RenoVous

  "Rocket Revolution" Highlighting the technologies and organizations changing how humanity reaches space.  With increased access and lower launch prices, as well as reusable rockets, space economics are changing. Space-based systems provide communications, navigation, weather information, and Earth observation along with environmental monitoring. October 4th was the anniversary of Sputnik (1957) and October 10th will mark the signing of the Outer Space Treaty (1967).  Space law deals with questions of property rights, weapons in space, and protection of astronauts. *** In space news, the Draconid meteor shower peaks October 8-9. The Nancy Grace Roman Telescope has traveled 903,446 miles from Earth and is about halfway to its destination point. The Artemis II Preliminary Lunar Science Report has been released. Here On Friday, you can watch Northrup Grumman's Cygnus XL spacecraft undock from the International Space Station, after having delivered 11,000 pounds of supplies ...

  On this day in 1947, the World Series was broadcast on television for the first time. This year, we're just into the postseason - the Yankees are fighting for a wild card, and the now Los Angeles Dodgers clinched their division. Hopefully, it's not a rematch of this, though that did happen just a couple years ago. In 1947, there were about 44,000 television sets in the US, but the game aired in just four markets - New York, Philadelphia, Albany, and Washington. Bob Stanton announced Game 1 for NBC. Notably, it was Jackie Robinson's first World Series. Radio had higher ratings still, and the cameramen had a lot to learn about sunlight and shadows. By 1955, the World Series was in color.

  Jack Henry Abbott spent much of his life incarcerated, as a minor at the age of 12 (at a reform school), and then at the age of 18.  While in prison, he killed an inmate and received additional time. He heard that author Norman Mailer was writing about convicted killer, Gary Gilmore.  So he wrote to Mailer claiming Gilmore was a liar and offered to share a more accurate experience, that of a "state-raised convict." Mailer was moved by Abbott's writing, and helped him get released on parole in 1981.  He offered to employ him, and the literary crowd in New York was ready to accept him. Only six weeks later, he got into a fight with a waiter and stabbed him in the chest.  He fled town, and was found in Louisiana, on this day.  He was convicted, but he still had Mailer's support, who advocated for a minimum sentence.  He is quoted as saying, "Culture is worth a little risk." His book, which was published just after his release, became a bestseller. The N...

 Maria Callas Born in 1923, she died on this day in 1977. When she was 13, she left her home in New York City to study in Athens, with the noted soprano Elvira de Hidalgo.  She was 24 when she landed her first major operatic role. Her talent was so strong that it allowed for the revival of 19th century bel canto works by Bellini and others that had not been performed for decades. "Bel canto" simply means "beautiful singing," but it is an operatic style and technique that focuses on smooth phrasing, pure tone, and vocal agility over dramatic expression. In 1954, she made her American debut in Norma. Vicenzo Bellini was born in 1801.  He composed his first opera in 1825.  In the following ten years of his life, he wrote 10 more.  While in Paris, he frequented a political salon, where he met Italian revolutionaries, and one Austrian exile who opposed domination of Italy. The latter would be his final librettist, Count Carlo Pepoli.  For his eight previous work...

  On this day in 1995, one of my favorite songs came out. It dominated the "9 at 9" on local radio, the most requested song for the rest of the year, it seemed. To this day, it's the first song I'll pick for karaoke. Shout-out to my Woman Crush, Michelle Pfeiffer, who starred in the movie this was attached to, Dangerous Minds. Coolio sampled from Stevie Wonder's 1976 song. I spent a few weeks back in 1996 visiting family in Middlebury, Indiana - it is part of an Amish community.  So I had the Weird Al version in my head the whole time. The videos were hot on MTV too, of course.

  The Erie Canal Soda Pop Festival in 1972, also known as the Bull Island Rock Festival, was a chaotic three day event that ended in fire and a few deaths. The promoters expected a crowd of 50,000 but they got 200,000.  Many bands pulled out of performing as the festival drifted into anarchy.  There was a total lack of sanitation and infrastructure.  Food, water, and security were in short supply from day one. The festival was originally planned to be held in Chandler, as the ticket states, but at the last minute local health officials blocked the event.  Crews had almost no time to relocate. And then there were heavy rains, which turned the entire campground into a disease-ridden mud pit.  The weather caused dangerous currents in the Wabash River, and three people drowned. On the final day, the remaining crowd rioted and burned the main stage to the ground. Due to these conditions, quality video of any performance is extremely rare.  Acts who stuck ar...

  On this day we look back at the Whiskey Rebellion, the first insurrection of the new United States. In 1791, Congress passed a tax on whiskey to pay off debts from the Revolution.  This was the first tax on a domestic product. Grain farmers resented this, and President Washington attempted to prosecute refusal to pay.  In 1794, 6,000 men gathered in a Pittsburgh field with fake guillotines. Washington issued a proclamation giving Alexander Hamilton the power to organize troops.  And on August 26th, he declared that the insurgents had to be subdued, fearing they would otherwise "shake the government to its foundation." In September, Washington led an army into Pennsylvania, the only time a sitting president has done so.  The rioters dispersed at the sight of federal troops.  Victory was had without bloodshed, but Thomas Jefferson felt the action had been a dire threat to the nation's ideals. Grown in the Monongahela Valley between Virginia and Pennsylvania...

