~~~ Provocative Quote
"If you bow at all, bow low."~Chinese Proverb
~~~Free Ramblings
I guess it’s time to get ready for Thanksgiving. It sure seems to be coming fast this year. Oh, that’s right, I was out of the country while everyone else was gearing up.
I am slowly working on my African videos. I really like my HD video camera. It is so easy to use. The hard part, it turns out is twofold. First, I didn’t always turn the camera off soon enough. Several videos show great views of animals, only to end with the camera suddenly aiming down at my feet. I found a program to fix that, but it isn’t that easy to use. The second problem is making a movie of the clips. I have about 100 clips, each one is 30 seconds or less. Some are as short as 10 seconds. I want to take all my similar clips—like all the ones with elephants—and put them together in some way. It sounds so easy. Turns out it probably is, once one gets all the steps down. I will continue to learn. I’m not trying to make a blockbuster, just one that readers and I can enjoy.
I just saw a news story about a white rhino being born in the Tampa Zoo. The female weighed in at about 100 lbs. An amazing site. I’m not a big fan of wild animals being kept in a zoo. Things have certainly improved at zoos over the years, but animals are meant to be in the wild. With the dwindling populations around the world of so many animals, sometimes a zoo is the only way to protect them. Still I have always been a ‘quality of life’ type of guy. Quantity is not worth much if there is no quality. It is sure a tough call, only made harder when you see the baby, with a mother nurturing her.
This is sure a strange football season for my two teams. The Broncos started out great, and now have basically fallen apart. They have been famous for doing this ever since they joined the NFL. Then there are the Cardinals. They played in last year’s Super Bowl. They had a very tough start, both in pre-season and the regular season. Now, suddenly, they are the team to beat in their division.
Flag started out a tad chilly this morning…it was 15° when I got up. We had a breeze and only made it to 54°. It sure felt a lot cooler with the breeze. I was able to clear off the deck however. Pine needles are always a problem out there. Going a month without sweeping it was not the best plan I have ever had. There was a good 2” of needles covering the entire deck. Since there was a snow storm involved while I was gone, the needles were kinda stuck together and not easy to just sweep off through or under the wrought iron fencing. Tomorrow I will need to do something about the needles in the front. Usually the HOA takes care of it, but they hadn’t done anything when I left, and obviously didn’t do anything while I was gone. The front area is a sidewalk that separates two areas covered with small pebbles, rather than grass. It is not easy to get rid of the needles without a leaf blower. I sold the one I had in Tuba before I retired. Again, the task is a little more difficult because the needles have gotten wet and now dried out, sticking together quite well.
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~~~Random Facts
A skunk's smell can be detected by a human a mile away.
Elephants are the only mammals that can't jump.
~~~Unusual News
SEATTLE, WA: Around 11:15 p.m., officers responded to a call from a 41-year-old man who said he had been assaulted. It turns out the older man, who was heavily intoxicated, tried to go into a sports bar. The younger man, who isn't a bar employee, barred the man from going inside--for some reason--and an argument between the two men escalated into a fight.
In an attempt to get away, the younger man "thought he'd basically be able to jump over this fence, and he didn't quite make it," a police spokesman said.
As a police account of the incident notes, "Clearly he was overconfident in his abilities."
As police arrived to search for a suspect, one officer heard the 25-year-old's screams and found him stuck on the fence with the metal spike jutting out from his buttock. The man was bleeding profusely.
He was taken to Harborview Medical Center. Questioned at the hospital, the man told police he believed he was a ninja.
~~~Before They Were Famous
Elvis was fired from a job at the Precision Tool Company in Memphis when they discovered he was under-age. After graduating from high school, Elvis was a truck driver.
Keanu Reeves was once employed as a janitor.
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~~~November Month Long Observances
Alzheimer's Disease Awareness Month ~ American Diabetes Month ~ American Indian Heritage Month ~ Lung Cancer Awareness Month ~ Military Family Appreciation Month ~ National Adoption Month ~ National Homeless Youth Awareness Month ~ National Inspirational Role Models Month ~ National Novel Writing Month ~ Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month ~ Transgender Awareness Month ~ Vegan Month
~~~Week of 22 November
National Family Week
National Bible Week
National Game & Puzzle Week
National Teens Don’t Text and Drive Week
~~~20 NOV Observances
327 days so far this year…38 days remain in 2009
National Cashew Day
Fibonacci Day (the first two Fibonacci numbers are 0 and 1, and each remaining number is the sum of the previous two. .. 0, 1, 1, 2, 3, 5 ,8, 13, 21, 34, 55, 89, 144, …)
^Japan : Kinro kansha no hi Labor Day/Thanksgiving
^Maryland : Repudiation Day (1765)
^Slovenia – Rudolf Maister Day military hero, poet and political activist
^Switzerland (Bern) : Onion Market Day-autumn festival
~~~Births on this day
~ The ARTS
1883 Jose Clemente Orozco Mexico, painter (Epic of Culture in New World)
1887 Boris Karloff [William H Pratt], Dulwich England, actor
1888 Harpo Marx [Adolph] NYC, actor/comedian
1913 - Maurice Zolotow author: Billy Wilder in Hollywood
1945 Steve Landesberg Bronx NY, comedian/actor (Barney Miller)
1992 – Miley Cyrus, American actress and singer/songwriter
~ATHLETICS
1934 - Lew Hoad tennis
1935 - Ed Johnston hockey: NHL: Boston Bruins, Toronto Maple Leafs, SL Blues, Chicago Blackhawks; manager, coach: Pittsburgh Penguins
~POLITICS/BUSINESS/EDUCATION
1804 Franklin Pierce 14th President
1859 Billy the Kid [William H Bonney]
1943 Andrew Goodman civil rights worker, murdered in 1964
~SCIENCE/RELIGION
1553 – Prospero Alpini, Italian physician and botanist (d. 1617)
1837 – Johannes Diderik van der Waals, Dutch physicist, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1923)
~~~In Remembrance–
1914 Elbrige Gerry VP under Madison (of Gerrymander fame), @ 70
1991 Freddie Mercury lead singer of Queen, aids @ 46
1966 – Seán T. O'Kelly, President of Ireland @ 84
~~~Historical Events on this day
1835 Henry Burden patents Horseshoe manufacturing machine
1863 Patent granted for a process of making color photographs
1899 1st jukebox (Palais Royal Hotel, San Francisco)
1903 Enrico Caruso US debut (Metropolitan Opera House, NY) 1936 1st issue of Life, picture magazine created by Henry R Luce
1971 China People's Republic seated in UN Security Council
1979: Thomas McMahon, a member (IRA), is sentenced to life imprisonment for preparing and planting the bomb that killed Lord Louis Mountbatten
1988 South Africa: Botha reprieves Sharpeville Six
2001: Convention on Cybercrime is signed by members of the council of Europe, USA, Canada, Japan and the Republic of South Africa in Budapest, Hungary.
2005 : Johnson Sirleaf is elected as the first woman President of an African country (Liberia)
~ Holy Mackerel
1958 - Ronald and Nancy Reagan appeared together in the GE Theatre production of A Turkey for the President.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Countries
Place these countries in order by estimated 2009 population—highest to lowest.
Mexico 111,211,789 (growth rate: 1.1%)
Micronesia 107,434 (growth rate: –0.2)
Moldova 4,320,748 (growth rate: 0.0%)
Monaco 32,965 (growth rate: 0.3%)
Mongolia 3,041,142 (growth rate: 1.4%)
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ANSWERS
Mexico 111,211,789 (growth rate: 1.1%)
Moldova 4,320,748 (growth rate: 0.0%)
Mongolia 3,041,142 (growth rate: 1.4%)
Micronesia 107,434 (growth rate: –0.2)
Monaco 32,965 (growth rate: 0.3%)
Africa 8
~~~ Provocative Quote
"Of all the ills that men endure, hope is the only cheap and universal cure." ~Unknown
~~~Free Ramblings
Before I end my African story, I need to again thank so many people. First is Hamdy and HLO Tours. Without his hard work and planning, this trip would not have happened. Ellie needs to be thanked, again, for finding such a diverse group of travelers who travel so well together. Theo was such a hoot on this trip. I can’t wait to get her trip presentation. And then there is Wyoma. She got bumped at DC and found us two days later in South Africa. How she ever got the DC Passport bureaucrats to work on a Saturday, I will never know. I hope no one was injured. She is just such a tiny pistol. Tamzin was always there with a good comment and a smile. Andy and Arlene kept us all on our toes. Arlene has some great stories, and I do hope I will be able to visit her home on my next trip. Tom and Bonnie were with us for much of the trip, and they sure added some great times to our adventure. Bryan and Debbie were great too. Bryan always had a good line to add, and Debbie just smiled. Last, but not least were Roberto and Rita. They were able to find humor and laughter in even the hardest of situations—especially the bug/snake issue.
The other people who made the trip so enjoyable were those who work so hard at their jobs everyday to make our visit enjoyable. I have become facebook friends with Greg and Richard from Honeyguide. Turns out we were the last group Greg worked with there. He is headed for Belgium to be with his gal. Richard too has fallen in love. Ah, to be young again. Brett, our guide at the private reserve, taught us so much. He grew up on a farm, learned to speak Zulu at a very young age, and really enjoys his job. He really wanted us to see the male lion. I don’t know which was most impressive about him—his stopping and assisting in tracking and coming back pumped or helping his fellow guides when they got stuck. In both cases he was so professional. Of course, parking next to a sleeping leopard at dusk, or near several lions that had just finished a meal was pretty cool too. At Chobe, Hamdy and I were on our own, but I got to see wild dogs at a fresh kill. The guides there were good, but simply picked people up, took them on the drive, and then dropped them off at the hotel. It was the only time on the trip that I felt like just another tourist. Still it was worth it to see the wild dogs and of course the huge herd of elephants. And the walk in the town, while hot, was very enlightening.
I was able to meet a cab driver who had come home from elementary school to find his house had been leveled during Apartheid. I met a young Zulu cab driver who taught us about the Zulu courting procedures and what has to be done to marry. It was not that different that traditional Navajo courtship. I learned about class—if not caste—systems. We met a hotel asst. manager who was leaving Zambia to work at Disney’s Epcot Center in Florida. She was so excited to be getting a job that paid $8/hr. She will be part of the culture exchange that Disney does there. I do hope that she has a good experience. It will be so different than Africa. I visited a small school that reinforced that kids are kids and little kids are little kids, no matter where you travel. These kids, despite their difficult lives in poverty, had an enthusiasm, a light in their eyes, and a joy for life and learning. I saw lots of billboards regarding AIDS, contraception, safe sex, and heard stories of how that disease has destroyed so many lives.
I will never have a trip like this again. I saw so much and so many totally different aspects of Africa. I saw nature that was unbelievable. Animals of all sizes and foliage waiting for those desperately needed rains. I saw the necessity of the rivers as I traveled by various sized boats. I saw the footprint that man has placed on this continent where all mankind began. I saw the destructive side of man when one group wants to control another. I saw how many are working to make that footprint as unobtrusive as possible. I saw that many traditional customs can and do continue. I saw how technology has changed poverty. I have a much better understanding of Africa. I have a much better understanding of history and I have had my eyes opened in ways I never expected. All of this, I believe, has made me a better person. Thanks to everyone for this experience.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~Random Facts
In one year, an acre of trees can absorb as much carbon as is produced by a car driven up to 8700 miles.
***
The amount of oxygen produced by an acre of trees per year equals the amount consumed by 18 people annually. One tree produces nearly 260 pounds of oxygen each year.
***
The cottonwood tree seed is the seed that stays in flight the longest. The tiny seed is surrounded by ultra-light, white fluff hairs that can carry it on the air for several days.
~~~Unusual News
DANA POINT, Calif. - Authorities in California said a bank robber called 911 to report a fake bank robbery in a nearby town before walking into his targeted establishment. Jim Amormino, spokesman for the Orange County Sheriff's Department, said the suspect, described as an African-American man in his 20s, was first spotted at a supermarket in Laguna Nigel at about 9:20 a.m., the Orange County Register reported. Witnesses said the suspect spoke with someone at the store, which had a closed Bank of America branch inside, about finding an open branch and was told of an open location about 3 miles away in Dana Point. Amormino said the suspect then went to an AT&T store near the open branch and used a display phone to call 911 and report a bank robbery in Laguna Nigel. He then walked into the Dana Point bank, told a teller he was carrying a gun and left with an undisclosed amount of cash.
