MCMLI

Not a typo.

I think I am going to change my name and incorporate Roman numerals.

Some people think British pop-singer Charli xcx, who was recently castigated for being photographed frolicking in the long grass during tick season, did it. However, she doesn’t follow strict numerical rules and, in fact, hers means ‘Kiss Charli Kiss.’

I, though, am choosing to go by the name of Brian MCMLI – and for those lost in translation – that’s 1951, the year of the Rabbit and the year of my hatching. A very special moment in my life - although I don’t remember much about it as I was quite young at that point. I just seem to recall being slapped and squealing like a little piglet. For years after, though, I thought I was the second coming as my father had exclaimed ‘Jesus,’ what’s this?’ at my birth. The nurses were in awe. News spread quickly - but faded fast as miracles failed to appear, along with a lack of shepherds and no wise men.

As you all know, the other day, that former democracy, the United (now Disunited) States celebrated its semiquincentennial birthday. Well, later this week, not to be outdone with long words, I am celebrating my semisesquicentennial birthday. Half-way to a sesquicentennial one which I will, of course, never see. I could call it my diamond birthday but that sounds quite ostentations given I’m more of a cubic zirconia kind of guy.

As I was busy, crying, sleeping, feeding, and, well you know ‘whating’ at birth, I decided to look back and see what happened in the year of my debut and any interesting things that have happened on previous or subsequent actual birthdays.

1951

· I never equated Harry Truman with The Felon, but it appears he used the term “You’re fired!” and it was to General Douglas McArthur. Perhaps The Felon grifted that term, along with everything else.

· The first commercial computer, the Univac, was put into service at the US Census bureau. About 33 years later I joined that company and spent 20 happy years there.

· The I Love Lucy Show first aired. I still love the episodes with the conveyor belt and chocolates and crushing grapes in huge wine vats.

· J.D. Salinger published, “The Catcher in the Rye.” Still a great read.

· The transistor was invented and we moved away from vacuum tubes. People were soon bopping around with somewhat large transistor radios. Later, I listened to football and cricket, undetected, with my transistor radio under the bedclothes

· Talking of which, Alan Freed popularized the term “Rock and Roll’ and Jackie Brenston released ‘Rocket 88’ – generally accepted as the first rock and roll song.

· That year the Video Tape Recorder was invented – no streaming back then!

· Mike Nesmith’s Mum (he of the Monkees fame was busy at the time; she invented Liquid Paper (aka White-Out).

· 1951 paved the way for ‘free love’ in the 60s as ‘The Pill’ was debuting.

· It was a bad year for the Rosenbergs as they were put on trial for spying for the Soviets and ended up in the electric chair.

· Back home we held ‘The Festival of Britain’ which, candidly, put The Felon’s ‘Great American State Fair’ to shame despite happening 75 years previously.

· Sugar Ray Robinson beat Jake LaMotta on Valentine’s Day in what became, unsurprisingly, known as the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre – just not the Al Capone one.

· Bobby Thompson hit, ‘The shot heard around the world,’ (but really only in the US) as he hit the walk-off home run as the N.Y. Giants won the National League Pennant.

· After serious injuries, Ben Hogan won both the Masters and the US Open.

· ‘Little’ Mo Connolly, aged 16 won the US National Tennis Championship (forerunner to the US Tennis Open)

· Mickey Mantle and Willie Mays made their debuts, and Joe DiMaggio announced his retirement.

· ‘All About Eve’ was nominated for 14 Oscars (only Titanic and La La Land have equalled that) – and won 6.

· July 9^th is Argentine Independence Day and also Nunavut Day.

· It’s the day in 1868 when the 14^th Amendment was signed giving citizenship and protection to formerly enslaved people. Of course, today, non of that happened or if it did, slavery was good. Mike Johnson said that so it must be – a lie.

· July 9^th is a celebration day for Swifties and the newly married Taylor as she sang about it in her song ‘Last Kiss.’

· It’s also Sugar Cookie Day

· And National Dimples Day – which I obviously inherited and celebrate: -