  The horror dates back to 1994, when three teenagers were convicted of murdering three boys in Arkansas. The murders were brutal, and because of those conditions, the investigation turned to Satanic cult activities.  Damien Echols, in particular, was a dropout who liked witchcraft and wearing black, so police questioned a friend of his, Jessie Misskelly.  After a lengthy interrogation, Misskelly had confessed to the murders, implicating Echols as well as Jason Baldwin. He later recanted his confession, but the ball was already rolling.  A documentary in 1996 cast doubt on the events, but it wasn't until 2007 that lawyers became involved and found that there was no DNA connecting the men to the crime. In 2010, as the Arkansas Supreme Court was considering new trials, their attorneys reached an agreement to accept an Alford plea.  It allows for the men to maintain their innocence while the state maintains their case against them. On this day in 2011, the West Mem...

  On this day in 1957, the Bandstand went national. It started back in 1952 on Philadelphia's WFIL.  Dick Clark didn't come on board until 1956, and he brought bigger ambitions.  He lobbied for the slot when ABC polled affiliates for suggestions. So 66 other markets got a taste, and it became an iconic expression of teen culture. I can't seem to find premiere video, but the first performance was this: It was a daily weekday show until 1963, when they moved to Los Angeles and started taping weekly, where it ran for 24 years. In 1972, Clark started his New Year's Rockin' Eve in New York City, and the name remains for celebrations today, hosted by Ryan Seacrest.

  Mary, Queen of Scots and Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley were married on this day, 1565. I came across some others as well though. Actress, Gloria Stuart and screenwriter, Arthur Sheekman, 1934. They had the most successful marriage, until his death in 1978. Diego Rivera and his art dealer, Emma Hurtado, 1955. This was about a year after Frida Kahlo's death.  He had married her twice, in 1929 and again in 1940. Prince Charles and Lady Diana, 1981. Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston, 2000. We never really got a fuller look at her dress. That's what I like most about wedding retrospectives - we know some of these marriages were awful, ending in divorce, but Diana's is one of the most iconic gowns ever worn. And the dress Mary, Queen of Scots wore for her first wedding (in 1558) was in fact the first white wedding dress.  It was Queen Victoria who later popularized it though, in 1840.

  Sardine Valley. We're at the site of More's Station.  This was part of a lower route to the goldfields - after the Donner Party tragedy, people were more hesitant to use the higher pass. When silver was later found in Nevada, it remained a hub for back and forth travel, as well as a supply chain. The area later became Wheeler Sheep Camp, built and managed by a Basque immigrant.

  Casa Casuarina, the home of Gianni Versace, and the scene of his death. On this day in 1997, the fashion designer was shot on the front steps, twice in the head. Andrew Cunanan was in the midst of a killing spree. It started on April 27th in Minneapolis, where he bludgeoned Jeffrey Trail.  On May 3rd, he shot an ex-lover, David Madson.  Trail had been an acquaintance of his. Two days later in Chicago, he killed Lee Miglin and stole his car.  This was abandoned in New Jersey, after Cunanan killed William Reese for his pickup truck.  He then drove down to Florida. There was an FBI manhunt already underway, and a fast food worker in Miami Beach called the tip-line on July 11th.  Police arrived too late though. Cunanan was found on July 23rd, having broken into a houseboat less than 40 blocks away from the Versace mansion.  He had shot himself. It is now a hotel. The Villa

  The first known painting of Paris, from 1432, by Jean Fouquet. Today the city celebrates 2,075 years - having been founded around 250 BC. History can be traced back to the Gallic tribe known as the Parisii, who settled an island in the Seine River. By 52 BC, Julius Caesar had taken over, calling it Lutetia.  From the island, the city spread.  The name of the area gradually transitioned into being called Paris during the 4th century. The Arenas de Lutece are among the most important Roman remains in France. In the year 987, Paris became the official capital of France. The home of Nicolas Flamel, a French alchemist believed to have created the philosopher's stone, was built in 1407 and is recognized as the oldest surviving house in the city. It is now a restaurant. Auberge

 10 years ago, the shooting at Pulse Nightclub in Florida became the deadliest attack on the gay community in this country.  Prior to that, it had been arson at the UpStairs Lounge in New Orleans in 1973. A fire was set in the stairway, which trapped and killed 32 people.  The cause was noted as "undetermined," however, so no one was ever arrested. Fifteen people who jumped from the second story reported smelling gasoline before the blaze. Churches in the area reportedly refused to host funerals, and a bishop even rebuked one reverend who held a prayer service for the victims. In 2013, the Catholic Archdiocese apologized.

