The Constitutional Convention, World Naked Gardening Day and The Samurai

A week of posts highlighting Social Reforms  - and the drinks that reform us

Per Wiki:

1787 – In Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, delegates convene a Constitutional Convention to write a new Constitution for the United States; George Washington presides.

A pretty simple statement. The war had been won, we were independent from Britain, the bonfires and the celebratory mugs of beer were still to be found in the countryside. But now to form a republic from 13 colonies, to insure the individual rights of that population and yet establish a true government with the power and means to move the young, the very young country, forward was the task that lay ahead. I wonder how many times Washington, presiding over the best, the brightest but also the most passionate (these men had all risked their lives for the founding of this nation) of that age - thought to himself "The battles against the British were easier than what now lay ahead."


Perhaps listening to the current news surrounding the upcoming Presidential election planted the seed, but as I looked forward this week scanning historical events I thought I might use, I noticed a theme forming, one of Social Reform - for lack of a better term. I noticed events worldwide that showed the constant struggles even today - 3,000 years from the start of "Civilization" - being fought in the name of reform.

This week I would like to concentrate (mostly) on events highlighting social reform.


But not exclusively...

I thought that World Naked Gardening Day was celebrated on May 14, (that when I always celebrate it) see link below for the MSNBC story link, but it looks like this year it was the 5th. I'm sure that if you want to do your Adam and Eve imitations, pretty much any day will get your point across!  WNGD has their own website, I'm not linking to it here since it's NSFW.  See you all in the flower bed, watch out when you trim the roses!

MSNBC report on World Naked Gardening Day

http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/43018053/ns/today-today_news/t/not-dirty-play-dirt-world-naked-gardening-day/#.T6-jSsVSQns








Ōkubo Toshimichi, a statesman, a samurai of Satsuma, and one of the three great nobles who led the Meiji Restoration was assassinated by samurai on this day in 1878. He is remembered as one of the founders of modern Japan.

The Historical Inebriant:  The Samurai

Japanese sake delicately stirred with a dash of gin and a large measure of vodka.

Garnish with sliced cucumber.