2022 Summary -- December 31, 2022

listal.com

2022 was an interesting year. In January, I started teaching technology and coding to kids in Kindergarten through Fourth Grade at Good Shepherd School in Pacifica. COVID-19 carried on.

New York Evening World, 23-January-1922

In January, Russia moved masses of troops to the borders of Ukraine. 

I started a new series on radio, mostly looking back 100 years. I started a new series about Sherlock Holmes films released 100 years ago in the US.

I wrote about the 175th anniversary of the town of Yerba Buena becoming San Francisco, the 150th anniversary of the murder of Jim Fisk, Jr, and the 100th anniversary of the collapse of the roof of the Knickerbocker Theater in Washington, DC. I wrote about the 100th anniversary of Will Hays becoming Motion Picture Producers and Distributors of America.

I noted what would have been the 150th birthdays of Julia Morgan and Zane Grey, the 100th birthdays of Betty White and Alvin Dark and the 75th birthdays of David Bowie and Warren Zevon. 

I posted about the 100th anniversary of the death of Nellie Bly and the 75th anniversaries of the deaths of Josh Gibson and Al Capone. 

I wrote about the passing of Ronnie Spector. 

In February, Russia invaded Ukraine. They expected a quick victory, but the Ukrainians have slowed them down. The Russians have committed many war crimes. 

The Omicron variant of the TrumpVirus appeared to have peaked. Most of the counties in California were revising their mask mandates.

The baseball owners locked out the players, resulting in a late start for Spring Training. 

I became an employee at Good Shepherd School in Pacifica. 

We watched the 2022 Winter Olympics from Beijing. It felt odd watching a Winter Olympics without snow.

I posted about Intenational Polar Bear Day. 

I had appendicitis. 

For some reason I started a new series about mules. I posted an ad for an appearance by Anna Pavlova in Arizona. I started a new series of Kodak ads. I noted the Lunar New Year, the Year of the Tiger. I wrote about the 100th anniversary of the destruction of the semi-rigid airship Roma.

I noted what would have been Thomas Edison's 175th birthday. I wrote about the 150th birthday of pitcher Old Hoss Radbourne. I noted the 125th birthday of singer Marian Anderson. I wrote about the 75th birthday of Dave Davies.  

I wrote about the death of Richard Hadlock, musician, author and disc jockey.

In March, the Ukrainians continued to stand up to the Russian invaders. In the past, I would have assumed that some of the stories of Russian atrocities were propaganda, but there are many videos and other pieces of evidence. 

Congress passed the Emmett Till Anti-lynching Act and President Joe Biden signed it.

Many public transit agencies repealed their mask mandates. BART continues to require masks. 

The baseball players remained locked out by the owners. 

Gas prices rose to over $6 a gallon. 

We saw the Saint Patrick's Day parade for the first time in years. We cheered for a group from Good Shepherd School in Pacifica. 

I wrote about the 175th anniversary of Alexander Graham Bell's birth, the 100th anniversaries of the births of Jack Kerouac and King Pleasure and the 75th birthdays of Ry Cooder and Elton John. 

I noted the 100th anniversary of the deaths of comedian Bert Williams and magician Harry Kellar. 

I wrote about the death of Madeline Albright. 

Minneapolis Star, 29-April-1922

In April the Russians continued to lose personnel and material in Ukraine.

The owners settled with the players and the baseball season began one week late.

I wrote about the 100th anniversaries of the publication of F Scott Fitzgerald's second novel and the first mid-air collision of two airliners and the 75th anniversary of Jackie Robinson breaking the major league color line. I wrote about the 75th anniversary of Babe Ruth Day at Yankee Stadium.

I wrote about the 100th anniversary of the births of Charles Mingus and Toots Thielemans and the 75th birthdays of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Iggy Pop.

I wrote about the 100th anniversary of the death of flier Ross Smith.

abc news

In May, a white supremacist, with the help of the National Rifle Association, Texas Governor Gregg Abbott, the Republican Party and Russia used an AR-15 style weapon to slaughter 19 students and 2 teachers at a school in Uvalde Texas.

The Ukranians continued to hold out against the Russian invasion. 

I received my second COVID-19 booster. 

The Giants held Buster Posey Day to celebrate their recently retired catcher.

On International Workers' Day, I congratulated Starbuck's workers for starting a union. Starbuck's is still fighting against them .

I wrote about the 125th anniversary of the first publication of Bram Stoker's Dracula. 

I wrote about the 100th anniversary of the first broadcast of radio station KPO, which became KNBR.

I wrote about the 125th anniversary of the birth of Sidney Bechet and the 100th birthday of Christopher Lee.

