Our long national nightmare is over: Welcome to Wednesday, dear readers, and not just any Wednesday but the first Wednesday with an Innovate Long Island newsletter waiting in your inbox since we published landmark Issue No. 900 way back on July 24.
Today, of course, is Aug. 14, and believe us when we say that after three long weeks, we’re thrilled to be back it. Let’s innovate!
Tipping the scales: Love a lizard today.
No matter how you say it: We kick off our triumphant return with Navajo Code Talkers Day, an annual commemoration of the invaluable contributions Native Americans brought to the United States’ World War II effort – specifically, transmitting vital messages in complex Navajo language-based ciphers. (More WWII history below.)
And they’re less loveable when they’re exposed to radioactive fallout, grow to ginormous proportions and ravage coastal cities – but lizards are otherwise mostly harmless, so today we also embrace the egg-laying, four-legged namesakes of World Lizard Day.
Scratch that: You don’t have to be a desperate attention-seeker like Rain Monroe to experience tattoo remorse, and with that in mind we also salute National Tattoo Removal Day, taking a laser-powered eraser to our worst ink impulses.
Also sucking – in a much better way – is National Creamsicle Day, the annual orange-licious lick-a-thon cooling us down every Aug. 14.
It shocks! Also shocking – in a much better way – was the AC ampere-hour meter, patented by Pennsylvania-based Westinghouse Electric & Manufacturing Co. engineer Oliver Shallenberger on this date in 1888 and hailed as the first electric meter.
It provides! Hailed as a major victory for the elderly, the Social Security Act – creating a system of federally funded old-age benefits – was signed into law by President Franklin Roosevelt 89 years ago today.
It’s over! Hailed as a major victory for almost everyone in the world, V-J Day occurred on Aug. 14, 1945, when President Harry Truman announced Japan’s unconditional surrender and the official end of World War II. (For those keeping score, the date varies between the 14th and 15th, depending on what country you were in.)
Put a ring on it: It’s not up to today’s hi-def standards, but this image of Uranus blew minds 30 years ago.
It curves! In a big win for kids of all ages, Connecticut-based inventor (and retired semipro baseball player) David Mullany invented the Wiffle ball on this date in 1953.
It’s Uranus! And we mean the planet, you sicko – star of the show on Aug. 14, 1994, when NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope beamed back the best-yet images of the distant heavenly body (orbiting the Sun some 1.7 billion miles from Earth).
The then-groundbreaking images – which have since been bested by stunning high-definition photos captured by the James Webb Space Telescope – included the planet’s rings, bright cloud formations and even glimpses of Uranus’ innermost moons, which haven’t been photographed since.
History’s second-most famous “Hans Christian”: Danish physicist and chemist Hans Christian Ørsted (1777-1851) – who wasn’t a prolific author/playwright/poet like Hans Christian Andersen, but is remembered as the “Father of Electromagnetism” – would be 247 years old today.
Magic man: Arguably the greatest point guard of all time, Johnson turned a dire prognosis into a higher calling.
Also born on Aug. 14 were American writer and poet Ernest Thayer (1863-1940), who famously penned iconic baseball poem “Casey at the Bat”; American journalist Ethel Payne (1911-1991), a fearless civil rights activist hailed as the “First Lady of the Black Press”; American comedian, banjo player, author and actor Stephen Glenn “Steve” Martin (born 1945), who won’t be playing Tim Walz on “Saturday Night Live”; American author Danielle Fernandes Dominique Schuelein-Steel (born 1947), known best as best-selling romance novelist Danielle Steel; and American basketball great-turned businessman Earvin “Magic” Johnson Jr. (born 1959), arguably the most high-profile advocate for HIV/AIDS prevention.
“Side” ways: And take a bow, Gary Larson! The droll, uber-witty and ultimately hilarious American cartoonist – known best for his unparalleled single-panel series “The Far Side” – turns 74 today.
Give the syndicated savant your best at editor@innovateli.com, where we’re always on your side – especially when you share news tips and calendar events.
About our sponsor: Presberg Law P.C. is Long Island’s premier “IDA” and business law firm for businesses locating, relocating and expanding on Long Island. Founded in 1984, this multigenerational practice focuses on the purchase, sale, leasing and financing of commercial and industrial real estate, SBA and other loan transactions, construction projects and business sales and acquisitions.
BUT FIRST, THIS
The masked zinger: Nassau County’s lightning rod “Mask Transparency Act” has, predictably, ignited a firestorm.
