Saturday, August 25, 2012

Another clear voice of reason heard from

Bill Nye, Science Guy



Unfortunately, those who need to hear Mr'.s Nye's words - will not.


It's the birthday of Declan Patrick MacManus, one of the most prolific musicians of the late 20th Century.



In addition to recordings as "Elvis Costello" (often backed by The Attractions), has recorded music as "Declan MacManus", "Napoleon Dynamite & The Royal Guard", "The Coward Brothers" (with T-Bone Burnett), "Nick Lowe & His Sound", "The Emotional Toothpaste" and "The Imposter".


August 25, 1962 -
Little Eva record The Loco-Motion topped the charts on this date.



The husband and wife songwriting team of Carole King and Gerry Goffin wrote this song. Eva Boyd was 16 at the time and was the babysitter for their daughter Louise. Her salary was $35 dollars a week. Her earnings from The Locomotion were reported to be around $30,000.00.


August 25, 1975 -
Bruce Springsteen's third album Born to Run was released on this date.



This album was Springsteen's breakthrough and came at the crossroads of his career. His first two albums sold poorly and Columbia Records might have dropped him if he did not produce a hit.

   
August 25, 1986 -
WEA Records released Paul Simon's award-winning Graceland album on this date.



This was Simon's most successful album, selling over 15 million copies and winning a Grammy for Album of the Year. It also caused a firestorm of controversy over his recording with Ladysmith Black Mambazo and other South African musicians, which was a violation of a UN-approved cultural boycott, which had been in effect since December 1980.


Today in History:
The Council of Nicaea ended on August 25, 325, resulting in the Nicene Creed. This established the doctrine of the Holy Trinity, which proved that the Father and Son were not two, but three and therefore one. This controversial creed alienated many math teachers from the church.


Its repercussions eventually caused a Schism, which caused Infidels, which caused considerable bloodshed and ultimately resulted in more Political Philosophy.


August 25, 1718 -
French colonists, led by Jean Baptiste Le Moyne, Sieur De Bienville, established the Louisiana settlement and fortress of Nouvelle Orleans.




In honor of the Big Easy, flash a cop on horseback.


August 25, 1830 -
The 'Tom Thumb' steam locomotive, designed by Peter Cooper, ran the famous first race between a locomotive and a horse-drawn vehicle, over a nine mile stretch, between Relay and Baltimore, Maryland.



The locomotive was off to a promising start, but broke down, and the horse won .


August 25, 1835 -
The New York Sun publishes stunning revelations that Sir John Hershel, having built a new superpowerful telescope, had observed little men living on the surface of the moon.



The stories, now generally believed to be false, brought the paper record circulation.


August 25, 1900 -



No, Nietzsche is dead, on this date.



God finds this very amusing.


August 25, 1901 -
Clara Maass, a 25 year old army nurse, volunteered for an experiment to prove that the mosquito carries yellow fever.


Unfortunately for her, the experiment proved successful and Maass died. Her death roused public sentiment and put an end to yellow fever experiments on humans.


August 25, 1925 -
The Sleeping Car Porters' Union was established by A. Phillip Randolph,



a political malcontent who'd been agitating for reform ever since his ejection from the Wide Awake Car Porters' Union.


August  25, 1944 -
Paris, occupied since June 1940, was liberated from German occupation by Free French Forces under General Jacques LeClerc and his 2nd Tank division on this date.



Although ordered by Adolf Hitler to leave Paris a smoldering ruin, Paris' military governor Major General Dietrich von Cholitz lied to his superiors and left the city's landmarks intact.  I bet Hitler wasn't a happy camper today.



August 25, 1967
George Lincoln Rockwell, the leader of the American Nazi Party, was relieved of his duties by means of the usual Nazi method: he was shot to bloody hell on this date.


Former party member John Patler was later convicted of the killing.



And so it goes.

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