The First Times Square New Year's Eve on This Day in History

 

Times Square NYE 2019 - New York's Last Good Year

Today in History: The first New Year's Eve (NYE) celebration is held in Times Square (then known as Longacre Square) in Manhattan on this day in 1907. Tonight they will still drop the ball, but you're not allowed to be there to watch it, which would make it the first time since 1907 that throngs of people would not gather in Midtown.

There will be live performances, and “Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest 2021,” will air live from Times Square on ABC...but nobody will be allowed there to witness it all.

The ball drop was suspended in 1942 and 1943 during World War II, but many still gathered in Times Square and marked the new year with a minute of silence. 

Think about this: During the very deadly Spanish Flu, people were not stopped from going to Times Square on NYE...in fact it was the first time they had rain during that Times Square celebration. Times Square on NYE was also not shut down during the Asian Flu nor the Hong Kong Flu.

On an interesting side-note: The ball in Times Square weighs 11,875 pounds, contains 32,256 LED lights, and is made up of 2,688 Waterford crystals, and it cost more than a million dollars.

Rasputin's Strange Death on This Day in History

 

Rasputin: The Man Who Wouldn't Die

Today in History: Russian mystic and self-proclaimed holy man Grigori Rasputin was assassinated on this day in 1916. Rasputin was a man who insinuated himself inside the Russian royal family, the Romanovs, and in time was able to gain some power and influence, which many did not like. While seen by some Russians as a mystic, visionary, and prophet, others viewed him as a charlatan. At first they tried to poison him. It is said that Rasputin was fed poisoned cakes and wines and that Rasputin gorged down enough cyanide to kill an elephant. But no amount of poison would hurt him. Instead, Rasputin kept asking for more.

When that didn't work they shot him in the heart. When his killers went to dispose of his body, “With a sudden violent effort Rasputin leapt to his feet, foaming at the mouth.” They then took more shots. That didn't work, until someone shot him in the head. However, one of the conspirators saw Rasputin move, even after the shot to the skull. So they then wrapped his body in linen and threw him over the bridge into the water. He was also found mutilated.

Or so the legend goes.

Feast of the Holy Innocents or Childermas on This Day in History

 

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Today in History: For some, and in ancient folklore, December 28 is considered the unluckiest day on the Christian calendar. This day is traditionally celebrated as the Massacre of the Innocents (Childermass), an incident in the nativity narrative of the Gospel of Matthew (2:16–18) in which Herod the Great orders the execution of all male children two years old and under in the vicinity of Bethlehem. 

According to Francis Kildale's 1855 Glossary of Yorkshire Words and Phrases, says of December 28 "that the day of the week on which it falls is marked as a black day for the whole year to come...No important affair is taken in hand on Childermass Day, and the sailors are heedful not to leave their port in the way of beginning a voyage under any consideration."

In Legends and Superstitions of the County of Durham by William Brockie (1886) warns, "it is very unlucky to begin any work whatever on this day." 

In Brand's Popular Antiquities of Great Britain, it is noted that "this day is of most unlucky omen. None ever marries on a Childermas Day."

In history, children fared badly on this of all days: "Up until the seventeenth century, it was believed that ritually beating a child with a stick at Childermass brought the beater good luck and reminded the child of both King Herod's viciousness and Jesus's suffering." Bad Santas and Other Creepy Christmas Characters by Paul Hawkins

This day held great meaning in the medieval world where most families had lost a child due to the very high rates of infant mortality. While it was customary to wear white through the whole Christmas season, on this one day you wore red. 

The day was considered incredibly unlucky, the most common superstition stating that anything begun on the day would never be finished or would go disastrously wrong – even doing something as innocent as laundry would be certain to result in a death in the family! "It is related of Louis XI. of France, that he would debate no state matter, and resented every attempt to trouble him with business, on the day of the Innocents." Robert Chambers 1847

The Pagan Origins of Christmas - 40 PDF Books to Download

The Rendlesham Forest Incident on This Day in History

 

Detailed Video about The Rendlesham Forest Incident

Today in History: The Rendlesham Forest Incident, also described as "Britain's Roswell", was reported on this day in 1980. It is one of the few officially documented UFO sightings where witnesses claim to have seen a craft land. Several United States Air Force (USAF) security personnel stationed at RAF Woodbridge, reported that they investigated "lights" in the surrounding forest. When they approached the landed craft they noticed strange hieroglyphs/markings on it, and the outside of the craft was described as "smooth, opaque, black glass." The animals in the area seemed agitated and high radiation levels were recorded the next day. 

As someone who was there said: “What I once believed is no more, and what I’ve witnessed, defies all that I have ever imagined.” “I am truly in awe over the whole incident, and no one can fully understand the magnitude, of such an event, unless you were there.” - Sgt. James Penniston, Interview with ABC Television 2005

The Travel Channel listed the Rendlesham Forest Incident as the number one of the 5 most famous UFO sightings across the world.

See also: 21 Facts About The Unresolved UFO Incident at Rendlesham Forest

Visit The Rendlesham Forest Incident Official Website

I've never put much stock in UFO sightings, but I have noticed that certain institutions are beginning to take UFO sighting more seriously recently.

US defense department creates taskforce to investigate UFOs

Here in North Carolina there was a recent UFO sighting on Friday, November 13, 2020. A pilot and 1st Officer on a flight from Charlotte, NC, to Harrisburg, PA, witnessed an intensely brightly lighted object descend out of the night sky in front of their aircraft, stop instantly, execute a ~90-degree turn, and sped off into the night.

