2018 Summary -- December 31, 2018

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We spent the year learning more and more about the misfeasances, malfeasances and nonfeasances of our so-called President and his corrupt cronies. In May, they announced a zero-tolerance immigration policy, which involved arresting anyone who crossed the border without authorization, taking their children away and locking the children up in cages in concentration camps.  By June, there were huge demonstrations against this government child abuse.  Even though a judge ordered that families be reunified, the haphazard methods used by ICE left many children stuck in concentration camps.

In January, I wrote about the 100th anniversary of President Woodrow Wilson stating his Fourteen Points, a peace proposal. I wrote about the 50th anniversary of the recording of Johnny Cash at Folsom Prison.

I wrote about the 200th birthday of Norton I, Emperor of the United States and Protector of Mexico.  I wrote about the 100th birthday of slide guitarist Elmore James.  I wrote about the 75th birthday of singer Janis Joplin.

In January, Astronaut John Young died, but I did not write about him. Gospel singer Edwin Hawkins died.  Trumpeter and anti-apartheid activist Hugh Masakela died.  Cartoonist Mort Walker died.

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In February, another school shooting in Florida drove the survivors to fight against the NRA and the craven politicians who kowtow to them.  I like these kids.

In February I wrote about the 50th anniversary of the debut of Penn Central.  I wrote about the 100th anniversary of the death of heavyweight champ John L Sullivan.  I wrote about the 100th anniversary of the opening of San Francisco's Twin Peaks Tunnel.  I wrote about the 100th anniversary of Lieutenant Stephen W Thompson (no relation) scoring the first aerial victory by a member of the US armed forces. I wrote about the 100th anniversary of the Lafayette Escadrille disbanding and its members joining the US Army Air Service.

I wrote about the 150th birthday of scholar and activist WEB DuBois.  I wrote about the 75th birthday of Beatle George Harrison.

Billy Graham died in February; I didn't write about him.

In honor of the beginning of the Lunar New Year, the Year of the Dog, I posted an image of Strongheart. On the day of the Chinese New Year parade, I posted an image of Rin-Tin-Tin.

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In March, kids led the March for Our Lives, calling for gun control.

In March, we observed the 100th anniversary of the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk, which allowed Russia to make a  separate peace with Germany. We observed the 100th anniversary of the start of the German Spring Offensive, Operation Michael.

I wrote about the 100th anniversary of the death of magician Chung Ling Soo, who was mortally wounded onstage performing the Bullet Catch.

I wrote about the 50th anniversary of the death of Yuri Gagarin, the first man in space.

I wrote about the 150th birthdays of writer Booth Tarkington and historian Henry Adams.  I wrote about the 125th birthdays of poet Wilfrid Owen and writer Wanda Gág.  I wrote about the 100th birthdays of writer Mickey Spillane and singer Pearl Bailey.  I wrote about the 75th birthdays of Sly Stone and George Benson.

Stephen Hawking died.

Easter Sunday fell on April 1.  In April, the Giants celebrated the 60th anniversary of their first game in San Francisco. I wrote about a Facebook challenge for which I listed my ten favorite record albums.  We marked the 100th anniversary of Paul Baer becoming the first person to become an ace while flying for the US military, and the 100th anniversary of Eddie Rickenbacker scoring his first victory.  We celebrated International Jazz Day.

In April, we marked the 50th anniversary of the murder of Dr Martin Luther King, Jr. We marked the 100th anniversary of the death of the Red Baron, Manfred von Richtofen.

In April, Cecil Taylor, Bob Dorough and Harry Anderson died.  Former First Lady Barbara Bush and former San Francisco Supervisor Doris Ward died, but I did not write about them.

In May, we celebrated the 125th anniversary of the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago.  I posted an interesting article about "How to Pronounce War Words."  We marked the 100th anniversary of René Fonck shooting down six German planes in one day.  We marked the 100th anniversary of the first scheduled airmail service flown by the United States Postal Service.  We marked the 100th birthday of the death of fighter pilot Raoul Lufbery. We marked the 100th birthday of George Welch, one the two Army aviators who was able to get his fighter plane into the air during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. 

I wrote about the 300th birthday of New Orleans. I posted a photo of California Poppies in bloom.

I made a variation in my Coulter series, posting his obituary from 1936.

Authors Tom Wolfe and Phillip Roth died.

In June I wrote about child abuse by ICE agents and our government.  I wrote about the new aerial tram at the Transbay Transit Center.

In June, I wrote about the 125th anniversary of the collision of two Italian battleships, the Victoria and the Camperdown.  I wrote about the 100th anniversary of the death of Australian ace Roderic Stanley Dallas. I wrote about the 50th anniversary of the death of Robert Kennedy.  I wrote about the 100th anniversary of American Douglas Campbell becoming an ace.  I wrote about the 100th anniversary of the death of Italian ace Francesco Baracca.

We noted the 125th birthday of author Dorothy L Sayers. We noted the 125th anniversary of the death of Leland Stanford.

In June, Red Schoendienst of the Cardinals died, but I didn't write about him. I wrote about the death of author Harlan Ellison.

I wrote about a blog challenge that I did on my other blog.

New York Tribune, 20-July-1918

In July I wrote about a train ride at Ardenwood Farm.  I wrote about the Twin Peaks tunnel being closed for refurbishment.

