In case you forgot, and if you’re in the right time zones, it’s Tuesday, April 12. And on this day in 1861, the American Civil War began when Confederate troops fired on Fort Sumter in the Charleston, South Carolina harbor. In 1945, Franklin Roosevelt died of a cerebral hemorrhage in Warm Springs, Georgia. His mistress Lucy Mercer Rutherford was with Roosevelt since his wife Eleanor was in Washington, but was quickly hustled off the premises. In 1955, the head of the trials of Jonas Salk’s polio vaccine declared it “safe and effective.” On this day in 1961, Yuri Gagarin became the first human being launched into space and the first human in orbit. Notables born on this day include Henry Clay (1777), Imogen Cunningham (1883), Benjamin “No Free Will” Libet (1917), Tiny Tim (1932), and Tom Clancy (1947). Those who died on this day include Joe Louis (1981), Alan Paton (1988), and Abbie Hoffman (1989).
Meanwhile in Dobrzyn, Hili is marveling at Andrzej’s computer:
Hili: Astonishing.A: What’s astonishing?Hili: If not for a mouse I wouldn’t know it’s an intelligent design.
Hili: Zdumiewające.
Ja; Co jest zdumiewające?
Hili: Gdyby nie mysz, nie pomyślałabym, że to jest inteligentny projekt.
Out in Winnipeg, Mr. Gus has finally chewed his box into submission. It’s time for a new one!
And Gus is happy in the sun:
‘Tiptoe through the tulips!’
It’s been donkey’s years since I’ve heard of Tiny Tim.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zcSlcNfThUA
I remember lining up with other children at the community hall in my town to receive the polio vaccine when it became available to the public – for free. All parents at that time lived in fear that their children would contract polio. One of my cousins was stricken with polio before the vaccine became available. Before the vaccine, my mother would not let us swim at the public pool in summer as it was rumored that polio could be contracted in pools. I don’t know if that was true or not, but no one wanted to take a chance apparently.
Same here. I’ve seen one or two schoolmates stricken with polio (not sure about the background there).
It’s insane not to get vaccinated (if there’s no life-threatening allergy to the serum), when it’s so conveniently offered nowadays.
I think a big part of the problem with anti-vaxxers is they don’t have the memories of pre-vaccination days.
And Gus looks lovely sitting in the remains of his box with his toy.
RE: the Civil War. Don’t you mean the War of Northern Aggression when peaceful Southerners refused to submit to oppression? 😉
A tip o’ the hat to Abbie H, the clown-prince of the New Left. Hope you finally got around to levitating the Pentagon, brother.