Mao Zedong on This Day in History

 

Buy my book: The Folly of Socialism (40 Chapters) for 99 cents on Amazon

Today in History: Mao Zedong (also known as Chairman Mao) Chinese communist revolutionary who was the founder of the People's Republic of China (PRC) was born on this day in 1893. When you bring up Mao, you have to ask: Who was the biggest mass murderer in the history of the world? Most people would say Hitler, but you would be wrong. Some would say Josef Stalin, who killed more people than Hitler due to government imposed famines. But both Hitler and Stalin were outdone by Mao Zedong. From 1958 to 1962, his Great Leap Forward policy led to the deaths of up to 45 to 65 million people—easily making it the biggest episode of mass murder ever recorded.

It's not lost on me that the greatest killers in history were all Socialists. 

Mao would actually brag about his mass deaths as well: “What’s so unusual about Emperor Shih Huang of the China Dynasty? He had buried alive 460 scholars only, but we have buried alive 46,000 scholars.” In his "Great Leap Forward" he collectivized China’s agriculture which lead to the worst famine in human history. After this Mao proclaimed the Cultural Revolution where gangs of Red Guards would terrorize one city after another. Professors were dressed in grotesque clothes and dunce caps, their faces smeared with ink. They were then forced to get down on all fours and bark like dogs. Some were beaten to death, some were even eaten.

One of Mao's mottos was “Political power grows out of the barrel of a gun.”

Yet, despite all this, the New York Times praised him in a tweet: The Times wrote that he "began as an obscure peasant" and "died one of history’s great revolutionary figures.” But a short time later, the New York Times’ Archives account deleted the tweet and explained simply that it was because it “lacked critical historical context.” This should tell you all you need to know about the US Media.

Buy: The Folly of Socialism (40 Chapters) for 99 cents on Amazon

Visit a local listing for this here

See also: Thought-Provoking Quotes about Socialism
https://thebookshelf2015.blogspot.com/2018/08/thought-provoking-quotes-about-socialism.html

AOC's Green New Deal Is a U.S. Version of Mao’s Disastrous Great Leap Forward

Economics is the Queen of all Sciences by Henry D. Macleod M.A. 1896
https://thebookshelf2015.blogspot.com/2018/02/economics-is-queen-of-all-sciences-by.html

See also Over 300 PDF/Acrobat Books on Socialism, Communism and Economics on DVDrom
http://thebookshelf2015.blogspot.com/2015/10/over-300-pdfacrobat-books-on-socialism.html

See also Over 300 PDF/Acrobat Books on Socialism, Communism and Economics and 300 Books on DVDrom for Libertarians, Objectivists and Voluntaryists

For a list of all of my books on disks and other ebooks click here

Christmas Day Family Murders

 

Today in History: This time of years is meant to be a joyous day for family togetherness, Christmas Day is also a huge day for family murders. One such incident happened in 2014 in Lancaster Cty, PA where Dustin Klopp axed his wife, after which Klopp woke up their 2 and 5 year old children to celebrate Christmas at their grandma and grandpa's house.

Then there is the 2008 Covina Massacre. Covina is a suburb of LA, where recently divorced Bruce Pardo, dressed as Santa showed up at his ex-wife's home and shot 25 people, after which he killed himself.

Chicago teen Alexis Valdez was living with his aunt and her boyfriend in 2013 when they complained that Alexis was not helping with the rent. Alexis responded by decapitating the boyfriend and placing the battered head on his aunt's pillow. 

Texas man Aziz Yazdanpanah didn't like that his estranged wife was doing better financially than he was, so on Christmas 2011 he showed up at her house and shot his wife, their two children and three other relatives in a Dallas suburb while they were opening presents.

On Christmas Day 2010 in London, Magalie Bamu and her boyfriend Eric Bikubi tortured and killed Magalie's 15 year old brother, who they believed was a witch. When his body was found, more than 130 separate injuries were counted. 

The Carnation Massacre occurred at Christmas time in 2007 in Carnation, Washington. Michele Anderson and her boyfriend Joseph McEnroe drove to her parent’s home and killed 6 members of her family. 

The Lawson Family Massacre happened on this day in 1929 in Germanton NC. Charlie Lawson murdered his wife and six of his seven children. "All of the family members were found with their arms crossed and rocks under their heads. Charlie then walked into the woods, paced around a tree, and put a bullet into his head. The sole survivor was his eldest son Arthur who had been sent into town on an errand just before the massacre took place." BJ COLANGELO

And let's not forget that JonBenét Ramsey was found dead on Christmas Day 1996 at her family's home in Boulder, Colorado.

This Kindle book, The Dark History of Christmas, is now available on Amazon by clicking here...and it is only $1.99

 Visit here for a description

The Sodder Family Fire on This Day in History

 

Flames of Mystery: The Suspicious Case of The Sodder Children

Today in History: Like you, when I think of December 24, I think of the Sodder Family Fire in 1945. On Christmas Eve, December 24, 1945, a fire destroyed the Sodder home in Fayetteville, West Virginia. At the time, it was occupied by George Sodder, his wife Jennie, and nine of their ten children. During the fire, George, Jennie, and four of the nine children escaped. The bodies of the other five children have never been found (making it an unsolved mystery). There were no bones found in the fire. The Sodders believed for the rest of their lives that the five missing children survived.

The Sodders believed this because of a number of unusual circumstances before and during the fire. The Fire Dept said that the fire was electrical in origin, but the house was recently rewired and inspected. George Sodder, as a member of the Italian community was very critical of Fascist leader Benito Mussolini which made him enemies among his fellow Italians. One such person, an insurance salesman,  threatened the family with a fire a year before. The family came across a bus driver who stated that he had seen what he described as “fireballs” being thrown onto the roof of the house. 

People also reported seeing their five kids in certain places after the fire. At a diner fifty miles west of Fayetteville, a waitress would later say that she had served breakfast to the five children on Christmas morning, but she couldn’t recall how many adults were with them. Another woman stated that she had clearly seen the five children go by in a strange car while the fire was blazing. Someone said they saw 4 of the 5 children at a hotel in S. Carolina.