~~~Before They Were Famous
Sidney Potier was reportedly fired from a his job parking cars because of his poor driving skills.
Colin Powell worked at a local Orthodox synagogue turning the lights on and off.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~November Month Long Observances
Alzheimer's Disease Awareness Month ~ American Diabetes Month ~ American Indian Heritage Month ~ Lung Cancer Awareness Month ~ Military Family Appreciation Month ~ National Adoption Month ~ National Homeless Youth Awareness Month ~ National Inspirational Role Models Month ~ National Novel Writing Month ~ Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month ~ Transgender Awareness Month ~ Vegan Month
~~~Week of 22 November
National Family Week
National Bible Week
National Game & Puzzle Week
National Teens Don’t Text and Drive Week
~~~20 NOV Observances
326 days so far this year…39 days remain in 2009
Humane Society Anniversary Day (1954)
Start Your Own Country Day
^Guinea : Portugese Aggression Anniversary
^Lebanon : Independence Day (from France 1943)
~~~Births on this day
~ The ARTS
1819 George Eliot (Mary Ann Evans) novelist (Silas Marner)
1888 Tarzan of the Apes, according to Edgar Rice Burroughs' novel
1899 Hoagy Carmichael actor/songwriter (Stardust)
1921 Rodney Dangerfield comedian
1932 Robert Vaughn actor (Napoleon Solo-Man from UNCLE, I Spy)
1950 - Steve ‘Miami’ Van Zandt singer, songwriter( E-Street Band) & Silvio Dante on Sopranos.
1958 Jamie Lee Curtis actress
~ATHLETICS
1943 Billie Jean King tennis pro
1950 Greg Luzinski baseball player (Phillies, White Sox)
1967 Boris Becker tennis player
~POLITICS/BUSINESS/EDUCATION
1511 Erasmus Reinhold mathematician (calculated planetary table)
1868 John Nance Garner (D) 32nd VP (1933-41)
1890 Charles de Gaulle President of France
~SCIENCE/RELIGION
1898 Wiley Post aviator/parachutist
~~~In Remembrance–
1718 Edward "Blackbeard" Teach English pirate shot & decapitated @ 38
1896 George Washington Gale Ferris inventor (Ferris wheel) typhoid fever @ 37
1963 Aldous Huxley English novelist. ("Brave New World" ) cancer @ 69
1963 C.S. Lewis English novelist. ("The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.") Renal failure @ 65
1963 John F Kennedy 35th U.S. President, shot @ 46
1980 Mae West actress @ 87
~~~Historical Events on this day
1842 Mount St Helens in Washington, erupts
1858 Denver, Colorado is founded.
1859 Charles Darwin's book On the Origin of Species is first offered for sale.
1924 England orders Egyptians out of Sudan
1928 "Bolero" by Maurice Ravel, 1st performed publicly, in Paris
1986 Mike Tyson becomes the youngest Heavyweight Champion in history
1990 Margaret Thatcher is forced to stand down as prime minister of Great Britain
2002 In Nigeria, more than 100 people are killed at an attack aimed at the contestants of the Miss World contest.
~ Holy Mackerel
1906 International Radio Telecommunications Com adopts "SOS" as new call for help
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Countries
Place these countries in order by estimated 2009 population—highest to lowest.
Mali (Africa)
Malta (Mediterranean Sea)
Marshall Islands (Pacfic Islands)
Mauritania (Africa)
Mauritius (Indian Ocean)
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Mali (Africa) 12,666,987 (growth rate: 2.7%)
Mauritania (Africa) 3,129,486 (growth rate: 2.4%)
Mauritius (Indian Ocean) 1,260,781 (growth rate: 0.7%)
Malta (Mediterranean Sea) 405,165 (growth rate: 0.4%)
Marshall Islands (Pacfic Islands) 64,522 (growth rate: 2.0%)
"Of all the ills that men endure, hope is the only cheap and universal cure." ~Unknown
~~~Free Ramblings
Before I end my African story, I need to again thank so many people. First is Hamdy and HLO Tours. Without his hard work and planning, this trip would not have happened. Ellie needs to be thanked, again, for finding such a diverse group of travelers who travel so well together. Theo was such a hoot on this trip. I can’t wait to get her trip presentation. And then there is Wyoma. She got bumped at DC and found us two days later in South Africa. How she ever got the DC Passport bureaucrats to work on a Saturday, I will never know. I hope no one was injured. She is just such a tiny pistol. Tamzin was always there with a good comment and a smile. Andy and Arlene kept us all on our toes. Arlene has some great stories, and I do hope I will be able to visit her home on my next trip. Tom and Bonnie were with us for much of the trip, and they sure added some great times to our adventure. Bryan and Debbie were great too. Bryan always had a good line to add, and Debbie just smiled. Last, but not least were Roberto and Rita. They were able to find humor and laughter in even the hardest of situations—especially the bug/snake issue.
The other people who made the trip so enjoyable were those who work so hard at their jobs everyday to make our visit enjoyable. I have become facebook friends with Greg and Richard from Honeyguide. Turns out we were the last group Greg worked with there. He is headed for Belgium to be with his gal. Richard too has fallen in love. Ah, to be young again. Brett, our guide at the private reserve, taught us so much. He grew up on a farm, learned to speak Zulu at a very young age, and really enjoys his job. He really wanted us to see the male lion. I don’t know which was most impressive about him—his stopping and assisting in tracking and coming back pumped or helping his fellow guides when they got stuck. In both cases he was so professional. Of course, parking next to a sleeping leopard at dusk, or near several lions that had just finished a meal was pretty cool too. At Chobe, Hamdy and I were on our own, but I got to see wild dogs at a fresh kill. The guides there were good, but simply picked people up, took them on the drive, and then dropped them off at the hotel. It was the only time on the trip that I felt like just another tourist. Still it was worth it to see the wild dogs and of course the huge herd of elephants. And the walk in the town, while hot, was very enlightening.
I will never have a trip like this again. I saw so much and so many totally different aspects of Africa. I saw nature that was unbelievable. Animals of all sizes and foliage waiting for those desperately needed rains. I saw the necessity of the rivers as I traveled by various sized boats. I saw the footprint that man has placed on this continent where all mankind began. I saw the destructive side of man when one group wants to control another. I saw how many are working to make that footprint as unobtrusive as possible. I saw that many traditional customs can and do continue. I saw how technology has changed poverty. I have a much better understanding of Africa. I have a much better understanding of history and I have had my eyes opened in ways I never expected. All of this, I believe, has made me a better person. Thanks to everyone for this experience.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~Random Facts
In one year, an acre of trees can absorb as much carbon as is produced by a car driven up to 8700 miles.
***
The amount of oxygen produced by an acre of trees per year equals the amount consumed by 18 people annually. One tree produces nearly 260 pounds of oxygen each year.
***
The cottonwood tree seed is the seed that stays in flight the longest. The tiny seed is surrounded by ultra-light, white fluff hairs that can carry it on the air for several days.
~~~Unusual News
DANA POINT, Calif. - Authorities in California said a bank robber called 911 to report a fake bank robbery in a nearby town before walking into his targeted establishment. Jim Amormino, spokesman for the Orange County Sheriff's Department, said the suspect, described as an African-American man in his 20s, was first spotted at a supermarket in Laguna Nigel at about 9:20 a.m., the Orange County Register reported. Witnesses said the suspect spoke with someone at the store, which had a closed Bank of America branch inside, about finding an open branch and was told of an open location about 3 miles away in Dana Point. Amormino said the suspect then went to an AT&T store near the open branch and used a display phone to call 911 and report a bank robbery in Laguna Nigel. He then walked into the Dana Point bank, told a teller he was carrying a gun and left with an undisclosed amount of cash.
~~~Before They Were Famous
Sidney Potier was reportedly fired from a his job parking cars because of his poor driving skills.
Colin Powell worked at a local Orthodox synagogue turning the lights on and off.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~November Month Long Observances
Alzheimer's Disease Awareness Month ~ American Diabetes Month ~ American Indian Heritage Month ~ Lung Cancer Awareness Month ~ Military Family Appreciation Month ~ National Adoption Month ~ National Homeless Youth Awareness Month ~ National Inspirational Role Models Month ~ National Novel Writing Month ~ Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month ~ Transgender Awareness Month ~ Vegan Month
~~~Week of 22 November
National Family Week
National Bible Week
National Game & Puzzle Week
National Teens Don’t Text and Drive Week
~~~20 NOV Observances
326 days so far this year…39 days remain in 2009
Humane Society Anniversary Day (1954)
Start Your Own Country Day
^Guinea : Portugese Aggression Anniversary
^Lebanon : Independence Day (from France 1943)
~~~Births on this day
~ The ARTS
1819 George Eliot (Mary Ann Evans) novelist (Silas Marner)
1888 Tarzan of the Apes, according to Edgar Rice Burroughs' novel
1899 Hoagy Carmichael actor/songwriter (Stardust)
1921 Rodney Dangerfield comedian
1932 Robert Vaughn actor (Napoleon Solo-Man from UNCLE, I Spy)
1950 - Steve ‘Miami’ Van Zandt singer, songwriter( E-Street Band) & Silvio Dante on Sopranos.
1958 Jamie Lee Curtis actress
~ATHLETICS
1943 Billie Jean King tennis pro
1950 Greg Luzinski baseball player (Phillies, White Sox)
1967 Boris Becker tennis player
~POLITICS/BUSINESS/EDUCATION
1511 Erasmus Reinhold mathematician (calculated planetary table)
1868 John Nance Garner (D) 32nd VP (1933-41)
1890 Charles de Gaulle President of France
~SCIENCE/RELIGION
1898 Wiley Post aviator/parachutist
~~~In Remembrance–
1718 Edward "Blackbeard" Teach English pirate shot & decapitated @ 38
1896 George Washington Gale Ferris inventor (Ferris wheel) typhoid fever @ 37
1963 Aldous Huxley English novelist. ("Brave New World" ) cancer @ 69
1963 C.S. Lewis English novelist. ("The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.") Renal failure @ 65
1963 John F Kennedy 35th U.S. President, shot @ 46
1980 Mae West actress @ 87
~~~Historical Events on this day
1842 Mount St Helens in Washington, erupts
1858 Denver, Colorado is founded.
1859 Charles Darwin's book On the Origin of Species is first offered for sale.
1924 England orders Egyptians out of Sudan
1928 "Bolero" by Maurice Ravel, 1st performed publicly, in Paris
1986 Mike Tyson becomes the youngest Heavyweight Champion in history
1990 Margaret Thatcher is forced to stand down as prime minister of Great Britain
2002 In Nigeria, more than 100 people are killed at an attack aimed at the contestants of the Miss World contest.
~ Holy Mackerel
1906 International Radio Telecommunications Com adopts "SOS" as new call for help
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Countries
Place these countries in order by estimated 2009 population—highest to lowest.
Mali (Africa)
Malta (Mediterranean Sea)
Marshall Islands (Pacfic Islands)
Mauritania (Africa)
Mauritius (Indian Ocean)
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ANSWERS
Mali (Africa) 12,666,987 (growth rate: 2.7%)
Mauritania (Africa) 3,129,486 (growth rate: 2.4%)
Mauritius (Indian Ocean) 1,260,781 (growth rate: 0.7%)
Malta (Mediterranean Sea) 405,165 (growth rate: 0.4%)
Marshall Islands (Pacfic Islands) 64,522 (growth rate: 2.0%)
Africa 7
~~~ Provocative Quote
"The louder he talked of his honor, the faster we counted our change." ~Unknown
~~~Free Ramblings
I have read about Victoria Falls. I have seen pictures. I have even seen them on video. I was not prepared for Mosi-oa-tunya—the smoke that thunders. We were on the Zambia side. It was the dry season. From the visitor’s views at the falls, they were not as spectacular as I had hoped. We had been told that this time of year you can see what is really behind the falls, the gorges, the drop, the natural beauty. That alone was worth the time we spent there. It was very hot on the day we were there. There were signs warning us that the trail, the steps, the overviews were ‘slippery when wet.’
