This is Week 39 of 2010►Day 275 with 90 days left.
FREE RAMBLING THOUGHTS
What a great trip to Asia. Before I start recalling the trip, one story about the plane ride back. We were in the air about 17 hours. That’s a long time in a toothpaste tube. We flew from Kuala Lumpar, Malaysia to Taipei, Taiwan. They had to get a new crew and clean the plane. We deplaned, walked through yet another security check right as we got off the plane, into a waiting room, and then back to the plane after a 15 minute wait. There was a young couple with a baby about 9 months old. We made funny faces at the baby, he laughed, mom laughed, dad laughed. Cute babies break all language barriers. Soon after our reboarding, the stewardess passed out our cards to reenter the US. The man indicated in hand signals he didn’t know how to fill it out. The stewardess returned about 45 minutes before we landed to help the family. She tried English and Chinese and he just shook his head no. I pulled out my passport—always the ESL teacher—and he smiled and shook his head no. He did open a white bag he was carrying and pulled out several pages and showed them to the stewardess. She took the paperwork and the card and left. We later learned that the family was refugees from Myanmar and the paperwork was from the Department of State with Hillary’s signature. Sidenote: Our Burmese Purser on the ship that the times are tough in Burma right now. They have an election and all passport offices and visa offices have shut down until after the ‘free’ election, so no foreigners can enter or leave. Many Burmese live off the tourist industry, and the government basically shut that down a few years ago. So the refugees did not speak Chinese or English, another stewardess tried Thai and finally Malay. The dad understood Beginning Malay, so all was well. Just after we landed the 2nd stewardess brought over several jars of baby food and Enfamil. At first dad declined, but she convinced him the baby would need it. I let her know that his was a very kind gesture, she smiled, and said we can always get more. It turned out there were 30 such refugees on the flight. LAX immigration has a special section for refugees to sit…and wait…and wait…and wait. The family was still waiting after we spent our two hours moving through the maze of documentation. Their only luggage was a small backpack the dad carried. I later saw two passengers on my plane from LAX to PHX that were carrying the same bags. This is the America I love.
Our trip started in Taipei. Our tour guide, Andy and the programmer, Angus, was with him. This was the first visit Angus had planned for Americans, so wanted our feedback. Andy has been guiding for years, but few Americans come to Taiwan for a holiday. We were treated very very well. They wanted us to see so many places. During our five days you could count on one hand the number of Anglos we saw. Taipei is a big city—6.75 million—and is always busy. Our first street market (Shilin) was very crowded at 11pm. The market was full of fresh food and inexpensive Dollar Store stuff. I’m sure the entire city population wasn’t at the market when we were there…there had to be a few grandmas that stayed home.
We also visited several Buddhist / Taoist Temples. Angus was willing to share much and as the group wandered the temples I spent time with him, learning a lot. Andy shared much too, but is a Catholic, and seemed to have more book knowledge, whereas Angus was raised Buddhist.
We ate lunch and dinner at local restaurants. The food was good, and not the typical Chinese food of America. All meals are family style, with a huge lazy susan (or as Andy called it—lazy suzy). I should point out that many of the dishes were difficult to translate into English, and most times we were happy to just know if it was beef, chicken, pork, fish, or ‘something else’. All fish dishes, from a variety of fish, were all just translated as ‘fish’. I really liked anything with noodles and was able to add hot chili to every dish. I also became quite adept with chop sticks.
I was surprised to learn about which country sends the most tourists to Taipei; it’s the Chinese, followed by Aussies, and then Brits. I am so happy I am one of the few. I am sure that some of the countryside locals had never seen an American. Taipei was hot and humid—average temp was about 31° (90°F) and humidity was around 78%. I continue to wonder why the US remains the only major country not to switch to Metric. Every country I have visited use Metric, and they did not fall apart. We tried to convert for our bicentennial, but neither Nixon nor Ford could pull it off. As globalization becomes a major force in everyone’s economy, American children are being left behind. They have to do way too many conversions, which leads to errors. I recall a US space flight that had a problem when someone did an incorrect conversion. The guide always announced the temperature for the next day and it was so embarrassing for someone always had to ask for the conversion. With several guides, they didn’t know, and someone with an iPhone had to get on the web for the conversion.
