Aug. 9 - another bad day
Sorry for all of the inactivity - we just returned from Seattle the day before yesterday, and yesterday I want to a Dave Matthews Band concert, so I'm getting back on track. I just finished two books, and the political world never sleeps, so I've got plenty on the way, believe me.
In the meantime, I wanted to take a minute to reflect on another crazy day in history. Since I read a lot about history, two pretty big things happened on this date that I was not around to witness, and one from the world of sports that I do remember, and I'll never forget.
I suppose I'll go in chronological order, since it's tough to pick between the first two:
Sixty-two years ago today, the U.S. dropped the second atomic bomb on Nagasaki, Japan. It barely gets a mention in the U.S. media, but in Japan, it's observed each and every year. Since the number of survivors from both atomic bombings are shrinking by the year, observing the anniversaries of the atomic bombings takes on added importance in Japan (and it should in the U.S.). The photo above is often misidentified as being the Hiroshima bomb cloud, but it is in fact from the Nagasaki blast.
Above, people carry the head part of Virgin Mary image on Papal See in Nagasaki earlier today. The head part of the image was found amid debris of Urakami Cathedral in the suburbs of Nagasaki about two months after the bombing.
Above, people attend a ceremony held in front of the Statue of Peace at Nagasaki Peace Park earlier today. Nagasaki marked the 62nd anniversary of the world's second, and so far the last, atomic bomb attack with a somber ceremony and calls for the elimination of nuclear weapons worldwide. If I live another 50 years, I pray that I never live to see the horror of another nuclear weapon detonation on people. It's a realistic fear that we may indeed see one though, and in America.
Above, this photo from video, from HBO, shows atomic bomb survivor Etsuko Nagano holding a picture of herself as a child in Nagasaki, Japan, during the making in 2005 of the HBO documentary film White Light/Black Rain: The Destruction of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Filmmaker Steven Okazaki interviewed 14 survivors for the film, which premiered on HBO on Monday, Aug. 6, 62 years after the U.S. detonated the atomic bomb on Hiroshima.
This weekend I'm going to watch the HBO film, and I'll bring you my thoughts on it. Here's a short clip from the film...
Today's probably the single biggest day in history that gave us the media coverage and political system we have today. (And, an annoyance - the reason we have "-gate" as a suffix to any political scandal of note.)
Thirty-three years ago today, President Nixon resigned in disgrace for abusing his power, attempting to subvert the Constitution, and thinking he was above the law. Sound familiar? It should.
Anyone who lived through Watergate can never forget Nixon's hubris to the very end of his presidency and beyond. I was three years old on August 9, 1974, so I don't remember, but the subject has always been one of fascination with me, and probably always will be, as long as good books continue to be churned out about he Nixon presidency. (And that's showing no signs of slowing down.) Above, Nixon does his ridiculous victory wave before he boards Marine One for his trip into exile in San Clemente, California.
Tell me if you notice the difference...
Between this...
...and this.
Nixon's resignation didn't hurt the country then, and Bush's impeachment wouldn't hurt the country now. Nixon more than deserved his fate, and the Bush presidency deserves a similar ending - impeachment. He'd never resign, and it looks like the Democrats are allowing Bush to get away with the many, many subversions of the law over the last nearly seven years.
Compared to the other two, the Wayne Gretzky trade pales in comparison, but it was my worst day ever as a sports fan - when the defending Stanley Cup Champion Edmonton Oilers traded Wayne Gretzky to the Los Angeles Kings on this day 19 years ago in 1988. I would argue that it is right up there with the trade that brought Babe Ruth to the New York Yankees as one of the worst sports trades in the history of professional sports. This trade was that huge.
The entire nation of Canada, where hockey is the first, second and third biggest sport, was outraged. I still remember where I was and who told me - my friend Brian called me up and said, "Hey man, Gretzky just got traded." I didn't even believe him - I thought he was kidding. I turned on the TV, and for one of the few times since I was a little kid, I sat down and cried over sports. (I also did when Gretz played his last game as a Ranger in 1999 when he retired.)
The Oilers' Cup victory in 1990 eased the pain a little, but it's difficult not to wonder how many Cups the Oilers could have won had #99 not been traded. It's almost too painful to contemplate. I'm guessing the team could have won at least 2-3 more championships above the five it won from 1984-1990, but we'll never know.
August 9 - not a fun date when I think about it.