The Sodder family billboard with a $5000 reward stayed up until 1989, becoming a local landmark.

Listen to a podcast about this incident here and here

Jane Austen's Emma on This Day in History

 

Download 30 Jane Austen Books Here

Today in History: Jane Austen released her novel Emma on this day in 1815. "The novel centres on Emma Woodhouse, a precocious young woman whose misplaced confidence in her matchmaking abilities occasions several romantic misadventures." (Britannica) If you've seen the 1995 movie Clueless with Alicia Silverstone, then you've seen a modern adaptation of Austen's Emma. The most recent Emma movie with Anya-Taylor Joy was disappointing to me, and I much preferred the 1996 Emma with Gwyneth Paltrow. I am an Austen fan and my wife and I did an entire Jane Austen movie marathon one weekend a few years ago...and I still have not seen every Jane Austen film adaptation. 

A few of the movies we've seen are watchable for free on Youtube, but who knows how long they will last there. 

Mansfield Park

Northanger Abbey

The classic 1995 movie Sense & Sensibility is available to stream for free on Starz. Emma is on HBOMax.

Oh, and don't make the mistake of calling Jane Austen's stories "Victorian." Austen died 2 years before Queen Victoria was born. All of Jane Austen's novels are set against the background of daily life in English "Georgian" society at the turn of the 19th century.

The 1984 New York City Subway Shooting on This Day in History

 

Today in History: On this day in 1984 a few teenagers accosted Bernhard Goetz on a New York City subway. Moments later, Bernhard Goetz pulled out his Smith & Wesson revolver and shot the four young men, in an incident that came to be known worldwide as the "1984 New York City Subway Shooting." 

"During the early 1980s, New York City experienced unprecedented rates of crime. Murders during the decade averaged almost 2,000 a year and, in the city's increasingly dangerous subway system, thirty-eight crimes a day, on average, were reported. Citizens did not feel safe. It is not surprising, therefore, when the city's newspapers ran stories on the December 22 shooting on the IRT express, the shooter was widely praised for his actions: 'Finally,' many a New Yorker said, 'someone has had the courage to stand up to these thugs...'" ~Professor Douglas O. Linder

Goetz (the subway vigilante) became a household name, and is even referenced in Billy Joel's 1989 single "We Didn't Start the Fire", in Lou Reed's song "Hold On" from his 1989 album New York, and on "Stop the Train" from the 1989 Beastie Boys album Paul's Boutique. The 1993 film Falling Down was partly inspired by the shooting. 

In 2001 Goetz even ran for mayor of New York. 

The Life and Writings of Jane Austen, 30 Books to Download

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“It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife.”

Northanger Abbey and Persuasion by Jane Austen 1913

Emma by Jane Austen 1916

Mansfield Park by Jane Austen 1922

Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen 1896

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen 1892

Lady Susan, and The Watsons by Jane Austen 1892

A Memoir of Jane Austen by JE Austen-Leigh 1886 (her nephew)

Letters of Jane Austen, Volume 1 1884

Letters of Jane Austen, Volume 2 1884

Charlotte Bronte, George Eliot, Jane Austen; Studies in their Works by Henry H Bonnell 1902

Notable Women in History by Willis J Abbot 1913

Jane Austen by OW Firkins 1920

Jane Austen, her Contemporaries and Herself; an Essay in Criticism by Walter Herries Pollock 1899

Personal aspects of Jane Austen by Mary Augusta Austen-Leigh 1920

Jane Austen, her life and Letters by William Austen-Leigh 1914

Jane Austen and her Times by GE Mitton 1905

Life of Jane Austen by Goldwin Smith 1920

Essays on the Novel as illustrated by Scott and Miss Austen by Adolphus Alfred Jack 1897

Rustic Sounds and other Studies in Literature and Natural History by Sir Francis Darwin 1917

Little Journeys to the Homes of Famous Women by Elbert Hubbard 1897

The Story of Jane Austen's life by Oscar F Adams 1897

Masters of the English Novel by Richard Burton 1909

Jane Austen by Francis Warre Cornish 1913

Jane Austen and her Works by Sarah Tytler 1880

Duologues and Scenes from the Novels of Jane Austen by Rosina Filippi 1895

Essays on Books by William Lyon Phelps 1922

The Makers of English Fiction by WJ Dawson 1905

Some Eminent Women of our Times by Mrs Henry Fawcett 1889

The World's Great Woman Novelists by Mrs Humphrey Ward and Elizabeth S Phelps 1901

The Technique of the Novel by Charles F Horne 1908

A History of Nineteenth Century Literature 1780-1895 by George Sainstbury 1896

For a list of all of my disks and ebooks click here

The Jack Russell Terrier on This Day in History

 

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Today in History: Jack Russell was born on this day in 1795. While he was a cleric and an enthusiastic fox-hunter we now know him best as the man who developed the Jack Russell Terrier, a variety of the Fox Terrier breed. Before Russell's time, there were just a few dog breeds, with one of the oldest breeds being the Greyhound. During the Victorian era there was an explosion of dog breeding and dogs were bred to conform to every personality and look. The American Kennel Club now recognizes 195 breeds, with 79 additional breeds working toward full recognition, although Wikipedia lists hundreds more. 

However, all breeds come from just one dog, a Gray Wolf in Asia. In fact, most of the oldest dog breeds around are Asian: Shanxi Xigou (Chinese Saluki), Tibetan Mastiff, Siberian Husky, Shiba Inu, Akita Inu, Chinese Shar-pei, Chow Chow, Japanese Chin, Tibetan Spaniel, Pekingese, Lhasa Apso and the Shih Tzu. 

