#1964-1884

[beardedbluebirdcheesecake]

My Native land (poem)

I live on my soil my soil is live in me, The soil of brave mans and soil of unity. Land where my soul live without body. Peace land of India lead land of India Bank of Ganga land of secularism , My native land is full of advantures. Land of farmers land of soldiers, Land of scientists land of professors. Land of righteous land of freedom fighters. A village full of happiness and…

[opencommunion]

"The Congo’s strategic location in the middle of Africa and its fabulous natural endowment of minerals and other resources have since 1884 ensured that it would serve as a theatre for the playing out of the economic and strategic interests of outsiders: the colonial powers during the scramble for Africa; the superpowers during the Cold War; and neighbouring African states in the post-Cold War era. To prevent a direct confrontation between the United States and the Soviet Union, the Security Council deployed from 1960 to 1964 what was then the largest and most ambitious operation ever undertaken by the UN, with nearly 20,000 troops at its peak strength plus a large contingent of civilian personnel for nation-building tasks.

This latter aspect of the Opération des Nations unies au Congo (ONUC) was a function of the fragile political revolution ... The Congo won its independence from Belgium on 30 June 1960. Patrice Lumumba’s MNC-L and its coalition of radical nationalist parties had captured a majority of seats in the lower house of parliament in the pre-independence elections in May. Lumumba became prime minister and head of government, while the Abako leader Joseph Kasa-Vubu became the ceremonial head of state. The victory of a militantly nationalist leader with a strong national constituency was viewed as a major impediment to the Belgian neocolonialist strategy and a threat to the global interests of the Western alliance.

Within two weeks of the proclamation of independence, Prime Minister Lumumba was faced with both a nationwide mutiny by the army and a secessionist movement in the province of Katanga bankrolled by Western mining interests. Both revolts were instigated by the Belgians, who also intervened militarily on 10 July, a day before the Katanga secession was announced. In the hopes of obtaining the evacuation of Belgian troops and white mercenaries, and thus ending the Katanga secession, Lumumba made a successful appeal to the UN Security Council to send a UN peacekeeping force to the Congo. However, the UN secretary-general, Dag Hammarskjöld, interpreted the UN mandate in accordance with Western neocolonialist interests and the US Cold War imperative of preventing Soviet expansion in the Third World. This led to a bitter dispute between Lumumba and Hammarskjöld, which resulted in the US- and Belgian-led initiative to assassinate the first and democratically elected prime minister of the Congo.

... Brussels’ failure to prevent a radical nationalist such as Lumumba from becoming prime minister created a crisis for the imperialist countries, which were determined to have a decolonization favourable to their economic and strategic interests with the help of more conservative African leaders. With Belgium’s failure to transfer power in an orderly fashion to a well-groomed moderate leadership group that could be expected to advance Western interests in Central and Southern Africa, the crisis of decolonization in the Congo required US and UN interventions. Working hand in hand, Washington, New York and Brussels succeeded in eliminating Lumumba and his radical followers from the political scene."

Georges Nzongola-Ntalaja, The Congo from Leopold to Kabila: A People's History, 2002

[elisaa-suu]

🇹🇷Cumhuriyet dönemi ve Kadın hakları denilince de Halide Edip Adıvar 🇹🇷

Halide Edib Adıvar ya da bilinen diğer adıyla Halide Onbaşı (1884 - 9 Ocak 1964), 2. Meşrutiyet ve Cumhuriyet Dönemi'nde roman, hikaye, anı, tiyatro ve şiir gibi türlerde birçok eser yazmış Türk roman yazarı, hikaye yazarı, eğitimci, aktivist ve siyasetçidir.

[mimi-0007]

𝗔𝗡𝗡𝗔 𝗝𝗨𝗟𝗜𝗔 𝗛𝗔𝗬𝗪𝗢𝗢𝗗 𝗖𝗢𝗢𝗣𝗘𝗥 (1858-1964)

Anna Julia Haywood Cooper was a writer, teacher, and activist who championed education for African Americans and women. Born into bôndage in 1858 in Raleigh, North Carolina, she was the daughter of an enslaved woman, Hannah Stanley, and her owner, George Washington Haywood.

