Welcome to the Wannaskan Almanac for Friday.
Today is the birthday in 1838 of Henry Adams, born into one of the preeminent political families in America. His grandfather was John Quincy Adams and his great-grandfather was John Adams, one of the founding fathers. Henry was more interested in writing about politics than engaging in it. His father Charles served as ambassador to Britain during the Civil War and Henry served as his secretary. They were kept busy trying to foil the schemes of Confederate agents at the British court.
After the war Henry worked as a journalist in Washington and as a professor of history at Harvard. He wrote several books, most famous being his own autobiography, The Education of Henry Adams, considered one of the greatest non-fiction works of the twentieth century. His life was marred by the suicide of his wife in 1885. His reputation is blackened by his virulent anti-Semitism and his distrust of the common man to govern himself.
It is also the birthday in 1884 of Robert Flaherty, father of the documentary film. Flaherty was born in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. His father was an iron miner and after school Flaherty traveled to northern Canada to prospect for iron. He became fascinated with the life the Inuit. his boss suggested he get a movie camera and that was the end of prospecting for Flaherty. His first film was burned up in a fire started by his cigarette, so he returned to Northern Quebec for a re-shoot. He was interested in the the old ways and insisted that the Inuit not use rifles for hunting, even though they had been using them for decades. The film Nanook of the North, was a great success and Flaherty went on to make several documentaries, in the South Seas and on Irealnd's Aran Islands. He had an affair with his lead actress in Nanook and left her pregnant. He never acknowledged his son, which has left a black mark on his reputation.
It's also the birthday in 1941 of Kim Jong-Il, former supreme leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea). His father was Kim Il-sung, first leader of North Korea and his son Kim Jong-un is the current leader. In western eyes, his reputation is completely black. His father, who had fought the Japanese and later the U.S. became supreme leader in 1948. He was a dictator, but at least he listened to his advisors. Kim Jong-il took over after his father's death in 1997 and required absolute obedience from his underlings. He was good at politics, but incompetent about the economy which led to a great famine in the 1990's. Kim, like his father, feared flying and always travelled by armored train. While traveling, he had lobsters flown in daily which he consumed with silver chopsticks. He loved movies and music. He went as far as to kidnap a South Korean movie director to get a film industry started in the north.. He was obsessed with Elvis to the point of copying his jumpsuits and bouffant hairdo. When Kim died, the press reported that a raging blizzard paused, "the sky glowed red above the sacred Mount Paektu" and the ice on a famous lake also cracked so loud that it seemed to "shake the Heavens and the Earth."
Winter in Shakespeare's day wasn't as bad as in Wannaska, but remember that he did not have access to propane:
Today is the birthday in 1838 of Henry Adams, born into one of the preeminent political families in America. His grandfather was John Quincy Adams and his great-grandfather was John Adams, one of the founding fathers. Henry was more interested in writing about politics than engaging in it. His father Charles served as ambassador to Britain during the Civil War and Henry served as his secretary. They were kept busy trying to foil the schemes of Confederate agents at the British court.
After the war Henry worked as a journalist in Washington and as a professor of history at Harvard. He wrote several books, most famous being his own autobiography, The Education of Henry Adams, considered one of the greatest non-fiction works of the twentieth century. His life was marred by the suicide of his wife in 1885. His reputation is blackened by his virulent anti-Semitism and his distrust of the common man to govern himself.
It is also the birthday in 1884 of Robert Flaherty, father of the documentary film. Flaherty was born in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. His father was an iron miner and after school Flaherty traveled to northern Canada to prospect for iron. He became fascinated with the life the Inuit. his boss suggested he get a movie camera and that was the end of prospecting for Flaherty. His first film was burned up in a fire started by his cigarette, so he returned to Northern Quebec for a re-shoot. He was interested in the the old ways and insisted that the Inuit not use rifles for hunting, even though they had been using them for decades. The film Nanook of the North, was a great success and Flaherty went on to make several documentaries, in the South Seas and on Irealnd's Aran Islands. He had an affair with his lead actress in Nanook and left her pregnant. He never acknowledged his son, which has left a black mark on his reputation.
It's also the birthday in 1941 of Kim Jong-Il, former supreme leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea). His father was Kim Il-sung, first leader of North Korea and his son Kim Jong-un is the current leader. In western eyes, his reputation is completely black. His father, who had fought the Japanese and later the U.S. became supreme leader in 1948. He was a dictator, but at least he listened to his advisors. Kim Jong-il took over after his father's death in 1997 and required absolute obedience from his underlings. He was good at politics, but incompetent about the economy which led to a great famine in the 1990's. Kim, like his father, feared flying and always travelled by armored train. While traveling, he had lobsters flown in daily which he consumed with silver chopsticks. He loved movies and music. He went as far as to kidnap a South Korean movie director to get a film industry started in the north.. He was obsessed with Elvis to the point of copying his jumpsuits and bouffant hairdo. When Kim died, the press reported that a raging blizzard paused, "the sky glowed red above the sacred Mount Paektu" and the ice on a famous lake also cracked so loud that it seemed to "shake the Heavens and the Earth."
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| Proper Gander |
Winter in Shakespeare's day wasn't as bad as in Wannaska, but remember that he did not have access to propane:
When icicles hang by the wall
And Dick the shepherd blows his nail
And Tom bears logs into the hall,
And milk comes frozen home in pail,
When Blood is nipped and ways be foul,
Then nightly sings the staring owl,
Tu-who;
Tu-whit, tu-who: a merry note,
While greasy Joan doth keel the pot.
When all aloud the wind doth blow,
And coughing drowns the parson's saw,
And birds sit brooding in the snow,
And Marian's nose looks red and raw
When roasted crabs hiss in the bowl,
Then nightly sings the staring owl,
Tu-who;
Tu-whit, tu-who: a merry note,
While greasy Joan doth keel the pot.
Check back Sunday for Squibs by @jmcdonnell123
Check back Sunday for Squibs by @jmcdonnell123
The owl knows:
ReplyDeleteA wise old owl sat in an oak,
The more he heard, the less he spoke;
The less he spoke, the more he heard;
Why aren't we all like that wise old bird?
Better like the owl than poor old Joan.