The Venomous One has compiled and posted the list of the 50 Most Important Events in US History. As expected, it closely mimicks the list I posted. That may have something to do with the fact that I cheated and put 20 or so more events in the list than I was supposed to and that my list may have been figured twice in the tally. But more likely it's a simple reflection of my brilliance.

Posted by: Jim at 09:08 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
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Magen David Adom, definitely. Meryl, Michele and Lair raised over $14,000 for that worthwhile organization. Not nearly enough for a new ambulance but a nice chunk of cash that will be very welcome.

Hey, did you know that you can still pledge for the Blogathon through the end of the day today? No? Guess what...you do now. Go on over and make a difference. I won't threaten to sing like Michele did but I'm more than happy to threaten the posting of my high school poetry.

UPDATE: At this point the total is over $15,000!

Posted by: Jim at 08:35 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
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Kate is doing her level headed best to give bloggers something new to argue about. The challenge is to list the 50 Most Defining Events in American History. I couldn't get it down to 50 so I cheated like the unscrupulous bastard that I am and grouped a bunch by overall concern/similarity/dependence. My list follows. Can you do better? Didn't think so.

1. Pontiac Uprising, Stamp Act (1763, 1765)
2. Boston Tea Party, The Declaration of Rights, The Declaration of Arms, Declaration of Independence (1773, 1774, 1775, 1776)
3. British surrender at Saratoga, French-American Alliance, Cornwallis surrenders at Yorktown, Treaty of Paris (1777, 1778, 1781, 1783)
4. Shay's Rebellion (1786)
5. The Articles of Confederation, Transmittal / Ratification of the Constitution (1783, 1787-8
6. Northwest Ordinance (178 , Pinckney Treaty (1796), Louisiana Purchase (1802)
7. Bill of Rights ratified (1791)
8. The Whiskey Rebellion, The Naturalization Act, The Alien and Sedition Acts (1794, 1795, 179
9. Marbury v. Madison (Establishment of judicial review) (1803)
10. Jefferson defeats Adams & Burr for presidency, Burr Conspiracy (1800,1806)
11. Embargo Act (1807-1809)
12. War of 1812
13. Eli Whitney begins manufacture of cotton gins (1793)
14. NY Stock Exchange (1817)
15. Erie Canal (1817 - 1825)
16. McCulloch v. Maryland (increases power of federal gov), Monroe Doctrine (1819, 1823)
17. Baltimore & Ohio railroad company founded, Baltimore - Washington telegraph line (1830, 1944)
18. Indian Removal Act (1830)
19. Texan independence from Mexico, Texas annexation, War with Mexico (1836, 1845, 1846 - 184
20. Massive immigration of Irish potato famine refugees (1847)
21. Pottawatomie massacre, Secession of South Carolina, formation of Confederacy, Civil War, Emancipation Proclamation, Battle of Gettysburg, Battle of Vicksburg, NY City draft riots, Cold Harbor, Atlanta burns, Wade-Davis Bill, Black Codes, 13th Amendment ratified, Reconstruction (1956-1865)
22. Civil Rights Act (1866)
23. Alaska purchase (1867)
24. Transcontinental railroad completed (1869)
25. Compromise of 1877 (end of Reconstruction)
26. Standard Oil Trust formed, Sherman Antitrust Act (1882, 1890)
27. Hay-Paunceforte Treaty (Panama Canal) (1901)
28. WWI, Selective Service Act, Sedition Act (1917, 191
29. 18th Amendment (Prohibition) (1919 - 1933)
30. 19th Amendment (Women's suffrage) (1920)
31. Immigration quotas enacted (1921)
32. Scopes Monkey trial (1925)
33. WWII, Lend-Lease aid for Britain, Pearl Harbor attacked, Internment of Japanese-Americans, Manhattan Project, D-Day, Allies liberate concentration camps, US drops atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki (1939-1945)
34. House Un-american Activities Committee, McCarthy hearings (1947, 1950)
35. Israel established, NATO established (1948, 1949)
36. Korean War (1950-1953)
37. Brown v. Board of Education, Little Rock school desegregation crisis (1954, 1957)
38. Bay of Pigs, Cuban Missile Crisis, Kennedy assassinated (1961, 1962, 1963)
39. Civil Rights Act (1964)
40. Vietnam War, Counterculture Movement, Neil Armstrong, Woodstock (1964-1965)
41. Medicare begins (1965)
42. Watts race riots, Malcolm X assassinated, Newark & Detroit race riots, Martin Luther King Jr assassinated, Killings at Kent State, Jackson State (1965-1970)
43. Cold War/Detente (1972-1989)
44. Watergate, Nixon impeached/resigned/pardoned (1972, 1974)
45. Roe v. Wade (1973)
46. Three-Mile Island nuclear accident (1979)
47. ERA fails ratification (1982)
48. Iraq Pt.1 (1991)
49. US wins cold war, USSR collapses (1989-1991)
50. 9/11, Afghanistan, Iraq Pt.2 (2001-2003)

Posted by: Jim at 01:33 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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The Blogathon starts in less than 24 hours. What's a Blogathon? Look here. Although fiscal terror (No, I am NOT okay with my medical copay increasing almost 400%.) prevents me from helping in the best way, don't let my bad example affect you. Support Meryl, Michele and Lair as they try to raise enough donations to buy an ambulance for Magen David Adom. MDA answers 1000 emergency calls a day in support of Israel's Emergency, Medical, Health, Blood and Disaster Services. Help the Blogathonians get them a shiny new ambulance to do it with.

Posted by: Jim at 12:45 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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