History of the Day: 9/23

In 1889, the first playing cards were produced and marketed by the company that would later be known as Nintendo. Nintendo -- rotting the brains of children for over a century.

In 1952, Nixon delivered his famous "Checkers" speech. In a fantastic display of red herring humor, he answered claims that he had misappropriated money, and made the American people fall in love with him. Here's the speech. It interesting to listen to given the current political climate, especially knowing what later happened to El Presidente Nixon. If you don't have time to listen to the entire speech, skip ahead to 10 minutes, 13 seconds. It's brilliant.

Lots of birthdays today. Rirst, rappy rirthday to the Retsons! Their first episode aired on this day in 1962.

Euripides, the Greek playwright, was born on this day in 480 BC. Among his many amazing plays was one which showed the horrors of war (especially for the surviving mothers, daughters and wives of the slain) called The Trojan Women. It's well worth a read. He also inspired my favorite geek joke of all time:

Overheard in ancient Greece:
Tailor: Euripides?
Customer: Eumenides.

Octavian, later known as Augustus Caesar, was born on 63 BC. The Roman Senate proclaimed him a god (who knew the legislature had THAT much power?), including the title "son of god." And, as has always been the case in history, when Church and State get in bed together, they have really ugly children.

"Typhoid" Mary Mallon was born in 1869. She was a healthy carrier of the disease and infected close to fifty people in her job as a cook. She refused to accept that she was connected with the deaths and, eventually, was forcibly put in quarantine, where she died.

Now, some musical birthdays. John Coltrane, jazz saxaphonist supreme, was born in 1926. Even if you hate his music, you need to pretend like you like it to be groovy, like me! Try out Body and Soul.

Ray Charles was born in 1930. His fusion of country music storytelling, gospel music itself, and pop revolutionized all music ... at least that's What I Say.

The Boss was born 49 years ago today. What? No, not Ms. Traywick ... Bruce Springsteen! Everyone talks about Born to Run or Born in the USA, but his best album is Nebraska. Just him, his guitar, his harmonica and a four-track recorder in his basement. Sublime. I couldn't find my favorite song of his, Jesus Was an Only Son, so here's my second favorite, Streets of Philadephia.

Today is the 38th birthday of Ani DiFranco. She's one of those singers whose lyrics kind of makes me ashamed to be a man. But this one's not so bad: When You Were Mine

Some important people died today as well. Snorri Sturluson, the Icelandic historian, poet and lawspeaker for the Althing. (An Althing is like a combination parliament and court. The lawspeaker was the memory of the community. I guess my trailer would be the Swampthing?)

His poetry is rich in imagery. One of my favorites is about Odin and how he found the runes.

Wounded I hung on a wind-swept gallows
For nine long nights,
Pierced by a spear, pledged to Odin,
Offered, myself to myself
The wisest know not from whence spring
The roots of that ancient rood.

They gave me no bread,
They gave me no mead,
I looked down;
with a loud cry
I took up runes;
from that tree I fell.

Sigmund Freud died on this day in 1939. He discovered many important things, like all sons are in love with their mothers and want to kill their fathers, all women wish they were men, and ... well ... OK, he was kind of useless. But at least he recognized there are some questions that may never be answered. For instance, he once wrote to Marie Bonaparte, "Was will das Weib?" Or,

The great question that has never been answered, and which I have not yet been able to answer, despite my thirty years of research into the feminine soul, is "What does a woman want?"

One might think that was answered by Mel Gibson or Betty Friedan, but I think Etta Baker (who died on this day in 2006 at the age of 93) would be a much better person to ask. She was every oppressed subgroup rolled into one; part American Indian, part African-American (often looked down on by both groups), all woman and mother of nine.

She learned to play guitar on her own in the mountains of NC. And, being an African-American-Indian, female, mother of nine; she HAD to play the blues. She gained worldwide fame for her unique style and incredible ability. Here are a couple of her songs, Piece Behind the Bridge and One Dime Blues.

Finally, keeping with the theme of the ladies, today is the feastday of Saint Adomnan of Iona. He, like Euripides, recognized the plight of women and children who were ever becoming the spoils of the constant wars in Ireland and Scotland. So he enacted the Cain Adomnan, a law which, among other things, said:

... whoever slays a woman ... his right hand and his left foot shall be cut off before death, and then he shall die ...