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October 10, 2022
International Stage Management Day 2023

Over the years I've known a few 'roadies'. These people are employed by musicians on tour to set up and maintain equipment. The phrase they used in my presence to refer to their skillset was "roadie stuff". By and large it was a scruffy longhaired drug doing but essential bunch who accompanied musical groups to various venues for performances.
 

    Red Barn Theater memory of Yehuda

I've also had interactions with a few stage managers as well. I remember in Mr Yehuda Guttman and his wife Ruth and the Red Barn Theater when I lived at Key West. My childhood friend Chris who shared my budding theatrical interests would accompany me there at every opportunity.

They were a lively bunch and engaged in spirited discussions of their craft. Mr Guttman was a piano virtuoso and puppeteer who produced various plays and such. Mrs Guttman was a puppeteer and stage manager. It was a sublime time to be in their company. I always left their presence smiling and feeling more well informed that I was before. I went to school with their two sons Darren and Evan — who like them are sadly no longer with us.

Yehuda and Ruth worked with me on voice projection, which refers to having strength of speaking or singing which enables the human voice to be used with power and clarity. The technique is utilized to affect commanding respect and attention in the appropriate venue, be it classroom or stage production. It seems they found my ability to project to be somewhat lacking but were kind in their instructions and advice and always very encouraging.

And this is International Stage Management Day marking the work that stage managers do behind the scenes.

Each October 10 I am drawn back to those days when I aspired to be a thespian and though long gone not forgotten and wistfully remembered as what "might have been".

So the stage and stage hands did their things and the stage managers coordinated efforts and the set builders and the gaffer and grips went about the business of making for a successful production with all the rehearsal schedules and rigamarole which went in between.

So I miss those days as well but they are so far removed from my now that I can only remember and wonder regarding those past possibilities.

Like Chris Gagnon, the Guttman family are relegated to that space between my ears known as my memory. They left their mark upon the person I ultimately became and I am glad I had that opportunity to mingle and share.

See Also:

My Bucket List Was Emptied Friday, May 30, 2014
Birthday of the late Chris Gagnon
 

Tags: things, places, people
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October 9, 2022
Curious Events Day 2022
Though I'm pretty jaded in my old age I am likewise brazen in the seeking of that which I do not know.

I find much of the new age mess into which I've been immersed of late to be confounding at times and I keep being thrust into wondering about things at a time when I THOUGHT I would have most things figured out by now.

Today is Curious Events Day. It is held each October 9 as a vehicle through which to enjoy all the curious and unusual events which happen internationally.

flying saucer    
It's a celebration of all the great mysteries and bizarre events of the world.

The day's origination and historical data are obscure. However, life remains plum full of curiosities over which to ponder and investigate.

Such is my existence at this juncture.

I have entertained the various theories regarding crop circles and alien abduction as well as the reptilian race supposedly living in those subterranean depths beneath our cities.

I investigate the ancient and contemporary alien theories most every day.

My biggest curiosity surrounds how stupid we are as a nation to permit the Biden administration to continue with all it's stupid people making poor decisions resulting in the destruction of much of the nation to happen in the first place.

Everything from the mundane to the outlandish gets equal consideration by me.

Things like who placed those damn Georgia guidestones ... then who had the chutzpah to attempt to destroy them.

So in my bored bold life one thing is certain: I continue to wonder about many things for which I presently do not have definitive answers.

So this day to wonder about everything we've ever wondered about suits me just fine.

Tags: things
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October 8, 2022
National Chess Day 2022
Once upon a time I viewed myself as a budding international chess champion.

I was nine years old living in Virginia Beach, Virginia and had just received several nice chess sets including a learning set, a playing set, and a set which was part of a tutorial.

Oh the humanity.

I can still feel the pangs of megalomania coursing through my veins as I imagined receiving medals and cash prizes and gaining the recognition of the world for my unbeatable tactical prowess.

Uh huh. Right. Like that was ever going to happen.

    chess set
Anyway I was a chess person through my adolescence and after that I think I only had one final game.

It was in the missile house aboard the USS MacDonough (DDG-39) while we were on my final cruise to the Mediterranean.

I sat there with my good ole late navy buddy, Jerry Landry and killed a couple of hours engaging the chess championship of the world.

We decided it was a draw.

So today is National Chess Day. It is an "actual" national day having been proclaimed by President Geral Ford on October 9th, 1976.

That was about a year perhaps a little more before Jerry and I had my last game.

Today finds the second Saturday in October recognized as National Chess Day.