In 1867, two years after the end of the Civil Wàr, Anna began her formal education at Saint Augustine’s Normal School and Collegiate Institute, a coeducational facility built for former slàves. There she received the equivalent of a high school education.

Anna Haywood married George A.G. Cooper, a teacher of theology at Saint Augustine’s, in 1877. When her husband died in 1879, Cooper decided to pursue a college degree. She attended Oberlin College in Ohio on a tuition scholarship, earning a BA in 1884 and a Masters in Mathematics in 1887. After graduation Cooper worked at Wilberforce University and Saint Augustine’s before moving to Washington, D.C. to teach at Washington Colored High School. She met another teacher, Mary Church (Terrell), who, along with Cooper, boarded at the home of Alexander Crummell, a prominent clergyman, intellectual, and proponent of African American emigration to Liberia.

Cooper published her first book, A Voice from the South by a Black Woman of the South, in 1892. In addition to calling for equal education for women, A Voice from the South advanced Cooper’s assertion that educated African American women were necessary for uplifting the entire black race. The book of essays gained national attention, and Cooper began lecturing across the country on topics such as education, civil rights, and the status of black women. In 1902, Cooper began a controversial stint as principal of M Street High School (formerly Washington Colored High). The white Washington, D.C. school board disagreed with her educational approach for black students, which focused on college preparation, and she resigned in 1906.

In addition to working to advance African American educational opportunities, Cooper also established and co-founded several organizations to promote black civil rights causes. She helped found the Colored Women’s League in 1892, and she joined the executive committee of the first Pan-African Conference in 1900. Since the Young Women’s Christian Association (YWCA) and the Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA) did not accept African American members, she created “colored” branches to provide support for young black migrants moving from the South into Washington, D.C.

Cooper resumed graduate study in 1911 at Columbia University in New York City, New York. After the death of her brother in 1915, however, she postponed pursuing her doctorate in order to raise his five grandchildren. She returned to school in 1924 when she enrolled at the University of Paris in France. In 1925, at the age of 67, Cooper became the fourth African American woman to obtain a Doctorate of Philosophy.

In 1930, Cooper retired from teaching to assume the presidency of Frelinghuysen University, a school for black adults. She served as the school’s registrar after it was reorganized into the Frelinghuysen Group of Schools for Colored People. Cooper remained in that position until the school closed in the 1950s.

Anna Julia Cooper dièd in 1964 in Washington, D.C. at the age of 105.

[tomoleary]

Iwar Donnér (1884-1964) “Stockholm” (1936) Source

[moneeb0930]

𝗔𝗡𝗡𝗔 𝗝𝗨𝗟𝗜𝗔 𝗛𝗔𝗬𝗪𝗢𝗢𝗗 𝗖𝗢𝗢𝗣𝗘𝗥 (1858-1964)

Anna Julia Haywood Cooper was a writer, teacher, and activist who championed education for African Americans and women. Born into bôndage in 1858 in Raleigh, North Carolina, she was the daughter of an enslaved woman, Hannah Stanley, and her owner, George Washington Haywood.

In 1867, two years after the end of the Civil Wàr, Anna began her formal education at Saint Augustine’s Normal School and Collegiate Institute, a coeducational facility built for former slàves. There, she received the equivalent of a high school education.

Anna Haywood married George A.G. Cooper, a teacher of theology at Saint Augustine’s, in 1877. When her husband died in 1879, Cooper decided to pursue a college degree. She attended Oberlin College in Ohio on a tuition scholarship, earning a BA in 1884 and a Masters in mathematics in 1887. After graduation, Cooper worked at Wilberforce University and Saint Augustine’s before moving to Washington, D.C. to teach at Washington Colored High School. She met another teacher, Mary Church (Terrell), who, along with Cooper, boarded at the home of Alexander Crummell, a prominent clergyman, intellectual, and proponent of African American emigration to Liberia.

Cooper published her first book, A Voice from the South by a Black Woman of the South, in 1892. In addition to calling for equal education for women, A Voice from the South advanced Cooper’s assertion that educated African American women were necessary for uplifting the entire black race. The book of essays gained national attention, and Cooper began lecturing across the country on topics such as education, civil rights, and the status of black women. In 1902, Cooper began a controversial stint as principal of M Street High School (formerly Washington Colored High). The white Washington, D.C. school board disagreed with her educational approach for black students, which focused on college preparation, and she resigned in 1906.

