February 25

**FYI: On the Julian Calendar (used in the European world from 45 B.C.-1500’s), February 25 was Leap Day.**
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1793 - The department heads of the U.S. government met with President Washington at his home for the first cabinet meeting on record.

A brilliant assortment of minds were in this first cabinet, and just as our first president was our greatest, Washington's cabinet was one of our most impressive as well.

John Adams (Vice-President), Thomas Jefferson (Secretary of State), Edmund Randolph (Attorney General), Alexander Hamilton (Secretary of the Treasury), Henry Knox (Secretary of War), Samuel Osgood (Postmaster General).

Unfortunately, we haven't always been so blessed with such genius.

493 - Negotiations opened between the Roman Army, besieged at Ravenna, and the Ostrogoths.

The traditional date (unofficial) for the end of the Empire is 476, but many Roman forces tried to keep it alive (or revive it)...Plus the Byzantines were constantly sending more troops in attempts to reclaim 'their Roman lands.'

Which is why it's important to remember events, not dates.

"If you want certainty, go into mathematics. Don’t go into ancient history." - Hershel Shanks

1570 – Elizabeth I, Queen of England, was excommunicated by Pope Pius V.

The Queen was a Protestant, so I’m pretty sure she couldn't have cared less...What this was was a political move by the Papacy in an attempt to get the English people to turn on their queen.

It didn't work.

1870 - Hiram R. Revels became the first black member of the U.S. Senate when he was sworn in to serve out Jefferson Davis' term.

Oh by the way, Senator Revels was a Republican...For those keeping score at home.

I wonder how ol’ Jeff Davis felt about being replaced by a black man?

1913 - The 16th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was declared in effect, giving Congress the power to levy and collect income taxes.

Too bad they weren’t foresighted enough to put limits on the amount the government could steal from the people...There's no way they could have foreseen socialists taking over the government, though.

1956 - Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev harshly criticized the late Joseph Stalin as a demigod and tyrant in a speech before a Communist Party congress in Moscow.

The key to this event was that he criticized the "LATE" Uncle Joe. If he wanted to be a big man he should have done it while Stalin was alive...Which would have made Nikki a dead man, of course.

1961 - Cassius Clay knocked out Sonny Liston, becoming the heavyweight boxing champion.

Prior to the fight most believed Clay would get his head handed to him, because Liston was considered a monster...But Clay proved to be the far superior fighter, and eventually went on the be "The Greatest."

He is better known as Muhammad Ali.

1972 - Germany gave in to ransom demands from Arab terrorist hijackers of a jumbo jet and paid $5 million for the release of its passengers.

Nice precedent to set...They’ve been paying this same kind of ransom on a much larger, geopolitical, stage since this time.

1976 - The U.S. Supreme Court ruled states may ban the hiring of illegal aliens.

Hmmmm! So why don’t they??

1987 - The U.S. Supreme Court upheld an affirmative action program in Alabama providing for the promotion of an equal numbers of black and white state troopers.

This sounds nice doesn’t it? But lets look at the facts: Whites in Alabama = 3.1 million, blacks in Alabama = 1.1 million.

So there is a 3-1 ratio of whites to blacks in Alabama, but they have to promote blacks at a 1-1 ratio?

Please tell me how this isn’t discrimination against whites, and an undeniable form of ‘Reverse Racism’...It's a sad joke, as well as bad for the country as a whole and blacks in particular.

1992 - The U.S. Supreme Court ruled prison guards who use unnecessary force against inmates may be violating the Constitution's ban on cruel and unusual punishment even if they inflict no serious injuries.

Of course using 'unnecessary force' is wrong, but the question is: What is 'unnecessary force'?  I can't imagine the hell prison guards go through, and the reality is this ruling is extremely generalized and is a breeding ground for ‘lawyerly misdeeds.’

1998 - Switzerland's first legal brothel opened in Zurich. Thirty prostitutes set up shop at the Petite Fleur Bordelo. The women were self-employed, paid $138 a day to rent a room, could charge what they wanted for services, depending on what was on offer and what the market would bear.

What kind of Lunatic Fringe do the Swiss live in? One where the majority of their country is socialist, but their whores get to operate in the most capitalist sense imaginable?