10/16/09 Sul­li­van Hall, New York City, NY poster by Alexandra Fischer

October 16, 2009 Sul­li­van Hall, New York City, New York
Moonalice poster by Alexandra Fischer

According to Moonalice legend, today is Dictionary Day. It is also the birthday of Noah Webster, creator of the first American dictionary, and the birthday of Lotsa Words Moonalice, author of the first Moonalice-to-English dictionary. Can this be a coincidence? We think not. Conspiracy? Seems like the most obvious explanation. According to Moonlike legend, today is Conspiracy Word Day, which honors scary concepts like “grassy knoll,” “Freemasons,” and “swine flu vaccine.” Noah Webster would be so proud.

According to Moonalice legend, baseball is a tribal pastime. Like the tribe, baseball started on farms and spread from there. Baseball has four bases. Moonalice has five. Baseball has bats. Moonalice has bongs. Baseball has the best grass in sports. Moonalice herb is different, but has many good qualities. Baseball has the Yankees. Moonalice has Sullivan Hall. According to Moonalice legend, there remains some controversy about the etymology of the word “Manhattan.” Some say it comes from the Lenape word for “island of many hills.” Others point to the Delaware Indian words for “place where everyone got inebriated.” Wikipedia claims that the Delaware version has been debunked, but our Moonlike to English dictionary says otherwise. Obviously, the editors of Wikipedia have not spent enough time in New York City to make a call on this. Start spreading the news. No matter where the name Manhattan came from, the Delaware had it right. Manhattan is inebriation at its best. We recommend you start right here, right now.

According to Wikipedia, New York County includes Mahattan, plus seven other islands: Roosevelt Island, Randall’s Island, Ward’s Island, Governors Island, Liberty Island, part of Ellis Island, and U Thant Island; U Thant Island? Really?

According to Moonalice legend, a lot of cool things have happened on October 16. A couple of weird things, too.

• 1846 – William TG Morton first demonstrated ether anesthesia at the Massachusetts General Hospital in the Ether Dome!
• 1859 – John Brown leads his raid on Harper’s Ferry, West Virginia.
• 1869 – The Cardiff Giant, one of the most famous American hoaxes, is “discovered”.
• 1869 – Girton College, Cambridge is founded, becoming England’s first residential college for women.
• 1875 – Brigham Young University is founded in Provo, Utah.
• 1882 – The Nickel Plate Railroad opens for business.
• 1916 – Margaret Sanger founds Planned Parenthood by opening the first U.S. birth control clinic.
• 1923 – The Walt Disney Company is founded by Walt Disney and his brother, Roy Disney.

Poster Details

Notes

• Listed in the art database at ExpressoBeans.com.
• Listen to this show at Moonalice.com.