I have never liked heights. During my swim team days, I enjoyed the low board but never liked the high dive. Walking the trail at the Grand Canyon with its steep drop offs is not something I would do every day. I will avoid standing on a ladder more than 10 feet. As a principal, I once had to go onto the flat roof of a one story building, along with inspectors, to ensure that a repair job was completed. I was fine, until I had to go near the edge.
The drop at the falls is between 260 to 350 feet. That is like looking out a 17 story to 24 story building. In the area where the water was falling, it was hard to tell how far that actually is. The mist covers so much of the fall. In the area where the falls are dry, the drop is breathtaking. Since the falls are over a mile wide, when running full, there are many places to view them.
Dr. David Livingstone saw the falls for the first time in November 1855, just about the same time we were there. The falls had been known as the ‘smoke that thunders’ by the locals. We got into small boats and took a ride to Livingstone Island, formerly known as ‘the place of rest and shade’. The river was very low, and they had to use very small boats to navigate the river. A few weeks after we left the visits to the island would end due to the rapid rise in the river. We walked across the rocks. We walked to the edge of the gorge. There was no fence, no trail, just natural black basalt rock. I was happy to stand about 3 feet from the edge. We wandered around on the rocks, found several beautiful spots for pictures. We walked to the river where it was cascading over the edge. This was the Victoria Falls I had heard about and seen in so many pictures. Had I gone to the Falls when they were running full, I never would have had this thrill, this experience.
I have to mention Andy at this point. Andy celebrated his 88th birthday while on our trip. Andy is amazing. He flew a bomber in WWII. He got into real estate in California after the war. His son married Elvira Mistress of the Dark—the TV icon. He has led an incredible life. He was the only one in our group who went swimming at the falls. He was swimming, with lifeguards, only a few feet from the falls drop off in a natural pool. The next morning, while I was in a helicopter, Andy was doing the ultra-light. That is like a flying lawn mower. One is harnessed in, with feet dangling, as one flies over the falls with a pilot who is also just harnessed in. Andy really reminded me of my own grandfather. He worked hard and now he is enjoying his life. He would lecture me about how I shouldn’t be drinking Coke, then would buy me wine. He never forgot anything. He would tell great stories to anyone who would listen. He could be very stubborn and while he was a great guy and a lot of fun, he and I never could have worked for him. He was way too stubborn.
Thanks to UNESCO for making Mosi-oa-Tunya / Victoria Falls* a world heritage site for all.
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~~~Random Facts
Red wine will spoil if exposed to light, hence tinted bottles.
The king of hearts is the only king without a moustache.
~~~Unusual News
ENID, Okla. - Police in Oklahoma said an escaped circus elephant suffered a broken tusk and a hurt leg when it sideswiped a vehicle while running along a road. Enid Police Department Sgt. Billy Varney said a couple riding in the vehicle Wednesday night were not injured in the collision with the elephant, which fled from the Family Fun Circus at the Garfield County Fairgrounds, The Enid News and Eagle reported. "The vehicle side-swiped the elephant as it ran along the road. The vehicle was able to drive away," Varney said. He said the elephant's tusk poked a hole in the car's sheet metal. The elephant, which also suffered bumps, bruises and scratches, was loaded into a semi-trailer and returned to the circus Wednesday night.
~~~Before They Were Famous
David Hyde Pierce (from the TV show Frasier) was at one time a security guard at the Performing Arts Center in Saratoga Springs.
Pitt supported his early acting career by driving limos, moving refrigerators and "dressing as a giant chicken while working for El Pollo Loco".
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~~~November Month Long Observances
Alzheimer's Disease Awareness Month ~ American Diabetes Month ~ American Indian Heritage Month ~ Lung Cancer Awareness Month ~ Military Family Appreciation Month ~ National Adoption Month ~ National Homeless Youth Awareness Month ~ National Inspirational Role Models Month ~ National Novel Writing Month ~ Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month ~ Transgender Awareness Month ~ Vegan Month
~~~Week of 20 November
National Farm-City Week--to provide better communication and understanding between Urban and Rural residents
~~~20 NOV Observances
325 days so far this year…40 days remain in 2009
National Adoption Day
World Television Day
World Hello Day
^North Carolina : Ratification Day (1789)
^Bangladesh – Armed Forces Day
~~~Births on this day
~ The ARTS
1904 Coleman Hawkins virtually created tenor saxophone for jazz
1937 Marlo Thomas Detroit MI, actress
1945 Goldie Hawn Takoma Park MD, actress
1963 Nicollette Sheridan actress Desperate Housewives
~ATHLETICS
1920 Stan Musial outfielder (St Louis Cardinal, 7 times NL bat champ)
1943 Larry Mahan Oregon, rodeo champ (1967-70)
1944 - Earl ‘The Pearl’ Monroe Basketball Hall of Famer
1966 - Troy Aikman football: Dallas Cowboy
1969 - Ken (George Kenneth) Griffey Jr. baseball: Seattle Mariners
~POLITICS/BUSINESS/EDUCATION
1953 Tina Brown journalist publisher (Tatler)
~SCIENCE/RELIGION
1694 Voltaire [Francois-Marie Arouet], France, thinker
1785 William Beaumont surgeon (studied digestion)
~~~In Remembrance–
1959 Max Baer US, heavyweight boxing champ (1934), heart attack @ 49
1982 Lee Patrick actress (Henrietta-Topper, Maltese Falcon), @ 75
~~~Historical Events on this day
1620 – Plymouth Colony settlers sign the Mayflower Compact
1787 Andrew Jackson admitted to the bar
1935 1st commercial crossing of Pacific by plane (China Clipper)
1977 1st flight of the Concorde (London to New York) 1975: A congressional report accuses US officials of assassination plots against foreign leaders 1942: The Alcan Highway, which connects British Columbia to Alaska, was officially opened
~ Holy Mackerel
1944 - “Happy trails to you, until we meet again....” The Roy Rogers Show was first heard on the Mutual Broadcasting System. Singing along with Roy (‘The King of the Cowboys’), were the Whippoorwills and The Sons of the Pioneers.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Countries
Place these countries in order by estimated 2009 population—highest to lowest.
Macedonia
Madagascar
Malawi (Africa)
Malaysia
Maldives (Indian Ocean)
^
^
^
^
^
Scroll down for answers
^
^
^
^
^
^
^
^
^
^
ANSWERS
Malaysia 25,715,819 (growth rate: 1.7%)
Madagascar 20,653,556 (growth rate: 3.0%)
Malawi (Africa) 14,268,711 (growth rate: 2.3%)
Macedonia 2,066,718 (growth rate: 0.2%)
Maldives (Indian Ocean) 396,334 (growth rate: -0.1%)
"The louder he talked of his honor, the faster we counted our change." ~Unknown
~~~Free Ramblings
I have read about Victoria Falls. I have seen pictures. I have even seen them on video. I was not prepared for Mosi-oa-tunya—the smoke that thunders. We were on the Zambia side. It was the dry season. From the visitor’s views at the falls, they were not as spectacular as I had hoped. We had been told that this time of year you can see what is really behind the falls, the gorges, the drop, the natural beauty. That alone was worth the time we spent there. It was very hot on the day we were there. There were signs warning us that the trail, the steps, the overviews were ‘slippery when wet.’
I have never liked heights. During my swim team days, I enjoyed the low board but never liked the high dive. Walking the trail at the Grand Canyon with its steep drop offs is not something I would do every day. I will avoid standing on a ladder more than 10 feet. As a principal, I once had to go onto the flat roof of a one story building, along with inspectors, to ensure that a repair job was completed. I was fine, until I had to go near the edge.
The drop at the falls is between 260 to 350 feet. That is like looking out a 17 story to 24 story building. In the area where the water was falling, it was hard to tell how far that actually is. The mist covers so much of the fall. In the area where the falls are dry, the drop is breathtaking. Since the falls are over a mile wide, when running full, there are many places to view them.
Dr. David Livingstone saw the falls for the first time in November 1855, just about the same time we were there. The falls had been known as the ‘smoke that thunders’ by the locals. We got into small boats and took a ride to Livingstone Island, formerly known as ‘the place of rest and shade’. The river was very low, and they had to use very small boats to navigate the river. A few weeks after we left the visits to the island would end due to the rapid rise in the river. We walked across the rocks. We walked to the edge of the gorge. There was no fence, no trail, just natural black basalt rock. I was happy to stand about 3 feet from the edge. We wandered around on the rocks, found several beautiful spots for pictures. We walked to the river where it was cascading over the edge. This was the Victoria Falls I had heard about and seen in so many pictures. Had I gone to the Falls when they were running full, I never would have had this thrill, this experience.
Thanks to UNESCO for making Mosi-oa-Tunya / Victoria Falls* a world heritage site for all.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~Random Facts
Red wine will spoil if exposed to light, hence tinted bottles.
The king of hearts is the only king without a moustache.
~~~Unusual News
ENID, Okla. - Police in Oklahoma said an escaped circus elephant suffered a broken tusk and a hurt leg when it sideswiped a vehicle while running along a road. Enid Police Department Sgt. Billy Varney said a couple riding in the vehicle Wednesday night were not injured in the collision with the elephant, which fled from the Family Fun Circus at the Garfield County Fairgrounds, The Enid News and Eagle reported. "The vehicle side-swiped the elephant as it ran along the road. The vehicle was able to drive away," Varney said. He said the elephant's tusk poked a hole in the car's sheet metal. The elephant, which also suffered bumps, bruises and scratches, was loaded into a semi-trailer and returned to the circus Wednesday night.
~~~Before They Were Famous
David Hyde Pierce (from the TV show Frasier) was at one time a security guard at the Performing Arts Center in Saratoga Springs.
Pitt supported his early acting career by driving limos, moving refrigerators and "dressing as a giant chicken while working for El Pollo Loco".
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~November Month Long Observances
Alzheimer's Disease Awareness Month ~ American Diabetes Month ~ American Indian Heritage Month ~ Lung Cancer Awareness Month ~ Military Family Appreciation Month ~ National Adoption Month ~ National Homeless Youth Awareness Month ~ National Inspirational Role Models Month ~ National Novel Writing Month ~ Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month ~ Transgender Awareness Month ~ Vegan Month
~~~Week of 20 November
National Farm-City Week--to provide better communication and understanding between Urban and Rural residents
~~~20 NOV Observances
325 days so far this year…40 days remain in 2009
National Adoption Day
World Television Day
World Hello Day
^North Carolina : Ratification Day (1789)
^Bangladesh – Armed Forces Day
~~~Births on this day
~ The ARTS
1904 Coleman Hawkins virtually created tenor saxophone for jazz
1937 Marlo Thomas Detroit MI, actress
1945 Goldie Hawn Takoma Park MD, actress
1963 Nicollette Sheridan actress Desperate Housewives
~ATHLETICS
1920 Stan Musial outfielder (St Louis Cardinal, 7 times NL bat champ)
1943 Larry Mahan Oregon, rodeo champ (1967-70)
1944 - Earl ‘The Pearl’ Monroe Basketball Hall of Famer
1966 - Troy Aikman football: Dallas Cowboy
1969 - Ken (George Kenneth) Griffey Jr. baseball: Seattle Mariners
~POLITICS/BUSINESS/EDUCATION
1953 Tina Brown journalist publisher (Tatler)
~SCIENCE/RELIGION
1694 Voltaire [Francois-Marie Arouet], France, thinker
1785 William Beaumont surgeon (studied digestion)
~~~In Remembrance–
1959 Max Baer US, heavyweight boxing champ (1934), heart attack @ 49
1982 Lee Patrick actress (Henrietta-Topper, Maltese Falcon), @ 75
~~~Historical Events on this day
1620 – Plymouth Colony settlers sign the Mayflower Compact
1787 Andrew Jackson admitted to the bar
1935 1st commercial crossing of Pacific by plane (China Clipper)
1977 1st flight of the Concorde (London to New York) 1975: A congressional report accuses US officials of assassination plots against foreign leaders 1942: The Alcan Highway, which connects British Columbia to Alaska, was officially opened
~ Holy Mackerel
1944 - “Happy trails to you, until we meet again....” The Roy Rogers Show was first heard on the Mutual Broadcasting System. Singing along with Roy (‘The King of the Cowboys’), were the Whippoorwills and The Sons of the Pioneers.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Countries
Place these countries in order by estimated 2009 population—highest to lowest.