According to Reader's Digest, the most popular dog in my state, North Carolina, is the Plott Hound, which was bred in North Carolina for the purpose of hunting boar. I've never heard of the Plott Hound, much less seen one.

Visit A Tribute to my Beloved Dog Teddy

Pablo Picasso on This Day in History

 

The Truth About Modern Art

Today in History: Pablo Picasso's painting, the "Portrait of Suzanne Bloch" was stolen from the São Paulo Museum of Art on this day in 2007. The portrait is valued at $50 million. I find this painting, like many of Picasso's other works, to be hideous. Art should be beautiful. I shouldn’t have to know anything about the piece of work to find it beautiful. I shouldn’t require a degree in art to find any particular artwork beautiful or inspiring. Picasso's art is a distortion of beauty and reality. 

The art world is elitist and snobbish. Consider: "Recently, a study shown that, at classical music competitions, judges seem to evaluate more based on the package in which music is delivered, rather than the music itself. Prior to that, it was revealed that judges of abstract art don't guess so well which paintings were made by human artists, and which by monkeys. Wine tasters prefer French wines over Californian, unless the tasting is blind."~Cristi Stoica 

The best way to explain abstract art lies in the story of the Emperor's New Clothes. Something is widely accepted as something it isn't, due to an unwillingness of the general population to criticize it or be seen as going against popular opinion.

Learn to Draw, Paint and Sketch - Over 100 Books on DVDrom

https://thebookshelf2015.blogspot.com/2015/09/learn-to-draw-paint-and-sketch-over-100.html

Columbo on Modern Art

German Serial Killer Fritz Haarmann on This Day in History

 

Today in History: German serial killer Fritz Haarmann was sentenced to death for a series of murders on this day in 1924. He committed sexual assault, murder, mutilation and dismemberment of at least 24 boys and young men between 1918 and 1924 in Hanover, Germany. Haarmann became known as the Butcher of Hanover (German: Der Schlächter von Hannover) due to the extensive mutilation and dismemberment committed upon his victims' bodies and by such titles as the Vampire of Hanover (der Vampir von Hannover) and the Wolf Man (Wolfsmensch) because of his preferred murder method of biting into or through his victims' throats.

At 6 o'clock on the morning of 15 April 1925, Fritz Haarmann was beheaded by guillotine in the grounds of Hanover prison. In accordance with German tradition, Haarmann was not informed of his execution date until the prior evening.

Between 1933 and 1945 Germany used the guillotine to execute 16,500 prisoners, a figure which accounts for 10,000 executions between 1944 and 1945 alone. The guillotine was last used in West Germany in 1949 and was last used in East Germany in 1966. The Stasi used the guillotine in East Germany between 1950 and 1966 for secret executions.

Listverse has Haarmann listed as one of the most evil homosexuals.

In 1923 alone, almost 600 teenage boys and young men had been reported missing in Hanover.

See also Notorious Criminals, Crimes & Criminology - 100 Books on DVDrom 

Charles Wesley and his Ghost on This day in History

 

Today in History: Methodist leader Charles Wesley was born on this day in 1707. He is not as well known as his brother John Wesley, who was also a leader of a revival movement within the Church of England known as Methodism. Charles is most widely known for writing about 6,500 hymns.

What is not widely known is that the Wesleys believed that their family home (Epworth Rectory) was haunted by a ghost they called "Old Jeffrey." The "Wesley poltergeist" made his presence known to all on Christmas Day 1716. In Mrs. Wesley's words, "there was such a noise in the room over our heads, as if several people were walking, then running up and down stairs that we thought the children would be frightened". According to the tale, as she and her husband searched the house in vain for the culprit, Old Jeffrey continued "rattling and thundering in every room, and even blowing an invisible horn at deafening decibels". "Old Jeffrey" supposedly disappeared in January 1717 just as suddenly as he had appeared.

Addington Bruce (1908) noted that the earliest records that document the haunting have large discrepancies from later reports. According to Bruce the original records from the 18th century reduce the "haunting" to nothing more than some alleged creaking noises, knocks, footsteps or groaning sounds. Bruce commented that "we are, therefore, justified in believing that in this case, like so many others of its kind, the fallibility of human memory has played an overwhelming part in exaggerating the experiences actually undergone." He suggested that Hetty had produced the phenomena fraudulently.

See also The Paranormal and Supernatural - 400 Books on DVDrom

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The Wright Brothers on This Day in History

 

Today in History: The Wright brothers make the 1st sustained motorized aircraft flight at 10:35 AM on this day in 1903 at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. But how much of what the Wright Brothers did led to the first airplane? 

"It is because of patent-based historiography that people believe that the Wright Brothers invented the airplane, when in fact they made only a tiny contribution of combining wing warping with a rudder. It was Sir George Cayley in Britain and Otto Lilienthal of Germany who did the bulk of the work of inventing the airplane. But it was the Wright Brothers who applied for the patent and quickly used it against Glenn Curtiss who improved wing warping with movable control surfaces." Jeffrey Tucker

The Wright brothers were so litigious with their patent that it stifled plane innovation in America. During this time the French picked up the slack and airplane technology advanced under them. In fact, when the USA entered World War 1 they had to use French planes. Many have since argued against intellectual property rights as they tend to harm new technology, economic activity, and societal wealth.

In 1851, The Economist wrote: “The granting [of] patents ‘inflames cupidity’, excites fraud, stimulates men to run after schemes that may enable them to levy a tax on the public, begets disputes and quarrels betwixt inventors, provokes endless lawsuits . . . The principle of the law from which such consequences flow cannot be just.”

See also: Charles Dickens and Copyright Law

The Greatest Bank Robber, Herman Lamm, on This Day in History

 

Today in History: German-American bank robber Herman Lamm died on this day in 1930. Lamm is widely considered one of the most brilliant and efficient bank robbers to have ever lived, and has been described as "the father of modern bank robbery". By his death in 1930, his techniques had already been widely imitated by other bank robbers across the country including bank robber John Dillinger.

