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Friday, September 30. 2011
Today in History
Today is Friday, September 30, 2011. Not a whole lot different from September 30, 2010, or most of the preceding years. It might be as anonymous and forgotten a day as ever. Although for me, it does bear some social significance, although in the grand scheme of things, well, it’s big for me. More on that later.You see there have been some notable events that took place on September 30. For instance, historically, this day usually marks the end of the regular baseball season and this year, the Milwaukee Brewers — MY Milwaukee Brewers — won the National League Central Pennant!
They better win the World Series this time. If they don’t, well I may finally become a Padres fan. Do your remember how they lost the series to the St. Louis Cardinals in 1982? Effin’ Brewers …
Back to September 30th. Thomas Edison’s first hydroelectric power generator went on line in 1882 and get this: it wasn’t in New York, or even on the East Coast. It was on the Fox River in Central Wisconsin, Appleton to be exact. The owners of that power company beat New York City to the punch.It’s a long story on how that came about, but just chalk it up to boys with their toys and who has the biggest … ummm … ego. That’s all beside the point really. The amazing fact here is that electricity was already being harnessed in 1882. My grasp of the minutiae of history is demonstrably weak; people had been monkeying around with electricity for years and just five years before the generator in Wisconsin went live, Edison had invented the first practical incandescent light bulb. He wasn’t the inventor of the light bulb. I’m not even gonna look to see who owns that honor.
In a related topic: the Hoover Dam, another hydroelectric generator, was dedicated in 1935. That construction project was one of the big infrastructure improvements that helped pull the U.S. out of the Great Depression.
What else has taken place on this day in history? In 1927 Babe Ruth became the first player to hit 60 homeruns in a season, a record that stood undisturbed until Roger Maris, also of the New York Yankees, hit 61 in 1961. Ruth did for baseball what Michael Jordan did for basketball: he changed the game. The Babe ushered in power hitting, a part of baseball we take for granted and every winning team must have. You got that Brew Crew?This is a big one. Hearts were broken and tears flowed like rivers in the spring melt on this day in 1955. Actor and teen heartthrob James Dean died in an auto accident driving a race-ready Porsche 550 Spyder. Dean had decided, at the last moment, to drive his Spyder to the road race in Salinas instead of towing it. The intersection of highways 41 and 46 where he died outside of Cholame, CA has been christened the James Dean Memorial Junction.
Twenty-seven years ago today … do you remember September 30, 1984? Pitcher Michael Witt of the California Angels pitched a perfect game, becoming only the 11th person to do so in the majors. The Texas Rangers were the victims of his arm.The number one movie at the box office was All of Me. Sheesh, I barely remember it. As I recall and Box Office confirms, it’s a body swap story in which the spirit of Lily Tomlin invades Steve Martin’s body. It’s a forgettable movie, directed by Rob Reiner.
Ghost Busters was #5 and Purple Rain was #6. I still like watching the Ghost Busters movies. Rumor is they’re making another one. I wonder if the Ghost Hunters, Jason Hawes and Grant Wilson, will make a cameo?
And who can forget Apollonia Kotero in Purple Rain? Arguably the best reason to see the movie! Well, Morris Day and the Time were pretty good too, but really, seeing Apollonia!“Let’s Go Crazy” by Prince was the number one song on September 30, 1984. In my rarely humble opinion, the best song to come from the album and movie, Purple Rain.
Ronald Reagan was president and on his way to winning a second term in a landslide against Walter Mondale. Just for my Republican friends who worship at the altar of Reagan: he raised taxes in all but one year of his presidency.
Also on this day in 1984, I started my clean and sober life. Since then I’ve done and seen things that had only been fantasies in drunken stupors. One thing I’ve learned over the years: most “big deals” tend to fade from memory after a while. Whatever was driving us to near insanity yesterday is nothing more than an after thought today.
Of course I remember my family and friends, all of them: Cheryl, Mary Lou (MLou), Rick, Tony and Ken. Then there’s my brother Carl who I lived with for so many years. He put up with a lot of shit in those years, but we also managed to have a good time too. The Grand Canyon and cruising up the coast of California on Highway 1. And then there was the one weekend in Vegas! We actually had many weekends in Vegas, but this one stands out!And my Dear Sweet Sister Elaine. How I miss her today. Used to be I’d call or text her, or she would call or text me, just to mark this day. Last night I had gone to sleep with this unfinished, but woke up 90 minutes later, after a dream in which I was first pedaling the Trusty Trek over some rough terrain and then at her bedside as she was dying. I miss her. The old saying goes: “This too shall pass,” but not my love for Little Lainey.
Today I humbly thank all my family and friends who have been with me on this journey: Dan, John, Liz, Rudy (thanks for the phone call this morning Liz!), Terri, Julie, Diana, Mike, Mikey, Paul, Bill, Alan, Jerry, Keith, Vicki, Cat, Tom, Rachel, Phil, Tony, another John, another Alan, Brian, Norm, Rick, Claudia — and even you Eric! D’OH! A shout out to Eric. Pat and Oscar’s tonight! To those I missed mentioning, my apologies.
Thank you everyone! As Joe Walsh once sang: “Life’s been good to me so far.” Have a blessed and fortunate Friday and weekend!
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