Macedonia
Madagascar
Malawi (Africa)
Malaysia
Maldives (Indian Ocean)
^
^
^
^
^
Scroll down for answers
^
^
^
^
^
^
^
^
^
^
ANSWERS
Malaysia 25,715,819 (growth rate: 1.7%)
Madagascar 20,653,556 (growth rate: 3.0%)
Malawi (Africa) 14,268,711 (growth rate: 2.3%)
Macedonia 2,066,718 (growth rate: 0.2%)
Maldives (Indian Ocean) 396,334 (growth rate: -0.1%)
Africa 6
~~~ Provocative Quote
"Freedom has a thousand charms to show, that slaves, however content, will never know." ~Unknown
~~~Free Ramblings
I have been talking to friends here in Flag since my return last week. I have made up a little display bag that I take with me that shows some of the art and trinkets I picked up over there. I am just now beginning to realize how truly fortunate I am to have visited the area. I saw so many animals, in the wild. I had my eyes opened to the horrors of Apartheid. I walked through some amazing history. Each day I spend some time working with my pictures and videos. I am still waiting to figure out how to pull this trip together. On my first blog about Africa, I said a miracle would happen to help me share my adventure. I continue to wait.
Before we went into the bush…
I visited a museum that showed the history of Africa...where all of mankind's civilizatons began.
I visited an Ostrich Farm. They are interesting to watch and their eggs have been made into beautiful art. The use of their feathers in women’s apparel took me back to the heyday of Hollywood, long before I was born. I also tasted some Ostrich and it wasn’t bad. I never did understand the ostrich leather shoes, gloves, wallets, and purses.
I visited the place where the Atlantic and Indian Oceans merge. The wind was blowing about 50-70mph when we were there. I really had to brace myself when taking a picture. A group of Asian tourists were having a lot of trouble clicking away. None were hurt, but several were blown over or blown down. My life in Boulder, CO and on the rez had taught me how to move around in those winds.
I visited a penguin reserve. It was only a few miles kilometers Cape Point, so was also very windy. The birds came to a beach many years ago and so liked it that they just stayed. I would have chosen a less windy place to live, but then, I’m not a penguin. They had quite a difficult time climbing small sand hills. It could have been the fine sand, or the wind, or a combination of both.
I visited South African Wine Country. I did wine and cheese tasting, I walked to the vineyards; I had an opportunity to learn about the many South African wines. I learned about local cheese that goes with the local wines. The one cheese I will never forget was a soft cheese with curry. I will not forget it because it was the worst cheese I had ever tasted—and I am a big fan of limburger. I did enjoy several of the wines. As one of our group said, “I only like one kind of beer…cold.” I would say, “I only like one kind of wine…wet.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~Random Facts
Earth is the only planet not named after a pagan God.
Many plastic surgeries in the early Renaissance were performed in barber shops.
~~~Unusual News
PLYMOUTH MEETING, Pa. - A Pennsylvania woman was awarded $150,000 in a discrimination suit claiming she had to wear diapers to work due to a lack of toilets. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission's lawsuit against Danella Construction Corp., of Plymouth Meeting, Pa., said Lisa Drozdowski, 37, had to wear adult diapers while she was working as a flagger for the company in 2005 because officials refused to provide portable toilets, the Philadelphia Daily News reported Thursday. Drozdowski said her bathroom breaks, which involved walking a quarter mile to her car and driving several minutes to the nearest restroom, often came after she had already urinated on herself.
She said the company stopped giving her work when she complained about the bathroom breaks and was denied a laborers position. The commission and Danella entered into a consent decree filed in a court Wednesday. Danella agreed to pay $150,000 to Drozdowski and four other female employees who claimed they were also discriminated against by the company will split a $50,000 payout.
~~~Before They Were Famous
One of Michelle Pfeiffer's first gigs was a guest appearance on "Fantasy Island."
Regis Philbin's first job was at NBC working as a page. After attending Notre Dame, but before beginning his entertainment career, he served in the US Navy.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~November Month Long Observances
Alzheimer's Disease Awareness Month ~ American Diabetes Month ~ American Indian Heritage Month ~ Lung Cancer Awareness Month ~ Military Family Appreciation Month ~ National Adoption Month ~ National Homeless Youth Awareness Month ~ National Inspirational Role Models Month ~ National Novel Writing Month ~ Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month ~ Transgender Awareness Month ~ Vegan Month
~~~Week of 20 November
National Farm-City Week--to provide better communication and understanding between Urban and Rural residents
~~~20 NOV Observances
324 days so far this year…41 days remain in 2009
Africa Industrialization Day—since 1989
Cat Days
Name Your PC Day
Rights of the Child Day
Transgender Day of Remembrance
^Argentina – Day of National Sovereignty
^Brazil – Zumbi Day (since 1978)—Day of Black Consciousness ^Mexico : Revolution Day (1910)
^United Kingdom – wedding day of Queen Elizabeth II (1947), & official flag day
^Vietnam – Teacher's Day (since 1982)
~~~Births on this day
~ The ARTS
1900 Chester Gould cartoonist Dick Tracy
1907 Fran Allison actress (Kukla, Fran & Ollie)
1908 Alistair Cooke actor (Masterpiece Theatre)
1920 Gene Tierney Brooklyn, actress
1926 Kaye Ballard actress/comedienne (Kaye-Mothers-in-Law)
1927 Estelle Parsons actress (Rachel Rachel, Bonnie & Clyde)
1929 Dick Clark Mt Vernon NY, American Bandstand / New Year’s Eve
1932 Richard Dawson actor (Hogan's Heroes)
1939 Dick Smothers NYC, comedian (Smother Brothers' Show)
1942 Norman Greenbaum folk singer (Spirit in the Sky)
1956 Bo Derek (Mary Cathleen Collins) actress (10)
~ATHLETICS
1869 Clark Griffith baseball player/manager (NY Yankees)
1956 Mark Gastineau NFL end (NY Jets
1945 - Rick (Robert James) Monday baseball
~POLITICS/BUSINESS/EDUCATION
1620 Peregrine White born aboard Mayflower
1917 Robert Byrd (D-Sen-WV) majority leader
1925 Robert Francis Kennedy Brookline MA (D-Sen-NY) AG;assassinated
1942 Joseph R Biden Jr Vice President
~SCIENCE/RELIGION
1602 Otto von Guericke inventor (air pump)
1889 Edwin Hubble astronomer (discoverer of galaxies, red shift)
~~~In Remembrance–
1695 Zumbi, Brazilian runaway slave executed @ 40
1910 Leo Tolstoy Russia, author (Anna Karenina) @ 82
1973 Allan Sherman songwriter ("Camp Granada") emphysema @ 49
1975 Gen Francisco Franco Spain's dictator @ 82
1985 Bill Scott cartoon voice (Mr Peabody, Bullwinkle) @ 65
2006 Robert Altman, American film director @ 81
~~~Historical Events on this day
1637 Peter Minuit & 1st Swedish immigrants to Delaware sail from Sweden
1789 New Jersey becomes 1st state to ratify Bill of Rights
1914 US State Department starts requiring photographs for passports
1959 UN adopts the declaration of children's rights
1962 US lifts blockade of Cuba
1981 Anatoly Karpov, USSR retains world chess championship
1986 UN's WHO announces 1st global effort to combat AIDS
~ Holy Mackerel
1919 1st municipally owned airport in US opens in Tucson, Az
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Countries
Place these countries in order by estimated 2009 population—highest to lowest.
Liberia
Libya
Liechtenstein
Lithuania
Luxembourg
^
^
^
^
^
Scroll down for answers
^
^
^
^
^
^
^
^
^
^
ANSWERS
Libya : 6,310,434 (growth rate: 2.1%)
Lithuania 3,555,179 (growth rate: –0.2%)
Liberia 3,441,790 (growth rate: 2.6%)
Luxembourg 491,775 (growth rate: 1.1%)
Liechtenstein 34,761 (growth rate: 0.7%)
"Freedom has a thousand charms to show, that slaves, however content, will never know." ~Unknown
~~~Free Ramblings
I have been talking to friends here in Flag since my return last week. I have made up a little display bag that I take with me that shows some of the art and trinkets I picked up over there. I am just now beginning to realize how truly fortunate I am to have visited the area. I saw so many animals, in the wild. I had my eyes opened to the horrors of Apartheid. I walked through some amazing history. Each day I spend some time working with my pictures and videos. I am still waiting to figure out how to pull this trip together. On my first blog about Africa, I said a miracle would happen to help me share my adventure. I continue to wait.
Before we went into the bush…
I visited a museum that showed the history of Africa...where all of mankind's civilizatons began.
I visited an Ostrich Farm. They are interesting to watch and their eggs have been made into beautiful art. The use of their feathers in women’s apparel took me back to the heyday of Hollywood, long before I was born. I also tasted some Ostrich and it wasn’t bad. I never did understand the ostrich leather shoes, gloves, wallets, and purses.
I visited the place where the Atlantic and Indian Oceans merge. The wind was blowing about 50-70mph when we were there. I really had to brace myself when taking a picture. A group of Asian tourists were having a lot of trouble clicking away. None were hurt, but several were blown over or blown down. My life in Boulder, CO and on the rez had taught me how to move around in those winds.
I visited a penguin reserve. It was only a few miles kilometers Cape Point, so was also very windy. The birds came to a beach many years ago and so liked it that they just stayed. I would have chosen a less windy place to live, but then, I’m not a penguin. They had quite a difficult time climbing small sand hills. It could have been the fine sand, or the wind, or a combination of both.
I visited South African Wine Country. I did wine and cheese tasting, I walked to the vineyards; I had an opportunity to learn about the many South African wines. I learned about local cheese that goes with the local wines. The one cheese I will never forget was a soft cheese with curry. I will not forget it because it was the worst cheese I had ever tasted—and I am a big fan of limburger. I did enjoy several of the wines. As one of our group said, “I only like one kind of beer…cold.” I would say, “I only like one kind of wine…wet.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~Random Facts
Earth is the only planet not named after a pagan God.
Many plastic surgeries in the early Renaissance were performed in barber shops.
~~~Unusual News
PLYMOUTH MEETING, Pa. - A Pennsylvania woman was awarded $150,000 in a discrimination suit claiming she had to wear diapers to work due to a lack of toilets. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission's lawsuit against Danella Construction Corp., of Plymouth Meeting, Pa., said Lisa Drozdowski, 37, had to wear adult diapers while she was working as a flagger for the company in 2005 because officials refused to provide portable toilets, the Philadelphia Daily News reported Thursday. Drozdowski said her bathroom breaks, which involved walking a quarter mile to her car and driving several minutes to the nearest restroom, often came after she had already urinated on herself.
She said the company stopped giving her work when she complained about the bathroom breaks and was denied a laborers position. The commission and Danella entered into a consent decree filed in a court Wednesday. Danella agreed to pay $150,000 to Drozdowski and four other female employees who claimed they were also discriminated against by the company will split a $50,000 payout.
~~~Before They Were Famous
One of Michelle Pfeiffer's first gigs was a guest appearance on "Fantasy Island."
