from Writer's Almanac (Garrison Keillor, Minnesota Public Radio):
October 15 is the birthday of the Roman poet Virgil, born near Mantua, Italy (70 B.C.E.). Not much is known about his early life, and although some biographers made him out to be a country bumpkin, he probably came from a well-off family who sent him off to get a good education. He may have been socially awkward and sickly, but no one knows for sure. He left behind some of the most beloved poems written in Latin: his pastoral poems, the Eclogues; his poems about farming, the Georgics; and the poem he wanted destroyed, The Aeneid. Emperor Augustus commissioned Virgil to write The Aeneid, and he worked on it for 11 years, but it still wasn't finished at the time of his death. He left behind a request that the unfinished poem be burned, but Augustus forbade this from happening. The emperor's orders were followed, and the Aeneid became a classic, and Virgil's best-known work.
He said, "Every man makes a god of his own desire."
Saturday, October 15, 2011
Friday, October 14, 2011
Musicians to honor MLK at Memorial Dedication (line-up pre-announced) - Sunday 16 Oct. 2011
Performers
James Taylor, Dave Matthews and Sheryl Crow have been added to the lineup for Sunday’s rescheduled dedication of Washington’s new Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial, the head of the memorial’s foundation said Thursday.Harry E. Johnson Sr., the foundation’s chief executive, said the four will join Aretha Franklin, who plans to sing the gospel hymn “Precious Lord,” one of King’s favorites, at the dedication ceremonies on the Tidal Basin. Singer Jennifer Holliday and the music group Sweet Honey in the Rock are also scheduled to appear, along with a host of dignitaries and artists, at the event, which runs from 8 a.m. through 11 at the memorial, off Independence Avenue. the controversy over an inscription on the memorial’s main statue of King. The inscription — “I was a drum major for justice, peace and righteousness — has been criticized as a misleading paraphrase of a King sermon that some say makes the civil rights leader seem arrogant. Interior Secretary Ken Salazar last week and they agreed to revisit the inscription after the dedication.
James Taylor, Dave Matthews and Sheryl Crow have been added to the lineup for Sunday’s rescheduled dedication of Washington’s new Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial, the head of the memorial’s foundation said Thursday.Harry E. Johnson Sr., the foundation’s chief executive, said the four will join Aretha Franklin, who plans to sing the gospel hymn “Precious Lord,” one of King’s favorites, at the dedication ceremonies on the Tidal Basin. Singer Jennifer Holliday and the music group Sweet Honey in the Rock are also scheduled to appear, along with a host of dignitaries and artists, at the event, which runs from 8 a.m. through 11 at the memorial, off Independence Avenue. the controversy over an inscription on the memorial’s main statue of King. The inscription — “I was a drum major for justice, peace and righteousness — has been criticized as a misleading paraphrase of a King sermon that some say makes the civil rights leader seem arrogant. Interior Secretary Ken Salazar last week and they agreed to revisit the inscription after the dedication.
Obama sends troops to Uganda (to battle Lord's Resistance Army)
www.whitehouse.gov/
LETTER TO Speaker Boehner / President Pro Temp of Senate :
For more than two decades, the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) has murdered, raped, and kidnapped tens of thousands of men, women, and children in central Africa. The LRA continues to commit atrocities across the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and South Sudan that have a disproportionate impact on regional security. Since 2008, the United States has supported regional military efforts to pursue the LRA and protect local communities. Even with some limited U.S. assistance, however, regional military efforts have thus far been unsuccessful in removing LRA leader Joseph Kony or his top commanders from the battlefield. In the Lord's Resistance Army Disarmament and Northern Uganda Recovery Act of 2009, Public Law 111 172, enacted May 24, 2010, the Congress also expressed support for increased, comprehensive U.S. efforts to help mitigate and eliminate the threat posed by the LRA to civilians and regional stability.
In furtherance of the Congress's stated policy, I have authorized a small number of combat equipped U.S. forces to deploy to central Africa to provide assistance to regional forces that are working toward the removal of Joseph Kony from the battlefield. I believe that deploying these U.S. Armed Forces furthers U.S. national security interests and foreign policy and will be a significant contribution toward counter LRA efforts in central Africa.