In addition to working to advance African American educational opportunities, Cooper also established and co-founded several organizations to promote black civil rights causes. She helped found the Colored Women’s League in 1892, and she joined the executive committee of the first Pan-African Conference in 1900. Since the Young Women’s Christian Association (YWCA) and the Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA) did not accept African American members, she created “colored” branches to provide support for young black migrants moving from the South into Washington, D.C.

Cooper resumed graduate study in 1911 at Columbia University in New York City, New York. After the death of her brother in 1915, however, she postponed pursuing her doctorate in order to raise his five grandchildren. She returned to school in 1924 when she enrolled at the University of Paris in France. In 1925, at the age of 67, Cooper became the fourth African American woman to obtain a Doctorate of Philosophy.

In 1930, Cooper retired from teaching to assume the presidency of Frelinghuysen University, a school for Black adults. She served as the school’s registrar after it was reorganized into the Frelinghuysen Group of Schools for Colored People. Cooper remained in that position until the school closed in the 1950s.

Anna Julia Cooper dièd in 1964 in Washington, D.C. at the age of 105.

[huariqueje]

Portrait of a Lady   -   Adolphe Milich , 1942.

Polish, French   1884-1964

Oil on canvas , 71 x 58  cm.

[edwinspaynes]

who do you think the dbda (the main four) would like the most and the least out of the tlh gang, and why?

who do you think the cat king's fav would be?

(hope u have a good day 🫶)

this is so amazingly fun because i'm currently writing a crossover fic about these characters! i've written some of their interactions, so i'll answer this ask with supplemental snippets from the case of the five half-angel curiousities!

edwin's favourites are alastair and cordelia.

cordelia, because she reminds him of niko in some ineffable way...

Edwin was fairly certain that the enchantment was either made by someone extremely stupid or extremely malicious, but he was not about to say that. “We know next to nothing as of now,” he said. “A good detective must assess all the facts before drawing conclusions. Luckily, I am good at that, as is the friend we are meeting.” “Friend?” Cordelia was smiling. “Yes. Niko. Do you recall when I told you that you were reminiscent of someone? I was speaking of her.” “She sounds lovely, then,” Cordelia laughed. Alastair rolled his eyes.

and alastair because they share a sense of humor and are gang on matthew sometimes for fun:

“Oh, that’s wonderful,” Cordelia said. “Tell me the oddest thing about the world today, something that I’m unlikely to know.” Edwin considered this. “Have you ever been to a Primark?” “What is a Primark?” Cordelia’s voice was curious. “Ridiculously inexpensive clothing store. I am certainly fortunate that I can conjure up whatever outfit I wish with ghost magic; the living sell the lowest-quality things and get excited over them in a way that I simply cannot understand.” Alastair nodded along with him, a superior expression on his face.

(and later also because they have a lot of poignant conversations about, like, edwardian homosexuality...)

charles's favorite is thomas initially and he becomes close with matthew as well as thomas.

charles about thomas:

“Bet,” Charles said. “And also, I like the look of them. Especially the tall guy. Thomas. They’re all solid lads, don’t you think?” “I’m quite honestly concerned about their newly acquired feline friend,” Edwin mused, “but yes. They’re altogether inoffensive. The girl as well. I rather like her. She’s oddly charming.”

charles and matthew:

“I burned it to the ground, if you must know. My school, I mean,” Matthew said, deciding to leave out the fact that he had only made an impact within the South Wing. “Considering what you have just shared, perhaps you would like to know it. I ought to be ashamed, but I was thirteen. And am still rather proud of my ability to create explosives at such a tender age. Such takes far more analytical abilities than you might think.” “I know. I can make Molotov cocktails,” Charles said approvingly. Thomas spoke. “What’s that?”

niko gets along really well with cordelia

<3 :

“I think we should just call the ‘item that underwent factuari’ a ‘factuari,” Niko said. “Do not be silly,” Edwin chided, giving Niko an affected but pointed look. “Factuari is a verb, not a noun. You cannot change parts of speech simply out of personal conveience.” “I’m going to anyway,” Niko said, and because Edwin could not be mad at Niko, he smiled as when rolling his eyes. “I think I will, too,” Cordelia agreed, and Niko looked at her with an approving grin.

