Pretty good start. Google says “ of all the philosophers of the 17th century, perhaps none have been more relevant than Spinoza….His extremely naturalistic views on God, the world, the human being, and knowledge serve to ground a moral philosophy centered on the control of the passions, leading to virtue and happiness”
Spinoza quote: “True virtue is life under the direction of reason.” Tell that to a college kid on spring break.
Also pretty good. The odds of my birthday being the same as that of an American President are only 8:1. Not that he was a great president. He was a war hero, the General who won the Mexican war, and back in those days people liked to vote war heroes into the Presidency.
He died suspiciously after only 2 years in office. So suspiciously that his bones were unearthed a few years ago and analyzed for traces of poison. As it turned out, there was no foul play, he simply had a nasty gastrointestinal reaction to a bowlful of ice cream and cherries. So I’ll be careful of that.
I would have been disappointed if there was no famous piano man born on Nov 24. It seems that everybody on the planet recognizes “The Entertainer” when it’s played, very much due to its use in the “Sting“ movie. I play it on my gig all the time, in addition to Joplin’s “Maple Leaf Rag”. Supposedly this ragtime style was the ancestor of jazz.
Nov 24, 1888 -- Dale Carnegie
“How to Win Friends and Influence People” was required reading for me in 9th grade. Carnegie was a salesman, and simply a nice guy. Sold a lot of copies of that book too.
The thing I remember from his book is “Three Ways to Make Somebody Like You” -- focus on a) what he’s proud of b) what he’s interested in c) what he wants.
Well what was this Mafia guy proud of? Not getting whacked. What was he interested in? Not getting whacked. What did he want? Not to get whacked.
He did survive a couple of close calls -- thus the nickname. But he died of natural causes at age 65 after a lifetime of wielding power in the treacherous New York mob world.
Well I guess the question “What’s Your Sign?“ is an invitation to meaningless chitchat. Thus far, Nov 24 has produced a philosopher, a gangster, a piano player, a salesman, a military man, and now…..
…..a political columnist, famous for staunch Conservatism and an extraordinary vocabulary. He made one quick foray into politics, running for Mayor of New York City in 1965 as a somewhat facetious third-party candidate. Toward election day he said “If I win, I’ll demand a recount”.
Nov 24, 1940 -- Pete Best
From the very lucky Mr. Luciano we now go to the very Unlucky Mr. Best. Getting fired from a band is, in itself, not the worst thing in the world, in fact it’s often a blessing in disguise, the next step in one’s evolution as a musician and person.
But when you’re fired from the Beatles, replaced by a short, ugly guy named Ringo Starr, and within a year they’re The Most Successful Band in World History, well…don’t give me that evolution crap.
Well the key word here is “famous”, and unfortunately he is quite famous for his misdeeds. No book on serial killers is complete without a whole chapter on this guy.
Nov 24, 1950 --Stanley Livingston
The TV sitcom “My Three Sons” ran from 1960 to 1972, with Livingston playing the role of Chip, the middle son. Major dollars at an early age. Perhaps this is not too significant, but his birthday is exactly the same as mine, both day and year. Which is significant to me, and some day I’ll send him a Birthday card.
He stayed in show biz, producing, directing, acting, screenwriting, in movies, TV, and stage, seemingly doing what he felt like doing, seemingly completely out of the limelight. He has a website, with a pretty interesting resume, he looks robust, and I suspect he’s had a very nice life.
The youngest, and the only female on my list. So what is “Grey’s Anatomy”? I wondered. Google says it’s a highly successful TV series in a hospital setting, with Ms. Heigl in a starring role. I haven‘t seen this show yet, but I suspect its really sexy.
Well that’s my Top Ten for Nov 24 --
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU FOLKS
WHEREVER YOU ARE
I must get Buckley's sons book, Mum and Pup about William and his wife. It had terrific reviews and I forgot about it until now. I must look up Heigl's plastic surgeon, he/she might be missing two bowling balls. On the 24th you will have to entertain the fam with a bit of Scott Joplin. Forget Ted Bundy...good list.
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