I certainly hope that the anti-immigration people in this country will find out that many people around the world want a way to get to America. I know the illegal thing is different, but I also know that many with loud voices don’t want foreigners.
Flag…H—85°; L—42°; RH—39%; and no breeze—a really nice day.
QUOTE FOR THE DAY: Malay Proverbs
As heavy as it looks, it is heavier to the shoulder that he carries the thing.
(meaning of proverb: as bad as some one's situation may seem, it is always worse for the person involved)
SOMEWHAT USELESS INFORMATION-Taipei
Here is a cool video of Taipei 101—the world’s tallest building in 2008. Our visit there was stunning and a marvelous architectural wonder. Click Here to See Taipei 101
GREY MATTER PUZZLE 1—Jeopardy Answers--Sports
$100-Sport which uses epees, foils & sabres
$200-Name given to annual competition among U.S. amateur boxers
$DD-Number of downs allowed in Canadian football to advance the ball 10 yards
$400-Because of WWII, these 2 NFL teams combined squads in '43 to become the "Stegles"
$500- Ex-Boston Celtics' star who has refused induction into Basketball Hall of Fame
UNUSUAL NEWS ITEM
BOZEMAN, Mont. — A 31-year-old Three Forks man accused of hitting his pregnant sister in the mouth with a wrench during her wedding reception has pleaded not guilty.
David J. Sicotte appeared in District Court on Wednesday on charges of assault with a weapon, a felony, and disorderly conduct. Prosecutors said he arrived at the reception uninvited Aug. 27, pushed his sister's new mother-in-law to the ground and started fighting with the groom. Witnesses said Sicotte later came at his sister with the wrench.
The bride told police she slapped her intoxicated brother and he responded by hitting her in the mouth with the wrench.
The Bozeman Daily Chronicle reported that Judge John Brown told Sicotte on Wednesday that while he is out on bail he is not allowed to drink alcohol, enter a bar or come within 300 feet of the home where the alleged attack occurred.
A LITTLE LAUGH
GREY MATTER PUZZLE 2--Riddle
Returns tomorrow
FOUND ON ‘YOU TUBE’
Returns tomorrow
GREY MATTER PICTURE
This is a close up of what object?
Returns tomorrow
SOME CALENDAR INFORMATION
¤ OCTOBER Observances ¤
Adopt A Shelter Dog Month §Antidepressant Death Awareness Month § Apple Month
(World) Blindness Awareness Month
Caffeine Addiction Recovery Month § Celiac Disease Awareness Month § Celebrate The Bilingual Child Month § Children's Magazine Month § Christmas Seal Campaign (10/1-12/31) § Church Library Month § Church Safety and Security Month § Class Reunion Month § Co-op Awareness Month § Cut Out Dissection Month
Domestic Violence Awareness Month § Dyslexia Awareness Month
Eat Better, Eat Together Month § Emotional Intelligence Month § Emotional Wellness Month § Employee Ownership Month § Energy Management is a Family Affair-Improve Your Home Month (10/1-3/31/08)
Fair Trade Month Link
Gay & Lesbian History Month § German-American Heritage Month § Global Diversity Awareness Month § Go Hog Wild - Eat Country Ham
Halloween Safety Month § Head Start Awareness Month § Health Literacy Month
International Starman Month § International Strategic Planning Month
Long Term Care Planning Month
Month of Free Thought
National …
