AUGUST 3

August 3 is a rather unique day, and like all the other days of the year has many events associated with it:

- In 1942, Christopher Columbus set sail from Palos de la Frontera, Spain.
- In 1527, the first known letter was sent from North America by John Rut while at St. John's, Newfoundland.
- In 1678, Robert LaSalle built the Le Griffon, the first known ship built in America.
- In 1852, the first Boat Race was held between Yale and Harvard as the first American intercollegiate athletic event.
- In 1900, the Firestone Tire & Rubber Company was founded.
- In 1923, President Warren G. Harding (deceased) was succeeded by Vice President Calvin Coolidge as the 30th President of the United States.
- In 1936, Jesse Owens won the 100 meter dash by defeating Ralph Metcalfe at Berlin Olympics.
- In 1946, the National Basketball Association was founded in the United States.
- In 2004, the pedestal of the Statue of Liberty reopened after being closed since the September 11, 2001 attacks.

Several notable people were also born on this day:

1770 - King Friedrich Wilhelm III of Prussia
1811 - Elisha Graves Otis, American inventor
1887 - Rupert Brooke, English poet
1900 - John T. Scopes, American defendant
1926 - Tony Bennett, American singer
1940 - Martin Sheen, American actor
1941 - Martha Stewart, American media personality
1963 - Isaiah Washington, American actor
1963 - James Hetfield, American guitar player (Metallica)
1971 - DJ Spinderella, American rapper (Salt-N-Pepa)
1977 - Tom Brady, American football player
1979 - Evangeline Lilly, Canadian model/actress
1984 - Carah Faye Charnow, American singer (Shiny Toy Guns)

But for me, there is one event which eclipses all of them.

At 5:05am on a Thursday morning, the love of my life entered this world.



Happy Birthday, Bethy.

May you wish upon every star you see tonight,
and may all your dreams come true.

INTENTION VS RESULT

The Bethy and I have a few debates we occasionally return to. I doubt either of us may ever change our opinion to the other's, but it's always a good discussion ;). One of our disputed topics is the notion of Intention vs Results.

Beth maintains that if one's intentions are good and noble, there is virtue in attempting to solve a problem... even if the problem itself remains unsolved. I take the opposite view; unless you've solved the problem (or actually done something tangible to improve it), there's nothing virtuous about it at all.

To put it in the simplest terms, Beth will give you credit if you try to do something good - even if in the end you fail. I'll only give you credit if you succeed.

So it was interesting this morning when I read that there has been a new discovery in the matter of Amelia Earhart's disappearance... someone has found the diary of a reporter who was covering her ill-fated trip around the world. (IMHO, this diary won't give much insight to Amelia's actual fate. It's a good headline, though.)

As I stepped out onto my balcony for the day's first smoke, I began to think about Earhart. And then it suddenly occurred to me: who was the first woman to circle the globe solo?

Countless books have been written about Earhart, and though I don't feel like checking Google or IMDB, I'm sure there have been a few movies or TV specials. Certainly the History Channel has taken up her story. Back in the days when children actually learned history in school, all of us knew the story of the brave female aviator who attempted to prove that flying around the globe was not only something a man could do.

The only problem is: she didn't prove it.

Our culture remains intrigued by the fate of Amelia Earhart, yet we've mostly forgotten who actually accomplished flying solo around the world.

Jerrie Mock was the woman that succeeded. Go on and click the link for her story... it's a very good one.

We remember Earhart for her intentions, but have forgotten Mock's results.

How strange.