Regis Philbin's first job was at NBC working as a page. After attending Notre Dame, but before beginning his entertainment career, he served in the US Navy.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~November Month Long Observances
Alzheimer's Disease Awareness Month ~ American Diabetes Month ~ American Indian Heritage Month ~ Lung Cancer Awareness Month ~ Military Family Appreciation Month ~ National Adoption Month ~ National Homeless Youth Awareness Month ~ National Inspirational Role Models Month ~ National Novel Writing Month ~ Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month ~ Transgender Awareness Month ~ Vegan Month
~~~Week of 20 November
National Farm-City Week--to provide better communication and understanding between Urban and Rural residents
~~~20 NOV Observances
324 days so far this year…41 days remain in 2009
Africa Industrialization Day—since 1989
Cat Days
Name Your PC Day
Rights of the Child Day
Transgender Day of Remembrance
^Argentina – Day of National Sovereignty
^Brazil – Zumbi Day (since 1978)—Day of Black Consciousness ^Mexico : Revolution Day (1910)
^United Kingdom – wedding day of Queen Elizabeth II (1947), & official flag day
^Vietnam – Teacher's Day (since 1982)
~~~Births on this day
~ The ARTS
1900 Chester Gould cartoonist Dick Tracy
1907 Fran Allison actress (Kukla, Fran & Ollie)
1908 Alistair Cooke actor (Masterpiece Theatre)
1920 Gene Tierney Brooklyn, actress
1926 Kaye Ballard actress/comedienne (Kaye-Mothers-in-Law)
1927 Estelle Parsons actress (Rachel Rachel, Bonnie & Clyde)
1929 Dick Clark Mt Vernon NY, American Bandstand / New Year’s Eve
1932 Richard Dawson actor (Hogan's Heroes)
1939 Dick Smothers NYC, comedian (Smother Brothers' Show)
1942 Norman Greenbaum folk singer (Spirit in the Sky)
1956 Bo Derek (Mary Cathleen Collins) actress (10)
~ATHLETICS
1869 Clark Griffith baseball player/manager (NY Yankees)
1956 Mark Gastineau NFL end (NY Jets
1945 - Rick (Robert James) Monday baseball
~POLITICS/BUSINESS/EDUCATION
1620 Peregrine White born aboard Mayflower
1917 Robert Byrd (D-Sen-WV) majority leader
1925 Robert Francis Kennedy Brookline MA (D-Sen-NY) AG;assassinated
1942 Joseph R Biden Jr Vice President
~SCIENCE/RELIGION
1602 Otto von Guericke inventor (air pump)
1889 Edwin Hubble astronomer (discoverer of galaxies, red shift)
~~~In Remembrance–
1695 Zumbi, Brazilian runaway slave executed @ 40
1910 Leo Tolstoy Russia, author (Anna Karenina) @ 82
1973 Allan Sherman songwriter ("Camp Granada") emphysema @ 49
1975 Gen Francisco Franco Spain's dictator @ 82
1985 Bill Scott cartoon voice (Mr Peabody, Bullwinkle) @ 65
2006 Robert Altman, American film director @ 81
~~~Historical Events on this day
1637 Peter Minuit & 1st Swedish immigrants to Delaware sail from Sweden
1789 New Jersey becomes 1st state to ratify Bill of Rights
1914 US State Department starts requiring photographs for passports
1959 UN adopts the declaration of children's rights
1962 US lifts blockade of Cuba
1981 Anatoly Karpov, USSR retains world chess championship
1986 UN's WHO announces 1st global effort to combat AIDS
~ Holy Mackerel
1919 1st municipally owned airport in US opens in Tucson, Az
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Countries
Place these countries in order by estimated 2009 population—highest to lowest.
Liberia
Libya
Liechtenstein
Lithuania
Luxembourg
^
^
^
^
^
Scroll down for answers
^
^
^
^
^
^
^
^
^
^
ANSWERS
Libya : 6,310,434 (growth rate: 2.1%)
Lithuania 3,555,179 (growth rate: –0.2%)
Liberia 3,441,790 (growth rate: 2.6%)
Luxembourg 491,775 (growth rate: 1.1%)
Liechtenstein 34,761 (growth rate: 0.7%)
Africa 5
~~~ Provocative Quote
"Better to be religious with your eloquence, than eloquent with your religion."~Disraeli
~~~Free Ramblings
Lions, of course, are one of the Big 5 in Southern Africa. On this trip I was given the opportunity to see lions up close and personal. There was no fence, no barrier between me and the King of the jungle, his mate, and his offspring. These views were incredible. They were imposing while being intimidating. I was yet again overwhelmed on several occasions.
We saw lions from an open jeep. We were able walk with the lions at a conservation project. First the ones we saw from the jeep. Without our excellent trackers at the reserves or parks, they could have been easily missed. On one occasion we tracked a lion for about 90 minutes. The tracker was finding fresh tracks. He knew the general area the lion enjoyed—however that area was several thousand acres. We never did find that lion. When I did my archery hunts, I learned, to some degree, how to read tracks and poop. I had also learned to read tracks in Boy Scouts. On one occasion I was in a canyon, hunting javelin in AZ and while in a deep canyon, came across a mountain lion track. My friend said they were fresh, and we left the canyon. Now in Africa, we follow them.
We first saw two lionesses under a tree, resting. All that movie stuff is just that. Lions like to sleep and rest, especially when it is hot or rainy or cool, or daytime or they have eaten within the last three days. These lions were a good 40 yards away, but thanks to my binoculars I could watch them breathe. They could care less that we were there. We were not a threat. They were resting. No need to move, no need to leave, no need to bother us. Just a need to rest. Another sighting had a small pride of about 8. It was too early for cubs, though several females were ready to drop. They were just walking in the grass, looking for more shade and a place to rest. One was favoring her left rear leg. The guide checked it out with binoculars, and her ankle was pretty swollen. Probably an injury from a recent kill, but nothing life threatening. These animals were only about 20 yards from us and again didn’t care that we were there. Another sighting had two lionesses stalking a giraffe. The lions were about 30 yards away on one side of the road in some shade. The giraffe was about 10 yards in front of us, on the other side of the road. Our guide told us that lions were very patient. We watched them about 15 minutes, and while they always kept an eye on the giraffe, they only moved about 5 yards in the low dry grass. Lazy or patient, they were not in a hurry to make the kill. We moved on.
We visited a conservation site in Zambia. Its goal is to provide rehab for lions, allow the lions to breed, and eventually release the lions back into the wild. Political Aside: The project started in Zimbabwe, and it was nice to learn that something good was happening in that country. The project is called “Walk with the Lions.” After a 30 minutes presentation about what to expect, what to do and what not to do, we were broken into two groups and went for the walk. The list of don’ts was very long. Basically it was don’t panic, stay quiet, and stand still if there is a problem. A problem means that one of the lions decides that you are something to play with and might do that. Panic or loud noise could change the play to something much more serious. We made a single file line and followed a trail. Soon we had three lions (one male and two females) laying under a tree, resting. They were about 2 years old, making them pre-teens. It was about 90 degrees F. They really didn’t want to walk. They just wanted to rest. Luckily they are well fed in this phase of the project. They finally did walk with us, along the trail. They would wander off, one of the guides would encourage them to return to us and they did. We stopped about four times, in shady areas, to learn about them and the project. Each time we stopped, so did the lions, appearing to agree with the need to rest in the shade. Each time we stopped, we were allowed to pet the lions. We would get right down to their level and were able to rub their sides, and their back. Everyone enjoys a good back rub, and these lions were no exception. While we were busy rubbing one lion, the other two would play, jostle, and simply enjoy the shade and each other.
If you don’t believe all this--just google ‘walk with the lions’. You will find out more about the program, its stages as the lions are prepared for return to the wild. You can even volunteer to work there. When I signed up for the ‘walk’ I thought the $150US price tag for 90 minutes was a little pricey. Upon arrival we learned that all the money goes to the project for food, and needs of the lions. After the walk, the price was worth every kwacha, and a whole lot more, for the experience.
I had lunch with our Tuba retiree group. We caught up on the happenings of the last three weeks. I shared a few stories. Another teacher from Tuba had retired to Florida and had been there during the recent storm—Ida. Her email talked about sitting on the beach and watching the huge waves during Ida. Mary just got back from visiting her mom and all seems well in Oregon. We went to a Mexican restaurant. I was starving for Mexican food. Salsa was unheard of on the trip, and finding hot sauce was a challenge. Curry was in abundance, but chilies were not.
I’m getting used to the 58° temps during the day. Still having a little problem with the overnight lows in the high teens. I guess I will get used to it soon, I have to since I’m heading for Chicago for Christmas.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~Random Facts
In 1974, the first product to have a bar code scanned was Wrigley's gum.
All swans in England are the property of the queen or king.
~~~Unusual News
SIMI VALLEY, Calif. - Police in California allege a Family Christian Book Store employee accidentally recorded himself setting up a peeping camera in the store's bathroom. The Simi Valley Police Department said Joseph David Ramon Moreaux, 28, of Lancaster, Calif., accidentally taped himself hiding the camera between boxes in the corner of a store restroom used by both men and women, KTLA-TV, Los Angeles, reported Tuesday. The camera was discovered Sunday by a female patron who alerted police to its presence.
Officers said they found the video of Moreaux hiding the camera on the device. Police said they have not yet determined how long the camera was in place or how many victims there may have been. Moreaux was arrested Sunday and charged with peeping with a recording device.
~~~Before They Were Famous
Before her rise to political fame as Alaska governor and 2008 vice presidential candidate, Sarah Palin was a beauty pageant winner, TV sports announcer, and helped run a commercial fishing company.
Luke Perry worked in a doorknob factory before getting his big break.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~November Month Long Observances
Alzheimer's Disease Awareness Month ~ American Diabetes Month ~ American Indian Heritage Month ~ Lung Cancer Awareness Month ~ Military Family Appreciation Month ~ National Adoption Month ~ National Homeless Youth Awareness Month ~ National Inspirational Role Models Month ~ National Novel Writing Month ~ Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month ~ Transgender Awareness Month ~ Vegan Month
~~~Week of 17 November
National Children’s Book Week
~~~19 NOV Observances
323 days so far this year…42 days remain in 2009
33rd Annual Great American Smokeout
World Toilet Day
Use Less Stuff Day
Equal Opportunity Day
^Mali : Liberation Day 1968
^Monaco : Monegasque National Day
^Puerto Rico : Discovery Day (1493)
^United Arab Emirates : Pilgrimage
~~~Births on this day
~ The ARTS)
1905 Tommy Dorsey Mahanoy orchestra leader
1933 Larry King radio talk show host
1936 Dick Cavett Kearney NB, talk show host
1938 Ted Turner broadcasting mogul/owns (Atlanta Braves) 1942 Calvin Klein fashion designer
1949 Ahmad Rashad (Bobby Moore) NFL receiver/sportscaster
1960 "Lovely" Elizabeth WWF's 1st lady of wrestling
1961 Meg Ryan actress
1962 Jodie Foster actress
~ATHLETICS
1921 Roy Campanella Brooklyn Dodger catcher
~POLITICS/BUSINESS/EDUCATION
1600 Charles I king of England (1625-49)
1805 Ferdinand de Lesseps diplomat (built Suez Canal)
1831 James A Garfield 20th President
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1917 Indira Gandhi Indian Prime Minister
1926 Jeane J Kirkpatrick US ambassador to UN
~SCIENCE/RELIGION
~~~In Remembrance–
1828 Franz Schubert Austrian composer of mercury poisoning & syphilis @ 31
1887 Emma Lazarus US poet ("Give us your tired & poor"), Hodgkin's Disease @ 38
1895 - Frederick E. Blaisdell of Philadelphia, PA patented what he called the paper pencil -- a paper-wrapped pencil with a string for revealing more lead, like those china markers you buy these days.
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1915 Joe Hill Labor leader, executed for murder @ 36
1918 – Joseph F. Smith, president of LDS @ 80
1985 Stepin Fetchit 1st black American Actor and dancer, dies of pneumonia @ 83
~~~Historical Events on this day
864: The Great Ballcourt at Chichen Itza is dedicated by the Maya.
1863 Lincoln delivers his address in Gettysburg; "4 score & 7 years..."
1874 William Marcy "Boss" Tweed, of Tammany Hall (NYC) convicted of defrauding the city
1903 Carrie Nation attempts to address the Senate
1919 US Senate rejects (55-39) Treaty of Versailles & League of Nations
1947 200" mirror arrives at Mt Palomar
1954: The first automatic toll collection machine is used at the Union Toll Plaza on New Jersey's Garden State Parkway.
