I'm putting you in the won't
There's been a running joke among a family I know that whenever one member pisses off the patriarch, he lets them know they're being moved from the will to the won't. It's amusing and all, but in a way it is also controlling and mean-spirited. People are of course free to disinherit whoever they like. I've read that Warren Buffett is leaving one of his children only $90,000 and I've also read that the other two will receive bequests of less than one percent of his fortune. Then again, with a net worth of $58.5 billion, even if estate taxes were to take the full 55%; the remaining 1% would still be a tidy sum.
The singer Sting has announced that none of his six children will receive a trust fund or otherwise inherit his wealth. There are a number of other very wealthy people who are doing likewise. I understand the concept of returning wealth to society. In an era where the growing inequities in both wealth and income divide the population more than ever, this is a good concept. Dynastic wealth often creates problems for those who inherit it without having learned strong ethics of work and morality.
But if I were a multi-billionaire and had children, I would not be able to live with myself by completely disinheriting them. I would have instilled a strong work ethic in them, and made it clear that they would have to make their own way in life. I just think it is wrong to have so much and leave one's offspring without at least some kind of safety net. A trust that will ensure they never spend a night without food and shelter. To prevent them from ever having spent a night in an apartment without electricity because they wouldn't have the money to pay the past-due bill until a day later.
I wouldn't want them to become a burden on society. Why should my children wind up on welfare if I had so much at one time? It wouldn't be likely, but it could happen. I also wouldn't want them to become a burden on their siblings. Brothers and sisters shouldn't have to be charged with providing for each other when their parents had such vast wealth.
So by all means, return the overwhelming majority of wealth to society. To enrich the lives of all. But provide a modest amount for your children. If you really want them to have a better life than you, it's your duty.
* * *
As the reports continue to come in about how much bigger the scandal at and problems of the Veterans Administration are, a factoid has come to light. The Washington Times claimed that President Obama hadn't met one on one with former Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric Shinseki for two years. Fox News claims the same thing. Truth be told, they're nearly right. July 26, 2012 is the late time the President met with his Secretary for Veterans Affairs.
There are 15 members of the Cabinet, and 9 others who are Cabinet level officers (the Vice President is among that second list). Even with schedules as jam-packed as these kind of people have to live with, they need to meet one on one more often that every two years or so.
I will say that when I got back into the VA system after my release from the hospital back in 2011, I did have to wait more than 14 days to be seen. But since then I have no trouble getting seen and treated, emergency or non-emergency. Waiting to see specialists is part and parcel of any medical system.
I believe the accounts of waiting lists being rat-holed in desk drawers and so on, because that's how the government works. The federal government, as of 2012, employed over 4.3 million individuals, when you include the executive branch civilians, the legislative and judicial system civilians and uniformed military personnel. It's too easy for people to engage in corruption because there are not good systems of checks and balances to ensure people don't get away with fraudulent actions that can boggle the mind. There was a state department employee who didn't show for work for weeks on end. He drew his check without doing his work. Tailhook. The GSA conference excess. The IRS excesses in meeting costs and doing stupid training films.
None of that compares to the report that one veteran spent eight years in a VA psychiatric facility before receiving his first psychiatric evaluation. Another veteran in the same Brockton, MA facility had one treatment note in his file, covering his seven years there. Simply unconscionable.
People in government jobs get away with these things because no one really watches. Maybe it's time to set up an independent agency, run by someone who reports directly to the Vice President to oversee and audit the activities of all government agencies, including how they spend their money.
Whatever it takes, even one veteran dying while waiting for care is completely unacceptable, and whoever is responsible should face criminal sanctions.