On October 12, the initial team of U.S. military personnel with appropriate combat equipment deployed to Uganda. During the next month, additional forces will deploy, including a second combat-equipped team and associated headquarters, communications, and logistics personnel. The total number of U.S. military personnel deploying for this mission is approximately 100. These forces will act as advisors to partner forces that have the goal of removing from the battlefield Joseph Kony and other senior leadership of the LRA. Our forces will provide information, advice, and assistance to select partner nation forces. Subject to the approval of each respective host nation, elements of these U.S. forces will deploy into Uganda, South Sudan, the Central African Republic, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The support provided by U.S. forces will enhance regional efforts against the LRA. However, although the U.S. forces are combat equipped, they will only be providing information, advice, and assistance to partner nation forces, and they will not themselves engage LRA forces unless necessary for self defense. All appropriate precautions have been taken to ensure the safety of U.S. military personnel during their deployment.
I have directed this deployment, which is in the national security and foreign policy interests of the United States, pursuant to my constitutional authority to conduct U.S. foreign relations and as Commander in Chief and Chief Executive. I am making this report as part of my efforts to keep the Congress fully informed, consistent with the War Powers Resolution (Public Law 93 148).
http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2011/10/14/letter-president-speaker-house-representatives-and-president-pro-tempore
LETTER TO Speaker Boehner / President Pro Temp of Senate :
For more than two decades, the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) has murdered, raped, and kidnapped tens of thousands of men, women, and children in central Africa. The LRA continues to commit atrocities across the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and South Sudan that have a disproportionate impact on regional security. Since 2008, the United States has supported regional military efforts to pursue the LRA and protect local communities. Even with some limited U.S. assistance, however, regional military efforts have thus far been unsuccessful in removing LRA leader Joseph Kony or his top commanders from the battlefield. In the Lord's Resistance Army Disarmament and Northern Uganda Recovery Act of 2009, Public Law 111 172, enacted May 24, 2010, the Congress also expressed support for increased, comprehensive U.S. efforts to help mitigate and eliminate the threat posed by the LRA to civilians and regional stability.
In furtherance of the Congress's stated policy, I have authorized a small number of combat equipped U.S. forces to deploy to central Africa to provide assistance to regional forces that are working toward the removal of Joseph Kony from the battlefield. I believe that deploying these U.S. Armed Forces furthers U.S. national security interests and foreign policy and will be a significant contribution toward counter LRA efforts in central Africa.
On October 12, the initial team of U.S. military personnel with appropriate combat equipment deployed to Uganda. During the next month, additional forces will deploy, including a second combat-equipped team and associated headquarters, communications, and logistics personnel. The total number of U.S. military personnel deploying for this mission is approximately 100. These forces will act as advisors to partner forces that have the goal of removing from the battlefield Joseph Kony and other senior leadership of the LRA. Our forces will provide information, advice, and assistance to select partner nation forces. Subject to the approval of each respective host nation, elements of these U.S. forces will deploy into Uganda, South Sudan, the Central African Republic, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The support provided by U.S. forces will enhance regional efforts against the LRA. However, although the U.S. forces are combat equipped, they will only be providing information, advice, and assistance to partner nation forces, and they will not themselves engage LRA forces unless necessary for self defense. All appropriate precautions have been taken to ensure the safety of U.S. military personnel during their deployment.
I have directed this deployment, which is in the national security and foreign policy interests of the United States, pursuant to my constitutional authority to conduct U.S. foreign relations and as Commander in Chief and Chief Executive. I am making this report as part of my efforts to keep the Congress fully informed, consistent with the War Powers Resolution (Public Law 93 148).
http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2011/10/14/letter-president-speaker-house-representatives-and-president-pro-tempore
Visit to Auto Manufacturing Plant (Michigan) by Pres. Obama and Pres. Myung-bak
www.freep.com/
President Barack Obama and South Korean President Lee Myung-bak visit General Motors' Orion Township assembly plant today to promote a free trade agreement that could stimulate exports of U.S.-made products to South Korea, Colombia and Panama.
In a show of bipartisanship, both the House of Representatives and Senate have passed the legislation. South Korea has used taxes and tariffs to make imported vehicles much more expensive than those produced in that country.
"This levels the playing field," said Gene Sperling, director of the National Economic Council. "It cuts the tariff in half. It took down non-tariff trade barriers. We feel absolutely confident this will increase the sale of cars made in the U.S."
The UAW supports the trade pacts, but other unions have warned that any job increases could be offset by layoffs in the U.S. because of increased competition from South Korean imports.
"If Americans can buy Kias and Hyundais, I want to see folks in South Korea driving Fords and Chevys and Chryslers," Obama said last month during a joint session of Congress. "I want to see more products sold around the world stamped with the three proud words: 'Made in America.' "
Hyundai sold 20.2% more vehicles in the U.S. this year through September than a year earlier. Kia's sales surged 37.1% in the same period. American automakers could make vehicles to sell in South Korea at their existing plants in China, India or Thailand. But larger vehicles and luxury models could be produced in the U.S. Other Michigan manufacturers also could benefit.