Animal Safety and Protection Month § Bake and Decorate Month § Book Month § Breast Cancer Awareness Month § Caramel Month § Chili Month § Chiropractic Month § Crime Prevention Month § Cyber Security Awareness Month § Dental Hygiene Month § Depression Education & Awareness Month § Disability Employment Awareness Month § Domestic Violence Awareness Month § Down Syndrome Month § Ergonomics Month § Family Sexuality Education Month - Let's Talk! § "Gain The Inside Advantage" Month § Go On A Field Trip Month § Kitchen & Bath Month § Liver Awareness Month § Medical Librarian Month § Orthodontic Health Month § Physical Therapy Month § Popcorn Poppin' Month § Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month § Reading Group Month § Roller Skating Month § Sarcastic Awareness Month § Spina Bifida Awareness Month § Window Covering Safety Month § Work and Family Month § Sudden Infant Death Syndrome Awareness Month
Organize Your Medical Information Month
Photographer Appreciation Month § Polish American Heritage Month § Positive Attitude Month
Raptor Month § Rett Syndrome Awareness Month § Right Brainers Rule! Month
Sausage Month § Self-Promotion Month § Spinach Lovers Month § Squirrel Awareness Month § Stamp Collecting Month
Tackling Hunger Month § Talk About Prescriptions Month
Vegetarian Month
Wishbones for Pets Month (10/15 - 11/30) § Women's Small Business Month § Workplace Politics Awareness Month § World Origami Days
¤ Weekly Observances ¤
1-3: Fallen Firefighters Memorial Weekend
1-7: Universal Children's Week
2-9: No Salt Week
3-9: National Newspaper Week ^ National Work From Home Week ^ Fire Prevention Week ^ Mental Illness Awareness Week ^ Mystery Series Week ^ National Carry A Tune Week ^ Nuclear Medicine Week
4-10: Customer Service Week ^ Financial Planning Week ^ Spinning & Weaving Week ^ World Space Week
5-10:Great Books Week
6-12: Physicians Assistant Week
8-12: Kids' Goal Setting Week ^ New York Comic Con Week
10-16: Build Your Business with Business Cards Week ^ Emergency Nurses Week ^ Home-based Business Week ^ National Chestnut Week ^ National Food Bank Week ^ National Metric Week ^ Take Your Medicine Americans Week ^ World Rainforest Week
11-17: Fall Astronomy Week ^ National School Lunch Week
17-23: Food and Drug Interaction Education and Awareness Week ^ Getting The World To Beat A Path To Your Door Week ^ International Credit Union Week ^ Teen Read Week ^ National Chemistry Week ^ National Hospital and Health-System Pharmacy Week ^ YWCA Week without Violence ^ National Character Counts Week ^ National Forest Products Week ^ National Lead Poisoning Prevention Week ^ National School Bus Safety Week
18-24: Freedom From Bullies Week ^ Freedom of Speech Week ^ Medical Assistants Recognition Week ^ National Food Bank Week ^ National Infertility Awareness Week ^ National Massage Therapy Week ^ National Businesswomen's Week
24-31: Disarmament Week ^ Give Wildlife a Break Week ^ Pastoral Care Week ^ Peace, Friendship and Good Will Week ^ Prescription Errors Education & Awareness Week ^ International Magic Week ^ National Respiratory Care Week
27-11/3: World Hearing Aid Awareness Week
¤ Today’s Observances ¤
Change A Light Day
Guardian Angels Day
International Day of Non-violence
Inter-American Water Day
Phileas Fogg's Wager Day
National Custodial Workers Day
Techie's Day
World Card Making Day
World Farm Animals Day
*Independence Day, celebrates the independence of Guinea from France in 1958
¤ Hit Songs on this date ¤
1920 ...St. Louis Blues by Marion Harris
1950…Goodnight Irene by Gordon Jenkins & the Weavers
1960…My Heart Has a Mind of Its Own by Connie Francis Click Here to Hear!
1970…Ain't No Mountain High Enough by Diana Ross Click Here to Hear!
1980…Another One Bites the Dust by Queen Click Here to Hear!
