Irony on the Davenport - 19 August 2021 - Plague Journal Day 525

Micah 6:8
Judges 7:4-8
Yes, your life matters.

Some of you are still sheltering in place, but fear not: I'm here to keep you sane and entertained.
One could hardly ask for much more than that, now could one?


19 August is quite a date in space history.

First off(ish), in 1960, the Soviets launched Sputnik 5, carrying two dogs, Strelka and Belka, who supposedly became the first terrestrial beings to survive in space. Of course we all know they were actually in their Sputnik capsule the whole time, not out in space. Further, there are the tales of trips to the Moon from the 19th century that cannot be wholly discounted. Still, well done, you Commie dog handlers. (note - you can enable auto translation of the Russian subtitles if you follow that link above)

Then, on this same date in 1964 the world’s first geostationary satellite was launched, making Arthur C. Clarke happier than any sf author has any right to be.
Syncom 3, a communications satellite, was launched from Cape Canaveral in Florida. Geostationary means its orbit is at a height where its revolution takes the same time as the Earth's rotation. The satellite is set above a point on the equator and appears to simply sit there, straight up about 22,000 miles up (nearly 36,000 km). This is a convenient way to bounce communications from one part of the world to another, as it is always in the same spot.. This one was near the International Date Line, and the 1964 Tokyo Olympics were broadcast to these United States with the help of this satellite, much as the 2020 Tokyo Olympics were broadcast this year. As noted, the satellite's being near the International Date Line is the reason the 2020 Olympics were viewed in 2021 here in this hemisphere.


Now to the Irony on the davenport item. No doubt many of your grandparents had davenports where most folks had couches or sofas. On those davenports, almost invariably (probably due to the Interstate Commerce Commission ruling 1793.7), those davenports sported handmade (likely crocheted) afghans. Well, here's the irony - on this date in 1919 Afghanistan gained its independence from the United Kingdom with the signing of the Rawalpindi Treaty, ending the Third Anglo-Afghan War. Afghanistan had  been a "protectorate" of the British Empire for about 60 years, and despite the efforts of the Brits, the Afghans remained hostile to their "protection," ending in the aforementioned war and treaty.
History runs in cycles, it appears. Perhaps some of us should pay attention to what's happened in the past, eh?

Keep Calm and Don't Stay Away.
I'll be back tomorrow.
The mental health issues related to our lockdown and the pandemic are especially hard for people with depression. NAMI, the National Alliance on Mental Illness, has a 24 hour helpline: 800-950-6264.