I noted the 50th anniversary of Willie Mays being traded to the Mets.

I wrote about the deaths of Naomi Judd and Neal Adams.

abc7ny.com

In June a cabal of conservative Supreme Court justices, three of whom were appointed by our former so-called president, overturned Roe v Wade, allowing the states to decide if they wanted to ban abortion. Many people worry that next they will go after marriage equality and contraception. I haven't seen anyone mention it, but I am also worried about the ADA and Obamacare. 

The House January 6 Committee began its public hearings. Very interesting. 

Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson was sworn in as the first black female Supreme Court justice. 

I wrote about the celebration of Queen Elizabeth II's platinum jubilee.

Russia directed its focus on the eastern part of Ukraine. 

I finished the school year teaching technology and coding to grades K-4 at Good Shepherd School in Pacifica. 

The Golden State Warriors won their fourth NBA championship in eight years. 

In June I noted what would have been the 125th birthday of Memphis Minnie. I wrote about what would have been the 100th birthdays of Judy Garland and Jake LaMotta. They were born on the same day. 

I expressed my approval of the 75th anniversary of the death of gangster Bugsy Siegal. 

sfgiants.com

In July, the Giants retired Will Clark's jersey, number 22. There was a nice ceremony before the game and Clark gave an inspiring speech.

I wrote about the 125th anniversary of the start of the Yukon Gold Rush. 

I wrote about the 100th anniversary of the first sailing of coastwise liner H. F. Alexander. 

I wrote about the 75th anniversary of the second fight between Rocky Graziano and Tony Zale.

I wrote about what would have been the 200th birthday of poet Percy Bysshe Shelley. 

I noted what would have been the 125th birthday of aviatrix (great word) Amelia Earhart.

I wrote about the 100th birthdays of George McGovern, Hoyt Wilhelm and pianist Al Haig. 

I noted the 75th birthdays of Arlo Guthrie, Carlos Santana, and Roky Erickson. 

I wrote about the death of Bill Russell. 

August was an exciting month. Our former so-called president got his tiny, doll-like fingers stomped on. An FBI team with a search warrant found a large collection of documents, many with high security ratings, in his Florida flophouse. I am worried that he and his crime family may have sold secrets to foreign governments. 

Congress passed the first national gun control law in many years. Despite heavy Republican opposition, they passed a law improving health care for veterans. The CHIPS act will pour money into the domestic processor chip manufacturing sector to keep it competitive with overseas makers. The Inflation Reduction Act provided a wide range of help to people. 

Someone attacked author Salman Rushdie with a knife. He survived but was gravely wounded. 

The current leader of al Qaida died in a drone strike. 

I wrote about the 125th anniversary of the founding of the Olds Motor Vehicle Company. I wrote about the 100th anniversary of a wild game between the Cubs and the Phillies. 

I wrote about the 75th anniversary of the independence of India and Pakistan. 

I noted what would have been the 100th birthday of novelist Alain Robbe-Grillet. 

I wrote about the 100th anniversary of the death of Alexander Graham Bell. I noted the 100th anniversary of the murder of Irish patriot Michael Collins. 

Vin Scully died, as did historian David McCullough. Singers Olivia Newton-John and Judith Durham died. San Francisco photographer Fred Lyon died. Musician Joey DeFrancesco passed on. 

Mikhail Gorbachev died. He helped to end the Soviet Union. I did not write about him.

listal.com

In September, Queen Elizabeth II died. She was the longest-lived and longest-reigning British monarch. I'm not a fan of monarchy, but I don't see how anyone could have done a better job than she did. She led a life of service.

Ukraine made an effective counterattack against Russian occupiers.

We had a heat wave that broke new records every day. We had a short period of heavy rain.

I noted the 125th anniversary of the opening of Boston's Tremont Street subway, the oldest surviving subway in the United States. I wrote about the celebration of the San Francisco Opera's 100th season. I noted the 75th anniversaries of the USAF and the finding of the first actual computer bug. I wrote about BART's 50th anniversary.

I wrote about the 100th anniversary of Jimmy Doolittle's flight from Florida to California with only one stop and in less than 24 hours. I wrote about the 100th anniversary of the publication of F Scott Fitzgerald's second collection of short stories, Tales of the Jazz Age.

I wrote about the 125th anniversaries of the births of Jimmy Rodgers, the Blue Yodeler, the Singing Brakeman and novelist William Faulkner. I wrote about the 100th anniversaries of the births of musical comedy star Janis Paige and bassist Oscar Pettiford. I noted what would have been the 75th birthday of singer Wesla Whitfield. I mentioned the 75th birthday of author Stepen King.

