Today is the birthday, in 1846, of Daniel Hudson Burnham FAIA (September 4, 1846 – June 1, 1912) was an American architect and urban designer. A proponent of the Beaux-Arts movement, he may have been “the most successful power broker the American architectural profession has ever produced.”
A successful Chicago architect, he was selected as Director of Works for the 1892–93 World’s Columbian Exposition, colloquially referred to as “The White City”. He had prominent roles in the creation of master plans for the development of a number of cities, including the Plan of Chicago, and plans for Manila, Baguio and downtown Washington, D.C. He also designed several famous buildings, including a number of notable skyscrapers in Chicago, the Flatiron Building of triangular shape in New York City, Washington Union Station in Washington D.C., London’s Selfridges department store, and San Francisco’s Merchants Exchange.
Washington Union Station in Washington, D.C., (1908)
How???
Clowning around…
Today is the birthday, in 1981, of Beyoncé, American singer, songwriter, dancer and actress. With Destiny’s Child she had the 2000 US No.1 single with ‘Say My Name’ and the 2001 US & UK No.1 single and album ‘Survivor’. Beyonce scored the 2003 US & UK No.1 single ‘Crazy In Love’ from the world-wide No.1 album Dangerously In Love. Throughout her career, she has sold an estimated 100 million records as a solo artist and a further 60 million records with the group Destiny’s Child. She has won 22 Grammy Awards and is the most nominated woman in the award’s history. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ViwtNLUqkMY
On this day in 1783, the Treaty of Paris was signed by representatives of King George III of Great Britain and representatives of the United States on September 3, 1783, officially ended the War of American Independence and recognized the Thirteen Colonies, which had been part of colonial British America, to be free, sovereign and independent states. The treaty set the boundaries between British North America, later called Canada, and the United States, on lines the British labeled as “exceedingly generous. Details included fishing rights and restoration of property and prisoners of war.
This treaty and the separate peace treaties between Great Britain and the nations that supported the American cause, including France, Spain, and the Dutch Republic are known collectively as the Peace of Paris.
The Congress of the Confederation, operating as the legislative body of the newly established United States, ratified the Treaty of Paris on January 14, 1784, in Annapolis, Maryland, in the Old Senate Chamber of the Maryland State House.
Today is the birthday, in 1766, of James Forten, an American abolitionist and businessman in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. An early Black Patriot and advent supporter of American independence, he was perhaps one of the most prominent wealthy Black Americans of the post colonial era.
James Forten was born free on September 2, 1766, in Philadelphia, one of two children of Thomas and Margaret Forten; a Philadelphia sailmaker, Thomas Forten was the grandson of a slave who had “freed himself.” At the age of 14, during the Revolutionary War, Forten served on the privateer Royal Louis, commanded by Captain Stephen Decatur Sr. The Royal Louis was captured by a Royal Navy warship. Captain John Beazley, who had captured the privateer, was impressed with Forten and offered Forten the opportunity to be educated in Great Britain with his son, Henry, but Forten replied, “I have been taken prisoner for the liberties of my country, and never will prove a traitor to her interest.” Beazley instead saw to it that he was treated as a prisoner of war along with the rest of the crew of the Royal Louis.
When Forten returned to Philadelphia in 1790, he became apprenticed to sail-maker Robert Bridges, his father’s former employer and a family friend. Forten learned quickly in the sail loft. This was where the large ship sails were cut and sewn. Before long, the young man was promoted to foreman. At Bridges’ retirement in 1798, Forten bought the sail loft. By developing a tool to help maneuver the large sails, by 1810, Forten had built up one of the most successful sail lofts in Philadelphia. He created the conditions he worked for in society, employing both black and white workers. Because of his business acumen, Forten became one of the wealthiest Philadelphians in the city, black or white.
in 1801, he was among the signers of a petition to the U.S. Congress calling for the abolition of the slave trade and the modification of the Fugitive Slave Law of 1793.” In 1813 he wrote a pamphlet called Letters From A Man of Colour, published anonymously. He denounced a bill under consideration in the Pennsylvania legislature that required all black emigrants to Pennsylvania to be registered with the state, and protested treating free blacks any differently than whites.
In the early 19th century, some black and white Americans supported movements to “resettle” free blacks on the African continent, in Canada, or in Haiti, which achieved independence from France in 1804. The American Colonization Society (ACS) was formed in December 1816, organized to found the colony of Liberia in West Africa. It offered to help blacks to go there voluntarily, with provisions of aid for supplies, housing and other materials. Made up of abolitionists, slaveholders, and missionaries, its members supported voluntary relocation of free blacks and newly freed slaves to Africa, to solve the “problem” of blacks in American society.