In July, I got tired of writing about young aviators who got killed, so I wrote about one who survived, William Thaw II.  I wrote about the death of British ace William McCudden.  I wrote about the death of Quentin Roosevelt in a dogfight.  I wrote about the death of ace Mick Mannock.  I wrote about the death of Austro-Hungarian ace Frank Linke-Crawford.

For my monthly Coulter item, I posted an image of the HMS Formidable.  Coulter subject usually centered around San Francisco Bay or the coast of California.

I wrote about the 100th anniversary of the sinking of RMS Carpathia.  I wrote about the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the USS San Diego.

I wrote about Nelson Mandela's 100th birthday.

I was finally driven to write something about our so-called president when he openly committed treason in Helsinki.

San Francisco Call, 08-December-1912

In August, I wrote about the continued disgraceful performance of our so-called president.

I wrote about how actor Actor James O'Neill, father of playwright Eugene O'Neill, spent a significant portion of his career playing Edmond Dantes, The Count of Monte Cristo.

I wrote about the 100th anniversary of the Battle of Ambos Nogales.

I wrote about the 100th anniversary of the  last German Zeppelin raid on Britain.  I wrote about the 100th anniversary of the day that French ace René Fonck shot down three airplanes in less than a minute. I wrote about the 100th anniversaries of the deaths of balloon busters Louis Bennett and x.

We celebrated the the 175th birthday of Firebelle Lil, Lillie Hitchcock Coit, 150th birthday of Zeppelin skipper Dr Hugo Eckener, the 125th birthday of writer Dorothy Parker, the 100th birthdays of vocalese master Eddie Jefferson and composer Leonard Bernstein and the 75th birthday of boxer Ken Norton.  . On the same day, we observed the 150th birthday of Huey Long, the Kingfish, the 100th birthday of Ted Williams, and the 75th anniversary of artist R Crumb. 

The Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin died.  Senator John McCain died.  Author VS Naipaul died.

Arizona Republican, 12-December-1918

In September and October we went through a hellish process which wound up installing a deeply unworthy person on the Supreme Court.  He and his buddies reminded me of the people who used to pick on me in school.

I used to avoid using this blog to promote my website about cable cars, but in September I decided to start posting a monthly notice of updates to the website.  I have been posting it for many years on a Yahoo email group, but membership in the group is shrinking away.

In September, I wrote about the annual Railroad Fair at Ardenwood Farm in Fremont.  The National Museum of Brazil in Rio de Janeiro was almost completely destroyed by a fire. I talked to junior high kids about the campaign for Women's Suffrage.

I posted a newspaper report about the great feat of Private Henry Johnson.

We celebrated the 125th birthdays of Claire Chennault and Blind Lemon Jefferson and the 75th birthday of Maria Muldaur.

I wrote about the death of Marty Balin.

I wrote about the 100th anniversary of the deaths of aviators Maurice Boyau and Frank Luke.

Daily Alta California, 22-October-1868

In October, in one awful week, we had three terrible developments.  A man tried to attack a black church so he could shoot people.  He couldn't get in, so he shot two black people at a grocery store.  The MAGA Bomber, a domestic terrorist, sent mail bombs to many people who have been demonized by our so-called president, including Hillary and Bill Clinton and the Obamas.  Then a man attacked a synagogue on Shabbat, killing at least 11 people.

I was happy to see the Dodgers lose the World Series. We visited the Museum of Ice Cream.

100 years ago, World War One was rushing to a climax.  On the same day, we marked the 100th anniversary of Alvin C York's remarkable feat and the relief of the Lost Battalion.  We also marked the 100th anniversaries of the death of pioneering fighter pilot Roland Garros and of former Major Leaguer Eddie Grant.  We observed the 100th anniversary of the Gillespie Shell Loading Plant.

We marked the 150th anniversary of the Hayward Earthquake of 1868.  We marked the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the Princess Sophia.

In October, Giants' great Willie McCovey died.  Giants' announcer Hank Greenwald also died. French singer, songwriter and activist Charles Aznavour and trumpeter and band leader Jerry González both died on the same day.

I did a bunch of "Halloween is coming" posts.

In November, a huge fire destroyed the town of Paradise. Heavy smoke hung in the Bay Area for ten days. At the end of the month, it began to rain.  There was a major earthquake in Alaska.

I revived the ragtime series.

The Democrats make a good showing the mid-term elections, winning back the House and doing well in the states.

Our ICE goons shot tear gas at small children and women who tried to cross the border from Mexico.

We marked the 100th anniversary of the death of poet Wilfrid Owen.  

We observed the 100th birthdays of Bob Feller and Madeline L'Engle and the 75th birthday of Joni Mitchell.  

In November, Stan Lee and Ricky Jay died.  President George Bush died.  

San Francisco Call, 16-June-1900

In December, the walls began to cave in on our so-called President, who was the subject of 17 separate investigations on both the Federal and state levels. Two of the kidnapped children died in ICE custody.

We marked the 100th birthdays of Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, Professor Longhair and Joe Williams  and the 75th birthdays of Jim Morrison, Grover Washington, Jr and Keith Richards.

We marked the 75th anniversary of the death of Fats Waller and the 50th anniversary of the death of John Steinbeck.

Pete Shelley of the Buzzcocks, Penny Marshall and Nancy Wilson died.