* * *
It is morning and as I walked back from having my leg re-bandaged, I was suddenly struck by the notion. I had my wallet with me. I had my driver license with me. I could just go out for breakfast for once. Steak, eggs, hash browns, a big glass of tomato juice and some sourdough toast. Sounds great. Then I checked the nutritional info for what was once a normal breakfast before I got sick:
Calories Sodium
320 380 Sourdough toast with jam
280 520 Hash brown potatoes
470 490 Steak and eggs
35 610 Tomato juice
1105 2000 Totals
Mind-numbing. Based on goals of 2,000 calories and 1800 mg of sodium per day, breakfast would be my only meal today, unless I could find something to eat that's completely free of sodium.
Just as I won the struggle last night at dinner (I wanted a burger and fries, I got a grilled chicken salad and stole one French fry from a friend's plate), I'm going to win again this morning. I'll eat my usual healthy breakfast in the dining room and lightly salt the last two bites of my eggs.
* * *
There are reports that the story of the three year old girl whose family was told they had to leave a KFC franchise outlet in Mississippi because her facial injuries were disturbing others, was a hoax. The family is denying the hoax allegations and the franchise owner has hired someone to do an independent investigation.
If this was a hoax, was it a crime? Was the Facebook post making the allegation intended to obtain money? I think that would be tough to prove. This is the text of the FB post:
"Does this face look scary to you? Last week at KFC in Jackson MS this precious face was asked to leave because her face scared the other diners. I personally will never step foot in another KFC again and will be personally writing the CEO."
America was outraged. People wanted to tar and feather KFC (pun intended). Now there are reports it was a hoax, an attempt to scam people into donating to the family of this young child. If there is a better recent example of why we must maintain the presumption of innocence for any individual or corporation, I can't think of it. Wait, maybe I can.
On the left, the allegedly doctored receipt that former Marine Dayna Morales claimed was given to her, because she's a lesbian. On the right, the actual receipt, brought forward by the family who was outraged at the claim. Once again, we jumped right away to condemn these people and did not wait for the evidence.
There's another example here of how people need to check things. At one point, the mainstream news media began reporting that Ms Morales had been dishonorably discharged from the Marine Corps. That is not true. She was administratively discharged with an Under Other than Honorable Conditions discharge. There is a huge difference between that and a Dishonorable Discharge. The DD requires that the individual be convicted by a court-martial of an offense under the Uniform Code of Military Justice that allows for a DD. The UOTHC is an administrative proceeding. Court-martial convictions are just like any other felony conviction. The media owes her an apology for mischaracterizing her service.
Innocent until proven guilty, beyond a reasonable doubt. A presumption that must be preserved for all.
* * *
Random Ponderings:
Telling a judge to "f**k off" once is just plain dumb. To then tell the same judge over and over to "suck my dick" isn't just the height of stupidity, it's probably a sign of in-breeding.
I really don't understand why drivers on the freeway feel the irresistible urge to speed up when you attempt to pass them. Any thoughts?
The decision by both Carmelo Anthony and LeBron James to opt out of their contracts for next season and test the free agent market will have basketball pundits postulating prodigiously for weeks to come.
Next year if I have a client who gets a notice from the IRS to produce records, I'm going to respond that unfortunately, the hard drive on my client's computer crashed and we no longer have the records. Wonder how that will go over?
Ice-T says it is just a "coincidence" that all of the people who get shot in his latest music video happen to be white. Do you buy that?
I feel sorry for the residents of the condo building that Justin Bieber has moved into.
I just read that the reason former NFL star Aaron Hernandez allegedly murdered two people was over a drink that was spilled on him. Good thing no one spilled a plate of food on him, the body count might have been huge.
I can't stop chuckling at the thought of the burglar who got caught because he was dumb enough to log onto Facebook while in the home he was burglarizing. Definitely not someone from the deep end of the brain gene pool.
Whole Foods is expensive enough without them overcharging by short-weighting its products.
Speaking of the shallow end of the intelligence quotient, why in the world would a woman insist on trying to feed cookies to the lions in a zoo? Throwing them in is bad enough, but climbing the fence to get closer?
It's been 25 years since the original big screen "Batman" came out. Three members of its cast went on to win Oscar gold after this film. Can you name them?
