (1930-1982), American physicist who proposed what is now known as the 'many worlds interpretation' of quantum mechanics; Peter B. Lewis (1933-2013), chairman of the Progressive Insurance Company, and a philanthropist who signed the Giving Pledge in 2012 to donate half of his money to charity, donating more than $358 million (other substantial donations remain secret); Bibi Andersson (1935-2019), Swedish actress who often collaborated with Ingmar Bergman, known for such films as The Seventh Seal, Wild Strawberries, Dual at Diable, and I Never Promised You a Rose Garden; Jack Keller (1936-2005), he wrote the songs "Everybody's Somebody's Fool," "Venus in Blue Jeans," "Run to Him," and this one by Bobby Sherman: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QJOuTr0BXb4; actress Denise Alexander (b. 1939), who played Lesley Webber on General Hospital; Barbara Boxer (b. 1940), Democrat, US Senator from Californias from 1993 to 2017 and US Representative from 1983 to 1993, during Clarence Thomas's senatorial confirmation hearings, she led a group which demanded that the all-white, all-male house Judiciary committee take Anita Hill's charges seriously (one of the members who voted for Thomas, -- and was a damned fool for doing so -- was Joe Biden), Upon he retirement, Boxer's Senate seat was filled by Kamala Harris; Dennis Coffey (b. 1940), studio musician who played guitar on Edwin Starr's "War," Diana Ross & The Supremes' "Someday We'll Be Together," and Freda Payne's 'Band of Gold";
Diane Wolkstein (1942-2013), folklorist and author of children's books, she was New York City's official storyteller from 1967 to 1971, and hosted the WNYC Radio's Stories From Many Lands from 1968 to 1980; Chris Dreja (b. 1945), rhythm guitarist and bassist for the Yardbirds, for which he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, he officially left the band in 2013 for medical reasons following a series of strokes; Daniel Ortega (b. 1945), president of Nicaragua since 2007,a Marxist-Leninist and a one-time leader in the Sandanista National Liberation Front, Ortega faced rebellion from the US-backed Contras, his violent crackdown of his opposition in 2018 led to condemnation by Amnesty international and the OAS, and brought a flood of emigrants to neighboring Costa Rica and the closing of several NGOs, universities, and newspapers, when Ortega was re-elected in 2021. President Biden banned bot he and his officials from entering the United States; "Mutt" Lange (b. 1948), South African record producer, previously married to singer Shania Twain;
Jim Peterik (b. 1950), American musician and songwriter, co-author of "Eye of the Tiger," the theme song from Rocky III; Kim Peek (1951-2009), American savant, known as a "megasavant," the inspiration for the character Raymond Babbitt in the 1988 film Rain Man; Fuzzy Zoeller (b. 1951), American golfer, winner of ten PGA Tour Events, one of only three golfers to win the Masters Tournament in his first appearance, and winner of 1984 U.S. open; Marshall Crenshaw (b. 1953), US musician, here's his "Someday, Someway": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j7sg66vfNHs; Mary Gaitskill (b. 1954), American novelist and short story writer, a one-time stripper and call girls, she writes unflinchingly about "taboo" subjects such as prostitution, addiction, sado-masochism, date rape, and victimization; Jigme Singye Wangchcuk (b. 1955), the king of Bhutan from 1972 until his abdication in 2006, he initiated ethnic cleansing in Bhutan in 1996, and insisted on the use of a "Gross National Happiness" index rather than a gross domestic product index to measure the well-being of his citizens, he supported protecting the environment, and abdicated on favor od his son in 2006; Talaat Aziz (b. 1956), ghazai singer (I know nothing about ghazai songs or poetry, except that it is very popular in the Middle East and seems to be linked to Sufism; anyway, here's Aziz singing "Zindagi Jab Bhi Teri Bazm Mein Humain - Umroa Jaan": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g-_CY0iP1CM); Lee Hany (b. 1959), former American professional body builder, he holds eight Mr. Olympia titles; Christian Schwarzenegger (b. 1959), Swiss