"This is an historic step forward for the U.S. and our economy," said Andrew Liveris, CEO of Midland-based Dow Chemical. "America has now made great strides in re-establishing its commitment to open trade, global markets and leadership on high-standard trade agreements."
http://www.freep.com/article/20111014/BUSINESS01/110140376/Presidents-Obama-Lee-visit-GM-plant-aims-promote-free-trade-deal
President Barack Obama and South Korean President Lee Myung-bak visit General Motors' Orion Township assembly plant today to promote a free trade agreement that could stimulate exports of U.S.-made products to South Korea, Colombia and Panama.
In a show of bipartisanship, both the House of Representatives and Senate have passed the legislation. South Korea has used taxes and tariffs to make imported vehicles much more expensive than those produced in that country.
"This levels the playing field," said Gene Sperling, director of the National Economic Council. "It cuts the tariff in half. It took down non-tariff trade barriers. We feel absolutely confident this will increase the sale of cars made in the U.S."
The UAW supports the trade pacts, but other unions have warned that any job increases could be offset by layoffs in the U.S. because of increased competition from South Korean imports.
"If Americans can buy Kias and Hyundais, I want to see folks in South Korea driving Fords and Chevys and Chryslers," Obama said last month during a joint session of Congress. "I want to see more products sold around the world stamped with the three proud words: 'Made in America.' "
Hyundai sold 20.2% more vehicles in the U.S. this year through September than a year earlier. Kia's sales surged 37.1% in the same period. American automakers could make vehicles to sell in South Korea at their existing plants in China, India or Thailand. But larger vehicles and luxury models could be produced in the U.S. Other Michigan manufacturers also could benefit.
"This is an historic step forward for the U.S. and our economy," said Andrew Liveris, CEO of Midland-based Dow Chemical. "America has now made great strides in re-establishing its commitment to open trade, global markets and leadership on high-standard trade agreements."
http://www.freep.com/article/20111014/BUSINESS01/110140376/Presidents-Obama-Lee-visit-GM-plant-aims-promote-free-trade-deal
Lee Myung-Bak welcomed to White House for State Dinner (Wash. Post coverage)
www.washingtonpost.com/ Story posted Friday morning October 14, 2011:
President Obama and the first lady welcomed Lee and 224 other guests for an evening of otherwise undampened spirits. It was the administration’s fifth state dinner, and it was beautiful — once people dried off.
“I’m going to be brief because President Lee has had a very full day — and a very wet day,” Obama said in his pre-dinner toast.
The South Korean president, who Obama revealed is known by the nickname “Bulldozer,” told a story of being a young boy and longing for American blue jeans. He also spoke, through an interpreter, about the “everlasting friendship” between his country and the United States: “We are gathered here to reaffirm our friendship and to renew our common commitment towards our shared goals.”
Bless the state dinner. Approval ratings can be down, the economy can be dank, but when a president puts on a tux, he looks good. Official. Presidential! The entire evening is crafted to showcase the Diplomat in Chief engaging on the international stage, which is especially good for an administration, such as this one, whose recent claims to fame have been foreign triumphs: Osama bin Laden felled, Iranian assassination plots foiled.
And for the rest of you: pretty dresses.
Michelle Obama selected a purple, one-shouldered gown by Doo-Ri Chung, a Korean American designer known for her draping. The first lady also sported a sparkly belt, a style she so often favors.
The biggest fashion treat came from the musical entertainment: R&B singer Janelle Monae wore an incredibly chic satin tuxedo with a teeny-tiny bow tie, towering heels and her trademark pompadour. A few women wore navy or silver, but most opted for black and more black — a safe choice that also turned out to be the best hue for hiding soaked hems.
Chang wore a purple dress chosen by voters — “The crowdsourcing was right,” she said, as she joined the slow parade of guests headed to the East Room for dinner.
The guest list was short on glitz, heavy on political clout. For the fifth time in a row, House Speaker John A. Boehner (R-Ohio) declined the president’s invitation for a state dinner. But an unusual number of administration officials got the nod: Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, Chief of Staff Bill Daley, Defense Secretary Leon Panetta, Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner, national security adviser Tom Donilon, HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan, senior adviser Valerie Jarrett, press secretary Jay Carney and Michelle Obama’s chief of staff, Tina Tchen. Also, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, and several senators and members of Congress, including John F. Kerry (D-Mass.), Dick Lugar (R-Ind.) and Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.).