Lamm was a member of the Prussian army and after he was discharged, he decided that a bank heist needed military planning and training. His system (what became known as "The Lamm Technique") involved carefully studying a target bank for many hours before the robbery, developing a detailed floor plan, noting the location of safes, taking meticulous notes and establishing escape routes.

"Lamm assigned each gang member a specific job, along with a specific zone of the bank they were charged with surveying and a strict timetable to complete their stage of the robbery. Among the jobs he assigned to his fellow robbers were the lookout, the getaway driver, the lobby man and the vault man. He also put his men through a series of rehearsals, some of which involved using a full-scale mock-up of the interior of the bank. Lamm stressed the importance of timing during these practice runs, and used stopwatches to ensure the proper results were achieved. He only allowed his gang members to stay in a bank for a specific period of time, regardless of how much money they could steal." Wikipedia

Lamm is also credited with devising the first detailed bank robbery getaway maps. Once he targeted a bank, he mapped the nearby back roads to a tenth of a mile. He meticulously developed getaway plans for each of his robberies. Before every heist, Lamm obtained a nondescript car with a high-powered engine, and often recruited drivers who had been involved in auto racing. He would spend days doing practice runs.

Lamm's gang was considered the most efficient gang of bank robbers of the era. It all came an end after robbing the Citizens State Bank in Clinton Indiana. However, it took thousands of angry Indiana citizens and 200 police (many newly deputized) to stop him. He shot himself rather than surrender to the mob.

See also Notorious Criminals, Crimes & Criminology - 100 Books on DVDrom 

Dutch Artist Johannes Vermeer on This Day in History

 

Today in History: Dutch Baroque painter Johannes Vermeer died on this day in 1675. He never gained much popularity in his time and died a poor man, but since that time, Vermeer's reputation has grown, and he is now acknowledged as one of the greatest painters of the Dutch Golden Age. Vermeer worked slowly and with great care, and frequently used very expensive pigments. He is particularly renowned for his masterly treatment, perspectives, and use of light in his work. A few years ago a documentary film called Tim's Vermeer posited a theory that Vermeer painted with the help of optical devices. 

His most famous painting, “The Girl with the Pearl Earring,” sold at auction for 6,242,500 pounds ($10.62 million).

Tim's Vermeer Trailer

Tommy James' Crimson and Clover on This day in History

 

Today in History: Tommy James and the Shondells released their song "Crimson and Clover" on this day in 1968. It spent 16 weeks on the U.S. charts, reaching number one in the United States (in February 1969) and other countries. The single has sold 5 million copies, making it Tommy James and the Shondells' best-selling song. It has been covered by many artists including Joan Jett, Dolly Parton and Prince. In 2006, Pitchfork Media named it the 57th best song of the 1960s. According to Pitchfork Media, the top 10 songs of the 60s are (1) God Only Knows by the Beach Boys (2) I Want You Back by the Jackson 5 (3) A Change Is Gonna Come by Sam Cooke (4) Like a Rolling Stone by Bob Dylan (5) A Day in the Life by the Beatles (6) Be My Baby by the Ronettes (7) Wouldn’t It Be Nice by the Beach Boys (8) Folsom Prison Blues (Live at Folsom Prison) by Johnny Cash (9) I Can’t Explain by The Who and (10) Israelites by Desmond Dekker & the Aces.

Crimson and Clover was released under Roulette Records, which, according to Tommy James was a front business for the Genovese crime family. James estimates that the label kept $30 million-$40 million of the group's royalties.

Saturday Night Fever on This Day in History

 

Today in History: The movie Saturday Night Fever came out in theaters (remember those) on this day in 1977. It was the highest-grossing dance movie of all time until Darren Aronofsky’s Black Swan (2010) and Steven Soderbergh’s Magic Mike (both of which I've never seen). Most of the movie was completed when the BeeGees were hired to write songs for it, which they did in one weekend. 

"With 15 million copies sold in the U.S. alone, Saturday Night Fever was the top-selling soundtrack album of all time before being supplanted by The Bodyguard some 15 years later. It's also the only disco record (so far) to win the Grammy for Album of the Year, and one of only three soundtracks (besides The Bodyguard and O Brother, Where Art Thou?) to win that category. It was the number one album on the Billboard charts for the entire first half of 1978, and stayed on the charts until March 1980, long after the supposed death of disco."~Mental Floss

I remember seeing this movie as a teenager and I was shocked at the language. Apparently I was not the only one and they came out with a PG version. Other than John Travolta's solo dance scene, the movie was largely fogettable to me.

1977 did have some great movies: Star Wars, Close Encounters, Smokey and the Bandit, Slap Shot, The Rescuers and Sinbad and the Eye of the Tiger.

A Murder in Manhattan on This Day in History

 

Today in History: The killing of Tessa Majors occurred near Morningside Park in Morningside Heights, Manhattan, New York, on this day last year. From wikipedia: "Majors, a white eighteen-year-old student at Barnard College, was attacked by three black teenagers as part of a robbery. Majors was then stabbed with a knife multiple times, resulting in Major's death." Also from wikipedia: "The incident garnered considerable news coverage and was referred to as a political football, in part because violent crime has fallen significantly in New York City in recent years."

This made me think...would the killing of Tessa Majors garner any coverage at all if it happened today? While crime may have been falling up until last year, that has all changed this year. For instance, more people are murdered in St. Louis now than actually die from the Covid. At certain points this year, killings have increased to 166% in New York, a city that used to be called the "safest big city in America." Chicago has seen a 78.7% increase in murders, 74.7% increase in shootings, and 289.1% increase in carjackings. Cincinnati had a 115 percent increase in homicides over last year. Atlanta has a 42% increase in murders over the past year, Houston has a 48% increase, LA has a 25% increase, Philadelphia has a 37% increase, Minneapolis has a 82% increase and Indianapolis has a 43% increase in murders.

