Happy Thursday, April 27, 2017: National Prime Rib Day (make mine rare!). In South Africa it’s Freedom Day, commemorating the first elections after apartheid ended, held on April 27, 1994. And reader Dom just informed me that it’s World Tapir Day, which it indeed is. There are four species! Here’s a question: why the odd coloration of both adult and baby Malayan tapirs (Tapirus indicus), and why the developmental change? Baby looks like a watermelon, adults have a black-and-white pandalike pattern:

On this day in 1667, the blind and penurious John Milton sold the rights of Paradise Lost for just £10. And on April 27, 1945, Benito Mussolini was captured trying to escape in disguise, soon to be shot and his corpse suspended upside down tied to a lamppost. Finally, three years ago Popes John XXIII and John Paul II were canonized on the same day.

Notables born on this day include Edward Gibbon (1737), Mary Wollstonecraft (1759), Ulysses S. Grant (1822), Walter Lantz (1899), Coretta Scott King (1927), and Arielle Dombasle (1953). Those who died on this day include Ferdinand Magellan (1521) and Edward R. Murrow (1965). Meanwhile in Dobrzyn, Andrzej and Hili appear to share a tender moment, but it’s deceptive:

A: What are you looking for?

Hili: Your wallet was here somewhere.

Ja: I czego tam szukasz?
Hili: Tu gdzieś był twój portfel.

Gus took the tape test to see if he’d sit in a square on the floor made of tape, but failed. As his staff tells us:

Here’s a Gus pic. I tried the tape thing, but Gus was too suspicious and chose to sit on my books and  look warily at the tape instead. Oh well.

And up in Wroclawek, Leon is cracking jokes:

Leon: Is watering place an equivalent of a cafe?

Finally, lagnaippe from reader Pyers:

PCC(E) has returned, and today I resume the Hili Dialogues, with copious thanks to Grania for steering the leaky old tub in my absence. And good morning on April 19, 2017—National Rice Ball Day. But rice balls are boring compared to the noms celebrated yesterday, which was National Animal Crackers Day.  To re-experience that childhood treat (remember the box with a shoestring to carry it with?), here’s Shirley Temple singing “Animal Crackers in my Soup” from the movie Curly Top, made in 1935 when she was 7 years old.

It’s also Holocaust Remembrance Day in Poland (home of Auschwitz), and Dutch-American Friendship Day,  which, according to Wikipedia, “remembers the day in 1782 when John Adams, later to become the second president of the United States, was received by the States General in The Hague and recognized as Minister Plenipotentiary of the United States of America. It was also the day that the house he had purchased at Fluwelen Burgwal 18 in The Hague was to become the first American Embassy in the world.”  So a friendly “Goedmorgen” to my Dutch friends and readers. If I could, I’d gorge on a cone of frites slathered with mayonnaise.

On this day in 1770, James Cook (then a lieutenant, not a captain) spied the eastern coast of Australia, named it “New South Wales”, and claimed it for Britain. On the same day five years later, the American defeated the Australia-owning British in the Battle of Concord.  On April 19, 1927, the inimitable Mae West was sentenced to ten days in jail for an obscenity charge for her play Sex. West, who wrote and directed the play, also acted it in as a prostitute. Her sentence brought her national fame and led to a late-life acting career, including these gems:

On this day in 1943, the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising began; in 1971 Charles Manson was sentenced to death (later commuted to life imprisonment); and in 1987 The Simpsons first appeared as a short on the Tracy Ullman show (what ever happened to her?): “Good Night”:

Finally, on this day in 1993, the federal siege of the Branch Davidian compound in Waco, Texas ended in a fire that killed leader David Koresh and 82 others. Exactly two years later, the Oklahoma City bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building, masterminded by Timothy McVeigh and Terry Nichols, killed 168.

Notables born on this day include Eliot Ness (1903), Dickie Bird and Jayne Mansfield (both 1933), the odious Stanley Fish (1938), and Ashley Judd (1968). Those who died on April 19 include Paolo Veronese (1588), Lord Byron (1824), Charles Darwin (1882), Pierre Curie (1906), and John Maynard Smith (2004; another evolutionist, and one whom I knew). Meanwhile in Dobrzyn, Hili is showing off her literary knowledge to justify a nap:

While waiting for Godot one can take a nap.

