Oh, thank Heaven it's (Friday, Chukar-waar, Jom'eh, yawm-al-jum'a, Istiqlal, Prickle-Prickle, dydd Gwener). This has been a long week. And it's been pretty bad weatherwise. Apparently a tornado touched down in Chapman, KS last night and much of Manhattan, KS was damaged. But KC got off lightly. In Spain they're having ongoing protests over gas prices and they're getting pretty heated. Allie observed last night that it's strange that Europeans still engage in such protests seeing as how they're so laid back. Something like that would rarely happen here. The Constitution guarantees us the right to assemble (which is essential if you're going to have a protest). In order to do so, you must have a permit though or the cops have the right to beat your ass. Another problem with this protest idea is that aside from the fear of police brutality, there is the fear that you will lose your job, either for missing work in order to protest or for getting arrested which won't look good for your employer. The fear of repercussion from the authorities does not apply to students at Michigan State University, however, as they seem to riot at least once a year, usually for no good reason.
In 1525 Martin Luther (a priest) married Katharina von Bora (a nun) violating Catholic celibacy rules. After they wed, Katharina spent her time breeding cattle and running a brewery. What a woman! One hundred years later King Charles I of England married the French princess Henrietta Maria, who in turn gave birth to two kings. In 1774 Rhode Island became the first colony to ban the import of slaves. In 1805 Meriweather Lewis sighted the Great Falls of the Missouri River in Montana. In 1886 a fire destroyed much of Vancouver. That same day King Ludwig II of Bavaria, a.k.a., the Swan King, was found dead in a lake. No one is sure how he died. King Ludwig was eccentric and built elaborate castles, including Neuschwanstein Castle which was the model for the castle at Disneyland. In 1934 Hitler and Mussolini met in Venice. Mussolini described Hitler as a "silly little monkey". In 1966 the US Supreme Court ruled that people have the right to remain silent and the right to hire an attorney in Miranda v. Arizona. This angered the cops who up to that point did not have to read or memorize anything. In 1970 "The Long and Winding Road" became the Beatles last number one song. In 1996 the Montana Freemen surrendered after an 81-day standoff with the FBI. These guys were part of a movement called the Sovereign Citizen Movement which has some pretty interesting viewpoints on the role of government in the lives of American citizens. The government does not like these views and you should probably not have them. In 1997 a jury sentenced Timothy McVeigh to death. Mr. McVeigh was loosely affiliated with groups which held similar views to the Freemen. And in 2005 a jury acquitted Michael Jackson of molesting a 13-year-old.
In ancient Rome they were into the 7th day of the Vestalia. And it was also the Quinquatrus Minusculae, a procession to the Temple of Minerva. Damn those Romans knew how to party.
Speaking of Romans, today is the Ides of June and Friday the 13th. I don't know if that's a good thing or not. I'm not really superstitious, but I am a little weary of Friday the 13th. But I'm going to try to stay positive.
Happy Birthday: Charles "The Bald", Holy Roman Emperor and King of the West Franks; Irish poet, William Butler Yeats; feminist mystery author, Dorothy Sayers; Malcolm McDowell, who starred in two of my favorite movies, "Clockwork Orange" and "Caligula"; Tim Allen, who went to Western Michigan University; and the Olsen Twins who are just begging to be publicly humiliated.
Enjoy your Friday and your weekend. And please, someone get me a donut or a beer.
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