crystal immediately adores james, but unfortunately that's in an upcoming scene. they do have an entire chapter to themselves, though, with a little bit of cordelia.

as for the cat king, well, someone i love very much wants to learn how to pop into existence with a chandelier over his head... but i haven't written this chapter yet <3

and a bonus <3

“So,” Edwin said, “what year were you all born? I estimate that we’re likely around the same age, and am quite curious.” Cordelia clapped her hands. “I thought we may have lived during similar time frames as well.” She looked delighted. “I was born in 1886, and Alastair in 1884. I died in 1964; he and Thomas in 1965.” “Both of them?” Edwin asked curiously. “Do you know how some married couples expire within hours of each other?” Cordelia’s eyes were shining. “Well, both Alastair and I did, with James and Thomas. An odd coincidence, but…”

[artdecoandmodernist]

Pierre Brissaud (1884-1964), Rentrons (Let's go Home!), Robe de Plage, de Gustave Beer (Dress for the beach, by Gustave Beer), A breezy, postwar day where stripes are worn, La Gazette du Bon Ton, May 1920.

[hoversmedia]

Stirred in time

The martini cocktail, a symbol of sophistication and glamour, has a rich and complex history with several competing origin stories. Let's delve into the evolution of this iconic drink.

Origins:

The martini is widely believed to have evolved from the Martinez cocktail, which featured Old Tom gin, sweet vermouth, maraschino liqueur, and bitters. The first known published recipe for the Martinez appeared in 1884 .

In 1888, Harry Johnson's Bartender's Manual published the first recipe labeled a "Martini Cocktail." This version included Old Tom gin, sweet vermouth, orange curaçao, gum syrup, bitters, and a lemon twist. Over time, the martini evolved, shedding its sweeteners like curaçao and gum syrup to become a drier, more refined drink .

Another theory suggests that the martini descended from the Marguerite cocktail, named after a brand of French vermouth used to make it. The earliest known Marguerite recipe also dates back to the 1880s .

Rise in Popularity

The martini rose to prominence during the Gilded Age (1880-1900) and maintained its status as a staple cocktail through the mid-20th century. Even during Prohibition (1920-1933), when legal liquor was scarce, the martini's popularity persisted thanks to homemade "bathtub" gin .

During World War II, as vermouth became harder to obtain, the amount used in martinis decreased, resulting in a drier drink focused more on gin. This "dry" martini style was championed by notable figures such as Winston Churchill and Ernest Hemingway .

Cultural Impact

The martini became deeply ingrained in popular culture, famously known as the drink of choice for the fictional British spy James Bond. The iconic "shaken, not stirred" line was first uttered on screen in the 1964 film Goldfinger .

While purists consider the gin martini the classic version, the vodka martini also gained popularity, along with numerous modern variations such as the dirty martini (with olive brine), espresso martini, and appletini .

After a decline in the 1960s and 70s, the martini saw a resurgence in the 1990s and 2000s as "retro" culture became fashionable again .

Conclusion

The martini's journey from its 19th-century origins to its status as a cultural icon reflects its timeless appeal and adaptability. Whether you prefer it with gin or vodka, dry or dirty, the martini remains a symbol of elegance and sophistication, celebrated by cocktail enthusiasts around the world.

Evolution of the Martini

The martini is a classic cocktail with a rich and storied history, with various styles and variations emerging over time. Here's an overview of the martini's evolution and some notable variations.

Early Martinis

Early martini recipes were sweeter, often made with equal parts gin and sweet vermouth, along with modifiers like bitters, curaçao, and gum syrup. During the Gilded Age (1880-1900), the martini rose in popularity, and stronger versions with more gin emerged.

Dry Martini

As the 20th century progressed, tastes shifted toward drier martinis with less vermouth. The "Dry Martini" became popular, with ratios ranging from 5:1 to 8:1 parts gin to vermouth. Famous figures like Winston Churchill and the fictional James Bond helped popularize the very dry martini.

