July 18

Saints celebrating feast days today include Saint Camillus de Lellis (patron saint of the sick and of infirmarians), Saint Arnulf, Saint Edburga of Bicester, and Saint Edburga of Winchester.

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The most important birthday today is that of Screamin' Jay Hawkins, legendary bluesman and alpha shock rocker. He died at the age of 70 of an aneurism in France. What a guy. Click on the picture for more on SJH.

Also born today were S.I. Hayakawa (1906-1992), Nelson Mandela (1918), John Glenn (1921), Steve Forbes (1947), and Hunter S. Thompson (1939). Ha. I feel a letter coming on.

Subj: This is for Steve Forbes
Date: 7/13/00 7:23:16 PM Pacific Daylight Time
From: Goatview
To: letters@forbes.net

Dear Mr. Forbes:

Do you know that you have the same birthday (July 18) as
Hunter S. Thompson?

Sincerely,

Marilyn Jones

Not a thing he can do about it, either. Or Hunter, for that matter, but I don't think I will write to him today. (Mouse over the picture.)

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What National Baby Food Festival?

Chase's 2000 Calendar of Events advises that today begins the five-day 10th annual National Baby Food Festival in Fremont, Michigan, home of Gerber's. It is difficult to imagine that the projected attendance of 165,000 will be reached since there is absolutely nothing on line about this fete and the population of Fremont is only 3,875. Even the Gerber site was mum on the subject and speaking of the Gerber site, what a yawn--it is the website equivalent of strained peas. Here--see for yourself:

Dull Gerber Site

The book said that the celebration included events such as crawling races for babies and a baby food eating contest for adults. It mentioned "top entertainers," too. The weather girl from Lansing?

Subj: What? No Baby Food Festival?
Date: 7/14/00 6:52:03 AM Pacific Daylight Time
From: Goatview
To: fchamber@ncats.newaygo.mi.us

Hi -

According to Chase's 2000 Calendar of Events, you are scheduled to host the tenth annual National Baby Food Festival July 18-22, but you don't have it listed in your Chamber of Commerce list. What happened? Thanks for any light you might be able to shine on this mystery.

Marilyn Jones

Oh, rats. I was looking at the events list again in order to let you know what WAS still on tap in Fremont and just found the festival. It IS still going on. Well, let's see what the Fremont Chamber of Commerce will write back anyway.

It's still the most under-promoted five-day festival I have ever almost not heard of.

P.S. OK I found the site--another winner (National Baby Food Festival)--and I was off, but just a bit, about the top entertainers. It isn't the Lansing weather girl...it's Paul Revere and the Raiders.

Onward to July 19
Back to July 17
Back to the Farm

© Marilyn Jones 2000-2008