►..◄……….►..◄……….►..◄
MY FREE RAMBLING THOUGHTS
Certainly a day for reflection. Most of my Sunday Morning News Fix was about the shootings in Tucson. I learned a great deal about the congresswoman and her work in DC. Most eye opening was her statement made to the press after the Palin website put her district on the map as a place to win for Republicans. Palin’s handlers used crosshairs to identify those districts. Gibbons reminded everyone that ‘words can have consequences.’ The most idiotic statement came from one of Palin’s campaign workers who said the crosshairs had nothing to do with guns, but were seen commonly on many maps. While the crazy has not stated his motivation, it doesn’t seem to me that it is much of a jump from the violent language of politics in America to see why this crazy felt he could change things. Due to my recent medical issues I also became entranced by what today’s medical teams can do today. One of the doctors has put out verbal images that are hard to get out of the mind. The Pima County sheriff has made some pretty hard line views on how the wrong people get guns, how America has changed to a much more violent culture, how legislators are making these tragedies easier to occur. He is certainly the polar opposite of the Maricopa sheriff.
Certainly a day for reflection. Most of my Sunday Morning News Fix was about the shootings in Tucson. I learned a great deal about the congresswoman and her work in DC. Most eye opening was her statement made to the press after the Palin website put her district on the map as a place to win for Republicans. Palin’s handlers used crosshairs to identify those districts. Gibbons reminded everyone that ‘words can have consequences.’ The most idiotic statement came from one of Palin’s campaign workers who said the crosshairs had nothing to do with guns, but were seen commonly on many maps. While the crazy has not stated his motivation, it doesn’t seem to me that it is much of a jump from the violent language of politics in America to see why this crazy felt he could change things. Due to my recent medical issues I also became entranced by what today’s medical teams can do today. One of the doctors has put out verbal images that are hard to get out of the mind. The Pima County sheriff has made some pretty hard line views on how the wrong people get guns, how America has changed to a much more violent culture, how legislators are making these tragedies easier to occur. He is certainly the polar opposite of the Maricopa sheriff.
While many loud mouth commentators are saying ‘not me’, I am reminded of a study done while I was in college. People in a movie theater were shown a frame of two of popcorn during the movie. The pics went by so quickly no one remembered seeing them, but the popcorn sales soared when the images were shown. We would not have commercials if they didn’t work. The ‘unseen’ pictures are not used, but advertisers find ways to get us to remember their products. Politicians are not much different. Many hire advertising agencies to do their media. While many of the tea party didn’t get elected, they certainly opened the door for a belief that Armageddon was just around the corner if they weren’t elected. ‘Lock and Reload’, ‘2nd amendment remedies’, ‘Taliban supporter’, ‘Nazi’ and other advertising slogans were everywhere. They would not have been used if the politician wasn’t convinced that they would help the campaign. The screamers on Talk Radio and certain TV cable news channels wouldn’t have jobs if people weren’t listening and buying the products advertised on their shows. Freedom of Speech is a cornerstone for our country. Even the Supreme Court says that you can’t yell fire in a crowded theater, unless there is a fire. With all the access to information today it is time that people have to start footnoting again. Without those pesky little numbers and sources anybody can say just about anything about anything. Many who grew up with footnotes seldom checked them, so when they disappeared few noticed. Now we as a country are paying the price.
AZ has now entered the history books for its violence against politicians. I certainly hope that this will soon be seen as the turning point in American politics realized that words must be used very carefully.
Snow really melted today. I cleared off my deck, refilled the bird feeders, and was pleased to see that the birds have returned. It was nice to have some lively birds crowded around the two feeders and the two suet cages. I moved everything around to keep the two pesky squirrels away from them. This was not easy as those little critters are pretty agile, obviously hungry, and really know how to use their tails to get to the bird seed holders. One little guy is never deterred, even when he falls four or five feet onto the soft bed of snow and pine needles.
►..◄……….►..◄……….►..◄
∞ JEOPARDY PUZZLE—(Super-Jeopardy Answers) from 1990 SCIENCE
…answers at bottom…
•In 1931 “New Dawn”, a species of this thorny garden flower, became the 1st plant to receive a patent
•It's the common name for hydrated oxide of iron
•It's the ratio of the density of a liquid to that of an equal volume of distilled water at 4 degrees C.
