Don't Stop the Presses! - 22 March 2022 - Plague Journal Day 740

Micah 6:8
Nehemiah 8:1-8
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?

On 22 March 1457 Johannes Gutenberg printed what is now called The Gutenberg Bible, the first printed book in human history. What an amazing change that was. Rather than each book being an artisanal creation, suddenly endless copies could be made - much more quickly and much less expensively. At last there was a reason for everyone to become literate and what a change to society that would make.
A wonderful event for all people for all time.

Speaking of Gutenberg, I'd like to put in a plug for the Gutenberg Project. It's a repository of an amazing array of writings which have come out of copyright and have been made available to everyone to download and read and enjoy. You should check it out.

In a wonderful example of calendrical synchronicity, on 22 March 1960 a patent was granted to Charles Hard Townes and Arthur Leonard Schawlow for the laser. Given that so much printing these days is done by laser printers, it seems really appropriate that both of those milestones happened on the same date (albeit just over five centuries apart).

Keep Calm and Don't Stay Away.
I'll be back tomorrow.
The mental health issues related to our insane 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.

Hard! Hard! Hard! - 23 February 2021 - Plague Journal Day 348

Micah 6:8
Esther 9:20-32
Job 37:9-11
Yes, your life matters.

We all are still sheltering in place, but I'm here to keep you sane and entertained.
One could hardly ask for much more than that, now could one?

I'm sorry to say that I missed this when it was live, but if you want a new take on Purim, check this out - https://purimfunnystory.com/ I think Esther and Mordecai would be proud. It takes me back to an MYF performance of the Esther story for the UMW. Those ladies had no idea what they were getting into when they asked our youth to present the play for them!

Oddly, today doesn't seem to be Read The Bible Day or anything like that, despite its being the anniversary of the publication of the Gutenberg Bible in 1455. Johannes Gutenberg's Bible edition was the first book ever printed in movable type, ushering in the age of the printed book in the West, and beginning the availability of the Word of God to the common man (once he could read).

What it is - and this is worth celebrating! - is Curling Is Cool Day. Frankly, curling is cool, so it's nice to have a day to affirm that. You should check out the classic film, Men With Brooms (featuring yet another fabulous performance by everyone's favourite leading man, Leslie Nielsen). Here's a clip of the final shot. (Don't you love the Norwegian Olympic team's uniforms?)

Keep Calm and 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.

A Christmas Carol (Yes, I know it's January)

from grandteuton.blogspot.com

Likely we've all seen multiple film versions of the holiday classic, from Mister Magoo to Bill Murray to the Muppets.  I know I have seen all of those and many more. I wondered, though, what was in the Dickens original, and what was the fancy of various filmmakers.
What to do?  Aha!  Read the book! and so I did.

Frankly, it was a good read.  It's not terribly long, and it's not so Dickensian as to put off those who fled from both of the Cities in that Tale.

I was pleased to find just how true to the original most of the films have been (Muppets included), and to find a (very) few scenes which hadn't made it to any screen I've viewed.

It's available all over the place, (including free versions at Project Gutenberg) so I think - in spite of the calendar - that you'd be well served to find it and read it.

Enjoy!