Let's Talk about Unimportant Stuff

Some days I just don't want to look at what's happening around this rock we live on. Sometimes it's nice to just kick back and talk about the unimportant stuff... don't you think? Well, today is a good day for that. So, let's find something unimportant. Today is the March Equinox, which means Spring officially starts in the Northern Hemisphere at 1:14 am EDT. My friends in Florida have been saying that it has felt like Spring for a while now but here is Southern California we have had a beautifully mild winter that looks like it may last a few more days (cool nights, warm afternoons and rain about 1 day out of 10). Spring is always a great time of the year. Sweaters and wind-breakers instead of heavy coats, birds chirping, flowers blooming, sinus attacks every morning, insects invading homes looking for food.... oh, sorry... Well, you get the idea. It's just a good time to stop any enjoy the outdoors a little before the summer makes it too hot to move.

For you history buffs here are a few interesting, if useless, pieces of information. On this day in 1922 the USS Langley is commissioned. The Langley was the first US aircraft carrier, ships that just 20 years later would change the shape of war for all time.

 Oh and for you Sherlock Holmes fans (Margaret), "A Scandal in Bohemia", the first of Arthur Conan Doyle's 56 Sherlock Holmes short stories to be published in The Strand Magazine started in 1890. It was the first Sherlock Holmes story illustrated by Sidney Paget. (Two of the four Sherlock Holmes novels – A Study in Scarlet and The Sign of the Four – preceded the short story cycle). Doyle ranked "A Scandal in Bohemia" fifth in his list of his twelve favorite Holmes stories.

A friend sent me this picture and I thought I'd share it with you. It is the crew of the USS Constitution (Old Ironsides) marching in Boston's Saint Patrick's Day Parade. Old Ironsides is getting made ready for sea right now. They are going to sail her around the country to take part in several Fleet Week Celebrations. I hope she stops near here. I would love to see her again and stand on the Quarterdeck where men like Decatur and Preble once paced in battle.

And one last piece of unimportant trivia about today: In 1952 - Actor/comedian Danny Kaye hosted the 24th Annual Academy Awards, held at the RKO Pantages Theater (still in operation today) in Los Angeles and it was upset night. Humphrey Bogart surprised the ‘experts’ by winning an Academy Award for "African Queen". Most thought that Marlon Brando would win Best Actor for "A Streetcar Named Desire". The top film was Arthur Freed’s "An American in Paris". Critics had already decided that "A Place in The Sun" or "Streetcar" would walk away with the coveted Oscar for Best Picture of 1951. So much for the "experts"! Of course both pictures did win golden statues. Best Director was George Stevens for "A Place in the Sun". "A Streetcar Named Desire" won awards for Karl Malden (Best Supporting Actor and another of my favorites), Vivien Leigh (Best Actress) and Kim Hunter (Best Supporting Actress).

Yeah, I know, time to quit and re-enter the real world. Well, we'll do that tomorrow. For today, just kick back, smell the roses, and enjoy the start of Spring....

Live Long and Prosper....