Wiggle Your Toes

August 6th marks the wonderful celebration we like to call Wiggle Your Toes Day. As described right in the name of the holiday, take off your shoes and wiggle your toes. It doesn't really matter if you have a pile of sand, a patch of grass or just your shag carpeting. Wiggle those little piggies all the way home!

HISTORY LESSON:
2009 - John Huges died. Beloved and influential director of the 1980s died of a heart attack at the age of 59. Many teens, pre-teens and post-teens of the 80s generation will remember Sixteen Candles, Pretty in Pink, The Breakfast Club, Ferris Bueller's Day Off and Home Alone, counting them among their favorite movies of all time. I know I do.
1991 - Peugeot announced that it would stop producing cars for sale in the US.
1965 - The Voting Rights Bill was signed by President Johnson. The VRB guaranteed black Americans the right to vote.
1945 - Hiroshima Japan is rocked by the dropping of the Atom Bomb. I believe everyone learned a lesson on this one.
1926 - Gertrude Ederle  swam 21 miles. This 19-year old would be the first woman to swim the English Channel.
1890 - Cy Young, pitching for the Cleveland Spiders, made his major league debut. He pitched a 3-hit shutout. Most believe he is the greatest pitcher baseball has ever seen.
1890 - William Kemmler, convicted of axing his common-law wife to death, was executed by the newly invented Electric Chair at NY's Auburn Prison.
1874 - Jim Reed, gambler and general outlaw, first husband of Myra Maybelle Shirley, friend of Cherokee outlaw Tom Starr was killed by law officers. Two years later Jim's widow married Tom's son, and continued his outlawing. We know her as Belle Starr. 
1862 - CSS Arkansas was blown up by the crew on the Mississippi River on its 23 day anniversary. It was motoring down to Baton Rouge when it ran aground with engine troubles. It was apparently beyond repair under the stress of USS Essex bearing down upon them. They chose to skuttle the craft instead. 
1786 - Robert Burns had his (questionable to beginwith) marriage disolved. He ended up marrying the woman anyway and having 9 children with her before his death 10 years later. He wrote the poem, For Auld Lang Syne.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY...

Geri Halliwell (1972), Ginger Spice of the Spice Girls.
David Robinson (1965), Basketball Player
Dorian Harewood (1951), actor seen in such films as Full Metal Jacket, Gothika and The Falcon and the Snowman.
Andy Warhol (1928), Artist know for his cans. I think he was famous for 15 minutes.
Robert Mitchum (1917), Actor seen in films such as Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo, Going Home and The List of Adrian Messenger.
Lucille Ball (1911), Actress. Of course you know her in the early TV hit I Love Lucy, but she was 'In The Movies' too... Stage Door, Five Came Back (which I just happened to see last week, not too bad for a "B-flick"), The Long, Long Trailer and Forever, Darling. 
Arthur Flegenheimer (1902), One of the biggest gangster in NY. You don't recall hearing about Bossman Flegenheimer? How about Dutch Schultz?

Sir Alexander Fleming (1881), Biologist/Pharmacologist best known for discovering penicillin.
Alfred, Lord Tennyson (1809), was Poet Laureate of the United Kingdon during most of Queen Victoria's reign. Wrote The Charge of the Light Brigade; Tears, Idle Tears, Ulysses and  The Eagle.