1959 Ford cancels the Edsel
1962 - For the first time, a jazz concert was presented at the White House. Jazz had previously been served as background music only.
~ Holy Mackerel
1969: Brazilian soccer great Pele scores his 1,000th professional goal
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Countries
Place these countries in order by estimated 2009 population—highest to lowest.
Laos
Latvia
Lebanon
Lesotho
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ANSWERS
Laos 6,834,942 (growth rate: 2.3%)
Lebanon 4,017,095 (growth rate: 1.1%)
Latvia 2,231,503 (growth rate: –0.6%)
Lesotho 2,130,819 (growth rate: 0.1%)
Africa 4
Yeah, it's that big. As one guide told us, You ain't braggin when you are draggin'.~~~ Provocative Quote
"If we were intended to talk more than we hear, we'd have two mouths and only one ear."
Anonymous
~~~Free Ramblings
Elephants are really big. You may think you already knew that, but until you have been in the wild with them, you really don’t. Unless of course you have taken a ride on one. We had to get up early to take our elephant ride—left camp about 6am to get to the elephants about 6:15. The elephants were rescue elephants. It all started at Kampara when one of the reserve guides decided to take care of an orphaned, isolated one. After raising this elephant, it became attached to humans and could not return to the wild. Over the years other elephants were added. They are very social animals and all in the herd take care of others. They currently have about 15 elephants and 20 or so handlers. To prevent bonding by either the handlers or the elephants, handlers all use the exact same commands with the elephants and change elephants regularly. If an elephant bonds with a human, and then the human leaves, the suffer grief—not a good thing. Upon arrival we watched the elephants go through their morning exercises.
After my camel ride in Egypt, I was really wondering how I was going to get up on the huge elephant. Turns out, they you climb up a staircase and just step over to sit up there. Much easier than the camel that kneels down and then gets up. The elephant then walks on a trail, eats trees, drinks water, and walks on the trail. They don’t seem to even know they have riders. The view of the bush while sitting on an elephant is unbelievable. It is a little strange when they step into a watering hole and drink. A novice rider never knows if they are going to drink the water, fill their trunk and spray their back, or decide it is time for a swim. Of course the handler knows that all they are going to do is drink.
Elephants cool themselves through their ears. The back of their ears have huge blood vessels and when the elephants heat up, they flap their ears. The blood is cooled as it pumps through the thin ears. Very efficient.
Elephants have a very easy gait for riding. This is very encouraging, as it is a long way to the ground. As we were riding my elephant was hungry. The trunk twists around the branch of the tree, snap, the branch is in his mouth. Leaves are quickly removed, bark is twisted off, and the branch is tossed away. Of course the elephant gets treats from the handler. Sometimes, when the elephant wants a treat, he will provide the handler with a branch—minus the leaves and most of the bark. I guess they think the handler likes the part of the branch they don’t. Up comes the trunk and branch. It is waved around a little, the handler takes the branch and the trunk sniffs around waiting for a treat.
We had another cold night, down to 17°, but it made it to 50° and there was hardly any breeze, so it was a nice day. I had to run some errands and I enjoyed being outside. I am still acclimating to the weather, but each day is a little easier.
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~~~Random Facts
It takes 3500 calories to make a pound.
The original name of Sesame Street was 123 Avenue B, but that was considered too "New Yorky." Sesame Street airs in over 120 countries. Some simply dub episodes while 25 others have their own version that represent the country culturally through the characters and segments.
~~~Unusual News
* An Alaskan assemblyman authored legislation to punish "public flatulence, crepitation, gaseous emission, and miasmic effluence," with a $100 penalty.
* Firefighters in Thurston, Washington slept through a fire in their own station. A passing police officer noticed the blaze and called in the alarm.
* In 1986, firefighters used wire cutters and pliers to free a San Jose, California woman from a tight pair of designer jeans.
~~~Before They Were Famous
Rosie O'Donnell once worked in the catalog department at Sears.
Ozzy Osbourne once worked in a slaughterhouse.
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~~~November Month Long Observances
Alzheimer's Disease Awareness Month ~ American Diabetes Month ~ American Indian Heritage Month ~ Lung Cancer Awareness Month ~ Military Family Appreciation Month ~ National Adoption Month ~ National Homeless Youth Awareness Month ~ National Inspirational Role Models Month ~ National Novel Writing Month ~ Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month ~ Transgender Awareness Month ~ Vegan Month
~~~Week of 17 November
National Children’s Book Week
~~~17 NOV Observances
322 days so far this year…43 days remain in 2009
National Educational Support Professionals Day
Mickey Mouse Day—Steamboat will premiered
Push Button Phone Day
YWCA : World Fellowship Day
^Albania Independence Day 1912
^Haiti : Army Day
^Latvia: Independence Day 1918
^Morocco : Independence Day 1956
^Oman : National Day
~~~Births on this day
~ The ARTS)
1836 William Schwenck Gilbert composer (Gilbert & Sullivan)
1901 George Gallup public opinion pollster (Gallup Poll)
1908 Imogene Coca comedienne (Your Show of Shows)
1909 Johnny Mercer lyricist (Moon River, That Old Black Magic)
1939 Brenda Vaccaro Brooklyn NY, actress
~ATHLETICS
1869 James E Sullivan founder (Amateur Athletic Union)
1881 Percy Lesueur hockey player/inventor (large goalie glove)
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1926 - Roy (Roy Edward) ‘Squirrel’ Sievers baseball
1948 - Jack Tatum football [safety]: Oakland Raiders: longest fumble return in history: 104 yards
~POLITICS/BUSINESS/EDUCATION
1931 - Roberto Goizueta businessman: CEO of Coca-Cola
~SCIENCE/RELIGION
1789 Louis-Jacques-Mande Daguerre developed a method of photography
1832 Nils Adolf Erik Nordenskjold Arctic explorer
^
1923 Alan B Shepard Jr Rear Adm USN/astronaut
~~~In Remembrance–
1886 Chester A Arthur (21st President), Bright’s Disease @ 56
^
1962 Niels Bohr physicist Nobel Prize in 1922, @ 77
1969 Joseph P Kennedy @ 81
1978 Jim Jones, American cult leader (suicide) @ 47 +931 others
~~~Historical Events on this day
1497 Bartolomeu Dias discovers Cape of Good Hope
1626 - St. Peter’s Basilica was dedicated in Rome by Urban VIII.
1787 1st Unitarian minister in US ordained, Boston
1813: Members of the Hillabi Clan of the Muskogee Creeks have offered to surrender to General Andrew Jackson with Scots trader Robert Grierson acting as intermediary
1865 Mark Twain publishes "Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County"
1883 Standard time zones established by railroads in US & Canada
1894 1st newspaper Sunday color comic section published (NY World)
^
1922: This was the start of Benito Mussolini’s term as the new Italian premier.
1960 Copyright office issues its 10 millionth registration
1964 J Edgar Hoover describes Martin Luther King as "most notorious liar"
1991: Terry Waite the special envoy of the archbishop of Canterbury, is released by Shiite Muslims after more than four years of captivity.
1997 - The Arizona Diamondbacks and Tampa Bay Devil Rays begin taking shape with 35 selections apiece in baseball’s expansion draft
~ Holy Mackerel
1307 William Tell shoots apple off his son's head
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Word Ladder Puzzle
Simply substitute one letter at a time on each rung of the ladder to move from the start word to the end word.
Hear
_____
_____
_____
_____
Boom
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HEAR, REAR, REAM, ROAM, ROOM, BOOM
* Note, other answers may be possible
Africa 3
~~~ Provocative Quote
" Thrift is a wonderful virtue - in an ancestor. "Genealogical taglines saved from defunct Nat’l Genealogical Echo
~~~Free Ramblings
I had another unusual experience while on Safari. At Honeyguide, a tent camp, Greg, our ranger, was cruising down the road. Either he or the tracker spotted a white Rhino. We had already been told that the white rhino will not be white, but grayish. Oh I how love linguistics. Turns out that there are five species of rhinos—two of which are the white rhino and the black rhino. One of their major differences is their mouths. One of the rhinos has a very wide mouth to help it eat and the other has much a smaller mouth to help it eat. One munches on taller grass, the other on shorter grass. When English speakers first saw Ceratotherium simum they noted its wide mouth. Over time, through mispronunciation, the wide mouth rhino became known as the white rhino. Wide/white is close. As people began calling it the White Rhino, they also discovered Diceros bicornis and since there was already a White Rhino, it made some kind of sense to call the new rhino the Black Rhino. The black rhino is also not black, but grayish.
So, back to the unusual experience. Our guides had told us that they each had a favorite of the Big 5. When I saw this first of several rhinos we would see over the next few weeks, I was transfixed on it. Everyone else in the jeep had grabbed their cameras and video recorders. I just sat there, staring at this huge animal. If I didn’t know better, I would still believe that the rhino was staring right into me—not the vehicle, not the other passengers, not the tracker…just at me. I stared so long that I almost didn’t get any pictures. This did not happen with any other of the Big 5. It didn’t happen with any other animals I had seen. We spotted other rhinos and each time, I felt a connection. I understood why the guides had a favorite. An amazing experience.
Another quick linguistic story. At another camp our tracker was a Zulu. He had intermediate English skills but was more than willing to practice them. We had just seen some elephants. I asked me for the Zulu word for elephant. It was several syllables long, and while I tried to repeat it, it was not to be. He did smile when I tried, and gave a little laugh. I’m sure I said something very dirty. My next question was “What does it mean?” He gave me a strange look and simply said ‘elephant’. Dumb tourist—asks me how to say elephant in my language, I say it, tourist says dirty word, and is so stupid he asks me what my word means. Luckily, our guide spoke fluent Zulu and told me it means ‘big animal.’ I told him I was expecting something more descriptive—long nose or something. He said nope, just ‘big animal’. I then asked him to explain our conversation to the tracker, he did and everyone got a good laugh. I did ask the guide what I had said, and his only comment was ‘you don’t want to know.’ It’s all about perception.
It is still hard for me to adjust to the winter temps we are having in Flagstaff. Last night we went down to about 18°, as we have every night since I got back. We rose to a sweltering 46° but the 13mph winds made it feel much colder. I also picked up my mail today. What a pile I had to go though. One might begin to think that Christmas is just around the corner.
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~~~Random Facts
No piece of normal-size paper can be folded in half more than 7 times.
~~~Unusual News
PROCTOR, Minn. - Police in Minnesota said a motorized La-Z-Boy lounge chair involved in a drunken driving incident has garnered bids of $40,000 on eBay. Proctor, Minn., police said bids for chair, which was seized from Dennis Anderson after he allegedly crashed while intoxicated, reached $43,300 Monday, the Minneapolis City Pages reported Monday. An autographed photo of Anderson, which was put on eBay by his family to help pay his legal fees, reached bids of a comparatively cheap $305 Monday.
~~~Before They Were Famous
Before becoming an actress, Kim Novak was a fashion model, elevator operator, sales clerk, dental assistant and spokesperson for an appliance company.
Before becoming famous, Conan O'Brien graduated magna cum laude from Harvard with a degree in U.S. History.
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~~~November Month Long Observances
Alzheimer's Disease Awareness Month ~ American Diabetes Month ~ American Indian Heritage Month ~ Lung Cancer Awareness Month ~ Military Family Appreciation Month ~ National Adoption Month ~ National Homeless Youth Awareness Month ~ National Inspirational Role Models Month ~ National Novel Writing Month ~ Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month ~ Transgender Awareness Month ~ Vegan Month
~~~Week of 17 November
National Children’s Book Week
~~~17 NOV Observances
321 days so far this year…47 days remain in 2009
Homemade Bread Day
^International Students' Day: Commemorates the anniversary of the 1939 Nazi storming of the University of Prague.
^Czech Republic and Slovakia – Struggle for Freedom and Democracy Day: Commemorates the beginning of the Velvet Revolution in Czechoslovakia in 1989.
^Greece: Polytechneio (Πολυτεχνείο) – Commemorates the 1973 student protests against the junta of the colonels.
