Coup d'etat

I read some interesting statistics. First I should say that after my government career, I do know that stats can be made to say almost anything. The way the data is gathered, the way it is interpreted, the way it is presented all play a role. Statistics was never my forte. I took a couple of classes, as required, but learned a lot more about being beware of any stats, than I did about all the mathematical formulas needed to test the results. That being said…

The coup in Honduras had me wondering about all the Central, South American and African military coups that happened years ago. The media is not using the words ‘coup d’état’ and are using simply ‘coup’. I guess this is just a way to dumb down language. There were 24 successful military coups in Africa in the 1960’s. There were 21 successful military coups in Africa in the 1980’s. There have been 5 successful military coups in Africa since 2000. No wonder I have trouble knowing the names of the countries on the African continent. The last coup d’état in Central America was in Nicaragua. Remember Ortega? A coup d’état, whether peaceful or bloody, usually means that some part of the country’s armed forces decide that someone else will better run their government. Very scary.

I guess that’s why our President is also the commaner-in-chief and why our military is trained that their personal beliefs are never outweighed by the Presidential orders. As this Honduran mess works its way into history, I only hope that this type of overthrow doesn’t gain momentum—anywhere in the world.

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Random Fact
Dueling is legal in Paraguay, as long as both parties are registered blood donors.

July is…

…Air Conditioning Appreciation Month…Blueberries Month…Cell Phone Courtesy Month…Family Reunion Month…Herbal/Prescription Awareness Month…Nat’l Doghouse Repair Month…Nat’l Grilling, Nat’l Hot Dog, Nat’l Horseradish, and Nat’l Ice Cream Month…Smart Irrigation Month…Social Wellness Month…Tour de France Month…Women’s Motorcycle Month…

Week of July 6
Nude Recreation Week



July 5—187 days so far this year…178 days remain in 2009

Take Your Webmaster to Lunch Day
*Cayman Islands: Constitution Day
*Tibet: Birthday of the 14th Dali Lama
*Comoros: Independence Day [1975]—An island off the coast of Africa; has had 20 coup d’état since independence from France.

BIRTHS ON THIS DAY…

1747
John Paul Jones naval hero ("I have not yet begun to fight")
1818
Adolf Anderssen Prussia, world chess champion (1851-66)
1909
Andrei Gromyko Russian leader
1918
Sebastian Cabot London, actor
1923
Nancy Davis Reagan NY, 1st Lady
1925
Bill Haley Mich, (& the Comets-Rock Around the Clock)
Merv Griffin San Mateo Calif, TV host
1927
Pat Paulsen comedian
1932
Della Reese Detroit, singer/actress
1935
Dalai Lama (Lhamo Thondup) 14th Dalai Lama
1937
Ned Beatty Lexington Ky, actor
Gene Chandler [Eugene Dixon], Chicago, rocker (Duke of Earl)
1945
Burt Ward LA Calif, actor (Robin-Batman)
1946
Sylvester Stallone NYC, actor/director
George W. (Walker) Bush 43rd President of the United States

IT HAPPENED ON THIS DAY…
1415
Religious reformer Jan Hus is burned at the stake as a heretic by the Catholic Church
1535
Sir Thomas More executed in England for treason
1785
Congress resolves US currency named "dollar" & adopts decimal coinage
1854
The Republican Party, founded as an antislavery party by former members of the Whig, Democratic, Free Soil and Know-Nothing parties, holds its first official meeting.
1885
1st inoculation (for rabies) of a human being, by Louis Pasteur
1912
Jim Thorpe gained fame as the world’s greatest athlete when the Olympic Games opened in Stockholm, Sweden
1917
Arab forces rebelling against the Ottoman Empire capture the port of Al 'Aqabah with the help of British adventurer T.E. Lawrence, known as Lawrence of Arabia.
1928
1st all-talking motion picture shown, in NY (Lights of NY)
1942
Anne Frank and her family take refuge in a secret sealed-off area of an Amsterdam warehouse to escape being sent to Nazi concentration camps.
1945
Nicaragua becomes 1st nation to formally accept UN Charter
1955
The Federal Air Pollution Control Act was implemented for research into causal analysis and control of car-emission pollution.
1957
Althea Gibson became 1st black tennis player to win Wimbledon .
1972
The United States Naval Academy at Annapolis, Maryland where it educates and commissions officers admits women for the first time in its history with the induction of 81 female midshipmen ( officer cadets ).

Word Puzzle from NPR Sunday Puzzler…1987
The word that goes in the first blank begins with O. Remove the O and you’ll get the word that goes in the second blank to complete the sentence.

EX: In the Mideast, a hardy _____ tree can _____ for more than 50 years.
Answers: Olive, live

1. The sunset appeared in brilliant red, yellow, and _____ over the mountain _____.
2. In my _____, your car should have rack and _____ steering.
3. Scientists are concerned about the disappearance of _____ in a _____ over Antarctica.
4. From a stand near the finish line, an official prented the resuts _____ for the road _____.
5. In flowers, the location of the _____ can _____ from plant to plant.
6. The actress’s tough-guy companion at the _____ had two _____ across his forehead.
7. Our fight was delayed _____ to a problem with one of the _____ engines.
8. In the 1960’s, _____ [2 words] was an important _____ of a modern museum’s holdings.
9. For the Green Berets, a single _____ from their supply list can mean failure for an entire _____.
10. The palm trees are dying and the water is polluted, so the Bedouin is buying the _____ _____ [2 words].
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Answers:
1. Orange, range
2. Opinion, pinion
3. Ozone, zone
4. Orally, rally
5. Ovary, vary
6. Oscars, scars
7. Op art, part
8. Omission, mission
9. Oasis, as is
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