Monday: Hili dialogue (and Leon monologue)

December 30, 2019 • 6:45 am

It’s now Monday, December 30, 2019: the Sixth Day of Christmas (Geese a’-Laying), but, more important, the last day of both Hanukkah and of Coynezaa—the day on which Our Savior J.C. was born and, today, becomes officially old.

And oy, it’s National Bicarbonate of Soda Day, presumably meant to help you recover from holiday overeating. But it’s also Bacon Day (not kosher) and Falling Needles Family Fest Day, marking the senescence of the Christmas tree and symbolizing the enroaching decrepitude of our Savior J.C.

News of the Day: The Chinese scientist who created the two CRISPR babies has been sentenced to three years in jail (see the link, h/t: Matthew). He’s also been fined $425,000 and is banned for research on reproduction for life.

Stuff that happened on December 30 include:

  • 1066 – Granada massacre: A Muslim mob storms the royal palace in Granada, crucifies Jewish vizier Joseph ibn Naghrela and massacres most of the Jewish population of the city.
  • 1916 – Russian mystic and advisor to the Tsar Grigori Yefimovich Rasputin was murdered by a loyalist group led by Prince Felix Yusupov. His frozen, partially-trussed body was discovered in a Moscow river three days later.

Here’s the bizarre fellow:

With wife and daughter. As you may remember, he was a hard man to kill. First he was poisoned with both wine and cakes, and then shot. That didn’t do him in, so he was shot again and thrown into the river.

  • 1922 – The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics is formed.
  • 1965 – Ferdinand Marcos becomes President of the Philippines.
  • 2006 – Former President of Iraq Saddam Hussein is executed.

Yes, my birthday marks the execution of two loons.

Notables born on this day include:

  • AD 39 – Titus, Roman emperor (d. 81)
  • 1865 – Rudyard Kipling, Indian-English author and poet, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1936)
  • 1910 – Paul Bowles, American composer and author (d. 1999)
  • 1928 – Bo Diddley, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 2008)
  • 1931 – Skeeter Davis, American singer-songwriter (d. 2004)

Davis, of course, was famous for her monster hit “The End of the World“, released in 1962 and produced by Chet Atkins. It made it to #2 on both the Billboard Hot 100 and country charts, thus being one of the first country crossover songs. (It was also recorded by The Carpenters.) It was played at both Atkins’s funeral (2001) and Davis’s funderal at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville (2004).

  • 1935 – Sandy Koufax, American baseball player and sportscaster
  • 1942– Michael Nesmith, American musician and songwriter
  • 1945 – Davy Jones, English singer-songwriter and actor (d. 2012) [JAC note: two Monkees were born on my birthday]
  • 1946 – Patti Smith, American singer-songwriter and poet
  • 1949 – Jerry Coyne, superannuated evolutionary biologist, your host
  • 1959 – Tracey Ullman, English-American actress, singer, director, and screenwriter
  • 1965 – Heidi Fleiss, American procurer
  • 1975 – Tiger Woods, American golfer
  • 1984 – LeBron James, American basketball player, producer and businessman

Those whose lives were quenched on December 30 include:

  • 1916 – Grigori Rasputin, Russian mystic (b. 1869) [see above]
  • 1970 – Sonny Liston, American boxer (b. 1932)
  • 1979 – Richard Rodgers, American playwright and composer (b. 1902)
  • 2004 – Artie Shaw, American clarinet player, composer, and bandleader (b. 1910)
  • 2006 – Saddam Hussein, Iraqi general and politician, 5th President of Iraq (b. 1937)
  • 2012 – Carl Woese, American microbiologist and biophysicist (b. 1928)

Meanwhile in Dobrzyn, I am happy that Hili sent me birthday wishes!

Hili: Do you still have that delicious bacon in the fridge?
A: Why do you ask?
Hili: I will eat it to celebrate Jerry’s birthday.
(Photo: Paulina R.)
In Polish:
Hili: Czy w lodówce jest jeszcze ten pyszny bekon?
Ja: Dlaczego pytasz?
Hili: Zjem go, żeby uczcić urodziny Jerrego.
(Zdjęcie: Paulina R.)

And in Wloclawek, Leon is engaged in his usual activity: waiting for noms.

Leon: I could eat something.

In Polish: Zjadłbym coś.

