On this day in history: 1147 The Seljuk Turks defeat German crusaders under Conrad III at the Battle of Dorylaeum. 1936 Adolf Hitler and Benito Mussolini create the Rome-Berlin Axis. 1938 The Archbishop of Dubuque, Francis J. L. Beckman, denounces Swing music as "a degenerated musical system... turned loose to gnaw away at the moral fiber of young people", warning that it leads down a "primrose path to hell". 1944 Heinrich Himmler orders a crackdown on the Edelweiss Pirates, a loosely organized youth culture in Nazi Germany that had assisted army deserters and others to hide from the Third Reich. 1949 A major rent is torn in the fabric of spacetime or timespace (scientists are unsure of which) by the squalling of a red-faced infant democommie. 1962 Cuban missile crisis: Adlai Stevenson shows photos at the UN proving Soviet missiles are installed in Cuba. 1972 The Washington Post reports that White House Chief of Staff H.R. Haldeman was the fifth person to control a secret cash fund designed to finance illegal political sabotage and espionage during the 1972 presidential election campaign (see also Watergate scandal). Born on this day, in no particular order: Klaus Barbie (The Butcher of Lyon), James Carville (political strategerist--Bill Clinton's Rove), Father Charles Coughlin (Roman Catholic priest and pro-Fascist radio broadcaster--Bill O'Reilly in a cassock), Bobby Knight (winningest coach in D1-NCAA Men's Basketball--Bill O'Reilly in polyester slacks and a sweat shirt), Ed Powers (porn star with a number of "rough" sex videos), Richard F. Syron (CEO of Freddie Mac--not no more!) Good managers, all! The following subversives were born on the same day. Max Stimer (Existential German nihilo-anarchist), Minnie Pearl (Cheap hat, great comic), Nancy Cartwrigth (the voice of Bart Simpson), Johann Strauss (composer, "Blue Danube" waltz), Bobby Thompson (1951 home run brought Giants to the Series), Richard Byrd (American explorer), Billy Barty--nee William John Bertanzetti (small person, american actor), Milena Roucka(Canadian former model current professional wrestler of Czech and Costa Rican descent), Pedro Martinez (Dominican Major League Baseball player, former BoSox). Pablo Diego José Francisco de Paula Juan Nepomuceno María de los Remedios Cipriano de la Santísima Trinidad Martyr Patricio Clito Ruíz y Picasso (October 25, 1881 – April 8, 1973) was an Andalusian-Spanish painter, draughtsman, and sculptor. As one of the most recognized figures in twentieth-century art, he is best known for co-founding the Cubist movement and for the wide variety of styles embodied in his work. Among his most famous works are the proto-Cubist Les Demoiselles d'Avignon (1907) and his depiction of the German bombing of Guernica during the Spanish Civil War, Guernica (1937). And, of course, ME, YOURS TRULY; FUCKIN AY! I am happy to report that I'm typing this, which is a good thing. It means my arthritic fingers and my semi-nimble mind are still working, sort of. Unfortunately, I must also report that my character was formed more by those aforementioned subversives than by the true patriots and all around ubermenschen whose births I noted in the preceding paragraph. I will, somehow, live with it. In lieu of cards, flowers, candy, gift certificates, offers of whatever sort of sexual escapades you may be interested in--please simply send a small donation (a single Benjamin will do) to the address I will furnish to all who e-mail me. Your donations will help to defray the expense of my upcoming "OBAMAWINS,OBAMAWINS" party or, in the event that the GOP is able to engineer another electatheft, for funding my escape to Oz to live with a group of aboriginals who have maintained their culture (but DO think that cold beer is one white devil convenience that they can live with). I will be listening to jazz, by Matt Vacanti and ESP, this evening at Patz on the River in Oswego. If you're all going to come, I would suggest reservations. Tell them I sent you and maybe they'll give me a free drink or something. You know what I love, even more than my country? I love my friends--and that's really about all I need for my , your friendship. Well your friendship and some nice Dom, a couplea lobstahs, a few nice buds, the company of a winsome young lady (or one who thinks that way) and breakfast at Tiffany's. Ciao, for now. democommie