Top photo AP file photo
Second & third photos AP/Kyodo News
Fourth photo AP/HBO
In the meantime, I wanted to take a minute to reflect on another crazy day in history. Since I read a lot about history, two pretty big things happened on this date that I was not around to witness, and one from the world of sports that I do remember, and I'll never forget.
I suppose I'll go in chronological order, since it's tough to pick between the first two:
Sixty-two years ago today, the U.S. dropped the second atomic bomb on Nagasaki, Japan. It barely gets a mention in the U.S. media, but in Japan, it's observed each and every year. Since the number of survivors from both atomic bombings are shrinking by the year, observing the anniversaries of the atomic bombings takes on added importance in Japan (and it should in the U.S.). The photo above is often misidentified as being the Hiroshima bomb cloud, but it is in fact from the Nagasaki blast.
Above, people carry the head part of Virgin Mary image on Papal See in Nagasaki earlier today. The head part of the image was found amid debris of Urakami Cathedral in the suburbs of Nagasaki about two months after the bombing.
Above, people attend a ceremony held in front of the Statue of Peace at Nagasaki Peace Park earlier today. Nagasaki marked the 62nd anniversary of the world's second, and so far the last, atomic bomb attack with a somber ceremony and calls for the elimination of nuclear weapons worldwide. If I live another 50 years, I pray that I never live to see the horror of another nuclear weapon detonation on people. It's a realistic fear that we may indeed see one though, and in America.
Above, this photo from video, from HBO, shows atomic bomb survivor Etsuko Nagano holding a picture of herself as a child in Nagasaki, Japan, during the making in 2005 of the HBO documentary film White Light/Black Rain: The Destruction of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Filmmaker Steven Okazaki interviewed 14 survivors for the film, which premiered on HBO on Monday, Aug. 6, 62 years after the U.S. detonated the atomic bomb on Hiroshima.This weekend I'm going to watch the HBO film, and I'll bring you my thoughts on it. Here's a short clip from the film...
Today's probably the single biggest day in history that gave us the media coverage and political system we have today. (And, an annoyance - the reason we have "-gate" as a suffix to any political scandal of note.)
Thirty-three years ago today, President Nixon resigned in disgrace for abusing his power, attempting to subvert the Constitution, and thinking he was above the law. Sound familiar? It should.
Anyone who lived through Watergate can never forget Nixon's hubris to the very end of his presidency and beyond. I was three years old on August 9, 1974, so I don't remember, but the subject has always been one of fascination with me, and probably always will be, as long as good books continue to be churned out about he Nixon presidency. (And that's showing no signs of slowing down.) Above, Nixon does his ridiculous victory wave before he boards Marine One for his trip into exile in San Clemente, California.Tell me if you notice the difference...
Between this...
...and this.Nixon's resignation didn't hurt the country then, and Bush's impeachment wouldn't hurt the country now. Nixon more than deserved his fate, and the Bush presidency deserves a similar ending - impeachment. He'd never resign, and it looks like the Democrats are allowing Bush to get away with the many, many subversions of the law over the last nearly seven years.
Compared to the other two, the Wayne Gretzky trade pales in comparison, but it was my worst day ever as a sports fan - when the defending Stanley Cup Champion Edmonton Oilers traded Wayne Gretzky to the Los Angeles Kings on this day 19 years ago in 1988. I would argue that it is right up there with the trade that brought Babe Ruth to the New York Yankees as one of the worst sports trades in the history of professional sports. This trade was that huge.The entire nation of Canada, where hockey is the first, second and third biggest sport, was outraged. I still remember where I was and who told me - my friend Brian called me up and said, "Hey man, Gretzky just got traded." I didn't even believe him - I thought he was kidding. I turned on the TV, and for one of the few times since I was a little kid, I sat down and cried over sports. (I also did when Gretz played his last game as a Ranger in 1999 when he retired.)
The Oilers' Cup victory in 1990 eased the pain a little, but it's difficult not to wonder how many Cups the Oilers could have won had #99 not been traded. It's almost too painful to contemplate. I'm guessing the team could have won at least 2-3 more championships above the five it won from 1984-1990, but we'll never know.
August 9 - not a fun date when I think about it.
Top photo AP file photo
Second & third photos AP/Kyodo News
Fourth photo AP/HBO
Labels: Edmonton Oilers, Nagasaki, President Nixon, Watergate, Wayne Gretzky
posted by RJ at 7:39 PM
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