There's a theater in a small town in Ohio where full-price movies are only four bucks.
* * *
June 24th in History:
109 – Roman emperor Trajan inaugurates the Aqua Traiana, an aqueduct that channels water from Lake Bracciano, 40 kilometres (25 miles) north-west of Rome.
474 – Julius Nepos forces Roman usurper Glycerius to abdicate the throne and proclaims himself Emperor of the Western Roman Empire.
637 – The Battle of Moira is fought between the High King of Ireland and the Kings of Ulster and Dalriada. It is claimed to be the largest battle in the history of Ireland.
972 – Battle of Cedynia, the first documented victory of Polish forces, takes place.
1128 – Battle of São Mamede, near Guimarães: forces led by Alfonso I defeat forces led by his mother Teresa of León and her lover Fernando Pérez de Traba. After this battle, the future king calls himself "Prince of Portugal", the first step towards "official independence" that will be reached in 1139 after the Battle of Ourique.
1230 – The Siege of Jaén started in the context of the Spanish Reconquista.
1314 – First War of Scottish Independence: the Battle of Bannockburn concludes with a decisive victory by Scottish forces led by Robert the Bruce, though England did not recognize Scottish independence until 1328 with the signing of the Treaty of Edinburgh-Northampton.
1340 – Hundred Years' War: Battle of Sluys – The French fleet is almost completely destroyed by the English Fleet commanded in person by King Edward III.
1374 – A sudden outbreak of St. John's Dance causes people in the streets of Aachen, Germany, to experience hallucinations and begin to jump and twitch uncontrollably until they collapse from exhaustion.
1497 – John Cabot lands in North America at Newfoundland leading the first European exploration of the region since the Vikings.
1509 – Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon are crowned King and Queen of England.
1535 – The Anabaptist state of Münster is conquered and disbanded.
1571 – Miguel Lopez de Legazpi founds Manila, the capital of the Republic of the Philippines.
1597 – The first Dutch voyage to the East Indies reaches Bantam (on Java).
1604 – Samuel de Champlain discovers the mouth of the Saint John River, site of Reversing Falls and the present day city of Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada.
1622 – Battle of Macau: The Dutch attempt but fail to capture Macau.
1717 – The Premier Grand Lodge of England, the first Masonic Grand Lodge in the world (now the United Grand Lodge of England), is founded in London, England.
1779 – American Revolutionary War: The Great Siege of Gibraltar begins.
1793 – The first Republican constitution in France is adopted.
1812 – Napoleonic Wars: Napoleon's Grande Armée crosses the Neman River beginning the invasion of Russia.
1813 – Battle of Beaver Dams: a British and Indian combined force defeats the United States Army.
1821 – The Battle of Carabobo takes place. It is the decisive battle in the war of independence of Venezuela from Spain.
1859 – Battle of Solferino (Battle of the Three Sovereigns): Sardinia and France defeat Austria in Solferino, northern Italy.
1866 – Battle of Custoza: an Austrian army defeats the Italian army during the Austro-Prussian War.
1880 – First performance of O Canada, the song that would become the national anthem of Canada, at the Congrès national des Canadiens-Français.
1894 – Marie Francois Sadi Carnot is assassinated by Sante Geronimo Caserio.
1902 – King Edward VII of the United Kingdom develops appendicitis, delaying his coronation.
1913 – Greece and Serbia annul their alliance with Bulgaria.
1916 – Mary Pickford becomes the first female film star to sign a million dollar contract.
1916 – World War I: the Battle of the Somme begins with a week-long artillery bombardment on the German Line.
1918 – First airmail service in Canada from Montreal to Toronto.
1932 – A bloodless Revolution instigated by the People's Party ends the absolute power of King Prajadhipok of Siam (now Thailand).
1938 – Pieces of a meteor, estimated to have weighed 450 metric tons when it hit the Earth's atmosphere and exploded, land near Chicora, Pennsylvania.
