GMT

Today in History: April 17

1492 Christopher Columbus signs a contract with Spain to find a western route to the Indies.

1824 Russia abandons all North American claims south of 54' 40'.

1864 General Ulysses Grant bans the trading of prisoners.

1947 Jackie Robinson bunts for his first major league hit.

1961 Some 1,400 Cuban exiles attack the Bay of Pigs in an attempt to overthrow Fidel Castro.

1969 Sirhan Sirhan is convicted of assassinating Senator Robert F. Kennedy.

1970 Apollo 13--originally scheduled to land on the moon--lands back safely on Earth after an accident.

1983 In Warsaw, police rout 1,000 Solidarity supporters.


Born on April 17

1894 Nikita S. Khrushchev, Soviet premier (1958-64).


JOTD

Son: "Dad, I have to do a special report for school. Can I ask you a question?"
Father: "Sure son. What's the question?"
Son: "What is Politics?"
Father: "Well, let's take our home for an example. I am the wage earner, so let's call me "Capitalism". your mother is the administrator of money, so we'll call her "Government". We take care of your need, so let's call you "The People". We'll call the maid "The Working Class" and your little brother, we can call "The Future". Do you understand son?
Son: "I'm not really sure, dad. I'll have to think about it."
That night awakened by his brother's crying, the boy went to see what was wrong. Discovering that the baby had seriously soiled his diaper, the boy went to his parents' room and found his mother sound asleep. He went to the maid's room, where, peeking through the keyhole, he saw his father in bed with the maid. The boy's knocking went totally unheeded by his father and the maid, so the boy returned to his room and went back to sleep. The next morning he reported to his father.
Son: "Dad, now I think i understand what politics is."
Father: "Good son! Can you explain it to me in your own words?"
Son: "Well Dad, while Capitalism is screwing the Working Class, Government is sound asleep, the People are being completely ignored and the Future is full of shite."