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MY FREE RAMBLING THOUGHTS
A quick dental cleaning this morning started off my day. The rest of the day went well with my clean teeth. I do like my dentist, but can’t help thinking there is a racket in all this somehow. The hygienist always seems to find an area that I am not flossing enough. The racket I see is that every time, it is a different spot. I brush the same way every day, I floss the same way every day. It’s like she isn’t doing her job unless she finds something new for me to work on. I guess I should be happy that I have all my teeth.
I am still amazed at the actions of the Admiral in the Navy and his videos of a few years ago. He has been relieved of his command. Seems to me some others should also be in trouble—his boss who did nothing at the time. Then there are the kids that were on the ship and saw the videos. I understand that these men and women were deployed to a war zone. I get that they needed some laughter to break the tension. DADT was still in force, so I am sure that out of the 6000 sailors on the ship, a few must have been gay. They were the brunt of the humor of the video. I get that the male sailors in their late teens and early 20’s have a high testosterone level. Two former male sailors on the boat have said that the public just didn’t get the ‘navy culture’. They do not think that anything should have been done about the raunchy videos. One female from the ship has come forward and said that she too does not think he should lose his command. Her comment on the lesbian shower scene of the video was that water is precious on a deployed ship and the leadership does everything it can to cut down on water use during shower time. She believes the lesbian shower scene; with two women washing each other was an attempt to show that shower water should not be wasted. Right!
The Navajo sense of humor can be brutal. It can be very honest. It can be very hurtful. Much of the humor can be about a person’s physical characteristics. I spent untold hours with Navajo staff members, non Navajo staff and Navajo students at every school I worked at listening to how that humor hurt individuals. While I usually did talk to the person who started the difficult humor, I was unable to break a centuries old form of cultural humor. I was fortunate that at most schools I had a Navajo counselor who could be used to help a little. They too had trouble stopping it, and usually spent most of their time with the victim so they could deal with it. I never saw much of this humor as appropriate. I was a visitor on the rez and had a hard time with walking the line between educating children and not destroying the culture. I did do formal reprimands on a couple of staff members who just would not stop their inappropriate humor. One accepted the punishment and really tried to change. The other made a big deal about it. When she lost her appeal, she simply quit her job. Of course her venom didn’t stop after she left. She bounced around through several Bureau schools before she left education.
These experiences remind me of the boat story. The military does have its own culture. It is difficult to understand from the outside. That doesn’t make it right. Humor should make us laugh. I believe that can be accomplished without hurting someone. I also believe that it says a lot about a culture by what is done to make someone laugh. The military needs to change. Young kids should not be laughing at raunchy humor from their elders. It somehow makes it more acceptable. I have heard and told many a raunchy joke. I would have never told it to my parents. My parents, even in their later years, still never told my brother or me a really raunchy joke. It has to do with respect. The military leaders should have respect for themselves and for ALL those they command.
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∞ JEOPARDY PUZZLE—(Super-Jeopardy Answers) from 1990 STARTS WITH “S”
…answers at bottom…
→A close-fitting dress usually with a straight skirt & no belt, or a case for a blade
→Not a table for serving lunch, it's 2 large ad placards linked by straps & worn over the shoulders
→In printing, a fine line finishing off the main stroke of a letter
→The center of our galaxy lies in this constellation between Scorpio & Capricorn
→This term that means “without knee breeches” was applied to some ill-clad French revolutionaries
UNUSUAL NEWS ITEM-- JACKSONVILLE, FL
Police in Florida said they followed a trail of debris from a credit union to a suspect in a front-end loader carrying an ATM ripped from the building. Jacksonville police said they responded to a burglar alarm about 3:50 a.m. Monday and discovered the Vystar Credit Union structure had been demolished and an ATM was missing, The (Jacksonville) Florida Times-Union reported Wednesday. Investigators followed a trail of debris to a Caterpillar front-end loader attempting to turn from a highway onto a bike trail. They said the driver of the loader kept going despite police turning on their lights then put the heavy machine into reverse and headed straight for a patrol car. The police car evaded the machine and it again fled away, but stopped after about 500 feet and police arrested Robert Anderson, 31.
Police said the ATM was severely damaged but its cash cartridge remained intact. Anderson was jailed on charges of burglary in excess of $1,000 and aggravated assault.
SOMEWHAT USELESS INFORMATION—
• Water dissolves more substances than any other liquid. Wherever it travels, water carries chemicals, minerals, and nutrients with it.
• Pure water (solely hydrogen and oxygen atoms) has a neutral pH of 7, which is neither acidic nor basic.
A LITTLE LAUGH
The new Supermarket near our house has an automatic water mister to keep the produce fresh. Just before it goes on, you hear the sound of distant thunder and the smell of fresh rain.
When you approach the milk cases, you hear cows mooing and witness the scent of fresh hay.
When you approach the egg case, you hear hens cluck and cackle and the air is filled with the pleasing aroma of bacon and eggs frying.
