History of the Day: 10/23

Happy Mole Day! What is Mole Day? It's like Groundhog Day, except it's nothing like it and is for chemists. It is celebrated on October 23, between 6:02 AM and 6:02 PM, making the date 6:02 10/23. The time and date are derived from the Avogadro constant, which is approximately 6.022×1023, defining the number of particles (atoms or molecules) in a mole, one of the seven base SI units.

Today, we remember when the President suspended the writ of habeas corpus for all military related cases. Yes, this is the same President who spent money without congressional authorization, and imprisoned thousands of suspected enemy sympathizers without trial. It's one of the lesser known acts of President Lincoln. What? Yes, I said Lincoln. Who did you think I meant?

Happy birthday to Weird Al! He has had a much greater influence on me than is probably healthy, but it's too late now. I'm permanently twisted. Here is his most recent song, Whatever You Like, a parody of T.I.'s tune of the same name.

And today is the feastday of Anicius Manlius Severinus Boethius, more commonly known by his last name. He was a philosopher-theologian of the first order until he ran afoul of the Arian emperor Theodric. So, he was tossed in prison (pictured here, looking remarkably like a public school) and, on this day, executed either by axe, sword or club. Or, knowing those crazy Medieval types, probably all three.

Boethius had hoped to translate all of the writings of the Greek philosophers, Plato and Aristotle especially, into Latin. However, he was executed before turning 45 and was barely into his work. Imagine what a different track the Middle Ages would have taken had they been available! While imprisoned, he wrote The Consolation of Philsophy, in which he has a dialogue with Lady Philosophy on various topics, especially the Wheel of Fortune. Of the wheel, and Lady Fortune (pictured here?), Lady Philosophy says:

I know how Fortune is ever most friendly and alluring
to those whom she strives to deceive,
until she overwhelms them with grief beyond bearing,
by deserting them when least expected
Are you trying to stay the force of her turning wheel?
Ah! dull-witted mortal,
if Fortune begin to stay still, she is no longer Fortune.

The Carmina Burana is even more explicit with these lyrics:

The wheel of Fortune turns;
I go down, demeaned;
another is raised up;
far too high up
sits the king at the summit -
let him fear ruin!

This could be called The Ballad of Joe the Plumber. In the Carmina, the lyrics are accompanied by this picture. The caption says:

Regno, Regnavi, Sum sine regno, Regnabo
I reign, I reigned, My reign is finished, I shall reign

So, what is one to do in the midst of all this changing of fortune? Boethius says:

If first you rid yourself of hope and fear
You have dismayed the tyrant's wrath:
But whosoever quakes in fear or hope,
Drifting and losing his mastery,
Has cast away his shield, has left his place,
And binds the chain with which he will be bound.

I'd like to buy a vowel ...