Gibson Martini

The Gibson is a variation of the martini garnished with a cocktail onion instead of an olive or lemon twist. It's believed to have originated in the late 19th century, possibly named after Charles Dana Gibson, the illustrator who popularized the "Gibson Girl" drawings.[2]

Wet Martini

As a counterpoint to the Dry Martini, the Wet Martini uses a higher ratio of vermouth to gin, often 2:1, harking back to the martini's earlier, sweeter roots. It fell out of fashion for a time but has seen a resurgence in recent years.

Dukes Martini

In the 1980s, bartender Salvatore Calabrese at Dukes Bar in London earned acclaim for his expertly crafted Dry Martinis, which were declared "the best Martini in England" by travel writer Stanton Delaplane. Calabrese's technique involved chilling the glass and using a kiss of dry vermouth with ice-cold gin and a lemon twist.

Modern Martini Innovations

In recent decades, bartenders have experimented with new martini variations, such as the Dirty Martini (with olive brine), the Breakfast Martini (with orange marmalade and Earl Grey tea), and miniature "one-sip" martinis. Techniques like tableside martini trolley service have also emerged, allowing for personalized martini experiences.

The martini's enduring popularity and versatility have led to a wide range of styles and interpretations over the decades, from sweet to bone-dry, garnished with olives, lemon twists, or cocktail onions, and served in various proportions and innovative presentations.

Recipes

Dry Martini (6:1 ratio):

Mix 60 ml of gin and 10 ml of dry vermouth. Stir the ingredients with ice, then strain into a chilled martini glass. Garnish with a lemon twist or three olives.

Gibson Martini (6:1 ratio):

Mix 60 ml of gin and 10 ml of dry vermouth. Stir the ingredients with ice, then strain into a chilled martini glass. Garnish with a cocktail onion.

Dirty Martini (12:1:1 ratio):

Mix 60 ml of gin, 5 ml of dry vermouth, and 5 ml of olive brine. Stir the ingredients with ice, then strain into a chilled martini glass. Garnish with three olives. If you like your martinis extra dirty, add one or two extra barspoons (2.5 ml each) of olive brine or more if you feeling brave

Churchill Martini (1:0 ratio):

Chill a martini glass. Glance at a bottle of vermouth, fill the glass with chilled gin, and garnish with a lemon twist.

Wet Martini (1:1 ratio):

Mix 35 ml of gin with 35 ml of vermouth. Stir the ingredients with ice, then strain into a chilled martini glass. Garnish with a lemon twist or three olives.

Vespa Martini

Mix 40 ml of gin, 20 ml of vodka, and 10 ml of Lillet blanc (or another aperitif wine). Stir the ingredients with ice, then strain into a chilled martini glass. Garnish with a lemon twist. This martini can also be shaken if preferred.

Tips:

Chill your glass in the freezer instead of using ice and water.

Keep your mixing glass (the vessel in which you build and stir your martini) in the freezer for better control over dilution and chilling. This allows more time to stir and chill your martini without over diluting it.

For all martini variations you have the option to shake or stir, however its recommended to stir as oppose to shake.

If you have the time, consider batching up a bottle of your preferred martini ratio and storing it in the freezer.

Example: Recipe for Scaling Up a Martini Mix to 1 Litre

Ingredients:

818 ml of gin

136 ml of dry vermouth

46 ml of water

Instructions:

Measure out 818 ml of gin.

Measure out 136 ml of dry vermouth.

Measure out 46 ml of water.

Combine all the ingredients in a large container.

Mix well until everything is fully combined.

This batch yields approximately 9.5 servings of 75 ml each, for a total of approximately 1 litre of martini mix.

If your martinis are coming out a different size, remember to adjust the ratios to fit the glass in which you are serving your martini.

Maintain the same ratios for whichever martini you'd like to enjoy.

For the dilution of each martini in a batch mix, add 5 ml per martini serve.

All the recipes stated here are my suggestions on what to serve and how to prepare them. Everyone has their recipes and should enjoy the drinks they enjoy, at the end of the day if you are drinking it you should enjoy it. Play around with the different recipes and see what you like and don’t like, who knows you may find your new favourite drink?

