Sunday 5-2

≈Week 18 of 2010: 122 days this year… 243 days remain≈

≈ Something To Think About 

If you want to live a happy life, tie it to a goal, not to people or things.

Albert Einstein

≈ Random Fact   

The first TONKA truck was made in 1947.

• Holy Mackerel: On this day in 1933 ►A local Inverness newspaper "The Inverness Courier" publishes an account by a local couple who claimed to have seen "an enormous animal rolling and plunging on the surface." of Loch Ness.

≈ Free Ramblings   

It was a little too windy today to really enjoy much time outside. I did spend a little time around the townhouse, but just couldn’t get into really enjoying it. We did make it to 55° after a cold night. I quickly glanced at the forecast, and it looks like wind is in our future. Guess this will give me some time to finish the spring cleaning I started so many weeks ago. I seem to always find an excuse not to do it. Four or five days of strong winds, much like that many days of snow, should get me going.

The BP Oil Slick is major. Their web site states: BP’s systems of governance and management are designed to help us conduct our business responsibly. They reflect our support for global standards for safety, human rights and security. Now we are learning, like so many multi-national organizations really just have the bottom line as their driving force. For almost a week they have given the US inaccurate data regarding the amount of oil that is spewing from their hole in the ocean floor. They have given estimates that are only 10% of what is really happening. And it appears they knew their public data was very low and was an unrealistic ‘best case scenario’. Now that their deception has been revealed, it is almost impossible to deal with the devastation. Almost a week was lost. It may be three months before the oil stops gushing into the fragile ocean. The current estimates show that the spill may soon move out of the Gulf of Mexico and work its way up the East Coast. It will take decades, if not a century, for the oceans to recover. Will we ever learn? Business is always and only about the bottom line. This is not a sci-fi movie. This is real life. One oceanographer said today that he doubted there would be a silver bullet to solve this crisis. As the current administration learned more, they stopped any future off-shore drilling until better safety measures are in place…that is at least a first step. Watching the company’s power points; watching the news station’s power points make this entire scenario look very elementary. I could make presentations just like that on my home computer. I know nothing about what it is like to try and stop an oil gusher anywhere, let alone at 5000’ below the ocean’s service. But I can make a very cool power point. From what I have heard and read, the many government agencies and the BP people don’t really have much of a plan. No one, anywhere, had done a worst case scenario and then tried to find a solution before the drilling even started. So many families depend on the fishing industry. The head of a shrimp organization said that the industry has weathered potential disasters—cheap shrimp from Japan, several hurricanes (including Katrina)—and the industry has always survived. He said that in this case, he doesn’t see how the industry can survive. That is frightening. We need to become so much more aware of that our legislature and executive branch are doing. We need to realize that we are not able to keep a lifestyle that is so dependent on oil.

≈ A Quick Smile…   

Jill tells her husband, "Jack, that young couple that just moved in next door seem such a loving twosome. Every morning, when he leaves the house, he kisses her goodbye, and every evening when he comes homes, he brings her a dozen roses.

Now, why can't you do that?"

"Gosh," Jack says, "why I hardly know the girl."

≈ Puzzle   

The number next to the acronym helps solve what the acronym means... e.g. 365 DIAY = 365 days in a year, and 366 DIALY = 366 days in a leap year.

1. 16 O i a P=

2. 18 H o a G C

3. 3 B M S H T R

≈ Side Show Stories   

NEW DELHI - Scientists with India's Defense Research Development Organization said they are closely studying a man who says he has gone 70 years without food or water. Prahlad Jani, 82, has shown no signs of ill effects after six days under observation without food or water, Britain's The Daily Telegraph reported Thursday. Jani said he is a "breatharian" living on a "spiritual life-force" given to him by a goddess. Scientists said they may be able to learn from Jani's physiology. "If his claims are verified, it will be a breakthrough in medical science," said Dr G. Ilavazhagan, director of the Defense Institute of Physiology & Allied Sciences. "We will be able to help save human lives during natural disasters, high altitude, sea journeys and other natural and human extremities. We can educate people about the survival techniques in adverse conditions with little food and water or nothing at all."

