Ephemeris of Miscellany

"James Dean died today," opens The James Dean Story, the first James Dean film I ever saw.  Today is September 30, 2021 and he died 66 years ago today. I saw The James Dean Story before I saw any of his three films. It's dated and melodramatic but it also genuinely captured something. I'm going to watch it again right now. (Free on YouTube.)   From the intro: "Youth mourned itself in the passing of James Dean. Because he died young and belonged to no one, every girl could feel that he belonged to her alone. Because he died violently, every boy could use him as a warning to his parents, ‘If you don’t start understanding me, I could go the same way.’ A hero made of their loneliness. A legend woven from their restlessness, their energy, their despair. What is the hero to do with James Dean? What is the legend to do with his life? To those who made the hero, to those who wove the legend, this picture is dedicated with affection and with hope." September 30, 2021...

Oh no, I'm sorry to hear that Kris Kristofferson died. There's never been a better songwriter. And he was a good friend to Sinead O'Connor when the Bob Dylan tribute crowd turned on her. The Pilgrim, Chapter 33 See him wasted on the sidewalk, in his jacket and his jeans Wearin' yesterday's misfortunes like a smile Once he had a future, full of money love and dreams Which he spent like they was goin' out o' style And he keeps right on a'changin', for the better or the worse Searchin' for a shrine he's never found Never knowin' if believin', is a blessin' or a curse Or if the goin' up was worth, the comin' down He's a poet, an' he's a picker, he's a prophet, an' he's a pusher He's a pilgrim and a preacher, and a problem when he's stoned He's a walkin' contradiction, partly truth and partly fiction Takin' ev'ry wrong direction on his lonely way back home He has tasted good and e...

Trump endorsed Mark Robinson for governor of North Carolina, saying that he's, "Martin Luther King on steroids," and "Martin Luther King times two." Now it turns out that Robinson has described himself as "a black Nazi."  Has there ever been an easier political layup? Trump and Vance need to pull their endorsement. When asked, Trump said he, "doesn't know anything about the situation." Number one, yes he does. Number two, until he pulls his endorsement, he is quite literally endorsing a black Nazi for governor of North Carolina. To continue to support somebody who endorses a black Nazi, would be to support Abraham Lincoln on heroin and cocaine, times 100. September 28, 2024 ... Confucius, Chinese teacher, editor, politician, and philosopher, was born on this day and 551 BC.  "He who knows all the answers has not been asked all the questions." ... Brigitte Bardot was born on this day in 1934. From Golden Age of Hollywood: When Br...

My first solo trip to Fairmount, Indiana, during a hiatus from college, 1995. ... Made it to Fairmount with Gretel. We were listening to music on YouTube on the way and I voice-to-texted "Beatles Don't Let Me Down." Gretel said, "Beetles let Zuzu down. Remember when she saw the stink bug and started screaming?" I sure did remember that, but for a few seconds that seemed like the craziest non-sequitur I'd ever heard in my life, until I figured out why she said it. September 27, 2019 ... Mike Schmidt was born on this day in 1949. "I don't think I can get into my deep inner thoughts about hitting. It's like talking about religion." ... Everybody's split on this Kavanaugh thing, but at least there's one thing that everybody can agree on- if you were Kavanaugh and believed you were innocent, you would welcome a lie detector test to prove your innocence. September 27, 2018 ... Cheer up everybody- when clouds obscure your view of the moon...

PETROV DAY! On this day in 1983 Soviet Air Force officer Stanislav Petrov identified a report of an incoming nuclear missile as a computer error and not an American first strike.  He had every reason to believe it was an American first strike, and although he was required to report it to his superior, he knew that if he did, Russia would likely launch a full scale attack in retaliation.  So first he correctly identified himself as the key link in the chain toward nuclear annihilation, and second, he took his time and figured out that it was a computer error.  Did he save the world? Very possibly, and by using his own mind vs blindly following protocol. A lesson we can all follow. ... I'm bound for Fairmount, Indiana. Like normal, I brought about 10 times the amount of audiobooks I could possibly listen to. How to Change Your Mind- Michael Pollen Bittersweet- Susan Cain  Where Men Win Glory, the Odyssey of Pat Tillman- John Krakauer Rage- Bob Woodward  Fire and F...