Reader Rick tells me I’m featured on Anu Garg’s “A Word A Day” section of today’s Wordsmith (I don’t know that site); to wit:

I’ll Follow the Sun (cat version):

An oldie but a goodie from Literary Jokes and Puns (h/t: vanewimsey):

From Jesus of the Day:

A tweet from reader Barry. Is this a therapy fish or a therapy human?

Tweets from Dr. Cobb, beginning with the daily egress of fowls from the Marsh Farm Barn. Sadly, I got no shout-out, though I asked. But there are four flying ducks (and a partridge in a pear tree):

And now a peacock has joined the menagerie:

Matthew and I both think this one is real, though I suppose it could be bogus:

https://twitter.com/gunsnrosesgirl3/status/1210839147658850306?s=11

I wonder if the cat does this to anyone who sings?:

Another lovely cat/staff interaction:

 

The battle of Wtaerloo, with this key from Matthew:

Blue = French
Solid block = infantry
Diagonal block = cavalry
“tour” in tweet = “tout”

A lot going on in these videos. First, an obstreperous young goat. And then a humorous mongoose/hornbill video. Make sure the sound is up for the second:

 

76 thoughts on “Monday: Hili dialogue (and Leon monologue)”

  1. Hili is trying to be funny. Get some bacon for Leon.

    I don’t know about that word superannuated. We have a president that is pretty much obsolete. What should we do to put us out of our misery?

  2. Any way to, like, switch the frankincense and myrrh for more gold? More gold and less frankincense and myrrh?

  4. To wash away that Skeeter Davis aftertaste, here’s birthday boy, the gunslinger himself, Bo Diddley:

      1. Here’s Brit blues/rock band Juicy Lucy’s version of Bo’s Who Do You Love [dubbed audio]:

        https://youtu.be/YA8MAJt8Fv0

        I also recommend the Bing-Crosby-from-Hell, Jim Morrison’s live concert version which will chill to the bone – great lyrics on that tune.

    1. Hi Jerry. Google UK search today for Jerry Coyne is interesting!

      [1] A guy with too much money, Perry Marshall, pays for a Google Ad to whine a little about you & promote his $10 million Evolution 2.0 Prize. The Discotute used to do the same thing – just shows you haven’t lost your touch.

      [2] Ace troll & ‘science writer’ John Horgan’s silly 2015 SciAm review of Faith vs Fact still on the first Google results page. That’s a bad sign – you need to elope with a bad girl heiress Jerry & sink this old stuff to page 10 with some juicy scandal!

      https://flic.kr/p/2i7kErZ

      1. The Horgan review is down on the second page on DuckDuckGo … which is surprising. Perhaps all the duck posts are having an effect?

  7. All hail our messiah, J.C.
    Apparently “officially old” but then He has been carrying out His good works for quite some time.
    Happy Birthday, Prof Coyne.

    1. I thought that one was ‘officially old’ when an invitation to join AARP lands in your mail box. That happens about 10 years before one’s 70th birthday.

      BTW Today Fresh Air is featuring interviews with Anthony Bourdain.

  9. Happy Birthday Jerry!

    Just chalked up another orbit myself and also feeling old. But, as in most things, you’ve got me beat.

    1. Errrr, I think it should. I was paying vague attention to one of the Mad Polish Art/ historian woman’s programmes not long ago which mentioned “this was where Rasputin got dumped in the river”, and she’s done “Art Lover’s guide to St.Petersberg”, but not one to Moscow, I think.

  17. “1066 – Granada massacre: A Muslim mob storms the royal palace in Granada, crucifies Jewish vizier Joseph ibn Naghrela and massacres most of the Jewish population of the city.”

    I had never heard of this before. It’s odd because I’m often told how peaceful and tolerant Muslim Spain was and it only became bad for Jewish people after the Catholics took over. The odd part is that it’s usually atheists telling me that.

    1. There were, I’ve read, periods of accommodation and cooperation followed by some of this horror.

  19. Happy Birthday, Jerry! Welcome to the 70’s. It’s not so bad, believe me. Remember “old” is just a state of mind.
    Thanks for all you do to keep life interesting for all of us.

  22. Happy 70th Dr. Coyne. I mentioned the Septuagenarial Coyneza to my dad whilst “helping” him split firewood yesterday. He said, “He’s (PCC{E}) one of those younger prodigies, isn’t he?” 👴

    1. (Not to brag, but clarifying here: Whereas I’m fairly adept at splitting some types of wood, my dad [91 years young] was quick to show me techniques of dealing with {rural Kansan} hedge, locust and cedar.)

