Good Vibrations

For some reason on this fine (Tuesday, Mangal-waar, Seshanbeh, yawm-ath-thalatha, Fidal, Prickle-Prickle) I've got Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch stuck in my head, although I can't seem to remember any of the actual lyrics and only bits and pieces of it. I am becoming aware that Summer is upon us as the temperatures and humidity are steadily climbing. Today it's supposed to be 90. FTS. I'd like it be a little cooler, myself. But we will carry on here at the Cheese Factory.

In 350 the Roman usurper Nepontianus conquered Rome with an army of gladiators. His rule only lasted 28 days, however. In 1140 Peter Abelard was found guilty of heresy. I couldn't really tell for what exactly. Abelard was a Frenchman and was big into philosophy. He also had a love affair with Heloise, the daughter of his boss. She had a baby which she named Astrolabe. That's a good way to get a kid beat up at school. Anyway, when Abelard's boss found out, ol' Abelard got himself castrated. That pretty much ended the affair and Heloise wound up in a convent. Their love letters are apparently pretty romantic. Today's picture is an artist's rendering of them studying Classical literature. In 1539 DeSoto claimed Florida for Spain. They can have that cesspool back for all I care. In 1800 John Adams became the first President to take residence in Washington, D.C. He shacked up in a tavern because the White House wasn't built yet. It's great that one of our great leaders lived in a bar. Fifty years later Kansas City was founded. And one thing you can say about KC is that there are plenty of bars. In 1885 the last military engagement on Canadian soil took place. In 1888 "Casey at the Bat" was published, the most famous baseball poem ever. In 1943 a bunch of Naval Reservists stationed in LA began attacking Hispanics in what became known as the Zoot Suit Riots. In 1962 an Air France flight crashed killing 130. The following year a Northwest Airlines flight crashed and killed 101. And in 1968 Valerie Solanos attempted to "assassinate" Andy Warhol. Problem: I don't think artists are assassinated. The term should be reserved for people of political/military significance, everyone else is just murdered.

In ancient Rome today was the feast of Bellona, goddess of war, sister/wife/daughter of Mars. They usually celebrated this by killing something or someone.

And today is also Confederate Memorial Day in Kentucky, Tennessee, and Louisiana.

Happy Birthday: Jefferson Davis; Tony Curtis; Allen Ginsberg; and Marion Zimmer Bradley, author of "Mists of Avalon" which is an awesome book.

Have a spectacular day and please do not leave the toilet seat up.