An American rapper popularly known as Biggie Smalls and Big Poppa. He was a focal point of the East Coast-West Coast hip hop rivalry and became a central figure in the East Coast hip hop scene. In March 1997, at age 24, Wallace was killed by an unknown assailant in a drive-by shooting in Los Angeles. Sometimes your words just hypnotize me.
An American rapper and actor known by the stage name 2Pac. Themes of his songs include violence and hardship in inner cities, racism and other social problems. He was a focal point of the East Coast-West Coast hip hop rivalry and died on this day in 1996, after being shot four times in a drive-by shooting following a Mike Tyson boxing match in Las Vegas. No changes.
An American singer-songwriter and one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century. Although primarily remembered as a country music artist, his songs spanned many genres, including rockabilly, rock ‘n’ roll, blues, folk and gospel. The Man in Black died on this day in 2003 at age 71. By the way, I shot a man in Reno just to watch him die.
A fictional superhero in the Marvel Comics universe who first appeared in 1941, during World War II. Captain America is the alter ego of Steve Rogers, a frail young man who was enhanced to the peak of human perfection by an experimental serum in order to aid the U.S. war effort. He wears a costume that bears an American flag motif.
Note: A moment of silence on Patriot Day. Hard to believe that 10 years have passed since the 9/11 attacks. I love this tribute poster from Extra Credit Projects.
The main character of the Spanish animated television series, which is based on the children’s book The Secret Book of Gnomes by Dutch author Wil Huygen and illustrator Rien Poortvliet. David the Gnome first came to U.S. television in 1987 on the Nickelodeon cable channel.
A lonely gnome sets out to learn how to avoid being cold “from the inside out” and finds a friend in a sea otter. He is the main character of the 1974 children’s book The Gnome from Nome, written by Stephen Cosgrove and illustrated by Robin James. Watch an illustrated reading of the story.
A legendary American investor, industrialist and philanthropist born on this day in 1930. He is the primary shareholder, chairman and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway. With a net worth of $50 billion, he is consistently ranked among the world’s wealthiest people. Two weeks ago, he wrote the “Stop Coddling the Super-Rich” op-ed, which criticizes billionaire-friendly tax laws.
A fictional web-slinging superhero, created by Marvel Comics, who first appeared in 1962. He became Marvel’s flagship character and company mascot. The character is the alter ego of Peter Parker, an orphan being raised by his aunt and uncle. As a teenager, Parker deals with the normal struggles of adolescence in addition to those of a costumed crime fighter.
One of my three cats. The youngest, smallest and most skittish of the group. Tanuki was rescued from the feral cat colony beneath my old apartment complex. He is part-Siamese, insane and magical. I suspect that he shapeshifts. He was adopted in November 2008 as a kitten. My ex-girlfriend adopted his lunatic brother. They both turn three years old soon. His estimated birthday is September 2, 2008.
P.S. I almost named him Rorschach due to the dark inkblot-like markings on his face. Tanuki looks remarkably like Frankie from the 2010 Animal Rescue commemorative stamps.
Update: Tanuki passed away on November 9, 2019, almost exactly four years after The King. He’s now buried in our backyard. Rest in peace, little buddy. On to shapeshifting in another realm. Eli is our last surviving cat, the only family pet we have left – gone are his father and his loyal, secretive little brother from another mother. Eli will turn 13 years old in March. (Thinking about the diversity of fur colors and patterns in the feral cat colony my cats came from, I’m reminded of the detailed Colour and Pattern Charts page at Messybeast.com.)
One of my three cats. Before being neutered, The King was the alpha male of the feral cat colony beneath my old apartment complex and the presumed father of Eli. He was rescued in October 2008 when I moved from the apartment to a house. This broad-shouldered, 17-pound cat is loyal, tough and possibly shamanic. He wins battles with raccoons. His estimated birthday is May 17, 2005, though he could be older.
Update: The King passed away on November 4, 2015 due to complications from feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV), a lifelong condition from his feral past. He had grown thinner and more feeble throughout 2015. One morning he suddenly stopped eating, and it was all over by nightfall. I’ll miss how he followed me everywhere, requesting attention with his broken meow. The King is dead, long live The King. His body will join the previous homeowner’s deceased cat Bhanti (a tiny brown tabby female) in our backyard pet cemetery. Now we are down to two cats, Eli and Tanuki.