I wrote about the 100th anniversary of the death of Sarah Winchester, builder of the famous Winchester Mystery House.

Ramsey Lewis died.

pelosi.house.gov

In October, a right-wing conspiracy theorist broke into the home of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and her husband Paul. He wanted to kidnap and torture the Speaker, but she was not at home. He seriously wounded Paul Pelosi with a hammer. The Republicans found all of this to be hilarious and spread all sorts of weird rumors. Paul Pelosi is starting on a long recovery. I always find it interesting that Republicans are so frightened of the Speaker. 

I wrote about the 175th anniversary of the publication of Charlotte Brontë's novel, Jane Eyre. I noted the 100th anniversary of United States Army Air Service Lieutenants John A Macready and Oakley G Kelly setting an endurance record, Godfrey Chevalier making the first landing on a moving US aircraft carrier and Lillian Gatlin becoming the first woman to fly across the US, although she did it as a passenger. I wrote about the 100th anniversary of oil tanker Lyman Stewart running aground at Land's End. I wrote about the 75th anniversaries of Chuck Yeager breaking the sound barrier and the Chicago Transit Authority starting operations. We celebrated the 50th anniversary of the creation of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area.

Hillary Clinton and Bob Weir of the Grateful Dead turned 75.

I wrote about the 50th anniversary of the death of Jackie Robinson.

Loretta Lynn and Jerry Lee Lewis died.

nasa.gov/Bill Ingalls photo

In November, I spent a week in the Kaiser Hospital in Santa Clara. I have had shortness of breath with strong exertion for a while. In April I also developed a violent cough. Doctors assumed both problems were lung related. I don't know how many chest x-rays I have had this year. It took until about September to figure out that the problem was caused by a leaky mitral valve.

I had an internal sonogram to give them a better view of my heart. They did two cardiac catheterizations to get the lay of the land and see if the valve could be repaired, or if it would have to be replaced. Then in November, they repaired the valve.

I decided to take break, perhaps until the end of the year. I am still gradually improving. I have been frustrated because I could not start teaching in the new school year.

Attorney General Merrick Garland appointed Jack Smith to be special counsel in charge of investigations of our former so-called president.

I was excited to see NASA successfully launch the Artemis I project, an unmanned test of the Space Launch System (SLS), the most powerful rocket in the world, and the Orion spacecraft.

Ukraine continued to hold off the Russian invasion. 

I wrote about the 75th anniversaries of the first and only flight of the Hughes H-4 Hercules, popularly called the Spruce Goose, and of San Francisco voters passing Proposition Q, which required the city to continue to operate cable cars.

I noted the 125th anniversary of Dorothy Day's birth. I wrote about the 100th anniversary of the death of naval aviator Godfrey Chevalier. 

During my break, I missed several important anniversaries, including the 100th anniversary of the birth of Charles Schultz, the 75th anniversary of the birth of playwright David Mamet. I missed the 125th anniversary of the death of Willie the Lion Smith. I missed the death of Christine McVie.

During December I continued to recuperate from my operation. I don't heal as quickly as I used to, but the cardiologist said I am progressing well. I am continuing my break. 

My Uncle Sonny died. He was a real character. He worked as a waiter at the Fly Trap, where his father was chef and partner, then at Westlake Joe's for many years. He was always running into old customers who missed him greatly. Westlake Joe's was always his favorite place to eat. He had a big heart and a bad temper. Jack Daniels stock is likely to lose value. 

Russia is bombarding infrastructure in Ukraine, hoping to leave people without heat, light and water during the winter. Some sources claim that the Russians are running out of artillery shells. 

The January 6 Committee recommended that the Department of Justice make criminal charges against Donald Trump and others. 

The Giants almost signed Carlos Correia to a 13-year contract, but the deal fell apart at the last moment.

The Artemis I project finished successfully when the unmanned Orion capsule splashed down in the Pacific. 

Scientists at Lawrence Livermore created a fusion reaction that output more energy than was input. 

Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI died. 

I missed more anniversaries, including the 100th anniversary of the births of Stan Lee and Ava Garner. I missed the 50th anniversary of the death of Roberto Clemente. I missed the death of newscaster Barbara Walters. 

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Updated 01-January-2023: New Year's Eve was said to be the second wettest day in San Francisco history. There was a landslide across the road from the Cliff House. I couldn't make any updates yesterday because our Comcast service was down from the time we got up yesterday to around noon today. 

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At the top of the page, we see Gloria DeHaven, who acted and sang in many movies and television shows. She made her debut in Charlie Chaplin's Modern Times. Her parents, Carter and Flora Parker DeHaven were vaudeville performers. They appeared in many silent comedies.