1939 – Siam is renamed Thailand by Plaek Pibulsonggram, the country's third prime minister.
1947 – Kenneth Arnold makes the first widely reported UFO sighting near Mount Rainier, Washington.
1948 – Start of the Berlin Blockade: the Soviet Union makes overland travel between West Germany and West Berlin impossible.
1949 – The first television western, Hopalong Cassidy, is aired on NBC starring William Boyd.
1954 – First Indochina War: Battle of Mang Yang Pass — Vietminh troops belonging to the 803rd Regiment ambush G.M. 100 of France in An Khê.
1957 – In Roth v. United States, the U.S. Supreme Court rules that obscenity is not protected by the First Amendment.
1963 – The United Kingdom grants Zanzibar internal self-government.
1981 – The Humber Bridge is opens to traffic, connecting Yorkshire and Lincolnshire. It would be the world's longest single-span suspension bridge for 17 years.
1982 – "The Jakarta Incident": British Airways Flight 9 flies into a cloud of volcanic ash thrown up by the eruption of Mount Galunggung, resulting in the failure of all four engines.
1989 – Jiang Zemin succeeds Zhao Ziyang to become the General Secretary of the Communist Party of China after 1989 Tiananmen Square Protests.
1995 – "Rugby World Cup final": South Africa defeats New Zealand, Nelson Mandela presents Francois Pienaar with the Webb-Ellis trophy in an iconic post-apartheid moment.
2004 – In New York, capital punishment is declared unconstitutional.
2010 – John Isner of the United States defeats Nicolas Mahut of France at Wimbledon, in the longest match in professional tennis history.
2012 – Lonesome George, the last known individual of Chelonoidis nigra abingdonii, a subspecies of the Galápagos tortoise, dies.
Famous Folk Born on June 24th:
William Hull
John Archibald Campbell
Ambrose Bierce
Samuel Johnson
Roy O. Disney
Chuck Taylor
Mary Wesley
William Saxbe
Al Molinaro
Billy Casper
Sam Jones
Michele Lee
Jeff Beck
George Pataki
Ellison Onizuka (very cool that ST:TNG honored him)
Robert Reich
Mick Fleetwood
Peter Weller
Betsy Randle
The singer Sting has announced that none of his six children will receive a trust fund or otherwise inherit his wealth. There are a number of other very wealthy people who are doing likewise. I understand the concept of returning wealth to society. In an era where the growing inequities in both wealth and income divide the population more than ever, this is a good concept. Dynastic wealth often creates problems for those who inherit it without having learned strong ethics of work and morality.
But if I were a multi-billionaire and had children, I would not be able to live with myself by completely disinheriting them. I would have instilled a strong work ethic in them, and made it clear that they would have to make their own way in life. I just think it is wrong to have so much and leave one's offspring without at least some kind of safety net. A trust that will ensure they never spend a night without food and shelter. To prevent them from ever having spent a night in an apartment without electricity because they wouldn't have the money to pay the past-due bill until a day later.
I wouldn't want them to become a burden on society. Why should my children wind up on welfare if I had so much at one time? It wouldn't be likely, but it could happen. I also wouldn't want them to become a burden on their siblings. Brothers and sisters shouldn't have to be charged with providing for each other when their parents had such vast wealth.
So by all means, return the overwhelming majority of wealth to society. To enrich the lives of all. But provide a modest amount for your children. If you really want them to have a better life than you, it's your duty.
* * *
As the reports continue to come in about how much bigger the scandal at and problems of the Veterans Administration are, a factoid has come to light. The Washington Times claimed that President Obama hadn't met one on one with former Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric Shinseki for two years. Fox News claims the same thing. Truth be told, they're nearly right. July 26, 2012 is the late time the President met with his Secretary for Veterans Affairs.
There are 15 members of the Cabinet, and 9 others who are Cabinet level officers (the Vice President is among that second list). Even with schedules as jam-packed as these kind of people have to live with, they need to meet one on one more often that every two years or so.
