Sunday: Hili dialogue

August 27, 2017 • 6:30 am

It’s Ceiling Cat’s Day: render under Him what is His (cream, mice, etc.) on this Day of August 27, 2017. It’s National Burger Day, celebrating the most iconic indigenous food in America. As Foodimentary notes, “The oldest fast food restaurant in the world is the White Castle franchise, which opened in 1921.” (Their tiny hamburgers are called “sliders.”) In Texas, it’s a legal state holiday (though people don’t work on Sunday anyway): Lyndon Baines Johnson Day , celebrating his birthday (be sure to read Robert Caro’s multivolume biography of LBJ: the best modern biography of anyone).

On this day in 410, the three day sacking of Rome by the Visigoths came to an end. On August 27, 1859, petroleum was discovered in Titusville, Pennsylvania, leading to the construction of the world’s first commercially successful oil well. Here it is, the famous Drake Well:

On this day in 1883, the volcano Krakatoa finally exploded for good, destroying the island. Wikipedia notes this as well for August 27, 1927: “Five Canadian women file a petition to the Supreme Court of Canada, asking, “Does the word ‘Persons’ in Section 24 of the British North America Act, 1867, include female persons?” Surprisingly the judgment against the “Famous Five” was “no”, though it was overturned two years later by the British Privy Council. On August 27, 1979, a bomb set by the IRA killed retired British Admiral Louis Mountbatten (also former Viceroy of India during Partition), as well as three others, while they were boating in Sligo, Ireland.  And on this day in 2003, Mars made its closest approach to Earth in 60,000 years: 34,646,418 miles (55,758,005 km). It almost hit us!

Notables born on this day include Charles G. Dawes (1865), Theodore Dreiser (1871), Man Ray (1890), C. S. Forester (1899), Don Bradman (1908; greatest cricket batsman of all time), Lyndon B. Johnson (also 1908), William Least-Heat Moon (1939), Daryl Dragon (1942) and Barbara Bach (1947). Those who died on this day include Titian (1576), Frank Harris (1931), Ernest Lawrence (1958), W. E. B. DuBois (1963), Gracie Allen (1964), Le Corbusier (1965), Haile Selassie (1975), Louis Mountbatten (1979; see above) and Stevie Ray Vaughan (1990). Meanwhile in Dobrzyn, Hili is affronted at Cyrus’s dilatory behavior:

Hili: Cyrus stayed on the other end of the path.
A: He will come soon.
Hili: Yes, but we have to wait for him.
In Polish:
Hili: Cyrus został na drugim końcu ścieżki.
Ja: Zaraz przyjdzie.
Hili: Tak, ale my musimy na niego czekać.

Meanwhile in Winnipeg, a cut Gus is sitting in “his spot”, one of the round stones on the garden path:

From reader Barry: a tweet from David Attenborough—on cats! Make sure the sound is on:

https://twitter.com/Attenboroughs_D/status/900667488450596864

And two catches by Matthew Cobb. The coloration in this katydid mimics damage by a herbivore: isn’t natural selection amazing?

And a colored butterfly egg; I had no idea these existed:

27 thoughts on “Sunday: Hili dialogue”

  2. Not a complaint–just surprise that there’s no video in honor of Stevie Ray, who could play a guitar a little.

  3. Burger day! I grew up in the town where White Castle started (Columbus, Ohio). The history of hamburgers is interesting– they were considered low-class and were the sort of thing that bars would offer as an inducement to drink more. White Castle changed that with their focus on cleanliness, hence the “white” in the name. The unique flavor of White Castle burgers comes from the fact that they contain a small amount of liver, and that they’re steamed over a bed of onions rather than being grilled.

      1. Well, they’re pretty small. 😉

        You might be able to find some in the freezer section of your grocery. Where I live now, that’s the only way to get them.

        2. OK, now I’m imagining eating a mini-hamburger from a grocery store frozen since White Castle was founded in 1921. Epic adventure.

    2. I remember eating at White Castle in the 50s and 60s in Cleveland. I don’t recall ever hearing the term slider used for these burgers back then.

      There is a similar company called Krystal that is based in Chattanooga and found around the south. They sell their burgers in groups of 3.

  4. The cats are looking very sharp today. Had no idea White Castle was that far back.

    The Belgium GP will be starting in a few minutes.

        1. Very sorry about that. Did not think about anyone recording these things. I will not do it again.

  5. It’s Ceiling Cat’s Day: render under Him what is His (cream, mice, etc.) on this Day of August 27, 2017.

    Our new cat celebrated a day early…yesterday, she jumped up on the table, scooped by son’s bullfrog out of its tank and ran off with it. The bullfrog did not survive the encounter 🙁 Sometime this week we intend to go buy (a) another frog, and (b) a super soaker water pistol

  6. Bradman’s Test average was 99 point something if memory serves., An amazing record, never matched.

    1. 99.94. Nearest rival: low 60’s.

      Statistically he must be the greatest sportsman of any kind.

      1. I seem to remember that he was out for a duck in his last appearance. Lords I think.

        1. The Oval. If he had scored another four his average would have been 100. It was the first innings, England collapsed to an innings defeat, so he didn’t get a chance to rectify his average in the second innings.

          1. That would have rounded out his average neatly. I agree, no other sports person that I am aware of has been so far ahead of the rivals.

  7. Mountbatten = Battenberg.
    German dynasty. Wasn’t Kaiser Wilhelm II a grandchild of queen Victoria? Or am I mistaken?

    2. I’ve probably told this story here before, but I’ll repeat it anyway.

      A few years back, the King and Queen of Spain were dedicating an exhibit at the Seattle Art Museum, where they crossed paths with class of schoolchildren on a field trip. In the ensuing Q&A, one the kids asked the monarchs if they ever get together socially with other European royalty.

      “We have to,” said the King. “They’re our relatives.”

  8. “a tweet from David Attenborough”

    That is actually a tweet from a parody account–if you click on the twitter name you’ll find the following description: “During My 6 Decades Of Traveling The Planet I’ve Put Together A List Of Animals That Could Have A Man’s Cock Off…I Am NOT David Attenborough. This is a PARODY.”
    There are some very funny photos and videos of animals acting very silly.

  9. “…though people don;’t work on Sunday anyway.” Please don’t tell that to the police, fire fighters, hospital and nursing home staffers, utility companies, toll takers, sports teams, stadium staff, television and radio employees, entertainers, well, it’s a long list.

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