“If you wish to experience peace, provide peace for another.”
– Tenzin Gyatso, The 14th Dalai Lama

Robots get a bad rap, I’ll tell you.  We’ve all seen them in the old “horror” movies, taking over the world…. or shouting mindlessly while Lost in Space, “Danger Will Robinson.  Danger Young Will.”  Then you have the whole bad movie deal with Shia Labeouf… Transformers.  Or cool, but frightening movies, like Surrogates with Bruce Willis.  The bottom line is, Robots get a bad rap.

We have a robot.  Roland is his name.  Roland the Robot.  Cute little fella.  Rides a trike.  Only comes out from noon to 1 on Tuesday afternoons.  That’s really all he does.  He got caught in one of our mouse traps once.  And another time, we caught him under the kitchen sink, drinking a whole bottle of WD-40.  But basically, he hurts nothing or no one.  WE don’t see him much.  He just seems like a good little Bot.  I mean, he’s a little nuts, at times…..  but generally shiny.   That’s all we can ask of anyone, really.

Today is Margaret Mitchell’s birthday.  She was born in the year 1900.  Peggy wrote “Gone With The Wind” (published in 1936).  She won a Pulitzer Prize for the dang thing in 1937.  Her story is quite remarkable really.  What I didn’t know about her was this:  She died at the young age of 49.  Struck down and killed by a car.

Her obit reads (NY Times: August 17, 1949) :

(Atlanta, GA.) – Margaret Mitchell died today at  Grady Hospital of injuries received when she was struck down by a speeding automobile on Peachtree Street last Thursday.

Not once since the accident had the 49-year-old Miss Mitchell fully regained consciousness, according to hospital attaches. At infrequent intervals, she had murmured vague, incoherent responses to spoken questions.

Shortly after Miss Mitchell died, the driver of the auto which struck her surrendered voluntarily to police and Atlanta Police Chief Herbert Jenkins said an “immediate murder indictment” would be sought. Hugh D. Gravitt, 29, the driver, had been out on bond of $5,450, after having been arrested at the scene of the accident and charged with drunken driving, speeding and driving on the wrong side of the street.

Houses in this town remind me of Gone With The Wind. (And Batman.  But Margaret Mitchell didn’t have anything to do with Batman.)

This is Lizzie Brown.  Well, her ghost at least.  She now resides at the Circular Church Graveyard, on Meeting Street.  Lizzie was born in 1840 and never married.  She lived with her sisters, and worked at the Customs House, as a laundress.  She died in 1917.

These days, she hangs out at the Circular.  Sometimes when you walk past her stone, you will either feel a rush of air, OR,  get a scent of bleach in the air.  A few people have reported having “bleach marks” on their clothing after passing by this grave site.   Oh that Lizzie.  Always a prankster, I’ll tell you….  (but look how squeaky clean that monument is!)

Charleston Census, 1870 - Entry for Lizzie Brown

The naming of cats is a difficult matter. It isn’t just one of your holiday games. You may think at first I’m mad as a hatter. When I tell you a cat must have three different names… – T.S. Eliot

This is Beau.  He lives on East Bay Street, right across from the Battery.  Every time I walk down that way, Beau comes out and “greets” me.  He always looks a little “hacked off” to tell you the truth.  Peeved.  Pissed at the world.  In need of anger management classes.  But he DOES come out to “greet” me when I pass.  However, now that I am writing this, and thinking about it…… he’s probably coming out to tell me off.  “Get OFF my sidewalk.”  Just like the scary subway ghost in the movie Ghost says “Get OFF my TRAIN.”  (Same voice probably.)  Yeah, now that I’m thinking about it…. Beau is probably admonishing me.

I mean, holy crap.  Look at that face!

