Good morning, Whitewater.

Sunday will be mostly sunny with a high of seventy-two. Sunrise is 6:40 and sunset 6:55, for 12h 14m 42s of daytime. The moon is a waxing crescent with 41.3% of its visible disk illuminated.

Friday’s FW poll asked if, along with the view of chess federation president Kirsan Ilyumzhinov, chess might have been the creation of extraterrestrial beings. A majority of respondents (82.76%) doubted his speculation, feeling instead that chess was a human invention.

Those who like chess will enjoy a recent story over at FiveThirtyEight about the Subtext Buried In Seven Great Movie Chess Scenes (including some of the X-Men movies and Independence Day).

On this day in 1806, the Lewis & Clark expedition returns to a frontier settlement:

…after nearly two-and-a-half years spent exploring the western wilderness, the Corps of Discovery arrived at the frontier village of La Charette, the first white settlement they had seen since leaving behind the outposts of eastern civilization in 1804.

Entirely out of provisions and trade goods and subsisting on wild plums, Meriwether Lewis, William Clark, and their men were understandably eager to reach home. Upon arriving at La Charette, the men fired a three-round salute to alert the inhabitants of their approach and were answered by three rounds from the trading boats moored at the riverbank. The people of La Charette rushed to the banks of the Missouri to greet the returning heroes. “Every person,” Clark wrote with his characteristic inventive spelling, “both French and americans Seem to express great pleasure at our return, and acknowledge them selves astonished in Seeing us return. They informed us that we were Supposed to have been lost long Since.”

The Lewis and Clark mission had been a spectacular success. With the aid of friendly Native American tribes, the explorers had charted the upper reaches of the Missouri, proved there was no easy water passage across the Continental Divide, reached the shores of the Pacific Ocean, and made the first major step to opening of the trans-Mississippi West to the American settlement.

After spending the evening celebrating with the people of La Charette, the next day the expedition continued rapidly down the river and after two more days reached St. Louis, the city where their long journey had begun. Lewis’ first act upon leaping from his canoe to the St. Louis dock was to send a note asking the postmaster to delay the mail headed east so he could write a quick letter to President Jefferson telling him that the intrepid Corps of Discovery had, at long last, come home.

Good morning, Whitewater.

Saturday will be partly cloudy with a high of sixty-eight. Sunrise is 6:39 and sunset 6:57, for 12h 17m 34s of daytime. The moon is a waxing crescent with 32.3% of its visible disk illuminated.

Someone wants more cat food:

On this day in 1959, Soviet Premier Khrushchev learns where he can’t go:

…Nikita Khrushchev, having arrived in Los Angeles during a two-week coast-to-coast tour by the Soviet leader, learned that he would not be allowed to visit Disneyland, ostensibly for security reasons.
Khrushchev’s immersion in Hollywood began that day with a tour of the 20th Century Fox Studios. He was ushered onto the sound stage of “Can-Can,” where he met Shirley MacLaine and Juliet Prowse. Khrushchev begged off when MacLaine sought to engage him in an impromptu dance and watched as cast members performed a number from the film, then in production. Afterward, Frank Sinatra hosted a lunch for a delighted Khrushchev and his wife.

The mood darkened, however, after Spyros Skouras, 20th Century Fox’s president, introduced Khrushchev at Los Angeles Town Hall. Skouras, citing Khrushchev’s boasts that the Soviet Union would “bury” capitalism, said while L.A. wasn’t interested in “burying” anyone, it would meet any challenge.
Responding angrily, Khrushchev said: “If you want to go on with the arms race, very well. We accept that challenge. As for the output of rockets — well, they are on the assembly line. This is a most serious question. It is one of life or death, ladies and gentlemen — one of war and peace.”
When on top of that perceived insult, the premier learned he could not tour Disneyland, he fumed: “And I say, ‘I would very much like to go and see Disneyland.’ But then, we cannot guarantee your security, they say. Then what must I do? Commit suicide? What is it? Is there an epidemic of cholera there or something? Or have gangsters taken hold of the place that can destroy me?”
The next morning, Khrushchev continued his trip through California without further incident, eventually returning to Washington for an unproductive summit meeting with President Dwight Eisenhower.