•One of 2 protocontinents that converged about 300 million years ago to form Pangaea
•The greenhouse effect occurs in this, the lowest level of the atmosphere
UNUSUAL NEWS ITEM--ATLANTA, GA
Atlanta police said a nightclub valet's life may have been saved by his cell phone when a bullet fired by a gunman ricocheted off the device. Investigators said the Halo club valet parking attendant had his phone in his breast pocket shortly before 3 a.m. EST Thursday when a pair of gunmen, who witnesses said had been kicked out of the club, fired off several rounds, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported. Police said the victim was treated for minor injuries at the scene and two men with handguns in their vehicle were arrested a short time later. The names of the suspects and the victim were not released by authorities Thursday.
SOMEWHAT USELESS INFORMATION—
• Victor Bout, known widely as the "Merchant of Death," is the most notorious arms dealer, and has accumulated a private air force as large and that of NATO countries. His clientele include the Taliban as well as U.S. military in Iraq.
• Yakuza, the Japanese mafia, consider themselves decedents of samurai. Their business largely consists of sex trafficking.
A LITTLE LAUGH
"I don't want you to think I don't like marriage," said the man to his friend."I’ve been happily married three times. My last wife was one of them women's libbers. She got mad 'cause I opened the car door for her.
Of course, we were going 75 mph when I did it."
GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS—Golden Oldies
• At the age of 100 years 60 days, Estrid Geertsen (Denmark, b. August 1, 1904) made a tandem parachute jump on September 30, 2004 from an altitude of 4,000 m (13,100 ft) over Roskilde, Demark,.
•The combined age of the 10 dancers from the touring chorus line of The Tivoli Lovelies (Australia), based in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, is 746 years 147 days as of October 12, 2004.
•Charin Yuthasastrkosol (USA) (b. Thailand, December 30, 1930) began ballet lessons at the age of 47. She performed regularly at galas, her most recent being a performance for Sakthip Krairikish, Thailand's Ambassador to the USA at Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA on July 21, 2002 at the age of 71 years 203 days.
• Bernie Barker (USA) ( b. July 31, 1940), a regular performer at Club LeBare, Miami Beach, Florida, USA, began his career in 2000 at the age of 60 as a way to get in shape after recovering from prostate cancer, and worked as a stripper until he sadly passed away in March 2007. During his career, he won over 30 contests.
∞CLOSEUP PICTURE
Can you identify this close up picture
FOUND ON ‘YOU TUBE’
♫ 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 rollicking Western track has been used and over-used a ton since its debut on the Sixties series. Conjuring up wagons rolling, and life on the frontier, it is every bit as iconic as some of the traditional American folk sings. In fact, it may already be considered one by many forward-thinking historians
What more can you ask for than Carroll O'Connor and Jean Stapleton singing off-key and craggy (totally pre-karaoke, too) "Those Were The Days"? Charles Strouse, the composer/writer of the opening theme song has no less than three Tony Awards under his belt for Best Musical (among them one for Bye, Bye Birdie), so it's no wonder that the song was not only quirky, but damn catchy in that Broadway type of way
For a show that's all about mystery and discovering the unknown in this strange world, The X-Files' creators did an excellent job securing a theme that evokes the necessary emotions. Empty and haunting, the opening riff to the song is enough to make conspiracy theorists and UFO-chasers everywhere salivat
►..◄……….►..◄……….►..◄
DAYBOOK INFORMATION
‡…THIS WEEK…‡
Universal Letter Writing Week: 8-14
Home Office Safety and Security Week: 9-15
International Snowmobile Safety and Awareness Week: 9-15
‡…TODAY IS…‡
National Cut Your Energy Costs Day
National Clean Off Your Desk Day
Peculiar People Day
United Nations Day
Benin: Traditional Day (A former French colony in West Africa)