Cyrus: And if he doesn’t come?

Hili: All the better.

Hili: Czekając na Godota można się przespać.
Cyrus: A jeśli on nie przyjdzie?
Hili: To tym bardziej.

In nearby Wrocławek, spring is here and Leon made a funny:

Leon: It’s April, so cats are growing on willow.

Finally, things are warming up in Winnipeg, and Gus takes over the bed. His staff Tasin takes note:

Once again, Gus takes over the bed when I wash the sheets. I do like the curled up toes pose.

When I asked whether Gus’s actions prevented the sheets from getting washed, I got this answer:

Yes, the sheets were in the wash. It’s getting the sheets back ON the bed that’s usually the problem….

It’s Monday again: February 27, 2017, and remember that tomorrow is the last day of the month. Today is a double food holiday: National Strawberry Day and National Kahlua Day. It’s also International Polar Bear Day, so give a thought to an animal most likely doomed by global warming.

On this day in 1900, the British Labour Party was founded and, on February 27, 1933, the Reichstag Fire took place in Berlin. The Nazis, who may have set the fire themselves, blamed a Dutch communist, which gave them the excuse to crack down on Germany and solidify their power. On this day in 1940, carbon-14 was discovered by Martin Kamen and Sam Rubin; it proved a valuable way to date more recent organic artifacts, but that took 9 years and the technical expertise of Willard Libby, who won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for radiocarbon dating. Finally, on February 27, 1951, the 22nd Amendment to the Constitution was ratified, limiting American Presidents to two terms in office. (Franklin Roosevelt was elected for four terms.)

Notables born on this day include Hugo Black (1886), Marian Anderson (1897), John Steinbeck (1902), Lawrence Durrell (1912; read his superb Alexandria Quartet), Elizabeth Taylor (1932), and Alan Guth (1947). Those who died on this day include Ivan Pavlov (1936), Frankie Lymon (1968), Konrad Lorenz (1989), Spike Milligan (2002), William F. Buckley, Jr. (2008), and Van Cliburn (2013).  Meanwhile in Dobrzyn, editor Hili is kvetching to Andrzej about the disarray of the newsroom:

Hili: Is it possible that he ever tidies this up?

A: Get thee to a nunnery.

(Photo: Sarah Lawson)

Hili: Czy jest możliwe, że on tu czasem sprząta?
Ja: Idź Ofelio do klasztoru.
(Foto: Sarah Lawson)

Leon: I decided that it finally was warm enough and I deigned to go for a walk.

As lagniappe, we have a special Gus video today, with the Earless White Cat playing the “Mouse Game” with staff Taskin. Be sure to watch till the end.

Good morning; it’s Sunday, February 5, 2017, and it’s World Nutella Day. If you eat it (or even if you don’t), PuffHo has obligingly compiled “11 things you really should know if you love Nutella.” Not all of these facts are palatable: for instance, 56% of the stuff is straight sugar, and the second ingredient isn’t hazelnuts, but not-that-good-for-you palm oil. I did try it out of curiosity a while back, and wasn’t impressed. But your mileage may differ.

In Mexico it’s Constitution Day, and the U.S. it’s National Weatherperson’s Day, celebrating our public meteorologists.

On this day in 1852, the Hermitage Museum opened in St. Petersburg. I’ve been there, and it is without doubt one of the three or four greatest art museums in the world, with the added perk of being in a royal palace. On February 5, 1869, the world’s largest alluvial gold nugget, the “Welcome Stranger Nugget”, was discovered by two prospectors at Moliagul, Victoria, Australia. Its refined weight was 3,123 oz (214.1 lbs or 97 kg), and the miners received £9381 for their find— about US $3-4 million in 2013 prices. Here’s a relative of one of the finders holding a replica of the nugget:

On this day in 1917, the current constitution of Mexico was adopted, which is why it’s Constitution Day there. In 1924, the Greenwich Observatory began broadcasting its famous time signals, and on February 5, 1939, Franco became the leader of Spain. Rumor has it that he died some time ago.