Yesterday, I found out his full name.  The dogs told me.  Did you know all cats have three names?  It isn’t a human thing.  It is an animal thing.  So, back to it….. yesterday, France and Max and I were walking, and they found out out his real name is Percival Beau-beau Norbert.  All the cats make fun of him and his little pink heart collar that says “Beau”.  Yes, the other cats totally ridicule him… in particular….. Harley Knuckles Asher.  Knuckles is one tough cat.  He was de-clawed as an adult feline.  Turns out he grew back ALL his claws.  That’s how tough Knuckles is.

But I digress.  Back to Beau.  I feel a little sorry for him.   He’s just plain angry.  Maybe about his name, or maybe he has other issues.   He got neutered when he was 6 months old.  Guess what didn’t grow back….

Which of the following happened on today’s date, November 5th, in U.S. History:

This is NOT an open book quiz, dang it…….

A. In 1928…..Mickey Mouse (as Steamboat Willie) was the first cartoon character to “eat” food on an animated film.
B. In 1845……The first Fire Plug (Fire Hydrant) was installed in New York City.
C. In 1872…… Suffragist Susan B. Anthony was fined $100 for attempting to vote in a presidential election.
D. In 1912……U.S. President William Howard Taft was treated for severe abdominal cramps caused from eating baked clams.

Tonight we saw Alfred Hitchcock’s The 39 Steps.  It was playing at the Dock Street Theatre.  (It is the oldest theatre in the United States….well, it is classified as the first building in America built exclusively to be used for theatrical purposes.)  It opened on February 12, 1736.  One Seven Three Six.  That is OLD!  (Haunted as all get out too…..but that’s another post.)

The play was great.  Hilarious.  Such talented actors.  Fun.  Yes, The 39 Steps.  Most of us only get to do 12.

Today, November 3rd, is Walker Evans Birthday.  (1903-1975)

Evans is quite arguably one of the greatest photographers in the history of the United States.

“Photography isn’t a matter of taking pictures,” he often remarked. “It’s a matter of having an eye.”

So tonight, I offer a tribute to ol’ Walker…..  Oh to have your eye.

(Camden, Ohio.  2010.)

His obituary appeared in the NY Times, on April 11, 1975….   His Obit (if you are interested).

This goes out to 8,370 voters in Preble County.  BIG MISTAKE.

big |big|
adjective ( bigger , biggest )
1 of considerable size, extent, or intensity

mistake |məˈstāk|
noun
an action or judgment that is misguided or wrong : coming here was a mistake | she made the mistake of thinking they were important.
• something, esp. a word, figure, or fact, that is not correct; an inaccuracy : a couple of spelling mistakes.

Unfortunately, that misinformed decision will affect all 42,000 of us in the county.

Good luck with the whole economic development thing.  This is a look at how it has gone so far….. (This is a photo taken in Preble County, one month ago.  It shows a residential building, in one of our many “downtown” locations, found throughout our community.)

I don’t know what to write about the dude or dudette pictured below.  I mean, this could be any saint, don’t you think?  Maybe it isn’t a saint at all.   So, perhaps, this just an angel?
Could it be that all saints are angels?  All angels, saints?  Probably not.   And the rankings of angels.  Now that’s something I never understood.  Archangels?  What are those exactly?  There are Seraphims and Cherabims.  Principalities, and also Guardians.  How is this determined, and how, exactly, are we privy to this information?  I need to talk to the people who are privy to these particulars.

I’ll pretend I know here.  This is Saint Johnny Tired Arms.  Patron saint of…. welllllll….. tired arms.   The Statue of Liberty loves this saint.  So do window washers, and house painters.  Scarecrows.  Football referees at high scoring games.  Light bulb changers.

Hey, sidebar… the San Francisco Giants won the World Series tonight.  I think that translates into Saint Francis, in Latin, or something…..  The California Angels did not win the series this year.  (They weren’t in it.)  Neither did the New Orleans Saints (They play football.)  The Quarterback who is always running “The Statue of Liberty” play, loves this saint…..as do professional baseball pitchers…… just one big circle, all spinning round and round.