^Zaire: Army Day
~~~Births on this day
~ The ARTS)
1901 Lee Strasberg director/instructs actors
1919 Hershy Kay Philadelphia PA, composer/arranger (Olympic Hymn)
1925 - Rock Hudson (Roy Harold Scherer Jr.) actor
1938 Gordon Lightfoot Ontario Canada, folksinger
1942 Martin Scorsese Queens, director
1944 Danny De Vito Neptune NJ, actor
1944 - Lorne Michaels Emmy Award-winning write
~ATHLETICS
1930 Bob Mathias Tulare CA, decathalete
1944 - Tom ‘Terrific’ (George Thomas) Seaver Baseball Hall of Famer
1945 - Elvin Hayes Basketball Hall of Famer: ‘The Big E’
~POLITICS/BUSINESS/EDUCATION
1878 Grace Abbott Grand Island NB, social worker (US Children Bureau)
1887 - Field Marshal Bernard (Law) ‘Monty’ Montgomery British Army commander
1948 – Howard Dean, American politician
~SCIENCE/RELIGION
1790 August Ferdinand Mobius mathematician, inventor (Mobius strip)
1799 Titian Ramsey Peale US, artist/naturalist (American Ornithology)
~~~In Remembrance–
1720 John RAckman (Calico Jack), English pirate, hanged @39
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1917 Auguste Rodin sculptor @ 77
1986 Alan Hewitt actor (Det Brennan-My Favorite Martian), @ 71
1988 Sheilah Graham gossip columnist @ 84
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2006 Bo Schembechler, American football coach @ 77
~~~Historical Events on this day
1558 Elizabeth I ascends English throne upon death of Queen Mary
1869 Suez Canal opens (Egypt)
1894 Daily Racing Form founded
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1913 Panama Canal opens
1962 President Kennedy dedicates Dulles International Airport
1973: In a televised appearance President Richard Nixon told the nation today, “I am not a crook.”
1993 US Congress votes for NAFTA
2000 : Kmart Holdings corporation announced its intention to purchase Sears
~ Holy Mackerel
1853 Street signs authorized at San Francisco intersections
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Quiz
Place these countries in order by population—largest to smallest
Pakistan
Palau
Palestinian State
Panama
Papua New Guinea
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Pakistan 176,242,949 (growth rate: 1.9%)
Papua New Guinea 6,057,263 (growth rate: 2.0%)
Palestinian State Total:4,018,332 [West Bank: 2,535,927, Gaza Strip: 1,482,405 (growth rate: West Bank: 3.0%, Gaza Strip: 3.7%)]
Panama 3,360,474 (growth rate: 1.5%)
Palau 20,796 (growth rate: 0.4%)
Africa 2
~~~ Provocative Quote
A good head and a good heart are always a formidable combination.
After climbing a great hill, one only finds that there are many more hills to climb.
Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.
Nelson Mandela
~~~Free Ramblings
I barely made my connection from Phoenix to Flagstaff via a shuttle bus. Luckily for me, it was raining and snowing on I-17 and the shuttle was about 15 minutes late. As I started wheeling my two bags to the shuttle, the attendant taking to the bus asked if I needed any help. I said no, I had just gotten back from South Africa and was getting pretty good at traversing the airports. Turns out one of the other passengers was a young college age girl who was born and raised in Johannesburg. She was Afrikaans who came to the US about 8 years ago. We spoke for a few minutes on the way to the shuttle and in the shuttle. According to her, the political system had led to her family’s leaving. She couldn’t imagine why I would want to visit there or any of the other countries around South Africa. She truly believed that all the ‘good’ South Africans had left and that the ‘new’ government had ruined her homeland. It was sad to hear this articulate young woman (who was born during Apartheid and left soon after it ended) was unable to accept the changes.
A safari is so amazing. For a total of 9 days we got up every morning about 5am and in the jeep by 5:30. The morning drive lasted until about 10am. We always stopped about half way though for hot coffee. On rainy days we needed it. We then came back to camp and had a great breakfast. About 4pm we headed out again and returned soon after dark—about 7:30pm. Two of the three camps/lodges had an open Toyota or land cruiser with a driver and a tracker. The other lodge, in Chobe National Park, only had a driver. Some of the vehicles had no roof, some had a canvas roof. We were told to stay in the vehicle at all times, not to stick out our arms or legs, not to stand up, and to remain quiet. Each guide told us that the animals were used to the vehicle noise and the vehicle shape and knew that it would not harm them. Most of the time, the animals were within 10 yards of the vehicle. On several occasions they were within five feet of the vehicle. The drivers were correct; we only had one young male elephant spend any time checking us out. All the others just ignored us. We could watch them as long as we wanted to. On one of our morning trips we came upon another vehicle with a flat tire. They were watching a herd of impala. Our driver parked to help. She quietly exited the vehicle and walked along side our vehicle. As soon as her profile broke the jeep profile, the impala were off and running. On another occasion, a vehicle got stuck while coming out of the small river bed canyon. We had been watching a leopard from about 20 feet as it slept. Our vehicle had to be maneuvered so that our driver could get out of the vehicle and lock the hubs on the other vehicle. To block the leopard’s line of sight he pulled in so that we were only about 10 feet from the leopard. It was dusk, then dark. The trackers kept the spotlight on the leopard while our driver worked his way around. Within 15 minutes he had locked the hubs, attached a steel rope to the stuck jeep and pulled it out. We almost missed dinner that night, but the adventure would have been worth missing one dinner. Watching a pro in action made us feel safe—after the ordeal ended. During the ordeal, not so much.
At two of the camps we were lucky enough to see all the Big Five, up close and personal. The big five are the lion, the leopard, the elephant, the giraffe, and the Cape Buffalo. At all of the camps we also saw dozens of zebra, impalas, kudus, warthogs, waterbucks, dik-diks, steenboks, springbok, baboons, monkeys, and wildebeest. I am not a birder, but we did see and hear many of them too. We saw the ground birds and the tree birds. There were a variety of hornbills, a variety of eagles, vultures, heron, weaver, and guinea fowl.
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~~~Random Facts
The numbers '172' can be found on the back of the U.S. $5 dollar bill in the bushes at the base of the Lincoln Memorial.
If you have 3 quarters, 4 dimes, and 4 pennies, you have $1.19. You also have the largest amount of money in coins without being able to make change for a dollar.
~~~Unusual News
LARGO, Fla. - Police in Florida said they arrested a man who called 911 and falsely reported a man was "smashing potatoes" over a woman's head. Largo police said Robert Turley, 51, called 911 three times Tuesday night, first saying a man armed with a knife was chasing a woman and then about 45 minutes later claiming the man was "smashing potatoes" over the woman's head, the St. Petersburg (Fla.) Times reported Thursday. The man called a third time to claim the man was punching the woman in the face. Police found Turley, who was allegedly intoxicated, hiding in his neighbor's yard, and he admitted to making up the story because he was angry with his roommates, a man and a woman, the report said. He was charged with false report of a crime and taken to the Pinellas County Jail in lieu of $250 bail. Turley has been arrested 12 times since 1991 and has served jail time for crimes including possession of drug paraphernalia, the newspaper said.
~~~Before They Were Famous
In Willie Nelson's younger days he was a door to door salesman
Jack Nicholson has worked in a toy store and as a lifeguard.
Before Chuck Norris became a famous martial artist and actor, he worked as an Air Policeman in the US Air Force.
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~~~November Month Long Observances
Alzheimer's Disease Awareness Month ~ American Diabetes Month ~ American Indian Heritage Month ~ Lung Cancer Awareness Month ~ Military Family Appreciation Month ~ National Adoption Month ~ National Homeless Youth Awareness Month ~ National Inspirational Role Models Month ~ National Novel Writing Month ~ Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month ~ Transgender Awareness Month ~ Vegan Month
~~~Week of 16 November
American Education Week
~~~16 NOV Observances
320 days so far this year…48 days remain in 2009
International Day of Tolerance
Oklahoma Admission Day (1907)
^Iceland Dagur íslenskrar tungu (Icelandic Language Day)
~~~Births on this day
Oops..15 Nov, 1940 Martha Shideler, author and newsletter editor
~ The ARTS)
1889 – George S. Kaufman, American playwright
1908 Burgess Meredith Cleveland Ohio, actor
1928 Clu Gulager Holdenville OK, actor (Virginian)
1935 Elizabeth Drew journalist (Politics & Money: The Road to Corruption)
1953 Griff Rhys Jones British humorist/actor (Morons From Outer Space)
1967 Lisa Bonet San Francisco CA, actress (Cosby Show)
~ATHLETICS
1964 – Dwight Gooden, American baseball player (NY Mets)
1978 – Gary Naysmith, Scottish footballer
~POLITICS/BUSINESS/EDUCATION
42 -BC- Tiberius Cesar 2nd Roman emperor
1643 – Jean Chardin, French explorer
1888 Clinton Golden Pennsylvania founder (United Steelworkers of America)
~SCIENCE/RELIGION
1841 – Jules Violle, French physicist
~~~In Remembrance–
1960 Clark Gable dies after heart attack @ 59
2006 – Milton Friedman, American economist, Nobel Prize laureate @ 94
~~~Historical Events on this day
1676 1st colonial prison organized, Nantucket, Massachusetts
1811 According to some sources, Tecumseh predicts a "light across the sky" tonight. It is supposed to have appeared, as predicted.
1894 6,000 Armenians massacred by Turks in Kurdistan
1914 Federal Reserve System formally opens
1925 American Association for the Advancement of Atheism formed in NY
1945 – UNESCO [United Nations Educational, Science and Cultural Organization] is founded.
1958 - Six inches of snow fell on Tucson, Arizona
1959 : The last Rodgers and Hammerstein musical "The Sound of Music" opens at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre on Broadway.
1988 Benazir Bhutto wins 1st free Pakistani elections in 11 years
~ Holy Mackerel
1976 Rick Barry (San Francisco), ends then longest NBA free throw streak of 60
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Quiz
Place these countries in order by population—largest to smallest
Namibia
Nauru [Pacific Island]
Nepal
Netherlands
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Nepal 28,563,377 (growth rate: 1.2%)
Netherlands 16,715,999 (growth rate: 0.4%)
Namibia 2,108,665 (growth rate: 0.9%)
Nauru [Pacific Island] 14,019 (growth rate: 1.7%)
Africa 1
~~~ Provocative Quote
“If there are dreams about a beautiful South Africa, there are also roads that lead to their goal. Two of these roads could be named Goodness and Forgiveness.“
“Never, never and never again shall it be that this beautiful land will again experience the oppression of one by another.“
Nelson Mandela
~~~Free Ramblings
I have a friend who has traveled and had some unusual experiences. She has told me about them, and I found them interesting. When I was on Robben Island, standing in Nelson Mandela's cell, I had an unusual experience.
As I was standing in the prison, I could feel myself getting angry and sad at the same time. I am not the kind of person who does that. I suddenly realized that, even though I lived through the Civil Rights changes here during the 60’s, I never really understood what was happening. While I could easily talk the talk, I never had to walk the walk. My two minute or less cell time makes it hard for me to forgive. I will never understand how one group of human beings can possibly oppress another group of human beings. Knowing that it happened, seeing that it happened, standing in that cell, I don’t know how anyone could forgive. Nelson Mandela has changed the world. He opened eyes and hearts. He always has worked to ensure freedom for all. Amazing.
Robben Island has allowed many to see and hear and feel the Apartheid times. After a short boat ride to the island we were greeted by a man who had worked on Robben Island during Mandela’s imprisonment. He told stories of what happened to the many prisoners who had been placed there. He told how the many nations of the world worked to end apartheid. Scotland began a boycott of South Africa’s fruit in 1959. The AAM—anti-apartheid movement—continued until the end of apartheid. In 1973 the United Nations stated that the South African Apartheid was a crime against humanity. The US never signed that document. Reagan even supported the white government. In 1986, after the ANC had started using a violent approach to end apartheid, our congress passed an Anti-apartheid bill that called for the end to the violence by the ANC and said the US would work to find a peaceful resolution to end South African Apartheid. Apartheid did not end until 1994.