The veggie department features the smell of fresh buttered corn.
I don't buy toilet paper there anymore.
GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS—Unusual Skill
→Ashrita Furman of Jamaica, New York, USA set a pogo stick jumping distance record of 37.18 km (23.11 miles) in 12 hours 27 min on June 22, 1997 at Queensborough Community College Track, New York, USA.
→The greatest distance walked by a person continuously balancing a milk bottle on the head is 130.3 km (80.96 miles) by Ashrita Furman of New York, USA, around Victory Field track, Forest Park, Queens, on April 22-23, 1998. It took him 23 hours 35 minutes to complete the walk.
→The longest recorded duration for balancing on one foot is 76 hr 40 min by Arulanantham Suresh Joachim (Sri Lanka) at Vihara Maha Devi Park Open Air Stadium, Sri Lanka, from May 22-25, 1997.
→The longest journey on a lawnmower is 23,487.5 km (14,594.5 miles) in 260 consecutive days by America's Gary Hatter. Hatter started his drive through Portland, Maine, on May 31, 2000 and passed through all 48 continuous US states as well as Canada and Mexico before arriving in Daytona Beach, Florida, on February 14, 2001.
→The record for the longest lecture marathon lasted for 120 hours and was achieved by Jayasimha Ravirala (India) who lectured on personality development concepts at FAPCCI Hall, Hyderabad, India, from 24 March to 29 March 2007.
→The longest reading aloud marathon by a team lasted 224 hours and was completed by Milton Nan, Silvina Carbone, Carlos Antón, Edit Díaz, Yolanda Baptista and Natalie Dantaz (all Uruguay) at Mac Center Shopping, Paysandú, Uruguay between September 13-22, 2007.
FOUND ON ‘YOU TUBE’
A letter to a friend regarding the 12 days of Christmas gifts. The accent really makes the letters enjoyable.
♫ T O P T V T H E M E S O N G S OF ALL TIME♫
Click on Song Title to see and hear
This wonderfully soulful song does an excellent job of portraying the celebratory mood of a couple who have finally found great success and a better life for themselves. George and Wheezie were often showing a rather grumpy attitude towards each other, but underneath it all, it was easy to believe their theme song let you know how happy they really were together
Can you tell me how to get to Sesame Street? This question has been asked over 4000 times, and it doesn't look like it will be ending any time soon. Sesame Street is working on its 36th season, and in a case of if it isn't broke, don't fix it, the theme hasn't been tinkered with. The song itself is simple and inviting, with a jingle that can mesmerize small children. But unlike other shows, I can't think of any parent that wouldn't allow their child to visitSesame Street after hearing this theme song
Sonny Curtis, best known for penning the MTMS theme song, "Love Is All Around" had a rich history of writing hit songs prior to being immortalized as a theme song legend. Curtis played guitar in Buddy Holly's early band The Three Tunes (he was also a brief member of The Crickets, as well) and cut his teeth not only writing songs, but notable commercial jingles of the day, as well. Built around a whispering guitar lick and swooning orchestration, the song is a positive little ditty that seems to have been cast from Mary's distinctively upbeat smile. Oh yeah, the kitten meow at the end is priceless
IGN readers will likely remember this as the theme from the old arcade game Spy Hunter, but before Midway re-popularized it, the "Theme From Peter Gunn" served as one of the most iconic songs of the Sixties. Of course, having Henry Mancini write your TV show's opening music is always a good choice
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DAYBOOK INFORMATION
‡…THIS WEEK…‡
Celebration of Life Week: Diet Resolution Week: Silent Record Week: 1-7
National Lose Weight/Feel Great Week: 1-8
Someday We'll Laugh About This Week: 2-8
New Year's Resolutions Week: 3-9
Women's Self Empowerment Week: 5-9
‡…TODAY IS…‡
Bean Day to celebrate beans—esp the baked kind
Bird Day: since 1905: to celebrate wild birds and to understand that tropical birds are not considered domesticated and should not be pets
Western Christianity: The Twelfth day of Christmas ( Twelve drummers drumming symbolize the twelve points of doctrine in the Apostles Creed.
…and the Twelfth Night of Christmas (as an end to the celebrations and preparing for Epiphany )
England: Glastonbury Thorn Day: a bifloral (blooms 2x’s a year) marking the winter arrival of Christianity to England
‡…Today’s Births…‡
• AUTHORS
1923 Robert L Bernstein publisher (Random House)
1918 Jeanne Dixon psychic (Gift of Prophecy)
Umberto Eco, 78, author (In the Name of the Rose)
W.D. Snodgrass, 84, poet: Heart’s Needle, The Fuhrer Bunker, The Complete Cycle, April Inventory
• ATHLETES
Sean Dockery, 28, basketball player Duke, International Basketball Leaghue
Mike Grier, 36, ice hockey (Oilers, Sabres, Capitals, Sharks)
• BUSINESS & EDUCATION
1769 Jean Baptiste Say French economist (Political Economics)
• ENTERTAINERS (ACTORS/SINGERS/…)
Robert Duvall, 79, actor (A Civil Action, The Godfather)
Carrie Ann Inaba, 42, choreographer, television personality (“Dancing with the Stars”)
January Jones, 32, actress (“Mad Men”)
Diane Keaton, 64, actress (Something’s Gotta Give, Looking for Mr Goodbar, Reds, Oscar for Annie Hall)
