Out of the Blue [Oct 14, 2024, 10:57 am ET] – Share – Viewing Comments
Today is Columbus Day here in the U.S., and apparently elsewhere, as the
Wikipedia explains this
is celebrated in a bunch of other countries under various names. But the name
of the occasion here is also in flux, as it is also now Indigenous Peoples' Day for
many as part of the backlash of what can at the very least be called the
excesses of the Age of Exploration that lead to the Age of Imperialism. This
might explain why I feel this snuck up on me this year, as it doesn't seem to be
as prominent as it once was, despite still being a Federal Holiday.
Also, happy Thanksgiving to Canada, where this is celebrated on the second Monday in October. I like how the U.S. version falls on Thursday, but mid-October is a much better time for a celebration of fall than late November, which is too close to the holiday season, not to mention my birthday. So good on you, Canada. I'll try and hunt down some pumpkin pie to celebrate.
Also, happy Thanksgiving to Canada, where this is celebrated on the second Monday in October. I like how the U.S. version falls on Thursday, but mid-October is a much better time for a celebration of fall than late November, which is too close to the holiday season, not to mention my birthday. So good on you, Canada. I'll try and hunt down some pumpkin pie to celebrate.
Celebratory Round-up
Thanks Ant, Neutronbeam, and Max.Story
Science
- ‘Phenomenal’ tool sequences DNA and tracks proteins — without cracking cells open - Nature.
- Colossal snake measuring over 50 feet long found in India - The Brighter Side of News.
- 'Islands' of regularity discovered in the famously chaotic three-body problem - Phys.org.
- Can a Supplement Really Help Control Your Pesky Eye Floaters? - ScienceAlert.
Media
- VFX Artists React to Bad & Great CGi 153. Thanks The Flying Penguin.
Follow-up
- Tea And Coffee May Affect Your Heart Health, New Study Says - HuffPost UK Life.
- SpaceX catches returning rocket in mid-air, turning a fanciful idea into reality - Ars Technica.
The Funnies
This discussion went down the wrong path from the start. The scientific or factual matters are irrelevant to the holiday since it's a made up political/social thing which means it can be based on what ever it feels like at the moment. You could make an argument that it should be based upon facts but what's the point? Imagine we knew the exact date of when the meteor that led to the downfall of the dinosaurs happened. Pretty important for all humans obviously but is it culturally important today?
The whole point of the holiday change is to take a celebration, or at least observance, of an event that once was seen as a good thing but now is seen as questionable and turn it in to something positive by current societal desires. In the state of Virginia, up until 2020, they still observed a holiday that celebrated Confederate generals Lee–Jackson Day. As society had changed, this did as well. The holiday disappearing didn't change the historical facts of what they did or how people thought of them, but we decided as a society to change the way we recognize them by not celebrating them in this way anymore.
The whole point of the holiday change is to take a celebration, or at least observance, of an event that once was seen as a good thing but now is seen as questionable and turn it in to something positive by current societal desires. In the state of Virginia, up until 2020, they still observed a holiday that celebrated Confederate generals Lee–Jackson Day. As society had changed, this did as well. The holiday disappearing didn't change the historical facts of what they did or how people thought of them, but we decided as a society to change the way we recognize them by not celebrating them in this way anymore.
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