It's a game of tactics and games are known to go on for lengths of time which become the stuff of legend.

I miss chess. I miss Jerry. I miss the innocence of my youth with all that fantasy which appertained thereto.

I didn't hold onto it all nearly as tightly as I should have.

Happy National Chess Day and I hope your memories are at once as sweet — and as wistfully rueful as mine.

See Also:

International Chess Day 2022
International Chess Day 2020
Deepmind claims Deep AI

Tags: things, people
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October 7, 2022
The Worldwide Celebration of Plaid 2022
Clan Johnston Plaid    
Being of Scot derivation I am partial to the Johnston plaid native to the highlands of Scotland.

I always recognize this pattern and usually speak to those wearing it.

I am not one to don the kilt and wear the authentic regalia of my ancestry for various reasons ...

Such as the absence of under garments with my package left hanging in the air.

Regardless, I was once more prone to wear plaid but nowadays opt for something a little less involved.

I think that the pleats which were absolutely required in the garb had a hand in my rejection of plaid in my old age.

Actually, I don't reject it so much as avoid it.

I think it's perfectly fine to don your superbly pleated kilt and grab your bagpipe if you're so inclined. It's a ceremonial thing anymore.

Pomp and circumstance not withstanding today is Plaidurday. It is an international celebration of plaid.

It happens each year on the first Friday of October.

It's just not exactly my personal preference in color schemes anymore. I'm more of an earth tones and blue kind of man these days.

Perhaps it was Wayne Newton's plaid suit on the Beverly Hillbillies when I was a kid.

Whatever your orientation to fabrics these days happy Plaidurday to you !

Tags: things, people
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October 6, 2022
Come and Take It Day 2022
    choose your bomb
So today is a rather whacky observance which might get you in trouble if you're too indiscriminate.

October 6 is Come and Take It Day.

The day to go out and take something that you've always wanted.

Perhaps it's the day for you defiantly say "come and take it" to someone who wants something you have.

Like my guns. You can take them when you can pry them from my cold dead hands.

Anyway, the origins of this day appear to be in the The town of Gonzales, Texas and their annual Come & Take It Festival.

It commemorates the firing of the first shot of the Texas revolution on October 2, 1835 which went down near Gonzales.

Some people also think the day originated from a of a movie of the same name in 2001.

Having never seen the flick myself I can only chalk it up to coincidence.

Come and Take It Day sounds pretty catchy and can be fun unless you have some individual who is not attuned to the mirth of it all.

Happy Come and Take It Day.

Tags: things, people
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October 5, 2022
National Do Something Nice Day 2022
Mother Teresa    

Nice. It means pleasant, agreeable, satisfactory, fine, or subtle. Mother Teresa was nice.

It's not exactly something for which I ever became known.

October 5th is National Do Something Nice Day.

The day is observed in the hopes that people will do something nice for others.

In that busy hubub which is the workaday world we get all preoccupied with things personal or career oriented and we aren't always as nice as we might be otherwise.

I'm afraid that since I've retired my base notions and comportment have not changed, i.e., I try to be socially aware and reasonable — but by no means have I ever intended to project "nice" at anyone.

I do get told that I do nice things periodically. I just don't pursue it as a career.

This day is meant for you to share a little bit of kindness with the people you encounter.

Doing nice things can lead to even more nice things among all of us.

Happy National Do Something Nice Day.
 

Tags: things, people
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October 4, 2022
National Ships in Bottles Day 2022
There are artists and craftsmen with patience and skills which far eclipse my own. These people have the fortitude, endurance, and dexterity to produce fabulous works in the most unlikely of places.

ship in a bottle
Take ships in bottles. I was recently at the Triangle Lock on Sunset BL in West Columbia buy (my second set of) keys.

The owner strikes me as an insufferable ass, much like the clown who owns Whetzell Moters on Augusta Road adjacent to my home.

I won't do business with you if I feel you're totally unsufferable REGARDLESS of how good I think your mechanic is. He is an EXCELLENT mechanic.

But I digress ...

Today is National Ships-in-Bottles Day, It is held each October 4 here in the United States to both celebrate and observe the art of ships in bottles.

The observance began in 2013 and give us pause to appreciate the beautiful craftsmanship of well executed ships in bottles.

This genre originated with sailors on long voyages needing a good diversion during leisure time.

The practice has evolved such that many people now practice this popular skilled art modality internationally.

So if you're so inclined go ahead a build yourself a ship in a bottle and join that illustrious group of artisans.

So even if you have a ship in a bottle sitting there like in the lock shop you should try not to devolve into an insufferable ass if you can !