One of my three cats. Eli was rescued from the feral cat colony beneath my old apartment complex. More accurately, he showed up at my door on Father’s Day in 2007 as a 12-week-old kitten and asked to come in. He is large (17 pounds), intelligent, affectionate and codependent. My coworker adopted Eli’s brother. His estimated birthday is March 11, 2007.
Update: Eli passed away of old age on August 6, 2021, two years after Tanuki and six years after The King. Dear Eli, good boy until the end, respectfully waited until the morning after our daughter Ramona’s eighth birthday to leave this mortal coil. Ramona was very fond of him. We all were.
The 42nd President of the United States. Born on this day in 1946, Clinton presided over the longest period of peacetime economic expansion in U.S. history. He won a second term, but was impeached (though ultimately acquitted) in a scandal involving a White House intern. He left office with the highest approval rating of any U.S. president since World War II.
A Puerto Rican professional baseball player and humanitarian. He was born on this day in 1934. He played his entire 18-year career with Major League Baseball’s Pittsburgh Pirates (1955-72) and was the first Latin American player elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame. He died in a plane crash in 1972, while delivering aid to earthquake victims in Nicaragua.
A celebrated 19th-century American folk hero, frontiersman, soldier and politician who was born on this day in 1786. He is commonly referred to in popular culture by the epithet “King of the Wild Frontier.” He represented Tennessee in the U.S. House of Representatives, served in the Texas Revolution and died at the Battle of the Alamo in 1836.
An American singer-songwriter, actress and entrepreneur born on this day in 1958. Madonna has sold more than 300 million records worldwide and is the world’s top-selling female recording artist of all time. The Queen of Pop is known for reinventing her image and her music. One trend was the Gaultier cone-bra corset from her 1990 Blond Ambition Tour.
Magic Johnson is an NBA great who played point guard for the Los Angeles Lakers. He won five NBA championships with the Lakers during the 1980s, but retired abruptly in 1991 after contracting HIV. His friendship and rivalry with Larry Bird, whom he faced in the 1979 NCAA finals and three NBA championship series, is widely celebrated. Johnson was born on this day in 1959.
Note: This is 8-bit character #3 of the 13 greatest NBA players of all time.
A Cuban revolutionary and politician born on this day in 1926. He played a key role in the Cuban Revolution, leading a successful guerrilla war against Batista’s forces with the aid of his brother Raúl Castro and friend Che Guevara. Castro became prime minister and president and converted Cuba to a one-party socialist state. In 2006, he delegated his presidential duties to Raúl Castro due to illness. On April 19, 2011, Fidel Castro resigned from the Communist Party central committee, thus stepping down as party leader.
On this day in 1939, The Wizard of Oz had its premiere screening. Dorothy is the main character in this American musical fantasy film based on the 1900 fairytale novel. When a tornado approaches her family’s Kansas farmhouse, she and her dog Toto take shelter inside. Dorothy loses consciousness and awakens in Munchkinland in the fictional Land of Oz.
Note: In gay slang, a “friend of Dorothy” is a term for a gay man, dating back to at least World War II. It is commonly understood as a reference to the film because Judy Garland, who starred as Dorothy, is a gay icon. In the film, Dorothy is accepting of those who are different.
An American professional wrestler, actor and television personality. He was born on this day in 1953 as Terry Bollea. In the 1980s, the Hulk Hogan character led the expansion of professional wrestling’s popularity across North America. This period of time in the history of the World Wrestling Federation is now referred to as the Hulkamania Era.
Rosie the Riveter – No. 193
A cultural icon of the United States, representing women who worked in factories during World War II. The character particularly symbolizes the many women employed by manufacturing plants that produced munitions and war supplies. Rosie is commonly used as a symbol of feminism and women’s economic power. We can do it!
I am spending this Labor Day weekend in Seattle (mainly at Bumbershoot) and Vancouver, BC.