Good Morning and Welcome to the May Fields of Good News, “may-nured” by the off-scourings of other News and composted into blooms of Hope, the cross-fertilization of cross-pollination to distill into the essences of essential oils of Gladness and the vintages of Vitality for the living of these days. (No, I’m not quite sure just what this sentence means (apart from the run-on-ing-ness…..and for the sentence-diagram docents among us: knock yourselves out!)…..but it just flowed…..)
Green Good News
Years ago the Green Movement came up with a very useful term: “carbon neutral.” It is something of a stop-gap, to keep things from getting worse until renewables can move center stage. The idea is when using energy (usually fossil fuel based, and so releasing carbon (dioxide) into the atmosphere---global warming,) but offsetting this by using various other technologies and techniques to cut back this carbon release. The plus and minus being equal, the activity is called “carbon neutral.” This sort of re-framing of environmental matters has sent all sorts of brainy humans off in new directions to help make a greener world.
Now comes THIS STORY from Denver of a new building going up, finished in an “Aspen” façade that is being billed as “carbon NEGATIVE”. IOW, this structure, from the very construction techniques being used right now to its operational life when it goes into use, is designed to remove MORE carbon from the atmosphere than it generates, and thus “carbon negative.” And what a look!
Historical Good News
May 19ths that have prime-numbered their way through centuries of Mays, replete (replete I say) with May Days, May poles, May-ing, May Queens, and even “Mother, May I’s?”, assembled in serried files of Good and festooned ranks of Goofy, all to launch your Third Thursday of this Month.
1616 Stuttgart, Germany Birth of Johann Jakob Froberger, composer, keyboardist. Composer of a very early (look at that birth year!) and yet very rich set of musical pieces for almost anything with a keyboard: organ, harpsichord, clavichord, early pianos. At his own insistence he only permitted 2 of his own works to be set in type and published in his lifetime (died 1667 at 51; 18 years before the birth of JS Bach and GF Handel, both in 1685.) Despite his hesitancy, hand-copied versions of his works circulated all across Europe for decades (and he wrote over 700 pieces, so there was a LOT in circulation.) His stuff was considered SO GOOD that anyone who wanted to learn anything with a keyboard (except an accordion—whew!) used Froberger. Music scholars can show Handel, Bach, Pachelbel and even Mozart copied out Froberger’s works and exercises as part of their studies. Talk about a key if unknown character and talent……
Good News from an Un-Quiet Woman….#1
1774 New York City On this day the leading company of the United Society of Believers in Christ's Second Appearing arrive by ship from Liverpool. Ann Lee and eight other “Shakers”, an offshoot from the Quakers, have fled to the Colonies to escape religious persecution. They become the first American conscientious objectors on religious grounds and were jailed during the American Revolution in 1776. While celibacy became a requirement for Catholic clergy in the Middle Ages, the Shakers, in their expectation of the “any minute now” return of Christ decided celibacy would be a good thing for all their members; their chaste example would show their devotion and attract others to be on the Jesus Welcoming Committee. It didn’t work and the sect died out……but living out a maxim of “hearts to God, hands to work” they produced an iconic form of home furnishings (“Shaker” tables, chests, etc. of clean, simple lines and pleasing proportions.)
++++++++++++++
And yes…..you can buy “Shaker” and “Shaker-inspired” furniture and bits of home decor on Amazon (along with everything else.) If you do, of course, the next 3 months of your life on your phone will feature ads for Shaker-related stuff, with a cheery invitation. “Hey Fredericka, I see you recently purchased a 12 piece Shaker dining room set (with free delivery!) Would you like to look at these OTHER dining room sets for other rooms in your home(s)? Click here now!” OTOH, the spare-living, non-greed, anti-materialist Shakers, living their crisply ordered, satisfied lives, would never have to imagine, let alone face, the pressures of Jeff Bezos land.
It sure looks like the gauchos of regulators and attorneys general both here and abroad are trying to herd Amazon into less greedy pastures and keep their cotton-pickin’ fingers out of our personal lives and private data. THIS STORY says the bolas/boleadoras are about to fly and wrap around Jeff Bezos’ corporate knees…..and we will all cheer like fans at an Argentinian rodeo.