I know it may be asking too much such as is the case with the owner of Whetzell's Auto Repair.

Tags: things, people
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October 3, 2022
National Techies Day 2022
Terminator modelo    




The world of cgi graphics has certainly cast a spell on me.

I can't think of anything more thrilling that a realistic delve into what could be but isn't in the form of a scifi thriller replete with more tech than I can really grasp.

From the science workstations of Avatar through the human cyborg concepts like Grace the enhanced super soldier of Terminator Dark Fate ...

I am a fan of tech and those notions related to it.

Today is National Techies Day.

It is held October 3rd and encourages students to consider a career in technology.

The career opportunities grow exponentially in technology with more being created as the technologies are invented and even those who are not technically inclined will require a certain amount of savvy before it is all over.

So whether you're a techie or not I wish you a grand National Techies Day and I hope you catch the wave of we who embrace things of a technical nature.





Tags: technology
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October 2, 2022
Change a Light Day 2022

One thing my advancing age has brought with it is presbyopia.

Presbyopia is a typical part of aging where the gradual loss of your eyes' ability to focus on nearby objects becomes problematic, depending on how well you are accustomed to seeing.

It is said to begin somwhere around your early to mid-40s and continues to worsen until around age 65.

Being past the high boundary limit I have compensated with various spectacles which I wear often — and increasing the lighting in my work spaces in particular.
 

    8000 Lumen Adjustable Head Screw In Shop Light

Today is Change A Light Day. It happens on the first Sunday of October so this year it falls on the second of October.

The observance is meant to raise awareness on light and energy saving techniques related to light bulbs.

I have taken to LED lamps myself. They put out more light and use less power.

I am particularly fond of the 8000 lumen BRAUN jobbies I have bought from Harbor Freight and installed strategically in my home.

When you turn on these lights it's difficult to miss anything. However their power limits their indoor usefulness. They really aren't for ambiance at all.

I hope that as you get on down the road of life you too can find effective solutions for life's little glitches — like presbyopia — along the way.

Change a Light and don't curse the darkness.
 

Tags: technology, health
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October 1, 2022
International Coffee Day 2022
coffee in a porcelain cup    
I am and have been a long standing drinker of coffee.

Studies indicate coffee consumption in the 2 to 5 cup range daily lowers likelihood of type 2 diabetes, heart disease, liver and endometrial cancers, Parkinson's disease, and depression.

I am partial to a hazelnut cream mixture in it and drink about 40 ounces of the stuff on an average day.

Though I'm not really into rituals, seeing how morning coffee is also a somewhat ceremonial aspect of starting my day by and large I am picky about the cup from which I drink.

It must be either porcelain or of sentimental value. I don't care about the exterior color; but the interior must be white ...

For contrast.

I presently drink exclusively from the cup my girl made for me with her pretty little hands.

Coffee is more a concentration aid in my life and it's stimulant effects pick me up and get me going.

I suppose I can think of worse addictions, but inasmuch as I can and do get the occasional headache when I abstain from drinking coffee I do feel that at some level I am an addict.

October is upon us and with it International Coffee Day.

It's an observance designed to promote coffee as a mainstream beverage and depending on the environment this has been the case for my entire life.

The first official date was October 1, 2015 under the auspices of what was then the International Coffee Organization.

The day was initiated by our international friends in fine things at Milan, Italy. Salute!

Whether you drink coffee for taste or drink it as fuel I hope you enjoy your cups as much as I do.

Happy International Coffee Day!

Tags: health
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September 29, 2022
The birthday of Christ 2022
Jesus

IMHO the December 25th celebration of Christ is somewhat of a misnomer in that it is his day of conception, not his birth date.
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According to scriptural references of the Course of Abia and other correlatory scriptural and non biblical historical references the birth date of Jesus is September 29th.
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I realize this will meet a fair amount of disagreement by persons representing themselves as Biblical scholars. It is not my place to argue my opinion with those who would muckrake or seek confrontation.
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While I view the celebration date to be optional I am also one of these who also believes the historical record has been altered by pagan influences and international government interferences as well.

Be this as it may I stand by my assertion.

Tags: scripture
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September 29, 2022
Michaelmas 2022
My Christianity has held many tenets regarding angels. They are "messenger" spiritual being believed to act as an attendant or agent of God. They are represented in human form with wings and a long robe in popular illustration but just because they fly doesn't mean they actually have wings. Archangels are angels of high rank.

Aside from God, Christ, his mother Mary, or Joseph his stepfather I would like to meet Saint Michael most of all. Michael is an archangel. He is that angel God calls upon when the situation calls for action and battle.

