February 17, 2014

A new experiment in blogging. Each entry with the blog title being a day's date will feature a this day in history section, a quotes section from people born on that day, and a song somehow associated with the day. I don't know if this will last a day, a week, a month, or years...      

February 17: this day in history (from Wikipedia)

I never knew that the greatest football player ever and greatest basketball player ever have the same birthday (see the quotes below). Other events of note: 

1801 – "An electoral tie between Thomas Jefferson and Aaron Burr is resolved when Jefferson is elected President of the United States and Burr Vice President by the United States House of Representatives." Burr later killed the guy who influenced this vote, and some years later was arrested for treason, so this probably worked out for the best.

1819 - "The United States House of Representatives passes the Missouri Compromise for the first time." And the Union lived happily ever after.

1919 - Canada's greatest prime minister dies.

1933 – "The Blaine Act ends Prohibition in the United States." But the impulse of busybodies to use The State for their social experiments lives on.

1996 – "In Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, world champion Garry Kasparov beats the Deep Blue supercomputer in a chess match." One small victory for a man, but the last victory for mankind.

Notable quotes (from BrainyQuote unless otherwise noted)

"You have to be as fully prepared for the dull game as you are for the great game, or else you won't be prepared for the great one." -Red Barber, sports broadcaster  (February 17, 1908—October 22, 1992)

"When you have a problem, rules don't solve your problem. It's caring and education." - Jim Brown  (born February 17, 1936)

"If you accept the expectations of others, especially negative ones, then you never will change the outcome." - Michael Jordan (born February 17, 1963)

"I live in a very dangerous part of Los Angeles? Its called Los Angeles." - Ralphie May (born February 17, 1972) From SearchQuotes.

And then there's this from Dead See Scroll scholar John Marco Allegro (February 17, 1923 – February 17, 1988):





Song of the Day,

Wishing a happy 42nd to Billie Joe Armstrong!