academic lawyer and professor of criminal law, cousin of Arnold; Stanley Tucci (b. 1960), American actor and producer and noted foodie; Demi Moore (b. 1962), American actress, a member of the Brat Pack, she is known for Blame It on Rio, Ghost, A Few Good Men, Indecent Proposal, and Striptease, mother of Rumer, Scout and Tallulah, former wife of Freddy Moore, Bruce Willis, and Ashton Kutcher; Calista Flockheart (b. 1964), actress who came into prominence playing Ally McBeal, she played Kitty Walker in Brotherss & Sisters from 2006 to 2011, she's married to Harrison Ford; Philip McKeon (1962-2019), actor who played the kid on the sitcom Alice, his younger sister was Nancy McKeon from The Facts of Life, he died at age 55 after a long illness; Alison Doody (b. 1966), Bond girl Jenny Flex in A View to a Kill (she was 18, the youngest Bond girl to date), and Elsa Schneider in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade; Peaches (Merril Nisker, b. 1966), Canadian electroclash musician (not to be confused with Peaches Geldorf, Peaches Christ, or half of Peaches and Herb), she has been described as a feminist queer icon; Carson Kressley (b. 1969),
American television personality and designer, member of the original cast of Queer Eye for the Straight Guy; David Deluise (b. 1971), American actor, son of Dom, brother of Peter and Michael, he played Jerry Russo in Wizards of Waverly Place; Jason White (b. 1973) touring guitarist for the band Green Day; Leonardo DeCaprio (b. 1974), American actor whose films include What's Eating Gilbert Grape?, Titanic, Gangs of New York, and The Wolf of Wall Street, active in the climate change movement, his personal life, including his preference for women 25 years old or younger, has been the subject of much media speculation; Jill Vedder (b. 1977), American philanthropist and former fashion model. she is co-founder and vice-chairman of a non-profit organization dedicated to finding a cure for the rare genetic skin disorder epidermolysis bullosa which is marked by easy blistering of the skin and mucous membranes and its severity ranges from mild to fatal, in the United States this disease is prevalent in 8.2 per million live births; Scoot McNairy (b. 1977), American actor, he starred in AMC's Halt and Catch Fire for four seasons, from 2014 to 2017, and has had major roles in a number of films and television programs, he has 95 IMDb credits; Jon Batiste (b. 1986), American instrumentalist and band leader, he was the bandleader and musical director for The Late Show with Stephen Colbert from 2015 to 2022, he has earned five Grammy Awards from 20 nominations; Christa B. Allen (b. 1991), American actress who played the younger version of Jennifer Garner's character in both 13 Going on 30 and Ghosts of Girlfriends Past, she played socialite Charlotte Grayson in Revenge from 2011 to 2015; X Gonzalez (born Emma Gonzalez, 1999) American gun control activist, they (the preferred pronoun) survived the Marjorie Stoneman Douglas High School Shooting in 2018; and Oakes Fegley (b. 2004), American child actor, known for Pete's Dragon, The Goldfinch, and The Fabelmans, he also played young Eli Thompson in the fifth season of Boardwalk Empire.
Over a span of nearly a thousand years, these people played a role -- sometimes big, sometimes small -- in shaping our lives and who we are today.
The Magic Orange Tree: Here's Diane Wolkstein relating a story from Haiti at New York's Central Park on June 5, 2010. Enjoy.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-YfZg6Tgpr8
A Bad Joke: Two vampire bats were hanging upsidedownn in their cave and one of them said, "I'm hungry. let's go out and some blood." the other said, "Don't be silly. It's the middle of the day. There's no blood out this time of day. You have to wait until nighttime, when people are sleeping." "I don't care. I'm hungry NOW!" With that, the first bat flitted out of the cave. Some time passed and the first bat returned with blood dripping down from his jaws. The second bat said, "I don't believe it! where didm you find blood this time of day?" The first bat pointed outside the cave, "Do you see that tree?" "Yes," said the second bat. "Well, I didn't," said the first bat.