I will say that when I got back into the VA system after my release from the hospital back in 2011, I did have to wait more than 14 days to be seen. But since then I have no trouble getting seen and treated, emergency or non-emergency. Waiting to see specialists is part and parcel of any medical system.
I believe the accounts of waiting lists being rat-holed in desk drawers and so on, because that's how the government works. The federal government, as of 2012, employed over 4.3 million individuals, when you include the executive branch civilians, the legislative and judicial system civilians and uniformed military personnel. It's too easy for people to engage in corruption because there are not good systems of checks and balances to ensure people don't get away with fraudulent actions that can boggle the mind. There was a state department employee who didn't show for work for weeks on end. He drew his check without doing his work. Tailhook. The GSA conference excess. The IRS excesses in meeting costs and doing stupid training films.
None of that compares to the report that one veteran spent eight years in a VA psychiatric facility before receiving his first psychiatric evaluation. Another veteran in the same Brockton, MA facility had one treatment note in his file, covering his seven years there. Simply unconscionable.
People in government jobs get away with these things because no one really watches. Maybe it's time to set up an independent agency, run by someone who reports directly to the Vice President to oversee and audit the activities of all government agencies, including how they spend their money.
Whatever it takes, even one veteran dying while waiting for care is completely unacceptable, and whoever is responsible should face criminal sanctions.
* * *
It is morning and as I walked back from having my leg re-bandaged, I was suddenly struck by the notion. I had my wallet with me. I had my driver license with me. I could just go out for breakfast for once. Steak, eggs, hash browns, a big glass of tomato juice and some sourdough toast. Sounds great. Then I checked the nutritional info for what was once a normal breakfast before I got sick:
Calories Sodium
320 380 Sourdough toast with jam
280 520 Hash brown potatoes
470 490 Steak and eggs
35 610 Tomato juice
1105 2000 Totals
Mind-numbing. Based on goals of 2,000 calories and 1800 mg of sodium per day, breakfast would be my only meal today, unless I could find something to eat that's completely free of sodium.
Just as I won the struggle last night at dinner (I wanted a burger and fries, I got a grilled chicken salad and stole one French fry from a friend's plate), I'm going to win again this morning. I'll eat my usual healthy breakfast in the dining room and lightly salt the last two bites of my eggs.
* * *
There are reports that the story of the three year old girl whose family was told they had to leave a KFC franchise outlet in Mississippi because her facial injuries were disturbing others, was a hoax. The family is denying the hoax allegations and the franchise owner has hired someone to do an independent investigation.
If this was a hoax, was it a crime? Was the Facebook post making the allegation intended to obtain money? I think that would be tough to prove. This is the text of the FB post:
"Does this face look scary to you? Last week at KFC in Jackson MS this precious face was asked to leave because her face scared the other diners. I personally will never step foot in another KFC again and will be personally writing the CEO."
America was outraged. People wanted to tar and feather KFC (pun intended). Now there are reports it was a hoax, an attempt to scam people into donating to the family of this young child. If there is a better recent example of why we must maintain the presumption of innocence for any individual or corporation, I can't think of it. Wait, maybe I can.
On the left, the allegedly doctored receipt that former Marine Dayna Morales claimed was given to her, because she's a lesbian. On the right, the actual receipt, brought forward by the family who was outraged at the claim. Once again, we jumped right away to condemn these people and did not wait for the evidence.
There's another example here of how people need to check things. At one point, the mainstream news media began reporting that Ms Morales had been dishonorably discharged from the Marine Corps. That is not true. She was administratively discharged with an Under Other than Honorable Conditions discharge. There is a huge difference between that and a Dishonorable Discharge. The DD requires that the individual be convicted by a court-martial of an offense under the Uniform Code of Military Justice that allows for a DD. The UOTHC is an administrative proceeding. Court-martial convictions are just like any other felony conviction. The media owes her an apology for mischaracterizing her service.