  One of my favorite shots from the Statue of Liberty, which arrived in New York Harbor on this day, 1885. Designed by sculptor, Frederic-Auguste Bartholdi, with assistance from Gustave Eiffel, the project began in 1870.  Construction started in 1875 and was completed in the summer of 1884.  It had to be shipped in pieces, in more than 200 cases. It was named, "Liberty Enlightening the World." The corner stone of the pedestal was laid August 5, 1884. The completed dedication ceremony took place October 28, 1886. Ellis Island opened in 1892, serving as America's chief immigration station, where many saw Lady Liberty as a symbol of a new beginning. The famous poem by Emma Lazarus was added in 1903. This is part of the old Fort Wood (on which the pedestal was built), a star shaped fortress built in 1808 to protect the harbor during the War of 1812.  It remained an active military post until 1937.

  Released fully in 1922, James Joyce's Ulysses  takes place in a single day - June 16, 1904. It is considered one of the greatest and most influential books in the English language, and it is especially celebrated in Dublin. I have a cousin Molly Bloom, her mother's a big fan, and a few years ago they were in Ireland for this day.  They attended a reading and had lunch at the Davy Byrnes pub. In the book, Leopold Bloom has a Gorgonzola sandwich and a glass of burgundy there. Ulysses has been on banned lists for being "obscene."  In fact, there was a trial in the United States when a literary magazine, The Little Review, published a chapter in April 1920.  The New York Society for the Suppression of Vice filed charges against the editors under the Comstock Act of 1873, which made it illegal to send obscene materials through the US Mail. The episode did include Leopold masturbating on the beach.  Sexual inner monologues are throughout the book, as well as d...

 The Salem Witch Trials began in February of 1692, following fits experienced by children in the village, Elizabeth Parris and Abigail Williams.  A doctor concluded they were suffering from the effects of witchcraft, and the girls were pressured to name names. On this day in 1692, Bridget Bishop was found guilty and was the first to be hanged. She was not the first to be charged though.  That was Sarah Goode, Sarah Osborne, and Tituba.  As an enslaved woman from Barbados, owned by Samuel Parris, she was the presumed main culprit, with her "Haitian Vodou."  She was allowed to contest at trial, and she helped point fingers at others. Bishop had been accused by more individuals than anyone else.  She didn't dress by Puritan standards, she had been married three times, and she was known to frequent taverns. HEATHEN! Many were found guilty based on the response of the "afflicted" during proceedings.  By October, the special court had been dissolved by the g...

  On this day in 1956, the city of Santa Cruz banned rock n' roll at public gatherings. By June 18, several other cities had followed suit. On the night of June 2, some 200 teenagers packed into an auditorium to hear Chuck Higgins and His Orchestra.  The police came to check on the event around midnight, and Lt. Richard Overton said the teens were "engaged in suggestive, stimulating and tantalizing motions induced by the provocative rhythms of an all-negro band." OH GOOD HEAVENS!! Fear of "frenzied music" and "undesirable elements," but more specifically, the racially integrated nature of the events. The ban only lasted a few days, following local and national backlash against the tourist town.   On June 5th of this same year, Elvis performed "Hound Dog" on the Milton Berle Show, and the adults were outraged by his bumps and grinds, those gyrating hips!

  The Golden Gate Bridge opened to the public on this day, 1937. It was Pedestrian Day, an opportunity for everyone to enjoy before the cars took over the next day. For the time, it was the longest suspension bridge in the world, spanning 4,200 feet across the bay. Construction began in 1933, in the depths of the Great Depression.  Multiple counties in the area took out a large bond for funding, which would be paid back through bridge tolls.  Members of the Golden Gate Bridge and Highway District even put their homes up as collateral. The bond was repaid by July 1971. The project was led by engineer, Joseph Strauss, and consulting engineer, Leon Moiseff, along with the architect, Irving Morrow.  It was Morrow who selected the color, "International Orange." Upon completion, it was seen as a symbol of progress during a time of economic crisis. And today, it is one of the one the most recognizable architectural structures in the world.

  One of the most famous books in English literature was released on this day in 1897. While it has inspired numerous movies and vampire lore in general, it wasn't the first. Carmilla  came out in 1872, and heavily influenced later Gothic vampire fiction.  It may be that a female antagonist was less appealing to early film adaptations, but it's also noted that Stoker's "monster-hunting plot" was better for the stage and screen.  There's also some history that predates all of this, that of Vlad the Impaler. Vlad II joined the Order of the Dragon in 1431 and took the name Dracul.  His son, Vlad III, would then take the name Dracula, or son of the dragon. Bran Castle has become the tourist destination for the look that inspired Stoker, but his real home was Poenari Castle. Despite the fact that Stoker did not invent the name Dracula, his wife pursued copyright protections against the studio making Nosferatu.   They changed the vampire's name to Count Orlock, ...