There is no “right or wrong” way to make a drink just a better way, this blog aims to help making better drink easier

[beardedbluebirdcheesecake]

Story Birds Nationalist and Anti-National part -2

Birds lived on that tree from many years their ancestors were buried in the soil of tree how could they left. But some birds regularly shouting like father of hate and mother of terrorist. These hate monger birds set to fire some leafs. Leafs called Manikopra . The leader of hate monger birds regularly walked away from tree to tree and hate monger birds said another birds look and support our…

[brookstonalmanac]

Birthdays 9.20

Beer Birthdays

Marc Lemay

Pete Coors (1946)

Five Favorite Birthdays

Gary Cole; actor (1956)

Malcolm Reynolds; character on Firefly (2468)

Upton Sinclair; writer (1878)

Jim Taylor; Green Bay Packers RB (1935)

Jay Ward; animator (1920)

Famous Birthdays

Asia Argento; Italian actor, singer (1975)

Red Auerbach; Boston Celtics coach (1917)

Xavier Marcel Boulestin; chef, cookbook author (1878)

Joyce Brothers; psychologist (1928)

Maggie Cheung; Chinese actor (1964)

Dale Chihuly; artist, glass sculptor (1941)

James Dewar; Scottish chemist, physicist (1842)

Joanie Dodds; model (1981)

John Harle; classical saxophonist (1956)

Kristen Johnson; actor (1967)

Guy Lafleur; Montreal Canadiens RW (1951)

Sophia Loren; Italian actor (1934)

George R.R. Martin; writer (1948)

Anne Meara; comedian (1929)

Jelly Roll Morton; pianist (1885)

Chuck & John Panozzo; rock musicians (1948)

Maxwell Perkins; literary editor (1884)

Henry Putnam; librarian (1861)

Fernando Rey; Spanish actor (1917)

Brinke Stevens; model, actor (1954)

Leo Strauss; German philosopher (1899)

Slappy White; comedian (1921)

[mybeautifulchristianjourney]

Today in Christian History

Today is Monday, September 18th, 2023. It is the 261st day of the year (262nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar; 104 days remain until the end of the year.

1519: Death of John Colet, English scholar, Catholic reformer, and friend of Erasmus.

1634: Anne Hutchinson (pictured above) arrives from England to Boston, Massachusetts, where she will rouse controversy and eventually be banished.

1639: Connecticut observes its first annual thanksgiving day as a colony, following heated debate whether or not setting aside a specific day will prompt people to neglect thanking God on other days.

1860: Pope Pius IX’s army, attempting to defend the papal states from takeover by secular Italian forces, suffers defeat at Castelfidardo. The pope loses lands the papacy has mismanaged for centuries.

1884: Death of Jerry McAuley, founder of New York’s Water Street Mission, a pioneer among American rescue missions.

1895: Booker T. Washington delivers his “Atlanta Compromise” address.

1905: Death of Scottish clergyman George MacDonald who wrote novels to support himself. MacDonald’s writings will capture C. S. Lewis’s imagination, convincing him that true Christianity is not uninteresting.

1950: Bishop Makarios is elected the Orthodox Archbishop and Ethnarch of Cyprus. He will quickly move to the forefront of efforts to end British rule in Cyprus and eventually will be exiled by the British government. In 1959, he will negotiate a compromise agreement for an independent Cypriot republic and will be elected the first president of the Republic of Cyprus. However his situation will prove so difficult that the Greeks will attempt to assassinate him and Turkey will eventually invade the island (in 1974), seizing 40% of its territory.

1964: Congolese rebels ransack a missionary hospital at Wasolo. They murder two of the Congolese nurses—Constant Kokembe and Boniface Bomba—and take missionary doctor Paul Carlson hostage.

1975: For the first time in Chile’s history, its annual Te Deum prayer service that commemorates national independence, is led not by the Roman Catholic Church but by the Methodist Pentecostal Church.

[wanderingmind867]

My Voting Record (US Democratic Primaries: 1844-2024):

1844 Democratic Primaries: Martin Van Buren

1848 Democratic Primaries: George Dallas

1852 Democratic Primaries: William O. Butler

1856 Democratic Primaries: N/A (No candidate sounds very good)

1860 Democratic Primaries: N/A (No candidate sounds good)

1864 Democratic Primaries: N/A (No candidate sounds very good).

1868 Democratic Primaries: James E. English

1872 Democratic Primaries: N/A (Democrats supported the Liberal Republicans that year. Their primary is in my Third party primaries notes).

