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- April 21, 2018
- The Founding of Rome
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April 21, 753 BC
The birth of that which became the Roman Empire of antiquity is part and parcel of myth, legend, fact, and conjecture.
The two primary stories surrounding the founding of Rome entail the twins Romulus and Remus who were nursed by a she wolf and the refugee of Troy, Aeneas, who was the subject of the epic by Virgil called The Aeneid and his issue, a son named Ascanius aka Iulus for whom the Julio-Claudian dynasty was named.
The stuff of legend, those mythological references to Ancient Rome being founded by the two demi-god brothers named Romulus and Remus on 21 April 753 BCE remains one of the most compelling and interesting sidebars for a child such as myself learning of these things at an elementary school age.
Included in this legend is the claim that Romulus killed Remus during the course of an argument regarding who would rule the city (or where the city would be located) and named the city Rome after himself.
Not having been a big fan of Virgil, the second Aeneid based story was one I never really pursued.
Though the year of the founding of the city varies between 752 and 728 BC ... the day has been steadily fixed April 21 by all of the individuals involved in determination of the date; which is the date of the feast of Pales, godess of shepherds and livestock. Incidentally, the Roman calendar actually began at 753 BC.
So it really doesn't matter which year to which you might subscribe as that of the founding of Rome. Today marks the anniversary so — Happy Birthday Roma !
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- April 20, 2018
- 420
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420
4:20
4/20
pronounced four-twenty
Today represents a code-term in cannabis culture that indicates cannabis is to be consumed. It originates back in 1971 by several high school heads from San Rafael California known as "the Waldos".
Personally I've heard and related the story already and no longer partaking makes the entire notion somewhat less than it once was in my life
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Suffice it to say if you indulge today is your day. Weed may grow from roots in Hell, but there are a lot of people who still enjoy it.
I didn't quit because I "disliked" it. I quit because of the mandatory pre employment testing which became in vogue and caused me to decline to allow anyone to hold a weapon of recreational drug use over my head.
Suffice it to say that I like the clear thinking and loss of mental haze more than I ever enjoyed smoking marijuana.
The fact that I could remain employed was merely the bonus of getting to eat and remain indoors.
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- April 19, 2018
- The Problems with People
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There can be issues with people whereby they are told to do something within a purview of authority and they may attempt to rationalize a reason not to do it.
The problem is one of being told what to do and failing to do so because the person is in disagreement with instructions. Some can't even read between the lines to see the peril of those ways of action. The consequences of this are many and varied ranging from confrontation all the way toward a write up for insubordination.
The worst part of that is how "fine" I am personally with the notion of consequences anymore.
The underlying context is that infuriating upheaval where the logic becomes a circular mess of trying to "be right" rather than "achieve a satisfactory end quickly and without delay".
While reticence exists for creating additional problems; tomorrow will see if indeed he incurs that wrath which has been cultivating — the severity of which will be dependent on several factors extrinsic to the problem at hand.
Some of us simply grow tired of this never ending battle of wills.
Hopefully this becomes a non issue in the morning. I'm not looking for trouble, but I'm not running from any either.
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- April 18, 2018
- Were I condemned ...
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I have on occasion considered what might transpire were I a condemned inmate.
All of this in the absence of real crime, the thoughts are primarily inspired by my interest in capital punishment in the US, the deathrow experience, victims rights, perpetrator contrition, and myriad other aspects as presented by various others in my midst from whom I glean tidbits of the experience ... though all secondhand and hearsay.
There is that lengthy appeals process. The possibility for periods of extreme isolation (not that this would really be a bother to me personally) as well as that culture only present in the prison system and it's unique perspective coupled with the ultimate reality of an impending death can imbue in the hearts of men.
Methodology being a foregone conclusion of 'lethal injection' not being something I could fear; the portends for other solutions to the problem of dispatching those sentenced to death have been in the forefront of criminal justice news these days, i.e., our intermittent inability to procure suitable concoctions for administration on a gurney might surrender to more violent ends like electrocution or firing squad. These things I most certainly could fear.
Then there is the question of my immortal soul. While my personal theology only reveals a single unpardonable sin; could I be "sorry" for some deed for which I ended up on death row in the first place.
While my initial thoughts appertaining to execution of inmates level off somewhere in the vicinity of "hell no" there is this other part of me which sometimes succumbs to apologetics and might be wanting some modicum of forgiveness.
This being said, I would also envision myself as going down with a certain amount of defiance and possibly even levity.
How about my family? Subjecting one's self to a judicial "disposal" is one thing. Making it the problem with which one's family must contend adds a twist that complicates matters much more ...
So the quandry remains.
