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TODAY’s “Geez”
1960 - Cassius Clay captures Olympic light heavyweight gold medal
1960 - Wilma Rudolph wins her 2nd gold medal
1972 - 11 Israeli athletes are slain at Munich Olympics by Black Sept
1885 - 1st gasoline pump is delivered to a gasoline dealer (Ft Wayne, Ind)
1978 - Sadat, Begin & Carter began peace conference at Camp David, Md
1939 - FDR declares US neutrality at start of WW II in Europe
1975 - Lynette "Squeaky" Fromme attempts to assassinate Ford in Sacramento
Free Rambling Thoughts…
A nice late summer day. I was able to be outside much of the day. Can’t believe it’s already September.
Lots of people are in Flag this weekend. Of course, it’s a long weekend. A couple of Tuba people visitors this afternoon. Nice to see them. Without being retired, they have a real hard time understanding how great life can be. So many of my Tuba friends are simply not ready to retire. They haven’t been able to see that life if so much more than work. They will retire when they are ready. Until then, they will continue to work with kids. That’s fine with me.
I watched a very interesting 60 minutes report on cloning endangered species. Scientists can now take the DNA from an endangered species and put the DNA in the egg of a related species and produce a surrogate offspring that is the endangered animal. They are also working on taking the DNA of several extinct species and placing their DNA into a related species and produce a clone of the extinct species. This is not sci-fi, this is happening right now. While I find this science fascinating I’m not sure it is a good thing. No one likes to hear about a species going extinct, for whatever reason. However; I’m having a hard time with man stopping the cycle. Part of me says it is wrong. Part of me says that if it was wrong, we wouldn’t be able to do it. There are certainly no easy answers. I have to say I’m also surprised the Tea Party people haven’t jumped on this issue as well. While scientifically it would be amazing to bring have a wooly mammoth, a saber tooth, or a dinosaur, I watched the first two Jurassic Park movies and noticed that things went wrong—horribly wrong. Man seems to be able to control much more of nature than I ever thought I would see in my lifetime.
It’s Labor Day Weekend. As a little kid, I remember watching the Muscular Dystrophy Fund Raiser with Jerry Lewis and many more stars. It seemed to go on forever…with Jerry there the entire time. I must say, even then, I was always a little skeptical of the money totals…which stayed low for hours and then, near the end skyrocketed. I remember kids coming to our door with an MD tin can for donations. Now, for the first time, Jerry has been removed from the telethon. It’s kinda like when Bert Parks was no longer on the Miss America pageant. I’ve never been a fan of fund raising telethons for any reason. It always seemed to me that they were rigged. So the 3 day thing is now down to a few hours and of course there is a Phx station carrying it. I’ve stopped by a few times since it came on…still not a fan.
Trivia Quiz…(answers at the end of post)
1. Which Italian actress was voted the Most Beautiful Italian Girl in Tunis 1957?
2. Who was the Chicago police commissioner at the time of the St Valentine's Day massacre?
3. What star sign is shared by John Major and Sir David Frost?
4. Why was Finn Volmari Iso-Hollo's 1932 steeplechase win exceptional?
5. What was the profession of "Arnold Newman?
6. Which middle name did UK Prime Minister Winston Churchill share with Charlie Chaplin?
7. What was officially called the Motion Picture Producers and Distributors of America?
8. Which capital city has the fewest cinemas in relation to its population?
Zoom-ed in Picture…Can you Identify what this is? (Answer at end of post)
Hmmmmm…
Amount of federal subsidies given to the family farm of Michele Bachmann (R-MN and presidential candidate): $154,755
Somewhat Useless Information…
- The Dracula legend is generally believed to have evolved from the life of Vlad Tepes or Vlad the Impaler, a Prince of Wallachia who lived from 1431 to 1476. Best known for the cruelty of his reign, he was greatly disliked, but he served as a sort of buffer between Europe and the Ottoman invaders, and this made him key to the European defense
- According to Greek mythology, the three-headed watchdog Cerberus was said to guard the entrance to Hades. Although it was sometimes said to have as many as a hundred heads, most accounts describe Cerberus as having only three heads and the tail of a serpent.
- In Greek mythology, the story of Lycaon serves as one of the earliest examples of the werewolf legend. According to one version of the story, Lycaon was transformed into a wolf as punishment for eating human flesh.
Yeah, It Really Happened…
MOUNT AIRY, N.C. - The North Carolina town that inspired Mayberry on "The Andy Griffith Show" announced it will attempt the world record for most people dancing the Twist. Officials in Mount Airy, which is Griffith's hometown, said they hope at least 2,000 people will turn up to perform the popular dance simultaneously at the "Twisted in Mayberry" event Sept. 9, The (Raleigh, N.C.) News & Observer reported Thursday.
Jessica Icenhour, director of tourism and marketing for Mount Airy, said participants must perform the dance for at least 5 minutes to break the record set by 1,692 dancers last year in Glendale, Calif. Icenhour said organizers are confident they can reach their goal. "We're being confident," Icenhour said. "This all came up very quickly, so we're trying to get the word out as quickly as we can."
Guffaw…or at least smile…
An employee comes into her manager’s office to take a day off from work. The manager replies, So you want a day off. Let's take a look at what you are asking for. There are 365 days per year available for work. There are 52 weeks per year in which you already have 2 days off per week, leaving 261 days available for work. Since you spend 16 hours each day away from work, you have used up 170 days, leaving only 91 days available. You spend 30 minutes each day on coffee break, which counts for 23 days each year, leaving only 68 days available. With a 1-hour lunch each day, you used up another 46 days, leaving only 22 days available for work. You normally spend 2 days per year on sick leave. This leaves you only 20 days per year available for work. We are off 5 holidays per year, so your available working time is down to 15 days. We generously give 14 days vacation per year which leaves only 1 day available for work and I'll be darned if you are going to take that day off!