++++++++++++++++++++
Un-Quiet Woman #2
1879 Danville, Virginia Birth of Nancy Witcher Langhorne, 8th of 11 children of a railroad president. At age 20 married Robert Gould Shaw II, cousin of the Civil War colonel (54th Mass. Movie: “Glory”). Sadly, it was an unhappy marriage that ended in divorce 4 years later in 1903. She took her sadness abroad and toured England, fell in love with the country and moved there with 2 of her sisters (one of whom was the wife of Charles Dana Gibson, the designer of ‘the Gibson Girl’ style; his wife/her sister was one of his models). Charming, witty and well-liked in high circles, Nancy re-married in 1906, oddly enough to an ex-patriate American like herself, Waldorf Astor (of the Astor fur trade fortune.) Despite his American birth, his wealth had “arranged” for him to become a peer (Lord Astor), so she became the Lady Astor. A bold, progressive, even radical woman, she got involved in politics and in 1919 became the first woman in history elected as a member of the British House of Commons. Served until 1945. Famously, she had several running spats with Winston Churchill (a couple of originators of the concept of “frenemies”) A) Churchill asked a group in a room what he might wear as a disguise to a masquerade ball. The Lady Astor offered, “Why don’t you come sober, Mr. Churchill? No one would recognize you then.” B) In a 1930s debate in Parliament Astor angrily told Churchill at one point, “Sir, if I were your wife, I’d put poison in your coffee.” Winston instantly replied, “Madam, if I were your husband, I’d drink it.” Back in 2019 a public statue was put up to her in England to note the 100th anniversary of the 1st female MP. Controversial to this day because Astor was far from a saint: A) she was anti-Catholic and known for her anti-Semitism B) she had several nice things to say publicly about Hitler. Her statue has been vandalized at times with a spray-painted sign of ‘Nazi.’
+++++++
Mechanical engineering student Jared Mauldin never met the Lady Astor but by gum, he counts as an ally, both of her and of women everywhere. Engineering as a field has had a sad, even nasty, history of misogyny and there are many amends to be made. But at Eastern Washington State University back in 2015, engineer-in-the-making and already a real mensch , Mauldin got this Letter to the Editor published in the student newspaper. It went viral…..and should have!
1898 Washington DC A few years back the US Congress had established that the US Post Office could start selling a new form of mail: postcards. Now this day Congress passed and President McKinley signed the Private Mailing Card Act which allows private publishers and printers to produce postcards. Spinning racks of bent wire begin appearing in drug stores, diners, train stations and newsstands across America. After all, now you can send a PICTURE postcard to envious neighbors telling them you are “having a wonderful time. Wish you were here.”
Un-Quiet Woman #3
1903 Columbus, Ohio (I was born in Toledo but raised in Columbus, my hometown. And yes, I’m an OSU Buckeye, and very proud to bring you…) Birth of Ruth Ella Moore, scientist and bacteriologist. She had the brains and chance to attend Ohio State, graduated, and then stayed for her Master’s. In 1933 she became the first African American woman to earn a doctorate in a natural science field. She joined the faculty at Howard University (Washington DC) eventually becoming head of the Department of Bacteriology. She did extensive research into tuberculosis and immunology. She also did significant work on the impact of antibiotics on gut bacteria (the good kind of bacteria.) Thanks to Dr. Moore’s work right at the beginning of the Antibiotic Age, we pay a lot more attention to that bacteria, ‘Activia’ yogurt exists for sale, and doctors are far more careful prescribing antibiotics because the effect these have on overall good health.
+++++++
Un-Quiet Woman #4
Women of history who have NOT been quiet deserve mentions at all times and in all places. In the living of these days, we have many women who now carry on the devout power of Ann Lee, in the snapping power of Nancy-Lady Astor, and in the concentrated, focused power of Ruth Moore. And, if you would like to hear and see echoes of all three of these (and likely more) you may well enjoy Congresswoman Katie Porter bringing the Power Hammer down on the lately deposed Lord of the Lies in THIS MSNBC clip. 4 minutes of “do NOT under-estimate THIS woman!”