On this day in 1832, the Sauk and Fox concede:

On this date Sauk and Fox Indians signed the treaty ending the Black Hawk War. The treaty demanded that the Sauk cede some six million acres of land that ran the length of the eastern boundary of modern-day Iowa. The Sauk and Fox were given until June 1, 1833 to leave the area and never return to the surrendered lands. Some sources place the date as September 21.[Source: Along the Black Hawk Trail by William F. Stark, p. 160-161]

Good morning, Whitewater.

Friday will bring a high of seventy-six to Whitewater, and an even chance of afternoon thunderstorms. Sunrise is 6:38 and sunset 6:58, for 12h 20m 27s of daytime. The moon is a waxing crescent with 22.9% of its visible disk illuminated.

On this day in 1793, a great building begins:

George Washington lays the cornerstone to the United States Capitol building, the home of the legislative branch of American government. The building would take nearly a century to complete, as architects came and went, the British set fire to it and it was called into use during the Civil War. Today, the Capitol building, with its famous cast-iron dome and important collection of American art, is part of the Capitol Complex, which includes six Congressional office buildings and three Library of Congress buildings, all developed in the 19th and 20th centuries.

As a young nation, the United States had no permanent capital, and Congress met in eight different cities, including Baltimore, New York and Philadelphia, before 1791. In 1790, Congress passed the Residence Act, which gave President Washington the power to select a permanent home for the federal government. The following year, he chose what would become the District of Columbia from land provided by Maryland. Washington picked three commissioners to oversee the capital city’s development and they in turn chose French engineer Pierre Charles L’Enfant to come up with the design. However, L’Enfant clashed with the commissioners and was fired in 1792. A design competition was then held, with a Scotsman named William Thornton submitting the winning entry for the Capitol building. In September 1793, Washington laid the Capitol’s cornerstone and the lengthy construction process, which would involve a line of project managers and architects, got under way.

In 1800, Congress moved into the Capitol’s north wing. In 1807, the House of Representatives moved into the building’s south wing, which was finished in 1811. During the War of 1812, the British invaded Washington, D.C., and set fire to the Capitol on August 24, 1814. A rainstorm saved the building from total destruction. Congress met in nearby temporary quarters from 1815 to 1819. In the early 1850s, work began to expand the Capitol to accommodate the growing number of Congressmen. In 1861, construction was temporarily halted while the Capitol was used by Union troops as a hospital and barracks. Following the war, expansions and modern upgrades to the building continued into the next century.

On this day in 1942, a flood overcomes Spring Valley:

1942 – Spring Valley Flood
On the evening of September 17, 1942, after a day of heavy rain, water began rolling through the streets of Spring Valley, in Pierce Co. The village, strung out along the Eau Galle River in a deep valley, had been inundated before, but this was no ordinary flood. By 11:30p.m., water in the streets was 12 to 20 feet deep, flowing at 12 to 15 miles an hour, and laden with logs, lumber, and dislodged buildings. Throughout the early morning hours of Sept. 18th, village residents became trapped in their homes or were carried downstream as buildings were swept off foundations and floated away. One couple spent the night chest-deep in water in their living room, holding their family dog above the water and fending off floating furniture. The raging torrent uprooted and twisted the tracks of the Northwestern Railroad like wire, and electricity and drinking water were unavailable for several days. Miraculously, there were no deaths or serious injuries.

Here’s the final game in Puzzability‘s Mouth Pieces series:

This Week’s Game — September 14-18

Mouth Pieces

We’re listening for art sounds this week. For each day, we started with the name of a famous painting. Then, for the day’s clue, we broke it down into a series of words that, when said in order, sounds like the original title. You’ll probably need to say the words out loud to get the answers.

Example:

Him, purr, Hessians, Hun, rice

Answer:

“Impression, Sunrise” (by Claude Monet)

What to Submit:

Submit the painting’s title (as “Impression, Sunrise” in the example) for your answer.

Friday, September 18

Suppers, hiss, dents, huff, Ma’am, hurry

Good morning, Whitewater.