Notables born on this day include Adlai Stevenson II (1900), Hank Aaron and Don Cherry (both 1934), Al Kooper (1944), Charlotte Rampling (1946), and Laura Linney (1964). Those who expired on this day include Marianne Moore (1972) and Maharishi Mahesh Yogi (2008).  Meanwhile Hili is being apocalyptic:

Hili: End of the world.
A: When?
Hili: A week from now.
A: So we still have plenty of time.
Hili: That’s true.

Hili: Koniec świata.
Ja: Kiedy?
Hili: Za tydzień.
Ja: To mamy jeszcze mnóstwo czasu.
Hili: To prawda.

Leon, on a hiking vacation to the mountains of southern Poland, seems reluctant to go outside. I can’t believe a cat can sleep on top of a stove like that, which is undoubtedly very hot!:

Leon: Mountains? Thank you, maybe another time.

And out in Winnipeg, Gus is passing the winter by playing indoors. We have a video:

Gus was a bit lukewarm about these feather sticks until they were combined with the tissue paper.

Good morning on the last day of January (the 31st), 2017! It’s a Tuesday, the cruelest day, but take a restorative, as it’s also National Hot Chocolate Day. (I sometimes throw a bit of cocoa powder into my morning latte to make it a bit mocha-ish.) In Austria it’s Street Children’s Day, calling attention to homeless kids.

On this day in 1606, Guy Fawkes was executed for the Gunpowder Plot and, in 1801, John Marshall was appointed as the first Chief Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court. (Trump was supposed to name his replacement choice for Scalia last night, but I don’t see that in the news. What we have [see next post] is a Monday Night Massacre.) On January 31, 1865, the U.S. Congress passed the 13th Amendment, which abolished slavery; it was later ratified by the states.  In 1930, the 3M Company began making Scotch tape (why is is called that?), and, exactly 20 years later, President Truman announced the U.S. program to build a hydrogen bomb. Finally, on this day in 2010, Avatar became the first film to make over two billion dollars in worldwide net profit; I still haven’t seen it. (I am not an avid fan of futuristic and sci-fi movies.)

Notables born on this day include Franz Schubert (1797), Eddie Cantor (1892), Tallulah Bankhead (1902), Jackie Robinson (1919), Ernie Banks (1931), Philip Glass and Suzanne Pleshette (both 1937), Nolan Ryan (1947), and Peter Sagal (1965). Those who died on this day include John Galsworthy (1933), A. A. Milne (1936; Eeyore is my favorite character), Meher Baba (1969), and Molly Ivins (2007).  Here’s Eeyore with his famous pink tail bow:

Meanwhile in Dobrzyn, Hili is contemplating a wooden cat sculpture in the wall beside Malgorzata’s desk; she appears to decry the objectification of the felid:

Hili: What happened to this cat?

A: Why do you ask?

Hili: It looks as if someone has idealized it.

Hili: Co się stało temu kotu?
Ja: Czemu pytasz?
Hili: Wygląda jakby go ktoś idealizował.

Meanwhile, Leon and his staff are on another hiking trip in the Polish mountains, and Leon is having trouble navigating the stairs of their lodgings:

Leon: I’m now mixed up from all this running: now, up or down?

In western Canada, the snow has been relentless, and Gus doesn’t like it:

Gus: Not more snow!

And this came from  reader Jerry P., who, after recounting the sad death of two of his earlier cats, sent a picture of the one he has now, with the caption, “And below, our cat Bombadil…. Just because we love our cats like nothing else….”

As a special treat, enjoy this baby pig eating pineapple:

https://twitter.com/BabyAnimalPics/status/825740415261368322

It’s Monday, January 9, 2017, and a balmy 23° F (-5° C) in Chicago; we have some snow predicted for today. It’s also National Apricot Day (though I don’t think they’re in season), and National Cassoulet Day, celebrating one of my favorite French dishes. In India, it’s Non-Resident Indian Day, celebrating the contributions of Indians who live outside their country (imagine having a National Expats Day in the U.S!). The date was chosen because it was on this day in 1915 that Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi returned to India from South Africa.

