10/13/2015 archive

On This Day In History October 13

This is your morning Open Thread. Pour your favorite beverage and review the past and comment on the future.

Find the past “On This Day in History” here.

October 13 is the 286th day of the year (287th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. There are 79 days remaining until the end of the year.

On this day on 1792, the cornerstone for the White House in laid in Washington, DC.

In 1800, President John Adams became the first president to reside in the executive mansion, which soon became known as the “White House” because its white-gray Virginia freestone contrasted strikingly with the red brick of nearby buildings.

Architectural competition

The President’s house was a major feature of Pierre (Peter) Charles L’Enfant’s’s plan for the newly established federal city, Washington, D.C. The architect of the White House was chosen in a design competition, which received nine proposals, including one submitted anonymously by Thomas Jefferson. The nation’s first president, George Washington, traveled to the site of the federal city on July 16, 1792, to make his judgment. His review is recorded as being brief, and he quickly selected the submission of James Hoban, an Irishman living in Charleston, South Carolina. Washington was not entirely pleased with the original Hoban submission, however; he found it too small, lacking ornament, and not fitting the nation’s president. On Washington’s recommendation, the house was enlarged by thirty percent; the present East Room, likely inspired by the large reception room at Mount Vernon, was added.

Construction

Construction of the White House began with the laying of the cornerstone on October 13, 1792, although there was no formal ceremony. The main residence, as well as foundations of the house, were built largely by enslaved and free African-American laborers, as well as employed Europeans. Much of the other work on the house was performed by immigrants, many not yet with citizenship. The sandstone walls were erected by Scottish immigrants, employed by Hoban, as were the high relief rose and garland decorations above the north entrance and the “fish scale” pattern beneath the pediments of the window hoods. The initial construction took place over a period of eight years, at a reported cost of $232,371.83 ($2.8 million in 2007 dollars). Although not yet completed, the White House was ready for occupancy on or circa November 1, 1800.

Shortages, including material and labor, forced alterations to the earlier plan developed by French engineer Pierre Charles L’Enfant for a “palace” that was five times larger than the house that was eventually built.] The finished structure contained only two main floors instead of the planned three, and a less costly brick served as a lining for the stone facades. When construction was finished the porous sandstone walls were coated with a mixture of lime, rice glue, casein, and lead, giving the house its familiar color and name.

As it is a famed structure in America, many replicas of the White House have been constructed.

The Daily Late Nightly Show (See You Next Week I Hope)

We are undergoing a change in Platforms from Soapblox to Wordpress on Thursday (the 15th) this week, the details of which are occupying much of my time.

After tonight The Daily Late Nightly Show will not be posted again until next Monday (the 19th) at the earliest.

Here are your guests-

Trevor Noah

Stephen Colbert

In planning the rest of the week (because it’s not like we don’t have weekly and daily story meetings, we’re very professional like that) it’s become quite clear that Thursday the 15th, Transition Day, is going to be fraught.  We expect that the Wordpress sites will be open for reading, including our back catalog, with little delay (there will probably be some).

There is virtually a 100% chance that there will be NO POSTING AT ALL on Thursday.  We will simply be too busy.  If you visit you are likely to get an Internet error.  THIS DOES NOT MEAN WE HAVE CEASED PUBLICATION.

After tomorrow we will stop Baseball Playoff coverage until functionality is restored sufficiently to do so.

We will have an Open Thread Tuesday for the Democratic Debate.

After that all regular publication will stop except for Meta announcements on progress.

We hope to resume posting, at least ours, by Friday.

That’s the best case scenario.  In the worst case it may take us up to a week.

Sorry for the inconvenience.

Senior League Division Series: Dodgers @ Mets Game 3

Saturday’s Game

Top 2nd Leadoff Solo Shot.  Mets 1 – 0.  Solo Shot.  Mets 2 – 0.

Bottom 4th Ground Rule Double.  RBI Double.  Mets 2 – 1.

Bottom 7th.  Raul Tejada criminally assaulted by Chase Utley.  Dodgers 5 – 2.

Series Tied at 1.

Analysis and Setup

People who know me say I’m the quiet type, keep to myself.  I like to think I’m very reasonable and non- confrontational.

Were I Manager, here’s how it goes down.

On Chase Utley’s very first at bat I take my Starter and send him to the field to play a position.  It doesn’t matter which one.  I bring in my hardest throwing, most disposable Reliever and when I make the call to the Bullpen I say-

“You have one pitch.  Be sure it’s a good one.”