At this juncture the entire concept of judicial execution is something with which I would not be inclined to wish upon anyone, myself included.
However, I remain decidedly "pro death penalty" for whatever level of deterrence it may provide and these feelings within me remain as well.
It would appear that I will probably forego capital offenses altogether as a matter of personal choice and avoid the entire process of having to write a check my life can't cover.
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- April 17, 2018
- World Hemophilia Day 2018
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One of the most memorable hemophiliacs I ever knew of was Ryan White. While I didn't really immerse myself into the problems associated with persons with AIDS I did follow the developments as well as I could. I thought his story to be particularly poignant given the treatment he was given by his community and the general failure to even attempt to understand the nature of disease instead of persecuting the victim of it.
Ryan White was a teenager from Kokomo, Indiana who suffered intense stigmatization and discrimination after an AIDS diagnosis which was the documented result of a blood transfusion.
That cruelty which is ignorance knows no bounds and his efforts fighting the foes of his community catapulted him to the status of national poster child for HIV and AIDS as the result of not being readmitted to school following his diagnosis. He was infected with HIV from a contaminated blood treatment called factor VIII.
That notoriety of his public and personal plight attracted a number of stars who rallied around him and his cause. The tragedy of his illness culminated with his death on April 8, 1990 — which ironically was but a month prior to that
high school graduation he pursued with everything he had left.
Congress subsequently honored his memory by passing legislation bearing his name in August of 1990 called the Ryan White Comprehensive AIDS Resources Emergency (CARE) Act.
World Hemophilia Day is an international observance held annually on April 17 by the World Federation of Hemophilia. It is an awareness day for hemophilia and other bleeding disorders, which also serves to raise funds and attract volunteers for the WFH. It was started in 1989; by one Frank Schnabel with April 17 being chosen in honor of the anniversary of his birth.
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- April 16, 2018
- National Healthcare Decisions Day 2018
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Today is NHDD (National Healthcare Decision Day) which is all about planning in advance for healthcare. This year's theme is "It Always Seems Too Early, Until It’s Too Late."
The day involves collaboration and information dissemination so that health care decisions do not fall too late or to others. It's a sad notion that we can't always have our final arrangements conducted in tune with our personal wishes. This is one of those wake up calls for the populace to get in there and take care of business before it takes care of you. Preparing for the inevitable is not morbid or maudlin ... it is essential to your well being.
You should have a care plan in effect for your now. You should have a living will and durable power of attorney for your later. You don't want to leave your existence to chance ... or if you do you're simply not in tune with what's best for you in the long run.
Advance healthcare decisions involve more than final preparations. They are a process by which health maintenance may be attained and involving of someone to represent you BEFORE you can't do so yourself.
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- April 15, 2018
- Tax Day 2018
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April 15th is Tax Day, the ever looming official deadline for getting those individual tax returns filed ... or requesting an extension.
My mother and I try to get ours done at the earliest possible moment. More for the refund we typically get; but also to curtail some dirtbag attempting to commit tax fraud on us.
I understand from cohorts that I trust that the fact that I get a refund at all is indication for a failed "tax plan". The whole idea being to end up with no bill and no refund ... or a minimal amount of either and not the wad of cash with which I typically end this duty to country.
Now I'm not one to begrudge the government their due ... but we hear of so much fraud in the system and I for one would like to see serious consequences for tax criminals as a matter of course.
I also decline to allow tax criminals to get over on my mother for any reason.
Therefore, we will probably maintain the status quo with early filing and close monitoring of the situation until we are sure that a successful conclusion is at hand.
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- April 14, 2018
- It's My Birthday 2018
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- April 13, 2018
- Thomas Jefferson
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Like so others in the wake of those who would rewrite history, Thomas Jefferson has been dissed right up there with Andrew Jackson, The Confederacy, and all the other leftist liberal pansies cultivated in our institutions of higher indoctrination and cultivation of the fake world we know.
My only beef with Thomas Jefferson is that too many of his children were mixed race being the results of his various cavortings with slaves. I remain against slavery of any kind.
Taking undue advantage of supposed "property" for the purposes of carnal indulgence with lustful intent is simply unethical, immoral, and down right dastardly — but it is generally recognized that this was one of those things he (as well as many others) pursued vigorously.
So Thomas Jefferson the American Founding Father who was the principal author of the Declaration of Independence was a slave hopping breeder who incidentally served as the third President of the United States from 1801 through 1809.
It only goes to prove that those frailties of the period remain to this day only now it's the black men hopping every white woman they can get their hands on in revenge. Can't really say that I blame them.
The only group with a bigger beef with white humanity would be the Native Americans — who are indignant as well and rightfully so.