Innocent until proven guilty, beyond a reasonable doubt. A presumption that must be preserved for all.
* * *
Random Ponderings:
Telling a judge to "f**k off" once is just plain dumb. To then tell the same judge over and over to "suck my dick" isn't just the height of stupidity, it's probably a sign of in-breeding.
I really don't understand why drivers on the freeway feel the irresistible urge to speed up when you attempt to pass them. Any thoughts?
The decision by both Carmelo Anthony and LeBron James to opt out of their contracts for next season and test the free agent market will have basketball pundits postulating prodigiously for weeks to come.
Next year if I have a client who gets a notice from the IRS to produce records, I'm going to respond that unfortunately, the hard drive on my client's computer crashed and we no longer have the records. Wonder how that will go over?
Ice-T says it is just a "coincidence" that all of the people who get shot in his latest music video happen to be white. Do you buy that?
I feel sorry for the residents of the condo building that Justin Bieber has moved into.
I just read that the reason former NFL star Aaron Hernandez allegedly murdered two people was over a drink that was spilled on him. Good thing no one spilled a plate of food on him, the body count might have been huge.
I can't stop chuckling at the thought of the burglar who got caught because he was dumb enough to log onto Facebook while in the home he was burglarizing. Definitely not someone from the deep end of the brain gene pool.
Whole Foods is expensive enough without them overcharging by short-weighting its products.
Speaking of the shallow end of the intelligence quotient, why in the world would a woman insist on trying to feed cookies to the lions in a zoo? Throwing them in is bad enough, but climbing the fence to get closer?
It's been 25 years since the original big screen "Batman" came out. Three members of its cast went on to win Oscar gold after this film. Can you name them?
There's a theater in a small town in Ohio where full-price movies are only four bucks.
* * *
June 24th in History:
109 – Roman emperor Trajan inaugurates the Aqua Traiana, an aqueduct that channels water from Lake Bracciano, 40 kilometres (25 miles) north-west of Rome.
474 – Julius Nepos forces Roman usurper Glycerius to abdicate the throne and proclaims himself Emperor of the Western Roman Empire.
637 – The Battle of Moira is fought between the High King of Ireland and the Kings of Ulster and Dalriada. It is claimed to be the largest battle in the history of Ireland.
972 – Battle of Cedynia, the first documented victory of Polish forces, takes place.
1128 – Battle of São Mamede, near Guimarães: forces led by Alfonso I defeat forces led by his mother Teresa of León and her lover Fernando Pérez de Traba. After this battle, the future king calls himself "Prince of Portugal", the first step towards "official independence" that will be reached in 1139 after the Battle of Ourique.
1230 – The Siege of Jaén started in the context of the Spanish Reconquista.
1314 – First War of Scottish Independence: the Battle of Bannockburn concludes with a decisive victory by Scottish forces led by Robert the Bruce, though England did not recognize Scottish independence until 1328 with the signing of the Treaty of Edinburgh-Northampton.
1340 – Hundred Years' War: Battle of Sluys – The French fleet is almost completely destroyed by the English Fleet commanded in person by King Edward III.
1374 – A sudden outbreak of St. John's Dance causes people in the streets of Aachen, Germany, to experience hallucinations and begin to jump and twitch uncontrollably until they collapse from exhaustion.
1497 – John Cabot lands in North America at Newfoundland leading the first European exploration of the region since the Vikings.
1509 – Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon are crowned King and Queen of England.
1535 – The Anabaptist state of Münster is conquered and disbanded.
1571 – Miguel Lopez de Legazpi founds Manila, the capital of the Republic of the Philippines.
1597 – The first Dutch voyage to the East Indies reaches Bantam (on Java).
1604 – Samuel de Champlain discovers the mouth of the Saint John River, site of Reversing Falls and the present day city of Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada.
1622 – Battle of Macau: The Dutch attempt but fail to capture Macau.