As someone wrote even before the riots, "The coronavirus lockdowns are producing many unanticipated side effects, including upon crime." Yes! If you engage in bizarre social experimentation on a massive scale by denying the freedoms of millions you cannot be surprised that there might be negative consequences. We have known for decades that cabin fever results in deep psychological impacts.

Keep in mind that with all the manifold negative side-effects of the lockdowns (increase in worldwide poverty, domestic violence, mental health issues, suicides are up 25%, alcoholism, drug abuse is up 50% to 100%, meds not being refilled, missed cancer screenings up 50%, missed chemo treatments are up 50%) we are still doing this for the public good.

The Worldwide Lockdown May Be the Greatest Mistake in History

The Curse of the Hope Diamond on This Day in History

 

The Curse of The Hope Diamond

Today in History: The Hope Diamond was donated to the Smithsonian Institution by New York diamond merchant Harry Winston on this day in 1958. The Hope Diamond is one of the most famous jewels in the world, with ownership records dating back almost four centuries. It is worth between $200–$350 million USD. The Hope Diamond is also said to be under a curse. An article entitled "Hope Diamond Has Brought Trouble To All Who Have Owned It" appeared in the Washington Post in 1908. A New York Times article in 1911 which gave a list of supposed cases of ill-fortune, but with few confirmations from other sources:

Jacques Colet bought the Hope Diamond from Simon Frankel and died by suicide.

Prince Ivan Kanitovski bought it from Colet but was killed by Russian revolutionists.

Kanitovski loaned it to Mlle Ladue who was "murdered by her sweetheart."

Simon Mencharides, who had once sold it to the Turkish sultan, was thrown from a precipice along with his wife and young child.

Sultan Hamid gave it to Abu Sabir to "polish" but later Sabir was imprisoned and tortured.

Stone guardian Kulub Bey was hanged by a mob in Turkey.

A Turkish attendant named Hehver Agha was hanged for having it in his possession.

Tavernier, who brought the stone from India to Paris was "torn to pieces by wild dogs in Constantinople."

King Louis gave it to Madame de Montespan whom later he abandoned.

Nicholas Fouquet, an "Intendant of France", borrowed it temporarily to wear it but was "disgraced and died in prison."

A temporary wearer, Princess de Lamballe, was "torn to pieces by a French mob."

Jeweler William Fals who recut the stone "died a ruined man."

William Fals' son Hendrik stole the jewel from his father and later died by suicide.

Some years (after Hendrik) "it was sold to Francis Deaulieu, who died in misery and want."

Some however believe that the stories are fabricated to enhance the stone's mystery and appeal, since increased publicity usually raised the gem's value and newsworthiness (though one wonders why anyone would buy a gem that would lead to their demise.)

Other famous cursed jewels are The Black Prince's Ruby, the Koh-i-Noor diamond on Queen Elizabeth's crown ["he who owns this diamond will own the world, but will also know all its misfortunes. Only God or woman can wear it with impunity"], the Delhi Purple Sapphire, the Sancy Diamond, Elizabeth's Taylor's La Peregrina Pearl, and The Black Orlov, The Regent Diamond [which brought Napoleon down].

The Story of the Hope Diamond Which Ruined Its Owners' Lives

John Milton on This Day in History

 

Today in History: English poet and intellectual, John Milton, was born on this day in 1608. He is best known for his epic poem Paradise Lost (1667), which is widely considered to be one of the greatest works of literature ever written.

He also wrote Areopagitica, perhaps the earliest and one of the greatest manifestos in defense of free speech ever introduced. He wrote: “Give me the liberty to know, to utter, and to argue freely according to conscience, above all liberties.”

Take note of his excellent prose when discussing this topic: "[A]s good almost kill a man as kill a good book. Who kills a man kills a reasonable creature, God’s image; but he who destroys a good book, kills reason itself, kills the image of God, as it were in the eye."

In fact, it's not just good books that are important, but bad books are as well. Who can tell when a good man might gain knowledge and revelation, even from an unlikely (or bad) source? Milton talks about biblical authors and early church thinkers who benefited from studying and knowing pagan writings. 

Also, who is the one person, or group of persons who decide what you can and cannot read? Neither government nor google have the required omniscience demanded for such decisions.

John Milton also wrote De Doctrina Christiana (On Christian Doctrine) which has led to him being labeled an Arian (anti-trinitarian...not Aryan). 

See also: Free Speech Leads to Tolerance and Prosperity
https://thebookshelf2015.blogspot.com/2017/12/free-speech-leads-to-tolerance-and.html

Free Speech IS the Speech You Hate - Quotations on Freedom of Expression
https://thebookshelf2015.blogspot.com/2017/04/free-speech-is-speech-you-hate.html

Your Free Speech Is More Important Than My Feelings
https://thebookshelf2015.blogspot.com/2018/04/your-free-speech-is-more-important-than.html

Read the Areopagitica
http://files.libertyfund.org/files/103/1224_Bk.pdf
http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/608

Listen to the Areopagitica
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dgTiHr-bXhI

John Milton on the Holy Spirit

https://newworldtranslation.blogspot.com/2020/11/john-milton-on-holy-spirit.html

John Milton on the Trinity

https://newworldtranslation.blogspot.com/2020/07/john-milton-on-trinity.html

More John Milton on the Trinity

https://newworldtranslation.blogspot.com/2020/08/more-john-milton-on-trinity.html

Henry Varnum Poor and the S&P 500 on This Day in History

 

Today in History: Henry Varnum Poor was born on this day in 1812. Poor was a financial analyst and founder of H.V. and H.W. Poor Co, which later became the financial research and analysis bellwether, Standard & Poor's, or if you will, the S&P 500. The S&P 500 is a stock market index that measures the stock performance of 500 large companies listed on stock exchanges in the United States. It is one of the most commonly followed equity indices. The 10 largest companies in the index are Apple, Microsoft, Amazon, Facebook, Alphabet(class A & C), Berkshire Hathaway, Johnson & Johnson, JPMorgan Chase and Visa Inc. It was only recently that AT&T, General Electric and ExxonMobil were in that top 10.