Luckily that fug factor a lot of jungle fever adherents typically encounter is lost upon them because they're used to being with the attractiveness challenged. More power to them because if it floats their boat their ancestors earned that right for them.
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- April 12, 2018
- Charles Quinton Murphy
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Charles Quinton Murphy
July 12, 1959 – April 12, 2017
American actor, comedian, writer, voice artist
One of the absolute funniest men who ever lived.
Gone a whole year now. Rest in peace.One to Sleep On: Release the past to rest as deeply as possible.
Charlie Murphy (@charliemurphy)
Final tweet
April 12, 2017
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- April 11, 2018
- World Parkinson's Day 2018
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Parkinson's disease is a widespread affliction marked by a progressive course of nervous system tremor with rigidity of the musculature and slow imprecise movements.
It affects all manner of people and the tragedy is that though there are management courses which include drugs there is no cure. However, it is the subject of intense study by the research community and this could change at any time.
It is named for one James Parkinson FGS (Fellow of the Geological Society of London) (April 11, 1755 – December 21, 1824) who was a British surgeon, apothecary, geologist, palaeontologist, and political activist.
He is best known for An Essay on the Shaking Palsy which he wrote in 1817. This paper was the first description of "paralysis agitans" which is the condition which ultimately became Parkinson's disease as named by Jean-Martin Charcot about 60 years later.
Parkinson describeed six individuals with symptoms of the disease in great detail reporting on three of his own patients and three others he saw in the street. He referred to the disease at that time as paralysis agitans, or "shaking palsy".
His observations distinguished between resting tremors and the tremors with motion.
He indicated that the tremors in these patients were caused by lesions in the cervical spinal cord but this finding was in error.
It usually affects those in middle age through the elderly and is associated with degeneration of the basal ganglia of the brain and deficiency in the neurotransmitter dopamine.
World Parkinson's Day is held each year on the anniversary of James Parkinson's birth, April 11.
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- April 10, 2018
- Siblings Day 2018
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I'm afraid that my relationships with siblings could be better.
While I admit to being quite the social pain in the butt myself some of them simply fill me with angst and despair over their lifestyles — and some of their propensities and worse — attractions good God Almighty.
I'm historically pretty much of a 'loner' if you will; however being immersed in the presence of innumerable others during my 60 hour or so work week hardly qualifies me for the hermitage I must say.
So in that vein of interpersonal tolerance, I mark today which is Siblings Day (aka National Siblings Day or National Sibling Day) that annual observance in the United States on April 10 honoring the relationships of siblings.
Lacking the federal recognition of Mother's Day and Father's Day, it is held under the auspices of the Siblings Day Foundation and governors of 49 states have officially issued proclamations to recognize Siblings Day in their states.
So it's time to overlook the marginal hygiene, dismal health maintenance, and bad spousal choices with resultant gene pool pollution ... If only for a day.
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- April 9, 2018
- National Former Prisoner of War Recognition Day
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April the 9th finds us paying homage to those service people who found themselves captives of the enemy as the result of armed conflict defending the interests of the United States of America.
Among those hardships endured by these as iterated by President Donald Trump were "loneliness, torture, hardship, separation from loved ones, and uncertainty about the future" and we as a nation owe them a debt of gratitude beyond measure.
Perseverence and endurance were the themes of each day of captivity until they were finally returned home to their loved ones. A number of prisoners of war died in captivity making the rememberance more poignant.
The fallen and the unaccounted for are remembered this day along with those warriors who returned. As stated by POTUS:
NOW, THEREFORE, I, DONALD J. TRUMP, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim April 9, 2018, as National Former Prisoner of War Recognition Day. I call upon Americans to observe this day by honoring the service and sacrifice of all our former prisoners of war and to express our Nation’s eternal gratitude for their sacrifice. I also call upon Federal, State, and local government officials and organizations to observe this day with appropriate ceremonies and activities.
God Bless America and God Bless the former prisoners of war.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this sixth day of April, in the year of our Lord two thousand eighteen, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and forty-second.
DONALD J. TRUMP
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- April 8, 2018
- Draw A Bird Day 2018
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Today is another Draw a Bird Day. "DAB Day" as it has become known is the result of soldiers memorializing a little ten year old girl from England named Dorie Cooper who died tragically.
That story is on the official site www.dabday.com and is a touching piece of prose if ever there was one.
Seeing how I don't indulge drawing like I used to so often as a child; I substitute my painting and vector graphic modern day alternatives instead.
For today's Draw A Bird day I give you "Bald Eagle in Pencil and Ink".
It was a brief effort but I hope you like it.
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