1923 Sam Phillips musician/record company founder (Sun)
1914 George Reeves [George Lescher Bessolo], actor (Superman)
Charlie Rose, 68, newscaster, television host
• POLITICIANS
1876 Konrad Adenauer chancellor of Germany (1949)
1779 Stephen Decatur U.S. naval officer: “Our country right or wrong.”
Walter Frederick (Fritz) Mondale, 82, 42nd vice president of the US, former senator
Ed Rendell, 66, Governor of Pennsylvania
• SCIENCE & RELIGION
1874 Joseph Erlanger doctor (shock therapy-Nobel 1944)
1811 Cyrus Hamlin educator/missionary (established Robert College, Turkey)
1895 Jeannette (Ridlon) Piccard balloon pilot: 1st American woman to be free balloon pilot
1779 Zebulon Montgomery Pike explorer (Pike's Peak)
1794 Edmund Ruffin agriculturist: one of the originators of crop rotation and fertilization; publisher: Farmer’s Register; Confederate soldier: fired first shot on Fort Sumter in American Civil War
‡…Today’s Obituaries…‡
1807 Michel Adanson French biologist (Plant classes), @ 79
1998 Sonny Bono (Representative-R-CA)/singer (Sonny & Cher), skiing @ 62
1943 George Washington Carver famous black American agricultural scientist @ 81
1982 Hans Conried actor (Bullwinkle Show, Make Room for Daddy), heart attack @ 64
1963 Rogers Hornsby baseball player, heart ailment @ 66
1990 Arthur Kennedy actor (Air Force), brain tumor @ 76
1971 Sonny Liston World Champ heavyweight boxer (1962-64), heart failure/drugs? @ 36
1988 "Pistol Pete" Mavarich NBAer (Atlanta), heart attack @ 40
1860 St John Nepomucene Neumann 1st male US saint, started 1st Catholic school in US, stroke @ 46
1994 Thomas P "Tip" O'Neill (MA)/Speaker of House (1977-86), @ 81
‡…Today’s Events…‡
• ARTS
1927 Fox Studios exhibits Movietone
1945 Pepe LePew debuts in Warner Bros cartoon "Odor-able Kitty"
1959 "Bozo the Clown" live children's show premieres on TV
1981 "Nightline" with Ted Koppel extended from 20 minutes to 30 minutes
• ATHLETICS
1934 National & American baseball leagues select a uniform ball
1951 Babe Didrikson-Zaharias wins LPGA Ponte Vedra Beach Women's Golf Open
1957 Dodgers' Jackie Robinson retires rather than be traded to New York Giants
1993 Mike Ditka was dismissed as Chicago Bears head coach after 32 years as a player and coach
• BUSINESS & EDUCATION
1887 1st US school of librarianship opens at Columbia University
1940 FCC hears 1st transmission of FM radio with clear, static-free signal
• INDIGENOUS PEOPLE
1806 Sacajawea tells Lewis and Clark she wants to see a dead whale washed up on the beach in Oregon.
1834 Kiowa Indians record this as the night the stars fell
1852 One in a series of treaties with California Indians is signed today at Temecula. The treaty is to set aside land and to protect the San Luis Rey Indians from Europeans.
• POLITICS (US)
1781 British naval expedition led by Benedict Arnold burns Richmond VA
1804 Ohio legislature passes 1st laws restricting free blacks movement
1925 First female governor Mrs. Nellie Tayloe Ross in the U.S. took office in Wyoming
1961 US breaks diplomatic relations with Cuba
1968 Dr Benjamin Spock indicted for conspiring to violate draft law
• POLITICS (International)
1911 Portuguese expel Jesuits
1919 National Socialist Party (Nazi) forms as German Farmers Party
• SCIENCE & RELIGION
1896 German physicist Wilhelm Roentgen's discovers x-rays
1905 Charles Perrine announces discovery of Jupiter's 7th satellite, Elara
1982 Arkansas judge rules against obligatory teaching of creation
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ANSWERS
∞ JEOPARDY
→A close-fitting dress usually with a straight skirt & no belt, or a case for a blade
What is a ‘sheath’?
→Not a table for serving lunch, it's 2 large ad placards linked by straps & worn over the shoulders
What is a ‘sandwich board’?
→In printing, a fine line finishing off the main stroke of a letter
What is a ‘serif’?
→The center of our galaxy lies in this constellation between Scorpio & Capricorn
What is ‘Sagitarius’?
→This term that means “without knee breeches” was applied to some ill-clad French revolutionaries
What is ‘san-culottes‘?
THAT'S ALL FOR NOW