1876 Democratic Primaries: Samuel Tilden

1880 Democratic Primaries: N/A (None of the candidates sound very good, honestly).

1884 Democratic Primaries: Grover Cleveland

1888 Democratic Primaries: Grover Cleveland

1892 Democratic Primaries: Horace Boies

1896 democratic Primaries (Top Four):

1. William Jennings Bryan

2. Richard P. Bland

3. Horace Boies

4. Henry Teller

1900 Democratic Primaries: William Jennings Bryan

1904 Democratic Primaries (Top Two):

1. Alton B. Parker

2. Nelson A. Miles

1908 Democratic Primaries: William Jennings Bryan

1912 Democratic Primaries: Judson Harmon

1916 Democratic Primaries: N/A (although I like Woodrow Wilson's fashion sense, he's also a rascist eugenicist. I can't support him).

1920 Democratic Primaries (Top Two):

1. Thomas R. Marshall

2. Al Smith

1924 Democratic Primaries (Top Three):

1. Al Smith

2. Robert L. Owen

3. Oscar Underwood (mostly just because he hated the KKK)

1928 Democratic Primaries: Al Smith

1932 Democratic Primaries: Al Smith

1936 Democratic Primaries: Upton Sinclair (my protest vote against Roosevelt from the left. How I wish Huey Long could have ran that year…)

1940 Democratic Primaries: Franklin D. Roosevelt

1944 Democratic Primaries: Franklin D. Roosevelt

1948 Democratic Primaries: Harry Truman (although I wish Henry Wallace was one of the candidates).

1952 Democratic Primaries (Top Two Candidates):

1. G. Mennen Williams

2. Estes Kefauver

1956 Democratic Primaries: Estes Kefauver

1960 Democratic Primaries: Wayne Morse

1964 Democratic Primaries: Lyndon B. Johnson

1968 Democratic Primaries: Eugene McCarthy

1972 Democratic Primaries (Top Five Candidates):

1. George McGovern

2. Shirley Chisholm

3. Hubert Humphrey

4. Patsy Mink

5. Terry Sanford

1976 Democratic Primaries (Top Three Candidates):

1: Frank Church

2: Mo Udall

3: Fred Harris

1980 Democratic Primaries: Jimmy Carter (my beliefs might be closer to Ted Kennedy, but I hate the Kennedy Clan. Except Eunice. Eunice is fine).

1984 Democratic Primaries (My Top Three Candidates):

1. Jesse Jackson

2. George McGovern

3. Walter Mondale

1988 Democratic Primaries (my top two candidates):

1. Jesse Jackson

2. Paul Simon

1992 Democratic Primaries: Tom Harkin

1996 Democratic Primaries: Nobody (I hate Bill Clinton)

2000 Democratic Primaries: Bill Bradley

2004 Democratic Primaries (Top Three Candidates):

1. Dennis Kucinich

2. Carol Moseley Braun

3. A tie between Al Sharpton and Howard Dean

2008 Democratic Primaries: John Edwards

2012 Democratic Primaries: Barack Obama

2016 Democratic Primaries: Bernie Sanders (I'd have taken Martin O'Malley too though)

2020 Democratic Primaries (Top Four Candidates):

1. Bernie Sanders

2. Elizabeth Warren

3. Tom Steyer

4. Marianne Williamson (She is definitely weird and new agey, but Wikipedia's summary of her policies don't sound too bad)

2024 Democratic Primaries: Marianne Williamson (I don't expect her to win at all, but I appreciate the challenge to Biden from the left. Remind him the progressive wing is still alive. Also, screw RFK Jr. I hate all the Kennedys. Except Eunice. She made the special Olympics; she can stay.)

PS: I made one of these for the Republican Primaries too. I might post that later.

[vanilla-cigarillos]

Gerald Gardner and Gardnerian Wicca

Gerald Brosseau Gardner (June 13 1884 – February 12 1964), also known by the craft name Scire, was an English Wiccan. He was instrumental in bringing the Contemporary Pagan religion of Wicca to public attention, writing some of its definitive religious texts and founding the tradition of Gardnerian Wicca.  Gardner is internationally recognized as the "Father of Wicca" among the Pagan and occult communities.