Thursday in town will be partly cloudy during the day, with a daytime high of eighty-four, and a probability of thunderstorms later tonight. Sunrise is 6:37 and sunset 7:00, for 12h 23m 20s of daytime. The moon is a waxing crescent with 1501% of its visible disk illuminated.

Whitewater’s Fire & Rescue Task Force meets at 7 AM.

It’s Constitution Day in America.  On this day in 1787, thirty-nine delegates sign the draft Constitution:

After nearly four months of debate, on September 8, 1787, the final text of the Constitution was set down and revised. Then, an official copy of the document was engrossed by Jacob Shallus. The effort consisted of copying the text (prelude, articles and endorsement) on four sheets of vellum parchment, made from treated animal skin and measuring approximately 28 inches (71 cm) by 23 inches (58 cm), probably with a goose quill. Shallus engrossed the entire document except for the list of states at the end of the document, which are in Alexander Hamilton‘s handwriting.^[103] On September 17, 1787, following a speech given by Benjamin Franklin, 39 delegates endorsed and submitted the Constitution to the Congress of the Confederation.^[104]

On this day in 1862, Wisconsin regiments fight at Antietam:

September 17, 1862, was the bloodiest day in U.S. military history. More than 125,000 troops faced off and over 24,000 were killed, wounded or missing as Union forces stopped the first Confederate invasion of the North. The 2nd, 6th and 7th Wisconsin Infantry regiments were in the thickest of the fighting. The 6th Infantry led a charge that killed or wounded 150 of its 280 men. Of the 800 officers and men in the Iron Brigade who marched out that morning, 343 were wounded or killed.

Here’s Puzzability‘s Thursday game in its week-long Mouth Pieces series:

This Week’s Game — September 14-18

Mouth Pieces

We’re listening for art sounds this week. For each day, we started with the name of a famous painting. Then, for the day’s clue, we broke it down into a series of words that, when said in order, sounds like the original title. You’ll probably need to say the words out loud to get the answers.

Example:

Him, purr, Hessians, Hun, rice

Answer:

“Impression, Sunrise” (by Claude Monet)

What to Submit:

Submit the painting’s title (as “Impression, Sunrise” in the example) for your answer.

Thursday, September 17

Newt, diss, hand, Incas, dare, gaze

Good morning, Whitewater.

Midweek in Whitewater will be sunny with a high of eighty-four.  Sunrise is 6:36 and sunset 7:02, for 12h 26m 13s of daytime.  The moon is a waxing crescent with 9% of its visible disk illuminated.

On this day in 1908, General Motors is founded:

The company was founded on September 16, 1908, in Flint, Michigan, as a holding company for McLaughlin Car Company of Canada Limited and Buick, then controlled by William C. Durant.^[11] At the beginning of the 20th century there were fewer than 8,000 automobiles in America and Durant had become a leading manufacturer of horse-drawn vehicles in Flint before making his foray into the automotive industry.^[12] GM’s co-founder was Charles Stewart Mott, whose carriage company was merged into Buick prior to GM’s creation. Over the years Mott became the largest single stockholder in GM and spent his life with his Mott Foundation which has benefited the city of Flint, his adopted home. GM acquired Oldsmobile later that year. In 1909, Durant brought in Cadillac, Elmore, Oakland and several others. Also in 1909, GM acquired the Reliance Motor Truck Company of Owosso, Michigan, and the Rapid Motor Vehicle Company of Pontiac, Michigan, the predecessors of GMC Truck. Durant lost control of GM in 1910 along with R. S. McLaughlin to a bankers’ trust, because of the large amount of debt taken on in its acquisitions coupled with a collapse in new vehicle sales.^[13]

This Week’s Game — September 14-18

Mouth Pieces

We’re listening for art sounds this week. For each day, we started with the name of a famous painting. Then, for the day’s clue, we broke it down into a series of words that, when said in order, sounds like the original title. You’ll probably need to say the words out loud to get the answers.

Example:

Him, purr, Hessians, Hun, rice

Answer:

“Impression, Sunrise” (by Claude Monet)

What to Submit:

Submit the painting’s title (as “Impression, Sunrise” in the example) for your answer.

Wednesday, September 16

Docile, he, pink, chip, sea