To address community concerns and discuss the potential for colonization in Liberia, James Forten worked with Bishop Richard Allen of the African Methodist Episcopal Church, the first independent black denomination in the United States; Absalom Jones, and James Gloucester to organize a meeting on this topic in Philadelphia. Their announced meeting in January 1817 at Bethel AME Church drew 3,000 attendees from Philadelphia. Hearing the strong views of this public forced a dramatic turning point for these leaders. At the meeting, Forten called for a vote, asking who favored colonization. Not one man said yes. When he asked who was against it, the crowd resounded with “No!” that made the hall ring. All claimed the US as their own, and wanted to gain their full civil rights there as citizens.
Forten helped William Lloyd Garrison start up his newspaper, The Liberator, in 1831, supporting it financially. He frequently published letters in it, as “A Colored Man of Philadelphia.” Garrison also wrote articles against colonization, describing the poor living conditions in Liberia. They wanted others to know that the ACS was not necessarily working in the best interest of black Americans.
Forten’s family carried on his work. Harriet Forten Purvis formed the first biracial women’s abolitionist group, the Philadelphia Female Anti-Slavery Society. She hosted anti-slavery events at her home and with her husband Robert Purvis ran an Underground Railroad station. His grandson, Charles Burleigh Purvis was a physician in Washington, D.C. He was among the founders of the medical school at Howard University. He was the first African-American physician to attend a sitting president of the United States when he attended President James Garfield after he was shot by an assassin in 1881. Granddaughter Hattie Purvis was an African-American abolitionist, suffragist and a member of the temperance movement. She was part of the second generation of American suffragists. Purvis worked closely with Susan B. Anthony.
Watercolor of abolitionist James Forten (1766-1842) believed to have been painted during his lifetime.
Someone’s having a party!!!
It’s rollin’ in!!!
Welcome to Scotland!!
2025 is playing…
Hope you had a good Labor Day!
BADA BING!
My toxic trait is telling people I’m down for anything, when in reality I mean not after 8pm. Food should be involved, and it also depends on the weather, the parking situation, and how tired I am.
Unaware of the importance of dryer sheets, the starship Enterprise embarrassingly warps through space with static Klingons.
I don’t repeat gossip. So listen carefully.
I was supposed to get older and wiser, but I’m just getting older and wider. (Bilbo) (me too)
I’ve started joining Google Meet 30 seconds early. It seems that everyone’s virtual note takers join early also. I spend the first few seconds screaming about how I’m on the Titanic, we’ve just hit an iceberg, the end is near, and I need immediate assistance. Then I do the rest of the meeting normally. When the meeting ends, everyone gets an emailed transcript where the AI summery is: “Chris hit an iceberg, is trapped on a sinking ship, and general Q2 pricing updates.”
I’m of the age when I go by a medical supply store I go in and browse.
Technical IT work… Drove 300 miles round trip to push a plug in a little bit further.
I miss the days when shouting out, “Not it” was an effective way of getting out of things you didn’t wanna do.
National Guard refuses to go to Chicago, citing bone spurs.
I’m bored today so I thought I would go hide dildos at peoples yard sales.
They say ‘the machines of the future’ will be as smart as people. OK, but WHICH people? Because it kinda matters quite a bit.
Our best hope is that tRUMP is taking medical advice from Robert Kennedy Jr.
Proud to say my wife really spoils me. I married her for her personality, and she has thrown in five more for free. Sometimes, if I’m lucky, I get to experience them all in one day.
I switched all the labels on my wife’s spice rack. I’m not in trouble yet, but the thyme is cumin.
Him: “Let’s play doctor, Sally. I’ll go first. You owe me $30,000.” Sally: …
A 309 credit score protects you from identity theft. Follow me for more security advice.
Today is the birthday, in 1951, of Mik Kaminski, violin, with Electric Light Orchestra, who had the 1979 UK No.3 & US No.4 single ‘Don’t Bring Me Down’ plus 26 other Top 40 hits. ELO have sold over 50 million records worldwide. Here’s ELO with some shuffle girls. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FuiMQPc5aKA
Today is Individual Right Day, celebrated on the birthday of John Locke who argued that a human being has basic rights and that people are not slaves of their government but that their human rights should be protected by their government. Locke is considered the ‘Father of Liberalism’, the political and moral philosophy based on the rights of the individual, liberty, consent of the governed, political equality, the right to private property, and equality before the law.