Passed Aug. 5 by the County Legislature (with 12 Republicans approving and seven Democrats abstaining), the new law – which levies up to a year in prison and/or a $1,000 fine upon mask-wearers in public or private spaces – is a crimefighting measure, supporters say, not aimed at people with medical conditions. But lacking specific guidelines, the law encourages real-time law-enforcement judgment calls that blatantly challenge personal freedoms (and common healthcare sense); New York Civil Liberties Union Nassau County Regional Director Susan Gottehrer lamented “a dangerous misuse of the law to score political points and target protestors,” while Disability Rights New York Executive Director Timothy Clune stated the ban “violates federal and state anti-discrimination laws” and “puts lives at risk.”
Even the World Socialist Web Site (dedicated to a “Marxist world outlook”) decried a “fascistic mask ban law in New York City suburbs.” But all that appears lost on Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman, who stuck to his guns after the partisan vote: “Unless someone has a medical condition or a religious imperative, people should not be allowed to cover their face in a manner that hides their identity when in public,” Blakeman said in a statement.
Beach party: Governor Kathy Hochul announces new funding for East Hampon’s Ditch Plains Beach restoration project.
Storm surge: With extreme weather events piling up and an unusually busy hurricane season looming, Albany is doubling down on coastal resiliency efforts around eastern Long Island.
Governor Kathy Hochul visited Montauk Aug. 9 to announce a $2.5 million state investment in the Ditch Plains Beach restoration project, which aims to restore the weather-beaten East Hampton beachfront. Joined by regional lawmakers, local activists, Long Island Power Authority Acting CEO John Rhodes and representatives of the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation, Hochul announced the new funding at the start of the 2024 Atlantic Hurricane Season, which according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration promises “above normal” tropical activity (exceeding 14 named storms and three major hurricanes).
The governor noted “a little sigh of relief” that Tropical Storm Debby had veered west – largely sparing Nassau and Suffolk counties – but warned that Mother Nature still has the Island in her sights. “We’ve seen time and time again that Mother Nature may have a different opinion on what we should have here on Long Island, because she keeps battering us with these historic storms,” the governor said. “And we know that the threat of climate change is no longer a threat … that is our new normal.”
TOP OF THE SITE
Package deal: Albany was wise to pass on a proposed, economics-challenging law regarding packaging-material recycling, according to Long Island Association President/CEO Matt Cohen, who suggests more innovative solutions.
Perfect timing: Now that we’re back on the beat, what better time to catch up with Spark: The Innovate Long Island Podcast, featuring dozens of intimate interviews with ingenious regional innovators? (We checked, and there is no better time.) Listen to this!
VOICES
Federal officials are working up new recommendations regarding the health risks associated with alcohol consumption – unsettling times for the national booze industries and their Congressional enablers, according to Voices Healthcare Anchor and former Northwell Health Senior Vice President Terry Lynam, who calls out shady deals and wonky “facts” in prior government guidelines.
STUFF WE’RE READING
New beginnings: Olympics withdrawal? Well, it’s never too late to start a new sport. Vox goes for the gold.
Tricky ending: Both Harris and Trump want to end taxes on tips – but it’s easier said than done. Time adds a little extra.
The endemic is nigh: Four years later, COVID is officially endemic – but what does that mean? NPR takes the long way.
RECENT FUNDINGS
+ Cala Systems, a Massachusetts-based manufacturer of intelligent heat-pump water heaters, raised $5.6 million in seed funding led by Massachusetts Clean Energy Center and Clean Energy Venture Group.
+ Nammi Therapeutics, a California-based immuno-oncology pioneer, received a $1 million investment commitment from the Myeloma Investment Fund.
+ Nob Hill Therapeutics, a New Mexico-based early-stage pulmonary medical device maker, raised $3 million in Series A funding led by Tramway Venture Partners.
+ Boostly, a Utah-based marketing platform for restaurants, raised $5.6 million in seed funding led by Trestle Partners.
+ Aurascape AI, a California-based cybersecurity provider, raised $12.8 million in seed funding led by the Mayfield Fund.
+ ArborXR, an Oklahoma-based, enterprise-grade extended reality mobile-device management, content management and content distribution solution for enterprise companies, raised $12 million in funding led by Mercury Fund and Cortado Ventures, with participation from Impact Venture Capital and Lewis & Clark Ventures.
Like this newsletter? Innovate Long Island newsletter, website and podcast sponsorships are a prime opportunity to reach the inventors, investors, entrepreneurs and executives you need to know (just ask Presberg Law). Marlene McDonnell can tell you more.
BELOW THE FOLD (Choose Your Level Edition)
Gut check: Are you brave enough for pink chicken?
Low beam: Why you feel so tired after soaking up some sun.
Medium-rare: It works well for beef, pork, tuna … and even chicken?
High hopes: The new Starbucks CEO is focused on innovation and morale.
Level-headed: Please continue supporting the amazing firms that support Innovate Long Island, including Presberg Law, which relies on deep knowledge – and an even keel – to ensure the best outcomes in your real estate transactions. Check them out.