Japan: Coming of Age Day (成人の日 Seijin no Hi) (to celebrate all who turned 20 in the last year)
UK: Plough Monday (1st Monday after 12th Night: ends Christmas season: farmers blacken their faces)
‡…Today’s Births…‡
• AUTHORS
1814 Aubrey de Vere Irish writer (Victorian Observer)
• ATHLETES
Willie (Lee) ‘Stretch’ McCovey, 73, Baseball Hall of Famer: Giants, Padres, Athletics
Bobby Rahal, 58, auto racer: Indianapolis 500 winner [1986]
William Anthony (Bill) Toomey, 71, Olympic gold medal decathlete
• BUSINESS & EDUCATION
George Foreman, 61, former boxer, entrepreneur
• ENTERTAINERS (ACTORS/SINGERS/…)
Pat Benatar, 57, singer, born Patricia Andrejewski
1904 Ray Bolger (Raymond Wallace Bulcao) dancer, actor: The Wizard of Oz
1943 Jim Croce singer/songwriter (Time in a Bottle, Bad Bad Leroy Brown)
1908 Bernard Lee actor (M in James Bond movies)
1927 Gisele MacKenzie singer/actress (Your Hit Parade)
1939 Sal Mineo actor (Exodus, Rebel Without a Cause)
Rod Stewart, 65, singer
• POLITICIANS
1738 Ethan Allen Revolutionary War fighter (led the Green Mountain Boys)
• SCIENCE & RELIGION
1864 George Washington Carver agricultural scientist (estimate date - actual birthdate unknown)
1877 Frederick Gardner Cottrell inventor (electrostatic precipitator)
1502 Hendrik Niclaes German/Dutch merchant/cult leader (Children of God)
‡…Today’s Obituaries…‡
1981 Richard Boone actor (Paladin-Have Gun Will Travel), throat cancer @ 63
1997 Hilary Grover Barratt Brown conservationist, @ 71
1971 Gabrielle "Coco" Chanel French fashion designer, @ 87
1917 Wm Frederick ‘Buffalo Bill’ Cody army scout & Indian fighter, kidney failure @ 70
1862 Samuel Colt inventor (6 shot revolver), natural causes @ 47
1768 Charles Cressent French court furniture maker, @ 82
1951 Harry Sinclair Lewis US writer (Nobel 1930), alcoholism @ 65
1778 Carolus Linnæus "Carl von Linné" Swedish botanist/explorer/"Father of Taxonomy", series of strokes @ 70
1982 Paul Lynde comedian/actor (Uncle Arthur-Bewitched, Bye Bye Birdie, Bewitched), heart attack @ 55
‡…Today’s Events…‡
• ARTS
1776 "Common Sense" by Thomas Paine, published
1911 1st photo in US taken from an airplane, San Diego
1949 1st Jewish family show "The Goldbergs" premieres on CBS
1964 US version of "That Was The Week That Was" premieres
• ATHLETICS
1910 1st international air meet in US held, in Los Angeles
1982 Petra Schneider swims world record 1500 meter freestyle (15 43.31)
• BUSINESS & EDUCATION
1429 Order of the Golden Fleece established in Austria-Hungary & Spain
1430 Order of the Guilder forms
1663 King Charles II affirms charter of Royal African Company
1863 1st underground railway opens in London
1990 Time Inc. aquired Warner Communications for the tidy little sum of $14.1 billion.
2000 America Online, “the company that brought the Internet to the masses,” announced that it had agreed to buy Time Warner, the largest traditional media company in the U.S., for $165 billion.
• INDIGENOUS PEOPLE
1879 President Rutherford Hayes, by Executive Order, adds to the Gila River Reserve in Pima Agency. This reserve was established February 28, 1859. The order also add to the Pima and Maricopa Indian Reservation.
• POLITICS (US)
1811 Louisiana slaves rebel in 2 parishes
1878 US Senate proposes female suffrage
• POLITICS (International)
49BC- Julius Cesar crosses the Rubicon, invades Italy
1839 Tea from India 1st arrives in UK
1990 China lifts martial law (imposed after Tiananmen Square massacre: 6-4-89)
• SCIENCE & RELIGION
1514 Complutensian New Testament in Hebrew, Aramaic, Greek & Latin finished
1951 1st jet passenger trip made
►..◄……….►..◄……….►..◄
ANSWERS
JEOPARDY
•In 1931 “New Dawn”, a species of this thorny garden flower, became the 1st plant to receive a patent
What is a rose?
•It's the common name for hydrated oxide of iron
What is ‘rust’?
•It's the ratio of the density of a liquid to that of an equal volume of distilled water at 4 degrees C.
What is ‘specific gravity’?
•1 of 2 protocontinents that converged about 300 million years ago to form Pangaea
What is ‘Gondwanaland’ or ‘Laurasia’?
•The greenhouse effect occurs in this, the lowest level of the atmosphere
What is the ‘troposphere’?
∞ Close up Picture
Strawberry
• AND THAT’S ALL FOR NOW •