Searchin’ “You Tube” I found…
Daybook Information…
…Happening This Week:
1-7
Self-University Week
1-10 International Enthusiasm Week
4-10 National Historically Black Colleges & Universities Week:
National Waffle Week Suicide Prevention Week TODAY IS
Be Late For Something Day
~*~
Canada: Labor Day
US: Labor Day (celebrates the economic and social contributions of workers-- The first big Labor Day in the United States was observed on September 5, 1882, by the Central Labor Union of New York, 10,000 workers march in 1st Labor Day parade. Oregon was the first state to make it a holiday in 1887. It became a federal holiday in 1894, thirty states officially celebrated Labor Day. It also marks the beginning of the NFL and college football seasons.)
Today’s Events:
IN ARTS
1958 - "Doctor Zhivago" by Boris Pasternak published in US
IN ATHLETICS
1906 - 1st legal forward pass (Brandbury Robinson to Jack Schneider)
1918 - Due to WW I, 15th World Series begins a month early
1923 - Flyweights Gene LaRue & Kid Pancho KO each other simultaneously
1968 - 88th US Mens Tennis: Arthur Ashe beats Tom Okker (1:4,1;2, 5;7, 6:3, 3:3)
1987 - John McEnroe is fined $17,500 for tirades at US Tennis Open
IN BUSINESS
1786 - Montplaisir Ceramic factory opens in Schaarbeek Belgium
1953 - 1st privately operated atomic reactor-Raleigh NC on campus of North Carolina State University
IN EDUCATION
--
FOR INDIGENOUS PEOPLE
1785 - Georgians continue to trespass on Creek lands. Chief Alexander McGillivray writes Congress demanding that they protect his people from the settlers which previous treaties has promised
1814- Start of the two day battle of Credit Island, near present day Davenport, Iowa. Major Zackary Taylor, and 334 American soldiers are making their way up the Mississippi River attacking British positions with considerable success. They encounter a force of 1000 Indians and British. The allied army forces Taylor to withdraw to safety in Saint Louis.
IN INTERNATIONAL POLITICS
1666 - Great Fire of London ends, leaving 13,200 houses destroyed and 8 dead
1793 - In the French Revolution, the "Reign of Terror" begins
1800 - Malta is conquered by Great Britain
1839 - The First Opium War begins in China
1932 - The French Upper Volta is broken apart between Ivory Coast, French Sudan, and Niger
1991 - Nelson Mandela chosen president of South African ANC
IN RELIGION
1750 - Decree issued in Paderborn Prussia allows for annual search of all Jewish homes for stolen or "doubtful" goods
IN SCIENCE
1970 - Estimated 15 cm (6") of rainfall, Bug Point, Utah (state record)
1977 - Voyager 1 (US) launched toward fly-by of Jupiter, Saturn
IN US POLITICS
1836 - Sam Houston elected president of Republic of Texas
1961 - President Kennedy signs law against hijacking (death penalty)
ARISTS: AUTHORS: COMPOSERS
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ATHLETES
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ENTERTAINERS (ACTORS/SINGERS…)
William Devane, actor (Family Plot, Missiles of October) turns 74
George Lazenby, actor turns 72
Rose McGowan, actor turns 38
Raquel Welch, actor turns 71
1902 - Darryl F Zanuck, film magnate/president (20th Century Fox)
Dweezil Zappa, musician turns 42
ENTREPRENEUR & EDUCATORS
1847 - Jesse James, bank/train robber, son of a clergyman
1897 - Arthur C Nielsen, market researcher (TV's Nielsen's Ratings)
POLITICIANS
1638 - Louis XIV, Sun King, king of France SCIENTISTS / THEOLOGISTS
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Today’s Obits:
1877 - Crazy Horse, [Tashunka Witko], last great Sioux war chief, killed by guards while in captivity at 27
1999 - Allen Funt, American radio and television personality dies at 85
2003 - Gisele MacKenzie, Canadian-born singer dies of cancer at 76
1997 - Mother Teresa, Nobel (1979), dies of cardiac arrest at 87
ANSWERS:
Trivia Quiz
1. Which Italian actress was voted the Most Beautiful Italian Girl in Tunis 1957?
a. Claudia Cardinale
2. Who was the Chicago police commissioner at the time of the St Valentine's Day massacre?
a. William F Russell
3. What star sign is shared by John Major and Sir David Frost?
a. Aries
4. Why was Finn Volmari Iso-Hollo's 1932 steeplechase win exceptional?
a. He ran an extra lap by mistake
5. What was the profession of "Arnold Newman?
a. Photographer-- noted for his "environmental portraits" of artists and politicians
6. Which middle name did UK Prime Minister Winston Churchill share with Charlie Chaplin?
a. Spencer
7. What was officially called the Motion Picture Producers and Distributors of America?
a. Hays Office
8. Which capital city has the fewest cinemas in relation to its population?
a. Cairo
Close Up Picture
Snake
Disclaimer: All opinions are mine…feel free to agree or disagree. All ‘data’ info is from the internet sites and is usually checked with at least one other source, but I have learned that every site has mistakes and sadly once out the information is out there, many sites simply copy it and is therefore difficult to verify. Also for events occurring before the Gregorian calendar was adopted [1582] may not be totally accurate.
§ AND THAT’S ALL FOR NOW §