Of course we’re both ejected.  Probably suspended and fined.  My Bench Coach takes over, brings back the Starter, game continues.

The next time Chase Utley’s at bat, my Bench Coach puts the Starter in the field.  The Umpires probably eject him right then.

Doesn’t matter.  Is Major League Baseball going to take over Managing one of the teams?  I think that’s a game they don’t want to play.  Is this the WWE where Vince calls the shots?

If Utley isn’t benched for his own safety by the time his spot rolls around the 3rd time, when one of my Bat Boys (there are about 12 or 15 Coaches of various sorts I’ll run through first, but my purpose is firm) sends the Reliever to the field, what will they do then?

And afterward, at what will no doubt be an exciting and well reported News Conference, this is what I will say-

This is perfectly good, old school, hard play.”

Well, I wasn’t going to the Hall anyway.  I’ll find a College someplace.  Maybe a Radio or TV gig.

But ek!  The entire Coaching Staff is fired or under suspension!

We have Minor Leagues.  Those guys aren’t doing anything except sitting on their ass watching the game and wishing they were me anyway.  Voila!  Fully staffed.

Forfeit the game?  Forfeit the Divisional Series?  Do you think Major League Baseball is willing to go down in History (because Baseball is all about History) putting their thumb on the scale that much?

This is bigger than the Black Sox and the Media (at least the New York part of it) is going to sympathize with  me even if they don’t say so and they’re much more efficient (if no less corrupt) than they were in 1919.  Baseball will take years to recover, if it ever does.

If the Series continues and Chase Utley comes to the plate it is deja vu all over again.  He will slink away bruised, battered, and humiliated.

And so shall he ride the bench a coward in every game against the Mets until he retires.

But what if you just lose?

With this much smoke it won’t be a ‘just lose’, it will be a rallying cry, a cause, a legend.  It will put butts in the seats for years.  These guys have shown that they’re good enough to make it back next year, the Minors are full of talent (not quite as good as the Cards but who is?) and there’s enough money to re-sign the wheat and replace the chaff.  The Mets will do fine in 2016 and if they don’t…

Well, we’re used to that.

And should we win there’s this magical thing where you can change your roster with each new Series in the Playoffs.  They can’t fire everybody unless they’re willing to seize control of the Ball Club WHICH is it’s own company.

If they do that then maybe we should be looking at that ‘Anti-Trust Exemption’.

The Mets will be putting Matt Harvey (R, 13 – 8, 2.71 ERA) on the mound.  Brett Anderson (L, 10 – 9, 3.69 ERA) will start for the Dodgers.  If certain unfortunate things had not occurred I might be talking more about Harvey’s contract, but it seems kind of pointless at the moment.

Senior League Division Series: Cardinals @ Cubs Game 3

Sunday’s game

Bottom 1st Solo Shot.  Cardinals 1 – 0.

Top 2nd Leadoff Single.  Fielder’s Choice, Error, Runner on Second, Steal, Runner on Third.  Walk.  Attempted Sacrifice, Error, Score, Runners at Second and Third, 1 Out.  Tied at 1.  RBI Sacrifice.  Cubs 2 – 1.  RBI Infield Single.  Cubs 3 – 1.  2 RBI HR.  Cubs 5 – 1.

Top 3rd Leadoff Walk.  Single, Runners at Corners. RBI Sacrifice.  Cubs 6 – 1.

Bottom 5th Solo Shot.  Cubs 6 – 2.  Solo Shot.  Cubs 6 – 3.  Final.

Series Tied at 1.

Analysis and Setup

Tah Dah.  They did what I told them and look at how it worked out.  Welcome to Wrigley Field (don’t lose the ball in the ivy), one of the storied parks in all of Baseball, where the Cubs (99 – 66) can close it out and the Cardinals (101 – 63) must at least split on the road to survive.

The Cubs will be sending Jake Arrieta (R, 22 – 6, 1.77 ERA) out. The Cardinals will respond with Michael Wacha (R, 17 – 7, 3.38 ERA).  Arrieta is the real deal, very impressive.  We’ll see if he has a rubber arm tonight.  If so he could be very dangerous in a longer Series, appearing in as many as 3 games of 7.  On paper this is the Cubs game.

Game time is 6 on TBS.