    1. I remember the Ruttles. I don’t think I’ve ever seen the programme repeated, which makes me think there’s something naughty going on with the rights.

  24. An oldie but a goodie from Literary Jokes and Puns (h/t: vanewimsey):

    But the author suggests how to make the ducks pay for their crimes against humanity etc : Mr Cook.

  25. Yes Professor, two Monkees were born on the same day three years apart. And of course they share your birthday. So my birthday gift to you are these videos:

    Nesmith is a great songwriter. Here is a song he wrote made famous by Linda Ronstadt, but sung by him:

    Different Drum:
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SMkiZ9tO-Zs

    And the song that went to #21 on Billboard originally recorded with Nesmith’s band The First National Band.

    Joanne:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ZiHjmE-5BI

    And here is Davy singing with the cast from “Oliver!” on the same Ed Sullivan show that featured The Beatles on February 9th, 1964. He’s playing the Artful Dodger for which he was nominated for a Tony.

    Ed Sullivan

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nBPT0IhKUYc

    And here’s Davy singing his signature song, a number one hit for the Monkees for four weeks in December 1967. He happened to be in the audience and was invited up to the stage.

    Davy with U2

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=5&v=BU-VF9dtWeE&feature=emb_logo

    Enjoy these two talented Monkees and happy birthday!

    2. Poor Davey, that karaoke version he had to sing to was like two or three semitones higher than what the original version of the song was!

        1. Hey Roger, are you sure about the key? Davy was a baritone forced to sing as a tenor back with the Monkees, so he’d sound as young as he was. The original recording is so high that his voice cracks on the higher notes. Over the years he learned to sing as a tenor. I think he sounds much better in the more recent recording. No cracking on the high notes!

  29. As you may remember, he was a hard man to kill. First he was poisoned with both wine and cakes, and then shot.

    The story I’d heard was that he had a digestive problem, which resulted in insufficient stomach acid to convert the potassium cyanide they used (in both servings) into hydrogen cyanide.
    That sounds like it could work – salt of a weak acid added to a strong acid throws down the weak acid. But is that necessary for the toxicity of cyanide salts, and can people survive without stomach acid?
    Stomach acidity is considered relevant to cyanide poisoning as a form of suicide. If you suffer from achlorhydria, don’t expect that potassium cyanide pill to do you much good. Carry the acid itself. It’s not a common disease, but at several percent prevalence it’ll be on most doctor’s “I’ve seen that” list. More so, geriatric specialists.
    If I were more into Agatha Christie, I’d wonder what her “poisons file” has about this delightful topic.

    Oh ho, what’s this?

    Rasputin’s daughter, Maria Rasputin (born Matryona Rasputina) (1898–1977), emigrated to France after the October Revolution, and then to the United States. There, she worked as a dancer, and then a lion tamer in a circus.

    Now there’s a useless factoid for a tie-breaker in Trivial Pursuits, or something.

  31. A very happy birthday Jerry, and a massive thank you for all the work you put into this site, it really is appreciated. The content is endlessly informative, interesting, and varied. Where else can you get excellent content on penguins, free speech, evolution, politics, cats, philosophy, music etc. all in one place? It’s an incredible resource, and it’s free too!
    I have learned so much from this site and your books, and had much fun in the process. Your writing has broadened my intellectual horizons over the last few years, and I’m very grateful for that. Thanks!

    2. So well said wetherjeff – I share all your thoughts about WEIT.

      Happy birthday to you Jerry.

  34. Happy Birthday, Jerry. As on a few years older than you, I can comment that it’s not so bad when one considers the alternative. As others have commented, thank you for your website. It is my morning reading when imbibing my morning caffeine and very much appreciated. I hope you have a great day!