The components that have increased their dividends in 25 consecutive years are known as the S&P 500 Dividend Aristocrats.

Tesla's stock will be added to the S&P 500 later this month. To be eligible for S&P 500 index inclusion, a company should be a U.S. company, have a market capitalization of at least USD 8.2 billion, the public float must consist of at least 50% of outstanding shares. It must have positive reported earnings over the four most recent quarters and the stock must have an active market and must trade for a reasonable share price.

Tom Waits on This Day in History

 

Rod Stewart covers Tom Traubert's Blues/Waltzing Matilda

Today in History: One of my favorite songwriters, Tom Waits, was born on this day in 1949. To hear him sing with his gravelly voice is definitely an acquired taste, but there are many other artists that have done covers of his songs. Despite a lack of mainstream commercial success, Waits has influenced many musicians and gained an international cult following, and several biographies have been written about him. In 2015, he was ranked at No. 55 on Rolling Stone's "100 Greatest Songwriters of All Time". He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2011.

Many of his lines are quite descriptive (Waitsisms) such as: You got to tell me brave captain,

why are the wicked so strong,

how do the angels get to sleep,

when the devil leaves the porchlight on.

Outside another yellow moon

Punched a hole in the nighttime

Sixteen men on a dead man's chest

And I've been drinking from a broken cup

Two pairs of pants and a mohair vest

I'm full of bourbon, I can't stand up

Well, Jesus gonna be here

be here soon

he's gonna cover us up with leaves

with a blanket from the moon

with a promise and a vow

and a lullaby for my brow

Jesus gonna be here

be here soon

Ramones cover Tom Waits' I Don't Want to Grow Up

Musically, Waits was influenced by Randy Newman, and Dr. John. He regarded James Brown as one of his musical heroes, and was also a great fan of the Rolling Stones. He has praised Bob Dylan, noting that "for a songwriter, Dylan is as essential as a hammer and nails and saw are to a carpenter", as well as the country musician Merle Haggard, relating: "Want to learn how to write songs? Listen to Merle Haggard."

Government Licensing on This Day in History

Today in History: London becomes the world's first city to host licensed taxicabs on this day in 1897. This makes you think: what is a license, really? "What does a business license accomplish? Well, I guess it proves that you're seriously in business, although in most cities you can't be in business without one. So it's outright extortion, like property taxes, going to fund city government services that you didn't want anyway. Police? Well, maybe you do want police protection of your property, but police won't go near a riot and they're always too busy elsewhere, so you'll have to pay extra to hire your own." Robert Klassen

Why do you have a license on your car when the manufacturer has already placed a number on your car? This is so the government can track you, and they also want the fee a license costs. "The fee, of course, goes to support a state bureaucracy consisting of bored and indifferent individuals who are only working there for the wages and benefits and who couldn't care less about their career, if you can call it that." ibid

According to a 2015 White House report, "By one estimate, licensing restrictions cost millions of jobs nationwide and raise consumer expenses by over one hundred billion dollars...Consumers are likely most familiar with licensing requirements for professionals like dentists, lawyers, and physicians, but today licensing requirements extend to a very broad set of workers," including auctioneers, scrap metal recyclers, barbers, manicurists, eyebrow threaders, and tour guides. This means that an ever-growing share of jobs "are only accessible to those with the time and means to complete what are often lengthy"—not to mention expensive—licensing requirements, while the penalties for working without a license can include job loss, fines, and even incarceration.

Perhaps we need to be more like cats. You have to license your dog, but not your cat. Cats refuse to be licensed. They are too independent, stubborn, stuck-up and disobedient.

 

Nelson Mandela and the Mandela Effect on This Day in History

Today in History: Former president of South Africa, Nelson Mandela, died on this day in 2013. There is a mass false memory phenomenon called the "Mandela Effect" which many believe is proof of parallel universes.

The term "Mandela Effect" came into being in 2009 by Fiona Broome when she was at a conference talking with other people about how she remembered Nelson Mandela's death in a South African prison in the 1980s. As she began to talk to other people about her memories, she learned that others remembered seeing news coverage of his death as well as a speech by his widow. Broome was alarmed that such a large number of people could remember the same identical event in such detail when it never happened.

Other examples of the Mandela Effect are The Berenstain Bears...many believe it used to be spelled The Berenstein Bears. Many believe Darth Vader said “Luke, I am your father.” However, the line is simply “No. I am your father.” Many remember the Monopoly Man having a monocle, but he doesn't.

People (including me) swear that Freddie Mercury (from Queen), belts out the lyric “of the world” at the end of We Are the Champions, but the song simply ends with “No time for losers, ’cause we are the champions.”

Ricky Ricardo never actually says “Lucy, you’ve got some ‘splaining to do!” though I believe he does.

Anthony Hopkins as Hanibal Lector in Silence of the Lambs doesn't actually say “Hello, Clarice.”

Many remember Curious George having a tail, but now he doesn't.

The official date of the Challenger explosion tragedy is January 28, 1986 but some people swear that the accident happened in 1985 or 1984.

Forrest Gump doesn't really say “Life is like a box of chocolates,” he says “Life WAS like a box of chocolates” which doesn't really make sense.