Michael the Archangel arrives for battle

This archangel Michael aka Saint Michael the Archangel, Saint Michael the Taxiarch and Archangel Michael is the archangel of Judaism, Christianity, Islam and the Baha'i faith. His earliest mention appears in 3rd and 2nd century BC Jewish works. They are often but not always apocalyptic, meaning world ending. He is the chief of the angels and archangels and responsible for the care of Israel. Christianity adopted nearly all the Jewish traditions concerning him. He is mentioned explicitly in Revelation 12:7–12 where he does battle with Satan and in the Epistle of Jude, where heretics are denounced by contrasting them with Michael.

Michaelmas aka the Feast of Saints Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael, the Feast of the Archangels, or the Feast of Saint Michael and All Angels is a Christian observance in some Western liturgical calendars on September 29. In Christian angelology, the Archangel Michael is the greatest of all the angels and is honored for defeating Lucifer in the war in heaven.

Revelation

12:7And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels,
12:8And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven.
12:9And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.
12:10And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night.
12:11And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.
12:12Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time.

Jude

1:1Jude, the servant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James, to them that are sanctified by God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ, and called:
1:2Mercy unto you, and peace, and love, be multiplied.
1:3Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.
1:4For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ.
1:5I will therefore put you in remembrance, though ye once knew this, how that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed them that believed not.
1:6And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day.
1:7Even as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.
1:8Likewise also these filthy dreamers defile the flesh, despise dominion, and speak evil of dignities.
1:9Yet Michael the archangel, when contending with the devil he disputed about the body of Moses, durst not bring against him a railing accusation, but said, The Lord rebuke thee.
1:10But these speak evil of those things which they know not: but what they know naturally, as brute beasts, in those things they corrupt themselves.
1:11Woe unto them! for they have gone in the way of Cain, and ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward, and perished in the gainsaying of Core.
1:12These are spots in your feasts of charity, when they feast with you, feeding themselves without fear: clouds they are without water, carried about of winds; trees whose fruit withereth, without fruit, twice dead, plucked up by the roots;
1:13Raging waves of the sea, foaming out their own shame; wandering stars, to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness for ever.
1:14And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints,
1:15To execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him.
1:16These are murmurers, complainers, walking after their own lusts; and their mouth speaketh great swelling words, having men's persons in admiration because of advantage.
1:17But, beloved, remember ye the words which were spoken before of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ;
1:18How that they told you there should be mockers in the last time, who should walk after their own ungodly lusts.
1:19These be they who separate themselves, sensual, having not the Spirit.
1:20But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost,
1:21Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.
1:22And of some have compassion, making a difference:
1:23And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh.
1:24Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy,
1:25To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.

Holy Bible - King James Version
Ariel - Raphael - Gabriel - Michael

See Also:

Old Michaelmas Day 2021

Tags: scripture
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September 28, 2022
Banned Websites Awareness Day 2022
    BANNED
This is an extension of the just past Banned Books Week called Banned Websites Awareness Day.

The day is implemented to raise awareness of the blocking of legitimate socially aware and accurate informational websites as well as the reasonable lawful use of social networking tools in schools and school libraries.

This is primarily a function of the libtard left seeking their cancel culture and other aspects of thwarting a free society when their ideas and opinions conflict. The facts never matter in these instances.

I for one will not tolerate the banning of books or websites and will vigorously oppose anyone promoting these aspects of criminal behavior sanctioned by the Biden Administration and his band of idiots. The leftist libtard insanity needs to go away permanently. Nobody's opinion cancels anything.

Tags: technology
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September 27, 2022
Google's Birthday 2022
So the 'reassigned' birthday of google is today.

The September 27 date conflicts with the actual founding of September 4, 1998 ... but since they're not really a search engine anyway I guess it hardly matters.

Google began life as an excellent organic search engine but shifted it's paradigm to that of an advertising/user control agent/election manipulator/fact obfuscator like facebook and twitter out to subvert the world with those libtard influences and untruths they see fit to propagate.

Therefore, I no longer really respect google nor do I utilize it much at all.

google search engine wasteland

I could live in a world where google no longer exists.

Then I find out that a lot of these other search engines are following their technocorruption lead.

Guess it will be duckduckgo's crappy algorithm as the "lesser of two evils". More Results my ass.

I am very disappointed in your and the rest of 'big techs' unscrupulous immoral business models and your infringement on free speech and other civil rights of the population you serve.

You do Evil.

Tags: technology
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