The theme of the dinner was “fall harvest.” Apples, lots of them. And chrysanthemums, which are Korea’s autumn go-to symbol. The guests dined on tables covered in orange, green and gold tablecloths set with the gold-rimmed 2000 Millennium china. The mirrors were framed with a variety of apples; the tables held centerpieces constructed of them; and images of fall leaves were projected onto the ceiling. The seats were covered in gingham, and the candlesticks were wooden. It was a little bit country. All of this came from the brain of Bryan Rafanelli, the Boston-based event planner — he also designed Chelsea Clinton’s wedding last year.
The menu was apple-free (also kimchi free, alas), but very autumnal — much of it harvested from the White House garden: butternut squash bisque, a green salad, Texas wagyu beef and a chocolate cake with pears. Nods to Korea included daikon sheets and rice pearl crispies in the salad, and Korean pears in the dessert.
After dinner, guests crossed the grand foyer into the State Dining Room — which is where the eating usually occurs — for the evening’s entertainment. First, the Ahn Trio, the photogenic Korean American sister act whose classical music has achieved mainstream success and whose faces have achieved spots on People magazine’s “Most Beautiful” list. The headliner was Monae — who is known both for her old-school soul and her propensity to perform as a robot alter ego.
And then guests were sent back into the night, where the rain had settled into puddles.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/white-house-state-dinner-for-south-korea-has-sparkles-amid-the-rain/2011/10/13/gIQAr8RniL_story_1.html
President Obama and the first lady welcomed Lee and 224 other guests for an evening of otherwise undampened spirits. It was the administration’s fifth state dinner, and it was beautiful — once people dried off.
“I’m going to be brief because President Lee has had a very full day — and a very wet day,” Obama said in his pre-dinner toast.
The South Korean president, who Obama revealed is known by the nickname “Bulldozer,” told a story of being a young boy and longing for American blue jeans. He also spoke, through an interpreter, about the “everlasting friendship” between his country and the United States: “We are gathered here to reaffirm our friendship and to renew our common commitment towards our shared goals.”
Bless the state dinner. Approval ratings can be down, the economy can be dank, but when a president puts on a tux, he looks good. Official. Presidential! The entire evening is crafted to showcase the Diplomat in Chief engaging on the international stage, which is especially good for an administration, such as this one, whose recent claims to fame have been foreign triumphs: Osama bin Laden felled, Iranian assassination plots foiled.
And for the rest of you: pretty dresses.
Michelle Obama selected a purple, one-shouldered gown by Doo-Ri Chung, a Korean American designer known for her draping. The first lady also sported a sparkly belt, a style she so often favors.
The biggest fashion treat came from the musical entertainment: R&B singer Janelle Monae wore an incredibly chic satin tuxedo with a teeny-tiny bow tie, towering heels and her trademark pompadour. A few women wore navy or silver, but most opted for black and more black — a safe choice that also turned out to be the best hue for hiding soaked hems.
Chang wore a purple dress chosen by voters — “The crowdsourcing was right,” she said, as she joined the slow parade of guests headed to the East Room for dinner.
The guest list was short on glitz, heavy on political clout. For the fifth time in a row, House Speaker John A. Boehner (R-Ohio) declined the president’s invitation for a state dinner. But an unusual number of administration officials got the nod: Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, Chief of Staff Bill Daley, Defense Secretary Leon Panetta, Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner, national security adviser Tom Donilon, HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan, senior adviser Valerie Jarrett, press secretary Jay Carney and Michelle Obama’s chief of staff, Tina Tchen. Also, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, and several senators and members of Congress, including John F. Kerry (D-Mass.), Dick Lugar (R-Ind.) and Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.).
The theme of the dinner was “fall harvest.” Apples, lots of them. And chrysanthemums, which are Korea’s autumn go-to symbol. The guests dined on tables covered in orange, green and gold tablecloths set with the gold-rimmed 2000 Millennium china. The mirrors were framed with a variety of apples; the tables held centerpieces constructed of them; and images of fall leaves were projected onto the ceiling. The seats were covered in gingham, and the candlesticks were wooden. It was a little bit country. All of this came from the brain of Bryan Rafanelli, the Boston-based event planner — he also designed Chelsea Clinton’s wedding last year.
The menu was apple-free (also kimchi free, alas), but very autumnal — much of it harvested from the White House garden: butternut squash bisque, a green salad, Texas wagyu beef and a chocolate cake with pears. Nods to Korea included daikon sheets and rice pearl crispies in the salad, and Korean pears in the dessert.