Sally Field didn't actually say “You like me, you really like me” when she accepted her Oscar. 

When John F. Kennedy was shot, his motorcade had six people in the car, not four. 

There are many more examples. 

 

The Council of Trent on This Day in History

 

See also The Book of Enoch and Other Odd Bibles on DVDrom and Over 320 Forbidden and Lost Books of the Bible on DVDROM (Apocrypha)

Today in History: The final session of the Council of Trent is held was held on this day in 1563. A significant part of this Catholic council was the confirmation that the deuterocanonical books (the Apocrypha) was on  par with the other books of the Bible canon...and that Jerome's Latin translation, the Vulgate, was to be authoritative for the text of Scripture, contrary to Protestant views that the Greek and Hebrew texts were more authoritative.

These days though Catholics no longer use Jerome's Vulgate, opting instead for the Greek and Hebrew texts. If you're wondering what the deuterocanonical/apocryphal books of the Bible are, you can simply compare the table of contents in a Catholic Bible with a Protestant one. The Catholic Bible has more books in their Bibles. For instance, a Catholic Bible will contain the books of Tobit, Judith, 1 Maccabees and 2 Maccabees, Wisdom, Sirach, and Baruch while a Protestant Bible will not. The Protestant King James Bible actually had the apocryphal books when it first came out in 1611 (1 Esdras, 2 Esdras, Tobit, Judith, Additions to Esther, Wisdom of Solomon, Ecclesiasticus, Letter of Jeremiah, Prayer of Azariah, Susanna, Bel and the Dragon, Prayer of Manasseh, 1 Maccabees 2 Maccabees and Baruch). 

Some of these books can be entertaining. For instance, Bel and the Dragon was the first locked room mystery, and the Story of Susanna is the oldest court room drama. The very first translation of the Bible, the Septuagint (280 BC) contained the Apocrypha, and it is believed that the New Testament quotes from the Apocrypha in a few places. I have personally collected over 320 apocryphal Bible books.

Also, Catholics make better Bible versions than Protestants so you should add a New American Bible and a New Jerusalem Bible to your library. 

See also Over 100 Lost, Hidden, & Strange Books of the Bible on DVDROM (Gnostics, Gospels), and Over 180 Forbidden & Lost Books of the Bible on CDROM

Christian Scientist Mary Baker Eddy on This Day in History

 

Today in History: American religious leader, Mary Baker Eddy, who founded the The Church of Christ, Scientist (Christian Science) died on this day in 1910. In her time, Christian Science was quite popular. The central tenet of this faith was the view that disease is a mental error rather than physical disorder, and that the sick should be treated not by medicine but by a form of prayer. This was a view she modifed from Phineas Quimby, and 19th century mesmerist, who believed that there was nothing human beings couldn’t do so long as they believed fully in themselves. Physical illness, personal misfortune — these were results of an improperly aligned mental system. This view made it to Norman Vincent Peale who adopted it for his "The Power of Positive Thinking" which had an impact on Donald Trump. 

While there are less than 50,000 members in the US today, at one time it had popular followers, such as Carol Channing, Ginger Rogers, Doris Day, Mickey Rooney, Milton Berle, Robert Duvall, Joan Crawford, Val Kilmer. Others such as Henry Fonda, Robin Williams, Elizabeth Taylor, Marilyn Monroe, Audrey Hepburn, Carol Burnett, and Ellen Degeneres, were raised by family members in the faith but didn’t continue.

Walt Disney and George Lucas were also acquainted with Christian Science, and some believe that the "Force" in Star Wars has Christian Science roots. 

After close inspection, many have concluded that Christian Science is neither Christian, nor Science.

See also 300 Books on DVD on Christian Cults & Sects (Adventism, Mormon, Amish etc)

For a list of all of my disks and digital books click here

Little Known Facts About Slavery on This Day in History

 

 Investigating White Slavery 

Today in History: Today is International Day for the Abolition of Slavery. There are a few things everyone should know about slavery. We are all descendants of slaves. The first legal slave owner in America was black and he owned white slaves. His name was Anthony Johnson and he was himself a slave at one time by an enemy tribe in Africa and he was sold to Arab (Muslim) slave traders. In fact, most of the slaves brought here from Africa were purchased from black slave owners in Africa. 

The very first slaves in America were white. 

Brazil was actually THE hotbed of slavery in the Americas. During the Atlantic slave trade era, Brazil received more African slaves than any other country. Even before the slave trade, members of one tribe would enslave captured members of another.

It has been recently discovered that a million or more European Christians were enslaved by Muslims in North Africa between 1530 and 1780 - a far greater number than had ever been estimated before. 

Thousands of slave owners in America were black. Native Americans also owned slaves, which makes reparations a very tricky proposition. 

The book "The Renegade History of the United States" tells of a lesser known side of slavery: "Contrary to what popular images of emancipation tell us, when given the opportunity to leave the plantation, most slaves stayed...By contrast, only 9 percent left immediately after emancipation...Again and again, the ex-slaves told of regret when freedom came."

Oh, and both Joe Biden and Kamala Harris ancestors were slaveholders.

See also: See also: They Were White and They Were Slaves: The Untold History of the Enslavement of Whites in Early America on Amazon

See also: When Blacks Owned Slaves, by Calvin Dill Wilson 1905
https://thebookshelf2015.blogspot.com/2017/02/when-blacks-owned-slaves-by-calvin-dill.html

See also: A History of White Slavery by Charles Sumner 1853 and When the Irish were Slaves, article in The Month 1890

See also Bible Defense of Slavery and other Southern books on CDrom - Join my Facebook Group - For a list of all of my digital books and books on disk click here

The Forgotten History of Britain's White Slaves in America

Buy on Amazon

Forgotten White Slaves