History & Comment for March 11, 2025

A look at historical and current events on this day, comment and humor so dry it would make a camel thirsty. 

Transcript

This is History and Comment for Tuesday the 11th of March 2025

The Daily Courant is first published on this day in 1702, becoming England’s first daily newpaper intend for national distribution.    Elizabeth Mallet was the publisher and promised to print international news without comment.   It was quite a feat to publish a daily paper in that time period.    The Copy had to be written and each letter of type hand set, and the papers printed.   The Courant was a single page with news on the front and advertisements on the reverse.   Elizabeth will publish the Courant for just 40 days before selling the paper.   It will remain in circulation,   until 1735 before it is merged with another London based daily.    

Due to the effort required and lack of copy, weekly or two or three times a week were common.    Here in American,  the Philadelphia Evening Post began in 1775 as three times a week and in 1783 switched to daily.   Becoming the first in America.    

The word News, or short for New Things seems to have originated during the Middle English period, but similar words existed in Latin,  i.e. Nova, and earlier French Novelles,  both meant new things.   The Oxford dictionary list it as a noun in usage at least by 1382 in the Wycliff Bible. 

The Confederate Constitution is adopted in 1861. We have talked about this document in past episodes.   If you could compare both the US and the later Confederate with highlights and mark-ups you will find few changes in the Later. With three notable exceptions.    The President will serve a single six year terms.   We might call that term limits and it was added to the US Version in the 22nd amendment.   Line item veto power on budget items.   And the Slavery issues was placed with each State and out of the control of the Confederate Government.      

In some ways, it was an insiteful update to the US version.  Of course we condemn it because they did not outlaw slavery.   We should be very careful when we try to understand or analysis historical periods with current understanding or mindset.   It is easy to categorize the institution as cruel and it was, but keep it in context.    Some very, well informed folks thought the Africans were a lesser race, based on recent scientific works.  Specifically, Darwin’s, Evolution of Species, which was published in 1850.  

But even more contemporary,  I enjoyed the series Dowtown Abby, which portrayed an English Manor family in one plot line and the servants in another,  and then skillfully overlayed the two cultures.    Now in that context the servants were paid, live in staff in many cases.   But, the idea of class and place were clear.   The Upper class, felt it was their duty to provide a job for the lesser folks,  even if it was being butler or page.    This was not set in the 19th century backwoods but, early 20th Century England.   

On this day in 1888 a strong nor-easter strikes the East Coast from Virginia to the Maritimes.   And continued for the next three days with the brunt occurring on the 12th.   48 inches of snow were reported at Saratoga Springs, New York.  A few years back the National Weather Service took a look at the data and concluded that 50 inches or more may have fallen on Connecticut and Massachusetts.  

While here in flyover Country, we are starting to think Spring weather and it is getting very close.   Late season snow have happened and often combine massive amounts of moisture with cold temperature for large snows. 

Singer Bobby McFerran is 75 today. His single Don’t Worry, Be Happy is the only acapella song to reach the US No 1 position.  

Some stories were news at the time but have been forgotten.   In 1977, 150 hostages are taken around Washington DC by Hanafi Muslims.  Do not think this was some Middle eastern Group, the Hanafi Muslims were a splinter group of the Black Muslims here in the States.   

I find that whole scenario of the Black Muslim movement, to be counter to solving the problems they were upset over.    

Which brings up a story from a few days back.  Kareen Abdul-jabbar,  was once a very well known name in basketball circles.   Again another one of the public figures who threw his hat in the Black Muslim ring.   He was two-years into a twenty year NBA career when he began to publicly use his Muslim name as opposed to his slave name Lew Alcindor.   

His recent comments are not much different than his life long angry black teenager persona.  He admits his fame and celebrity have plotted a different course, then he used an old cancer diagnosis as a platform to point out the poor healthcare of blacks.   

I will be clear, I have no knowledge of what it is like to grow up in Harlem in the 60’s.    Rather than blame society,  I would propose that his celebrity would be better used to educate black teens how life in the hood can be improved thought education and good work ethnic.    The same applies to any ethnic group.      But someone should educate Mr.  Alcindor that the angry black persona does more harm than good.   It promotes the stereotype that every Black person we meet on the street, is angry and looking for a chance to get back at Whitie.  

Moving on,  I find it strange how much of the world lives under some form of dictatorship.   In 1990, Chile’s first democratically elected president in twenty years takes office.   

Chile is an interesting country.   Extremely narrow between the Pacific Ocean and the Andes Mountains.   They have two ceremonial vehicles,  a traditional horse drawn carriage and a convertible that was first purchased for a visit from Queen Elizabeth in 1968.     Now you might think a Lincoln or maybe a Cadillac.   Nope! A Shiny black 1968 Ford Galaxy 500 convertible.     Maybe I’m being arrogant, it just seem funny.    Of course, it would be terribly ostentatious to have an expensive car.   A few less than 1 in 3 Chilians have one.   312 out of 1000.  Just ahead of China at 310.   Here in the States the number is lower than you might think.   We are tenth on the list with 850, Tiawan and New Zealand both have a higher rate.   The other seven are microcounties like Liechtenstein, San Marino or the British isle of Jersey and Guernsey.  Most of the top seven have populations of less than 100,000 people.  

Fourteen years ago a 9.0 earthquake strikes east of Japan, triggering a tsunami that kills thousands and sets off the Fukushima Nuclear disaster.   Critical portions of the plant were 30 plus feet about sea level but the wave reached a height of 45 feet about an hour after the earthquake.   

Four years ago the WHO declares COVID-19 a viral pandemic.   One year later President Biden signs a $1.9 trillion package to revive the American economy.    The origins of the virus remain a mystery.   At least that is the official story.  We may never know because Mr. Biden issued a broad pardon to the Ring Leader or the person who should have known, depending on your bias. 

Canada’s new Prime Minister says he will play hardball with the US if Mr. Trump does not back down.   First off, I do not think that is a proposal Mr. Trump is inclined to submit to. Second,  While Canada is a good neighbor,  they simply do not have enough pee to bring to a contest.      The US economy is 13 times larger that Canada’s.   Meanwhile Canada would be third if listed with US STATES.   Behind California and Texas and just ahead of New York.   

In world terms Canada is 10th in the World.    

Now we should play nice, but conversely it might be the big dog on the porch and the yappy puppy. The big dog will take it for a while before he growls at the puppy and returns him to his place.  

The simple fact is the American Free Market dominates the worlds economy in term of good produced and sold.   

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