The Rosicrucian Order: 1938 – 39

Gardner came across a building describing itself as the "First Rosicrucian Theatre in England". Having an interest in Rosicrucianism, a prominent magico-religious tradition within Western esotericism, Gardner decided to attend one of the plays performed by the group; in August 1939. Gardner joined the group in charge of running the theatre, the Rosicrucian Order Crotona Fellowship. Founded in 1920 by George Alexander Sullivan, the Fellowship had been based upon a blend of Rosicrucianism, Theosophy, Freemasonry and his own personal innovation, and had moved to Christchurch in 1930.

However, Gardner grew to be unimpressed with the group. Gardner's dissatisfaction with the group grew, particularly when in 1939, one of the group's leaders sent a letter out to all members in which she stated that war would not come. The very next day, Britain declared war on Germany, unimpressing the increasingly cynical Gardner.

The New Forest coven: 1939 – 44

Gardner believed them to be one of the few surviving covens of the ancient, pre-Christian Witch-Cult religion. Subsequent research by the likes of Hutton and Heselton has shown that in fact the New Forest coven was probably only formed in the mid-1930s, based upon such sources as folk magic and the theories of Margaret Murray.

Bricket Wood and the Origins of Gardnerianism: 1945 – 50

Gardner hoped to spread Wicca, and described some of its practices in a fictional form as High Magic's Aid. Set in the twelfth-century, Gardner included scenes of ceremonial magic based on The Key of Solomon. Privately, he had also begun work on a scrapbook known as "Ye Bok of Ye Art Magical", in which he wrote down a number of Wiccan rituals and spells. This would prove to be the prototype for what he later termed a Book of Shadows. He also gained some of his first initiates, Barbara and Gilbert Vickers, who were initiated at some point between autumn 1949 and autumn 1950.

Gardnerian Wicca

Gardnerian Wicca, or Gardnerian witchcraft, is a tradition in the neopagan religion of Wicca, whose members can trace initiatory descent from Gerald Gardner. Gardner claimed to have learned the beliefs and practices that would later become known as Gardnerian Wicca from the New Forest coven, who allegedly initiated him into their ranks in 1939. For this reason, Gardnerian Wicca is usually considered to be the earliest created tradition of Wicca, from which most subsequent Wiccan traditions are derived.

Gardnerian Wiccans organize into covens, that traditionally, though not always, are limited to thirteen members. Covens are led by a High Priestess and the High Priest of her choice, and celebrate both a Goddess and a God. Gardnerian Wicca absolutely forbids any member to share the name, personal information, fact of membership, and so on without advanced individual consent of that member for that specific instance of sharing.

In Gardnerian Wicca, the two principal deities are the Horned God and the Mother Goddess. Tradition teaches a core ethical guideline, often referred to as "The Rede" or "The Wiccan Rede". The Rede is not a commandment but a guideline. A second critical ethical guideline is often called the Law of Return (Rule of Three):

"When one body exerts a force on a second body, the second body simultaneously exerts a force equal in magnitude and opposite in direction on the first body."

Similar to the Rede, this guideline teaches Gardnerians that whatever energy or intention one puts out into the world, magical or otherwise, will return to that person multiplied by three. This teaching underlies the importance of doing no harm—it would give impetus to a negative reaction centered on oneself or one's group (such as a coven).

[opera-ghosts]

Rare photos of sopranos, who once sang Isolde in "Tristan und Isolde" by R. Wagner, in the role.

Sebeők Sári (1886 - 1952), Hungarian soprano

Emmy Sofia Streng (1862 - 1913), Finnish soprano

Beatrice Sutter-Kottlar (1883 - 1935), Austrian soprano

Paula Ucko-Hüsgen (1879 -1932), German soprano

Fanny Wahrmann-Schöllinger (1885-1970), German soprano

Sophie Wiesner

Anna Zoder (1882-?), Austrian soprano

Felicia Kaschowska (1867 - 1951), Polish soprano

Annie Gura-Hummel (1884-1964), German soprano

Mathilde Frankel-Claus (1868-1941), Austrian soprano

Rosina Buckman (1881 – 1948) , New Zealand soprano