This blog is NOT about Shrek

Good lord, it's Hump Day. And for me, it's the last day I'll be at work this week. PTL! That being said, it's once again raining. But I don't care. So, on this wonderful (Wednesday, Bhud-waar, Chaharshanbeh, yawm-al-arba'a, Idal, dydd Mercher, Pungenday), please be grateful for all that you have and thankful that we have a long weekend upcoming. The Cheese Factory is even closed on Monday due to the fact that we're having a new server installed, so my weekend will be longer than most. Yeah, I'm gloating.

Alright, so, in 963 the Byzantine army proclaimed Nicephorous Phocas to be Emperor of the Romans outside of Cappadocian Caesarea. In 1698 Thomas Savery patented the steam engine. In 1777 Vermont became the first US territory to abolish slavery. Those progressive New Englanders. In 1839 53 slaves took over the ship La Amistad which then turned into a big ol' international bugaboo. Then the whole thing was made into a movie by Spielberg. In 1850 the gas mask was patented by Benjamin Lane. In 1917 48 people died in a race riot in E. St. Louis, IL. In 1937 Amelia Earhart, from KS, disappeared over the Pacific. I think people are still looking for her. In 1962 the first Wal-Mart opened in Rogers, Arkansas. Two years later LBJ signed the Civil Rights Act of 1964. In 1990 a stampede broke out in a pedestrian tunnel in Mecca during the hajj and 1426 people died. I don't understand how the human species can evolve when people are still dying in stampedes. And it's not like it doesn't happen every year. Every year during the hajj there's a stampede and every year a bunch of people are crushed to death. Get some dang sheep dogs to herd these idiots already. And, lastly, six years ago Steve Fossett became the first person to fly around the world in a ballon alone. Why you would want to do this is beyond me. I would think that you would get lonely and I also think that you'd get bored. Not to mention the fact that you'd probably get hungry and it would likely be for something that you had no chance in hell of getting without stopping, like chicken McNuggets. This is why I will never be successful as an adventurer.

So, today is the Palio in Siena, Italy. I'd love to see this once in my life.

It is also the Feast of the Visitation which has nothing to do with aliens apparently. It is actually when Mary visited Elizabeth who was pregnant with John the Baptist. Apparently they were 1st cousins. I've attached a copy of the beginning of a Medieval text of the Magnificat, or the Song of Mary.

Happy Birthday: Dave Thomas, founder of Wendy's; Imelda Marcos, who really liked shoes; Vincente Fox, the only Mexican President I could name; Jose Canseco, who took steroids and played the baseball; and my sister, Katie, who's the best sister ever, hands down.

Enjoy the day and the weekend. And please remember what it means to be an American... and if you come up with something that's interesting please tell me about it.