After touring the island, we entered the prison. We were greeted by another former Robben Island resident. He had been a political prisoner. Now he did tours of the place he had lived because he believed in freedom. While his stories were horrifying, he, like Mandela, had forgiven. His fight for freedom had taken him to prison, then freedom came and now he was free to tell his story, the story of apartheid, the story of reconciliation.
On June 26, 1876 the US Calvary suffered one of its greatest defeats in Montana. While in Elementary school I learned about Custer and the Battle of the Little Big Horn. I was working in Pine Ridge South Dakota one June 26th many years later. On that day, Lakota Tribal Offices were closed. This was the annual Victory Day Holiday. It’s all about perception. Now I realize that the Lakota had no Nelson Mandela, had no Martin Luther King, had no Gandhi, had no one that stood out to lead them to reconciliation, to lead them to forgiveness. I also realize the conquerors didn’t have a chance to hear that message either. So the anger, frustration, and fear continue.
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~~~Random Facts
In Oblong, Illinois, it's punishable by law to make love while hunting or fishing on your wedding day.
~~~Unusual News
SALT LAKE CITY – A Salt Lake City man victimized by one
burglar set a trap that helped nab a suspect in an attempted break-in, police say. Police Lt. Craig Gleason said the unidentified homeowner, who lost jewelry and a laptop during a previous burglary, created a makeshift alarm device that alerted him a would-be burglar was attempting to enter his home Tuesday, The Salt Lake Tribune reported Thursday. Gleason said hearing the alarm, the homeowner chased a 50-year-old suspect and, thanks to the help of three other men, captured him. Gleason said in addition to his homemade alarm system, the homeowner also used information from police officers to lure in the unidentified suspect. “As it turns out, in the course of investigating the first burglary, the officers kind of mentioned to the homeowner that if you leave all your newspapers in the driveway and mail in the mailbox, that can make you a target for burglars,” he told the Tribune.
“This homeowner, instead of removing the papers and mail, left the stuff there — specifically with the intent of luring the burglar back in.”
~~~Before They Were Famous
Megan Mullally (Karen on Will and Grace) said that she used to teach ballet to young kids.
Bill Murray sold chestnuts outside of a grocery store.
Myers started his career on a Canadian kids show - "Range Ryder and the Calgary Kid."
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~~~November Month Long Observances
Alzheimer's Disease Awareness Month ~ American Diabetes Month ~ American Indian Heritage Month ~ Lung Cancer Awareness Month ~ Military Family Appreciation Month ~ National Homeless Youth Awareness Month ~ National Inspirational Role Models Month ~ National Novel Writing Month ~ Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month ~ Transgender Awareness Month ~ Vegan Month
~~~Week of 14 November
World Kindness Week
~~~14 NOV Observances
319 days so far this year…49 days remain in 2009
America Recycles Day
I Love to Write Day
National Bundt Pan Day
World Day of Remembrance of Road Traffic Victims
^Brazil: Republic Day 1889
^Japan: 7-3-5 Festival Day—Rights of Passage Day
^Palestine: Independence Day since 1988
~~~Births on this day
~ The ARTS)
1887 Georgia O’Keefe artist
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1905 Mantovani Venice Italy, orchestra leader
1919 Joseph A. Wapner judge, actor: The People’s Court
1928 C.W. McCall (William Fries) singer, songwriter: Convoy
1929 Edward Asner Emmy Award-winning actor
1932 Petula Clark Grammy Award-winning singer:Downtown
1937 Yaphet Kotto NYC, actor
1957 Kevin Eubanks musician: guitar: bandleader: The Tonight Show
~ATHLETICS
1951 Bo Matthews football: Univ. of Colorado, San Diego Chargers, New York Giants, Miami Dolphins
~POLITICS/BUSINESS/EDUCATION
1891 W. Averell Harriman U.S. diplomat
1891 Erwin Rommel ‘The Desert Fox’: WWII German field marshal
~SCIENCE/RELIGION
1397 Nicholas V pope (1447-55); ended schism, founded Vatican Library
1738 Sir William Herschel astronomer (discovered Uranus)
1815 John Banvard NYC, painted world's largest painting (3 mile canvas)
1882 Felix Frankfurter Vienna Austria, US supreme court justice (1939-62)
~~~In Remembrance–
1954 Lionel Barrymore, American actor @ 76
1958 Tyrone Power actor, heart attack @ 44
1978 Margaret Mead anthropologist, @ 76
~~~Historical Events on this day
1791 1st Catholic college in US, Georgetown, opens
1806 Explorer Zebulon Pike sights Pikes Peak
1884 Colonization of Africa organized at international conference in Berlin
^^
1932 Walt Disney Art School created
1939 Social Security Administration approves 1st unemployment check
1940 A 35-mile well-populated area of Greece (Ioannina) had been seized by Italian fascists
1986 The first case of BSE or "mad cow disease" is found in cattle in England .
1993 The Maastricht Treaty formally starts, establishing the European Union (EU).
~ Holy Mackerel
1660 1st kosher butcher (Asser Levy) licensed in NYC (New Amsterdam)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Adventure Ends
Like everything in life, my Adventure in Southern Africa has come to an end. Thankfully I have a lifetime of memories. I would be remiss if I didn't thank HLO Tours in Lake Mary, Florida and if I didn't let everyone know that Hamdy Nossair, President of HLO Tours is a great tour operator. He worked very hard planning the trip, and kept busy during the trip so that everyone of us would have that lifetime of memories. He and Ellie Leinaweaver of Focus Travel Club had to have worked for many months to create such a great trip. This adventure was my second with Hamdy and my third with Ellie and the group. As many of you know, I used to do Southern California tours for the eighth graders at several Bureau Schools. I know how much work our 5 day tours were. Planning a 21 day trip on another continent is beyond most of my comprehension. Hamdy and Ellie are both perfectionists and work very hard to make sure that we have amazingly memorable trips in Africa any beyond. They both work long hours during the trip and ensuring that we never have to wonder what to do. We do have plenty of free time and are given great suggestions of safe places to go.
Many of my next blogs will be dealing with what I saw, and what I learned. I will try to keep them interesting and will include some pictures. Other pictures and videos will be posted on other sites. Going through all those pictures and videos will be quite a job. My hope is that after I recover from the jet lag some miracle will occur and I will find a way to make the presentations of pictures and videos into some sembalace of some kind of global order. I will try to keep the presentations at about 5 minutes or less so that no one will get bored. I will not be doing Day one, Day two... presentations. Firstly because I am not that good with that format, and secondly because the trip was so much more than that. The miracle I am hoping for worked for both Scotland and Egypt. Egypt easily fit into 3 basic presentations: Ancient Egypt, Mordern Egypt, and The Nile. I am sure an organizational miracle will work for Southern Africa as well.
My first overall observance has to do with PERCEPTION. That is "immediate or intuitive recognition or appreciation, as of moral, psychological, or aesthetic qualities; insight; intuition; discernment." I was able to visit Cape Town, Robben Island, the Apartheid Museum, and Victoria Falls. In South Africa there are whites, colored, and blacks. And Apartheid found a very destructive means of separating these groups. Coloreds might be mixed race, they might be Indian or Pakistani, they might be Chinese. Whites might be light skinned Europeans, they might be Japanese. Blacks might be from one of many tribes--who were grouped togheter much like the US did with our 'American Indians'. If that wasn't hard enough to understand, there were also the Afrikaans. Some Apartheid started in the late 1920's and didn't end until the 1990's. On his release from Robben Island Prison, Nelson Mandella told the people of South Africa to move on from Apartheid and live with Reconciliation. In less than 20 years the voice of many white South Africans have had to change from calling Mandella and the ANC (African National Congress) Terrorists to Heroes. Blacks and Coloreds have moved from Freedom Fighters to Heroes. It is all about preception. When the Dutch, French, Brits arrived in the area they renamed everything. Mosi-oa-tunya (The Smoke that Thuders) was renamed Victoria Falls by a Scotsman. After his death an island was changed from 'The place of rest and shade' became Livingstone Island. Like so many who have invaded or colonized, the native language was ignored. It's all about perception.
~~~~~~~~~~~
Other regular features will return tomorrow. I'm just too lazy to do it tonight.
I do hope everyone honored our Vets on Wednesday. While going through customs in DC, I was shocked to learn that our soldiers have to stand in the same lines as the rest of us to re-enter the US. One soldier just behind us in the customs line was coming home on emergency leave--his brother-in-law had been killed in Arizona. He was held up one day because no flights could leave Afghanistan. He was on is third tour over there. In that same line were at least 10 other camoed out military. It seems that our 30 minute wait was OK for me, as a returning tourist . It seemed to me that military personnel should have a shorter line. None of them were complaining, but it seems to me they should get at least that perk. It was nice to see how many returning American citizens did take time to thank the military personnel while they stood in line. Our flight from DC to Denver had three soldiers and a college basketball team. The stewardess was talking to the coach because the crew wanted to recognize the team over the PA system when we landed. I asked her to also thank the soldiers. She did both. It was nice.
Many of my next blogs will be dealing with what I saw, and what I learned. I will try to keep them interesting and will include some pictures. Other pictures and videos will be posted on other sites. Going through all those pictures and videos will be quite a job. My hope is that after I recover from the jet lag some miracle will occur and I will find a way to make the presentations of pictures and videos into some sembalace of some kind of global order. I will try to keep the presentations at about 5 minutes or less so that no one will get bored. I will not be doing Day one, Day two... presentations. Firstly because I am not that good with that format, and secondly because the trip was so much more than that. The miracle I am hoping for worked for both Scotland and Egypt. Egypt easily fit into 3 basic presentations: Ancient Egypt, Mordern Egypt, and The Nile. I am sure an organizational miracle will work for Southern Africa as well.
My first overall observance has to do with PERCEPTION. That is "immediate or intuitive recognition or appreciation, as of moral, psychological, or aesthetic qualities; insight; intuition; discernment." I was able to visit Cape Town, Robben Island, the Apartheid Museum, and Victoria Falls. In South Africa there are whites, colored, and blacks. And Apartheid found a very destructive means of separating these groups. Coloreds might be mixed race, they might be Indian or Pakistani, they might be Chinese. Whites might be light skinned Europeans, they might be Japanese. Blacks might be from one of many tribes--who were grouped togheter much like the US did with our 'American Indians'. If that wasn't hard enough to understand, there were also the Afrikaans. Some Apartheid started in the late 1920's and didn't end until the 1990's. On his release from Robben Island Prison, Nelson Mandella told the people of South Africa to move on from Apartheid and live with Reconciliation. In less than 20 years the voice of many white South Africans have had to change from calling Mandella and the ANC (African National Congress) Terrorists to Heroes. Blacks and Coloreds have moved from Freedom Fighters to Heroes. It is all about preception. When the Dutch, French, Brits arrived in the area they renamed everything. Mosi-oa-tunya (The Smoke that Thuders) was renamed Victoria Falls by a Scotsman. After his death an island was changed from 'The place of rest and shade' became Livingstone Island. Like so many who have invaded or colonized, the native language was ignored. It's all about perception.
~~~~~~~~~~~
Other regular features will return tomorrow. I'm just too lazy to do it tonight.
I do hope everyone honored our Vets on Wednesday. While going through customs in DC, I was shocked to learn that our soldiers have to stand in the same lines as the rest of us to re-enter the US. One soldier just behind us in the customs line was coming home on emergency leave--his brother-in-law had been killed in Arizona. He was held up one day because no flights could leave Afghanistan. He was on is third tour over there. In that same line were at least 10 other camoed out military. It seems that our 30 minute wait was OK for me, as a returning tourist . It seemed to me that military personnel should have a shorter line. None of them were complaining, but it seems to me they should get at least that perk. It was nice to see how many returning American citizens did take time to thank the military personnel while they stood in line. Our flight from DC to Denver had three soldiers and a college basketball team. The stewardess was talking to the coach because the crew wanted to recognize the team over the PA system when we landed. I asked her to also thank the soldiers. She did both. It was nice.
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About Me
- Retired, Not Dead
- Flagstaff, Arizona, United States
- I retired in '06--at the ripe old age of 57. I enjoy blogging, photography, traveling, and living life to it's fullest.