≈ Calendar Information

• Observance Weeks in May•

1-7

Bread Pudding Recipe Exchange Week

2-8

Be Kind To Animals Week

National Correctional Officer's Week

Children's Mental Health Week

Drinking Water Week

Flexible Work Arrangement Week

Kids Win Week

National Wildflower Week

• Today’s Observances—US/UN/World •

Fire Day

Motorcycle Mass & Blessing of The Bikes Day

National Infertility Survival Day

National Play Your Ukulele Day

Roberts Rule of Order Day

World Laughter Day

• Today’s Observances—by country •

Bhutan : 3rd King's Birthday

Burma : Peasants' Day

Indonesia: National Education Day

Poland: Flag Day

• Today’s Number One Songs in…

For anyone interested, all these songs are available on iTunes.

1949 ►Cruising Down the River; Russ Morgan

1959 ►Come Softly to Me; The Fleetwoods

1969 ►Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In; The Fifth Dimension

1979 ►Reunited; Peaches & Herb

1989 ►Like a Prayer; Madonna

1999 ►Livin' La Vida Loca; Ricky Martin

• Today’s Happenings•

In The Arts

1938 ►Pulitzer prize awarded to Thornton Wilder (Our Town)

1949 ►Arthur Miller wins Pulitzer Prize for "Death of a Salesman"

1955 ►Pulitzer prize awarded Tennessee Williams for (Cat on Hot Tin Roof)

In Athletics

1954 ►Stan Musial hits 5 homeruns in a doubleheader

In Business or Education

1853 ►Franconi’s Hippodrome opened at Broadway and 23rd Street in New York City. The 4,000-seat facility opened in grand style for a hippodrome (an arena for a circus or games) with a chariot-and-ostrich race.

1885 ►"Good Housekeeping" magazine is 1st published

1970 ►KOAI (KNAZ until closed in 2009) TV channel 2 in Flagstaff AZ (NBC) 1st broadcast

In Politics

1536 ►King Henry VIII accused Anna Boleyn of adultery & incest

1878 ►US stops minting 20¢ coin

1890 ►Territory of Oklahoma created

1932 ►Jack Benny's 1st radio show premieres

In Science/ Religion

1780 ►William Herschel discovers 1st binary star, Xi Ursae Majoris

• Today’s Births •

Artists, Writers, and Composers

John Galt, 1779, Scotland, novelist (Ayrshire Legatees, Lawrie Todd)

Hedda Hopper [Elda Furry], 1885, gossip columnist

Benjamin Spock, 1903, pediatrician/author

Athletes

David Beckham, 35, soccer player

Entertainers

Bing (Harry Lillis) Crosby, 1904, crooner

Larry Gatlin, 61, singer, songwriter

Lesley Gore, 64, singer

Lorenz Hart, 1895, composer, lyricist: half of famous team of (Richard) Rodgers & Hart

Engelbert Humperdinck (Arnold George Dorsey), 74, singer

Bianca Jagger, 65, actress, political activist, ex-wife of Mick Jagger

Pinky Lee (Pincus Leff), 1907, children's show host (Pinky Lee Show)

Lorenzo Music, 1937, writer/actor/voice (Carlton the doorman-Rhoda, Garfield)

Business, Education Leaders

General Henry Martyn Robert, 1837, parliamentarian (Robert's Rules of Order)

Political Leaders

Catherine the Great (Catherine II) (Ekaterina Alekseevna), 1729, Russian leader

Scientists /Religious Leaders

Theodor Herzl, 1860, Austria, journalist/founder (Zionist movement)

Elijah McCoy, 1844, black inventor, held over 50 patents including a lubricator for steam engines ("the Real McCoy")

• Today’s Obits •

Leonardo Da Vinci, 1519, artist/scientist, natural causes @ 67

Joseph McCarthy, 1957, commie hunting senator: hepatitis, alcoholism @ 47

J Edgar Hoover, 1972, head of FBI/cross dresser, @ 77

Julio Gallo, 1993, wine maker (Gallo), car accident @ 82

≈ ANSWERS to puzzle   

1. 16 O i a P= 16 Ounces in a Pound

2. 18 H o a G C = 18 Holes on a Golf Course

3. 3 B M S H T R = 3 Blind Mice See How They Run

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