1717 – The Premier Grand Lodge of England, the first Masonic Grand Lodge in the world (now the United Grand Lodge of England), is founded in London, England.
1779 – American Revolutionary War: The Great Siege of Gibraltar begins.
1793 – The first Republican constitution in France is adopted.
1812 – Napoleonic Wars: Napoleon's Grande Armée crosses the Neman River beginning the invasion of Russia.
1813 – Battle of Beaver Dams: a British and Indian combined force defeats the United States Army.
1821 – The Battle of Carabobo takes place. It is the decisive battle in the war of independence of Venezuela from Spain.
1859 – Battle of Solferino (Battle of the Three Sovereigns): Sardinia and France defeat Austria in Solferino, northern Italy.
1866 – Battle of Custoza: an Austrian army defeats the Italian army during the Austro-Prussian War.
1880 – First performance of O Canada, the song that would become the national anthem of Canada, at the Congrès national des Canadiens-Français.
1894 – Marie Francois Sadi Carnot is assassinated by Sante Geronimo Caserio.
1902 – King Edward VII of the United Kingdom develops appendicitis, delaying his coronation.
1913 – Greece and Serbia annul their alliance with Bulgaria.
1916 – Mary Pickford becomes the first female film star to sign a million dollar contract.
1916 – World War I: the Battle of the Somme begins with a week-long artillery bombardment on the German Line.
1918 – First airmail service in Canada from Montreal to Toronto.
1932 – A bloodless Revolution instigated by the People's Party ends the absolute power of King Prajadhipok of Siam (now Thailand).
1938 – Pieces of a meteor, estimated to have weighed 450 metric tons when it hit the Earth's atmosphere and exploded, land near Chicora, Pennsylvania.
1939 – Siam is renamed Thailand by Plaek Pibulsonggram, the country's third prime minister.
1947 – Kenneth Arnold makes the first widely reported UFO sighting near Mount Rainier, Washington.
1948 – Start of the Berlin Blockade: the Soviet Union makes overland travel between West Germany and West Berlin impossible.
1949 – The first television western, Hopalong Cassidy, is aired on NBC starring William Boyd.
1954 – First Indochina War: Battle of Mang Yang Pass — Vietminh troops belonging to the 803rd Regiment ambush G.M. 100 of France in An Khê.
1957 – In Roth v. United States, the U.S. Supreme Court rules that obscenity is not protected by the First Amendment.
1963 – The United Kingdom grants Zanzibar internal self-government.
1981 – The Humber Bridge is opens to traffic, connecting Yorkshire and Lincolnshire. It would be the world's longest single-span suspension bridge for 17 years.
1982 – "The Jakarta Incident": British Airways Flight 9 flies into a cloud of volcanic ash thrown up by the eruption of Mount Galunggung, resulting in the failure of all four engines.
1989 – Jiang Zemin succeeds Zhao Ziyang to become the General Secretary of the Communist Party of China after 1989 Tiananmen Square Protests.
1995 – "Rugby World Cup final": South Africa defeats New Zealand, Nelson Mandela presents Francois Pienaar with the Webb-Ellis trophy in an iconic post-apartheid moment.
2004 – In New York, capital punishment is declared unconstitutional.
2010 – John Isner of the United States defeats Nicolas Mahut of France at Wimbledon, in the longest match in professional tennis history.
2012 – Lonesome George, the last known individual of Chelonoidis nigra abingdonii, a subspecies of the Galápagos tortoise, dies.
Famous Folk Born on June 24th:
William Hull
John Archibald Campbell
Ambrose Bierce
Samuel Johnson
Roy O. Disney
Chuck Taylor
Mary Wesley
William Saxbe
Al Molinaro
Billy Casper
Sam Jones
Michele Lee
Jeff Beck
George Pataki
Ellison Onizuka (very cool that ST:TNG honored him)
Robert Reich
Mick Fleetwood
Peter Weller
Betsy Randle
posted by me at 10:38 PM
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