1945 Muir Woods, California Remember how President Jimmy Carter worked tirelessly to broker a peace deal in the Middle East? He deserves all sorts of accolades, and at the end, he invited Israel’s Begin and Egypt’s Sadat not just to the US but took them to Camp David. There, in that secluded, woodsy setting, the 3 found the words that helped move an entire region from War to Peace. But Carter had precedent using the ministrations of Nature to calm and inspire humans. World War II has forged dozens of nations together to fight off fascism, calling themselves the United Nations. Trying to learn from the failure of the League of Nations after World War I, this wartime organization now moves to try to do the things that make for peace. Although President Roosevelt has died suddenly in the last month, the UN Charter committee takes up the late President on his suggestion (which he relayed from Interior Secretary Ickes). They are struggling to write a charter for the organization and Ickes & Roosevelt suggested they get out of San Francisco (temporary home of the UN) and meet in Muir Woods. One of the sessions “might be held among the giant redwoods in Muir Woods. Not only would this focus attention upon the nation’s interest in preserving these mighty trees for posterity, but in such a “temple of peace" the delegates would gain a perspective and sense of time that could be obtained nowhere better than in such a forest." The Charter still stands…..only partly fulfilled, but still stands…..(I have not been there. Is there a plaque or marker to note this session of the Charter Committee?)
1963 Birmingham, Alabama. Rev. Martin Luther King had been arrested a few days before for leading a march in Birmingham. Today the press published his thoughts from his cell, “A Letter from the Birmingham Jail” defending his actions, describing and denouncing racism and segregation, and making his case for non-violent resistance to both. A core text of the Civil Rights Movement.
1974 Budapest, Hungary Dr. Erno Rubik, professor of architecture and of sculpture, this day finished inventing a three-dimensional puzzle with seemingly infinite moving parts. It was manufactured and became an international bestseller carrying its inventor’s name: Rubik's Cube. (No, it is NOT possible this happened 48 years ago; it happened awhile back, a few years ago, but still…..it couldn’t be…..nahhhh…….really?......)
Good News for a more equitable World
So yes, friends and neighbors, there WAS a time when Republicans were actual public servants and added their voices and strength to the American experiment.
The party got off to a fabulous start, with an obscure yet canny student of human nature coming on stage at a time of utter national crisis and salvaging and resetting the cause of Democracy. He advanced human rights in a towering way, and had other words of wisdom on a fair variety of public matters. Take for instance this take on economics: “Labor is prior to, and independent of, capital. Capital is only the fruit of labor, and could never have existed if labor had not first existed. Labor is the superior of capital, and deserves much the higher consideration.”
That observation is fairly well known. But if we are ever going to move toward a more equitable world that reins in and reforms the excesses of capitalism, it won’t hurt one bit to be able to drop into the Public Debate that Republican Lincoln was in favor of a…...wealth tax (i.e. not a tax on what you earn in a year----although the Civil War Congress did impose an income tax on the wealthy as a war measure to finance the Union effort---and with success. A wealth tax is a levy on assets you already have, like what is your car worth after allowing for the loan balance. What makes it confusing is both income and wealth are expressed in dollars.)
This Article from Washington DC (and taking a tour through a Washington state newspaper on a re-print holiday) lays out just how Progressives can enlist Republican Abraham Lincoln in the fight for a wealth tax. “Its Bi-Partisan!”…….”Republicans in Disarray: McConnell attacks Lincoln!” …...”Progressives, Democrats, Independents and even Lincoln Republicans are all united about a wealth tax against the Fascists, Murdoch-ians at Faux Noise, and the Putin/American Oligarchs/1%”.
Here’s hoping this Good News Round Up gets your Thursday off to a Good Start, gives you a Good Day, and brings you to a Good Evening of Good News.
May all your News be Good, comforting, and inspiring.
Shalom.