  36. Interesting GIF on the battle of Waterloo. I assume the black is the German army under Blucher.

    cr

      1. Umm, okay. I was just going by my hazy recollection of history, ‘Germany’ as such didn’t exist at that time.

        Curiously, George Stephenson built a locomotive named ‘Blucher’ at Killingworth Colliery in – 1814. I don’t know enough history to say whether the Prussians were prominent allies the year before Waterloo, or whether the name was bestowed well after construction.

        cr

        1. I googled this:

          “In 1902, it was published in The Engineer that the first locomotive built by George Stephenson in 1814 was called ‘My Lord’ after Lord Ravensworth”

          One source says My Lord predates Blucher & should be named as the first Stephenson steam horse. I read somewhere else that the parts of Blucher were recycled into improved steam horses of other names. Do you see where I’m going with this? 🙂

          Stephenson was an illiterate, working class, ambitious, socially unconnected, nobody – he made a machine in 1814 called My Lord to pander to one of the railway lessees & knowing full well Lord Ravensworth wouldn’t know better, he stuck another plate on the bones of the same machine in mid-1815 & called it Blucher. In mid-1815 the names of Wellington & Blucher were celebrated throughout Europe & I’m betting a lot of products were launched that year with winning names such as those.

          Who knows perhaps he was even smarter than we know & invoiced for twenty steam horses over the years made from the parts of only 15 machines…

  37. Old? What’s this? I’m planning to be your age in a couple of months’ time (I have no choice in the matter), and I have no plans to feel or act old any time soon. (Looks are another thing altogether).

    As they say: growing old is inevitable; growing up is optional.

    A very Happy Birthday anyway!

      1. Might as well give up now. You will *never* get as ancient as our host. 😉

        cr

  38. Thanks again, everyone, for your kind words. Now I’m gonna cook a big honking steak and open a fine bottle of Burgundy (a gift from a reader). It doesn’t get much better than that.

  41. I don’t understand the case of He Jiankui – there must have been a Chinese equivalent of the US NIH that had a number of scientists review the project proposal. Yet, we se an individual punished as if they worked as a truly independent scientist. Perhaps it was funded by industry? And in any case. doesn’t this illustrate the failure of the Chinese scientific system?

    1. The “Chinese scientific system” appears to me to be very successful given they’ve only had around 40 years to modernise to western standards of equipment & practise, set up the economic enterprise model, develop the legal frameworks [much more than just patents] & to develop the control & guidance institution. This century I am certain they will become the world leaders in all science/tech fields including the theoretical, such as pure maths – they are absolute monsters. The military side of all this is worrying as they may maintain the economic power to beat the US at military technological dominance.

      The punishment of this scientist looks like a political decision from the top – he was disappeared around two weeks after the west complained about his methods & objectives & came back into the public eye only after a course of action was decided. He was using a lot of VC to grow businesses & he was revered [rather uncritically on the morals/ethics front] within his Chinese science community. Just before the authorities jumped all over him he was getting VC for a Genetics Medical Tourism business.

      I have a feeling he will be redirected to ageing research & will not be sitting in a cell for three years doing nothing. The Chinese leaders would love some magic potion that keeps them in power for generations, but then I do read too much SciFi.

      1. I see if instead of “the” I could have written “a” failure. Theres still a failure somewhere, clearly. I don’t understand the vigorous defense. I take it my comment was perceived as some sort of wild attempt at something… I don’t know.

        But it seems the money is followed back to private interests. I still think more than one person should be involved in the project planning and decisions, and should also be brought to justice, if that’s what it is. This is Chinese justice we are talking about here.

        1. I can only respond to what you wrote & not what you thought you wrote! You appeared to be condemning the whole “Chinese scientific system” which is an absurd stance & I corrected you on that, but now that you’ve made it clear that you could have phrased your observation more clearly with an “a” we can relax, no?

          As to your second paragraph, I wrote the scientist was using VC [Venture Capital] for many of his projects, perhaps you don’t know the term “VC” & didn’t ask Mr. Google?

          And it isn’t “Chinese justice” we are talking about here [whatever that means] unless you’re being sardonic of course – justice doesn’t exist there as we understand the term. They have a state-‘controlled’ capitalist system that permits individuals to grow extraordinarily wealthy & often these billionaires step over a line – then the state-controlled instruments of power [police, army, Ministry Of State Security, Ministry of Public Security, the courts] take arbitrary action based on what they think the politicians want [or they get told what they are to think this year at the re-education classes].

          There is no interest in finding out who stepped over the line for reasons of justice – outcomes are determined entirely pragmatically & it comes from the top, there is no real separation of State from the institutions of State. There is also no real moral stance – it is all about what interests are of uppermost concern at the moment & how they can be served.

          This scientist is being given a token punishment to assuage western opinion – that’s my view anyway. It doesn’t mean that this type of immoral science will cease in the PRC, I don’t suppose the leaders care about that – they aren’y answerable to anyone.

Comments are closed.