After dinner, guests crossed the grand foyer into the State Dining Room — which is where the eating usually occurs — for the evening’s entertainment. First, the Ahn Trio, the photogenic Korean American sister act whose classical music has achieved mainstream success and whose faces have achieved spots on People magazine’s “Most Beautiful” list. The headliner was Monae — who is known both for her old-school soul and her propensity to perform as a robot alter ego.
And then guests were sent back into the night, where the rain had settled into puddles.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/white-house-state-dinner-for-south-korea-has-sparkles-amid-the-rain/2011/10/13/gIQAr8RniL_story_1.html
85 years ago: Literary History (A.A. Milne and Winnie-the-Pooh)
from Writer's Almanac (Garrison Keillor, Minnesota Public Radio):
It was on October 14 in 1926 that Winnie-the-Pooh by A.A. Milne was published. Milne was a writer for Punch, and many of his first "children's" poems and stories were printed there, not intended for children at all but for whimsical adult readers. The first Pooh story, "In Which We are Introduced to Winnie-the-Pooh and Some Bees and the Stories Begin," was published in The London Evening News on Christmas Eve in 1925 and broadcast on the BBC the next day.
Even though Milne based the Winnie-the-Pooh stories on his son, Christopher Robin, and his son's stuffed bear, he didn't even read the stories aloud to Christopher Robin. Milne preferred to read his young son the novels of P.G. Wodehouse. Christopher Robin later said: "My father did not write the books for children. He didn't write for any specific market; he knew nothing about marketing. He knew about me, he knew about himself, he knew about the Garrick Club -- he was ignorant about anything else. Except, perhaps, about life."
Winnie-the-Pooh begins:
"Here is Edward Bear, coming downstairs now, bump, bump, bump, on the back of his head, behind Christopher Robin. It is, as far as he knows, the only way of coming downstairs, but sometimes he feels that there really is another way, if only he could stop bumping for a moment and think of it. And then he feels that perhaps there isn't. Anyhow, here he is at the bottom, and ready to be introduced to you. Winnie-the-Pooh.
"When I first heard his name, I said, just as you are going to say, 'But I thought he was a boy?'
"'So did I,' said Christopher Robin.
"'Then you can't call him Winnie?'
"'I don't.'
"'But you said --'
"'He's Winnie-ther-Pooh. Don't you know what "ther" means?'
"'Ah, yes, now I do,' I said quickly; and I hope you do too, because it is all the explanation you are going to get."
Even though Milne based the Winnie-the-Pooh stories on his son, Christopher Robin, and his son's stuffed bear, he didn't even read the stories aloud to Christopher Robin. Milne preferred to read his young son the novels of P.G. Wodehouse. Christopher Robin later said: "My father did not write the books for children. He didn't write for any specific market; he knew nothing about marketing. He knew about me, he knew about himself, he knew about the Garrick Club -- he was ignorant about anything else. Except, perhaps, about life."
Winnie-the-Pooh begins:
"Here is Edward Bear, coming downstairs now, bump, bump, bump, on the back of his head, behind Christopher Robin. It is, as far as he knows, the only way of coming downstairs, but sometimes he feels that there really is another way, if only he could stop bumping for a moment and think of it. And then he feels that perhaps there isn't. Anyhow, here he is at the bottom, and ready to be introduced to you. Winnie-the-Pooh.
"When I first heard his name, I said, just as you are going to say, 'But I thought he was a boy?'
"'So did I,' said Christopher Robin.
"'Then you can't call him Winnie?'
"'I don't.'
"'But you said --'
"'He's Winnie-ther-Pooh. Don't you know what "ther" means?'
"'Ah, yes, now I do,' I said quickly; and I hope you do too, because it is all the explanation you are going to get."
Thursday, October 13, 2011
Game 5: ALCS championship game won by Justin Verlander (through 8th inning)
4:30 p.m. - 7:45 p.m. at Comerica Field, Detroit, MI
Tigers score a natural half-inning fully: a single, a double, a triple, a home run !
Winning score TEXAS 5 DETROIT 7
next game to Texas Rangers home field (Arlington, TX) -- Saturday Oct. 15, 8:05 p.m. eastern time
Tigers score a natural half-inning fully: a single, a double, a triple, a home run !
Winning score TEXAS 5 DETROIT 7
next game to Texas Rangers home field (Arlington, TX) -- Saturday Oct. 15, 8:05 p.m. eastern time
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