Florida Man:
- Florida Man Alexander Rodriguez, 20, of Miami, was arrested after he allegedly stabbed his brother in the neck for talking over the food while he was cooking. When police arrived, the brother was trying to dress the wound with a cloth and Rodriguez had fled; he was later found hiding in a nearby tree. Rodriguez told police that he was irritated at his brother and that he had grabbed a knife and stabbed him because he thought his brother was going for the knife; he said that his brother had an "attitude."
- Florida Man John F. Burgos, 72, of Rockledge, was arrested for shooting and killing his dog because he had no power in his home after Hurricane Milton hit. Alcohol was involved.
- Football is a contact sport, especially in Florida. Police are reviewing a viral video taken at a recent football game between the Florida Gators and the Georgia Bulldogs, in which Florida lost, 20-34. The video allegedly shows a Florida police officer in the stands, beating a man in the stands, punching the man repeatedly while the victim was covering his face while lying on the aisle; a short distance away, another officer was seen allegedly punching another man repeatedly. No context was given for the video and the local news station was unable to verify the authenticity of the video. The Jacksonville Sheriff's Office said that its Professional Standards Division was reviewing the alleged incident.
- Florida Woman Esther Thelus was arrested for killing her nine-moth-old baby and attempting to murder her 2-year-old son after feeling "humiliated" in a child custody suit. Police said that Thelus used a red gas canister and a lighter purchased at a local convenience store to set herself and her children on fire. Thelus had wanted to take the infant to south Florida while leaving the older boy with his father, from whom she was estranged. Apparently the boy's father and the father's mother insisted on a DNA test to prove the child was his before he would taking custody. some Florida Men and Women stories are cure, and some or quirky, and, sadly, some are just tragic.
- Florida Woman Lakevia Davonna Pringle, of Sanford, is facing a judge after she recorded video of her girlfriend fatally shooting another woman, and then live-streamed parts of the shooting on social media. Police said Pringle had also encouraged the fight which led to the fatal shooting.
- 17-year-old Florida Man (Boy?) Jaylen Dewayne Edgar has allegedly told deputies that he shot into crowds of people celebrating Halloween in Orland -- ultimately killing two men and injuring eight others -- because he had witness a lot of "loved ones" die, and that he was under great stress. Thirty minutes prior to the shooting, Edgar apparently climbed into the back of am Orlando Fire Department ambulance and laid down on a stretcher while the ambulance crew was attempting to aid an intoxicated woman; Edgar apparently had a gun hidden in his pants at the time.
Good News -- And This Is the Week When We Need Some:
- A four-year-old girl who was told she would never walk takes her first steps https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/4-year-old-girl-told-shed-never-walk-takes-her-first-steps-with-sisters-screaming-while/
- An award-winning hero dog https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/18-month-old-bloodhound-wins-hero-dog-awards-for-2024/
- Can identifying fragments of rogue DNA help treat aggressive cancers? https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/study-raises-hopes-of-treating-aggressive-cancers-by-identifying-fragments-of-rogue-dna/
- An old radio is revived from a great distance https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/aging-voyager-1-restarts-a-radio-it-hasnt-used-since-1981-prompted-from-15-billion-miles-away/
- Man sees color for the first time https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/man-is-overwhelmed-with-emotion-trying-color-blind-glasses-for-first-time-my-god-this-is-amazing-watch/
- Life savings of a small town recovered from a crypto-scam https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/life-savings-of-an-entire-small-town-recovered-from-the-depths-of-a-cryto-scam-by-fbi/
- Kids leave Halloween candy on a front step -- for a good reason https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/kids-leave-halloween-candy-on-doorstep-after-noticing-sign-about-sons-hospitalization-leaving-family-overwhelmed/
Today's Poem:
In Flanders Fields
In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place, and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.
We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie,
In Flanders fields.
-- John McCrae