Locke’s writings influenced Voltaire and Jean-Jacques Rousseau, and many Scottish Enlightenment thinkers, as well as the American Revolutionaries. His contributions to classical republicanism and liberal theory are reflected in the United States Declaration of Independence. It has been argued that Locke launched liberalism by tempering Hobbesian absolutism and clearly separating the realms of Church and State. He had a strong influence on Voltaire, who called him “le sage Locke”. His arguments concerning liberty and the social contract later influenced the written works of Thomas Jefferson. One passage from the Second Treatise is reproduced verbatim in the Declaration of Independence.
John Locke’s portrait by Godfrey Kneller, National Portrait Gallery, London
Food in the fifties…
Curry was a surname.
A takeaway was a mathematical problem.
A pizza was something to do with a leaning tower.
All potato chips were plain; the only choice we had was whether to put the salt on or not.
Rice was only eaten as a milk pudding.
Calamari was called squid and we used it as fish bait.
A Big Mac was what we wore when it was raining.
Brown bread was something only poor people ate.
Oil was for lubricating, fat was for cooking.
Tea was made in a teapot using tea leaves and never green.
Sugar enjoyed a good press in those days, and was regarded as being white gold. Cubed sugar was regarded as posh.
Fish didn’t have fingers in those days.
Eating raw fish was called poverty, not sushi.
None of us had ever heard of yoghurt.
Healthy food consisted of anything edible.
People who didn’t peel potatoes were regarded as lazy.
Indian restaurants were only found in India.
Cooking outside was called camping.
Seaweed was not a recognized food.
“Kebab” was not even a word, never mind a food.
Prunes were medicinal.
Surprisingly, muesli was readily available, it was called cattle feed.
Water came out of the tap. If someone had suggested bottling it and charging more than petrol for it, they would have become a laughing stock!!
Can Opener Sound…
ENJOY THE WEEKEND!!
Today is the birthday, in 1958, of Michael Jackson singer, songwriter, Jackson 5, The Jacksons, and solo. Jackson is recognised as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records. The music videos for ‘Beat It’, ‘Billie Jean’, and ‘Thriller’ are credited with breaking down racial barriers and transforming the medium into an art form and promotional tool. His 1982 album Thriller, is the best-selling studio album of all time. Jackson died on 25th June 2009 at the age of 50, after suffering heart failure at his home in Beverly Hills. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zi_XLOBDo_Y
On this day in 1830, the first locomotive built in America, the Tom Thumb, traveled from Baltimore to Ellicotts Mill in Maryland. It was designed and constructed by Peter Cooper in 1829 to convince owners of the newly formed Baltimore and Ohio Railroad (the first railroad in America) to use steam engines. It is especially remembered as a participant in a race with a horse-drawn car, which the horse won after Tom Thumb suffered a mechanical failure. However, the demonstration was successful, and the railroad committed to the use of steam locomotion and held trials in the following year for a working engine.
Testing was performed on the first section, built in 1829, of the company’s future main line to Wheeling, Virginia (now West Virginia). The first section linked Baltimore and Ellicott Mills (now Ellicott City, Maryland), along the upper branch of the Patapsco River Valley. Cars were pulled by horses. Two tracks had been constructed, which led the owners of Stockton and Company, a local stagecoach line providing passenger and freight service, to challenge the new locomotive to a race over the 8 miles (13 km) between the Relay House and Baltimore.
The challenge accepted, Tom Thumb was easily able to pull away from the horse until the belt slipped off the blower pulley. Without the blower, the boiler did not draw adequately and the locomotive lost power, allowing the horse to pass and win the race. Nonetheless, it was recognized that the locomotive offered superior performance. The B&O stopped using horses in 1831.
Tom Thumb replica alongside B&O EMC EA/EB #51, 1937. Both locomotives are on display at the B&O Railroad Museum in Baltimore.
Vegetarian…
Physics…
Another stupid executive order????
Men?
SIGNZEZ…
Today is the birthday, in 1965, of Shania Twain, Canadian singer, (Eilleen Regina Edwards). Her 1997 album ‘Come On Over’, became the best-selling album of all time by a female musician in any genre, and the best-selling country album of all time selling more than 40 million copies worldwide. Twain has won 5 Grammy Awards and 27 BMI Songwriter awards and is sometimes referred to as “The Queen of Country Pop”, she is one of the most commercially successful artists of all time, having sold over 80 million albums. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZJL4UGSbeFg
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