On this day in 1349, the entire Jewish population of Basel, Switzerland, was rounded up, herded into a barn, and incinerated. They had been held responsible for the Black Death, since Jewish mortality was seen to be lower than that of non-Jews. On January 9, 1916, the Battle of Gallipoli came to an end, a great victory for the Ottoman Empire and a disaster for England, Australia, New Zealand, and France. The victorious commander was Kemal Atatürk, who later became Turkey’s President and a great force for modernization, secularization, and equal rights for women. Finally, it was on this day in 2015 that the perpetrators of the Charlie Hebdo massacre were killed, but another attack took place in a Jewish supermarket in Paris, with four hostages killed along with the Muslim attacker.

I report with sadness that Nat Hentoff (born 1925), author and jazz critic, died on Saturday. Those born on this day include Simone de Beauvoir (1908), Richard Nixon (1913), Bob Denver (1935), Joan Baez (1941), and geneticist Alec Jeffreys (1950).

Those who died on this day include Caroline Herschel (1848), the astronomer after whom Brian Cox named his cat (it’s a calico, ergo female):

Just got back from filming and nothing in the fridge. Needs must I suppose ! pic.twitter.com/joRYEURv8K

— Brian Cox (@ProfBrianCox) September 5, 2015

Author Katherine Mansfield also died on this day in 1923. Meanwhile in Dobrzyn, Hili is demanding that her staff warm things up:

Hili: You haven’t made a fire in the fireplace.

A: I have to fetch wood from the woodshed.

Hili: Never put important duties till later!

Hili: Nie napaliłeś w kominku.

Ja: Muszę przynieść drewno z drewutni.
Hili: Nigdy nie odkładaj ważnych obowiązków na później!

And in nearby Wloclawek, Leon is also suffering with the cold, but has turned indolence to his advantage.

Leon: I’m hatching new ideas for the icy winter.

All the cats are housebound and cold! In Winnipeg, Gus has taken over a blanket that was given to his staff, reader Taskin, who now can’t use it. Her note:

The blanket I was given for Christmas has received the coveted “Gus Seal of Approval” 🙂

It’s the penultimate day of November: the 29th, and it’s the year 2016, which means it’s National Chocolates Day. In honor of that, I’ve put some powdered cocoa into my latte to make it into a sort-of mocha. It’s also William Tubman‘s birthday, celebrated in Liberia, where he was that nation’s longest-serving President.

On this day in history, there was a particularly horrible event; as Wikipedia notes, “The crew of the British slave ship Zong murders 133 Africans by dumping them into the sea to claim insurance.” The courts ruled that killing slaves was legal and the insurers indeed had to pay. If you have the stomach, read the entry about how women and children were shoved through the ship’s portholes to their deaths. One quails at how callous human nature was in those days, and marvels at how things have changed. In 1899, the FC Barcelona Association football club was founded, and, on this day in 1963, Lyndon Johnson convened the Warren Commission to investigate the murder of John F. Kennedy.

Notables born on this day include Louisa May Alcott (1832; see below), as well as her father Amos Bronson Alcott (1799). Also born on November 29 was the popular theologian C. S. Lewis (1898), whose book Mere Christianity I’ve recently read (thanks, Grania!), amazed that so many people found its arguments convincing. But of course they wanted to be convinced of a faith they already had, except for atheists like Francis Collins, who said they were converted by that mushy book. Finally, today’s the birthday of Kim Delaney (1961; ♥). Those who died on this day include Natalie Wood (drowned 1981; ♥). Meanwhile in Dobrzyn, Hili, although an atheist cat, finds invoking religion convenient at times:

Hili: The basket fell over. Let me in otherwise I will be blamed.
A: And who knocked the basket down?
Hili: The Holy Ghost.

Hili: Kosz się przewrócił. Wpuść mnie do domu, bo będzie na mnie.
Ja: A kto go przewrócił?
Hili: Duch Święty.

Leon: I hunted down something furry. [Malgorzata says it’s a hat.]

And out in Winnipeg, where snow has blanketed the ground, reader Taskin sends a photo of a disappointed Gus, which has this caption:

All dressed up and nowhere to go:

Finally Google has a Doodle honoring Louisa May Alcott and her book Little Women, though it’s not animated:

Today’s Doodle portrays Beth, Jo, Amy, and Meg March, as well as Jo’s best friend Laurie, their neighbor. The March family of Little Women was based on Alcott’s own, and the coltish Jo was Louisa’s vision of herself: strewing manuscript pages in her wake, charging ahead with the courage of her convictions, and cherishing her family above all.