¤ Today’s Births ¤
╬ THE ARTS
Julie Andrews (Julia Wells), 75, Academy Award-winning actress: Mary Poppins [1964]; The Sound of Music, Victor/Victoria, 10, Hawaii; Emmy Award-winner: Victoria Regina: Hallmark Hall of Fame [1961-62]; My Fair Lady, The Boyfriend
Lorraine Bracco, 55, actress (“The Sopranos,” Goodfellas), born Brooklyn, NY
Julius "Groucho" Marx, comedian (Marx Bros, You Bet Your Life) in 1890, NYC
Bud Abbott, Asbury Pk NJ, comedian (Abbott & Costello)in 1895
Graham Greene, prolific novelist (Brighton Rock) in 1904 London, England
Vladimir Horowitz, concert pianist Academy Award-winning actor: The Fortune Cookie [1966]; The Odd Couple, Grumpy Old Men, Grumpier Old Men, Dennis the Menace, Kotch, Pete & Tillie, Plaza Suite, The Sunshine Boys, JFK, Fail-Safe in 1903
Don McLean, 65, singer, songwriter (“American Pie”), born New Rochelle, NY
Kelly Ripa, 40, actress (“Hope & Faith,” “All My Children”), television host (“Live with Regis & Kelly”), born Stratford, NJ
Sting, 59, singer, songwriter, actor (Dune), born Gordon Sumner at London, England
James Whitmore, actor: Give ’Em Hell Harry, Kiss Me Kate, Oklahoma!, Planet of the Apes, Tora! Tora! Tora! in 1921
Roger Williams (Louis Weertz), 86, pianist: 18 gold/platinum albums
╬ ATHLETICS
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╬ BUSINESS & EDUCATION
Donna Karan, 62, fashion designer, born Forest Hills, NY
Rex Reed, 71, movie critic, born Fort Worth, TX
╬ POLITICS
Jimmy Carter, 86, 39th U.S. President [1977-1981]; married to Rosalynn Smith [three sons, one daughter]; full name: James Earl Carter
Mohandas K Gandhi (Mahatma Gandhi), , pacifist in 1869--Porbandar Kathiawad India
William Rehnquist, U.S. Supreme Court Justice [sworn in Jan 7, 1972], Chief Justice of U.S. Supreme Court [1986-2005] in 1924
Nat Turner Virginia leader of major slave rebellion in 1800
╬ SCIENCE & RELIGION
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¤ Obituaries ¤
Aristotle, dies of indigestion @ 62—322-BC
Paul Hartman, actor (Bert-Petticoat Junction), @ 68 in 1973
Rock Hudson, actor (MacMillian & Wife), @ 59 of aids in 1985
¤ Today’s Events ¤
╬ THE ARTS
1880 A new director of the United States Marine Corps Band was named. John Philip Sousa became the band’s 17th leader.
1950 The comic strip "Peanuts" 1st appears, in 9 newspapers
1955 "Alfred Hitchcock Presents" premiers
1961 "Ben Casey" premieres
1962 “From New York ... heeeeeeeeeere’s Johnny!” Ed McMahon introduced the new host of NBC’s Tonight Show for the first time
╬ ATHLETICS
1903 Cy Young played in his (and everyone else’s) first World Series baseball game.
1977 77,691 fans saw world-famous soccer player Pele in the last game of his career -- at the Meadowlands in New Jersey.
1983 Carl Yastrezemski's last at bat
╬ BUSINESS & EDUCATION
1908 Imagine paying just $825 for a new car! That’s what it cost to buy the new Model T: Not to burst any bubbles, but that is actually $19,400 in 2010 currency
1971 Walt Disney World opened in Orlando, Florida, USA.
╬ INDIGENOUS PEOPLE
1535 Cartier arrives in the area of what would eventually become Montreal.
1685 According to some sources, an agreement is reached today for the DELEWAREIndians to cede some lands to Pennsylvania.
╬ POLITICS (US)
1919 Pres Woodrow Wilson suffers a stroke
1967 Thurgood Marshall is sworn as 1st black Supreme Court Justice
╬ POLITICS (International)
1187 Sultan Saladin captures Jerusalem from the Crusaders
╬ SCIENCE & RELIGION
1608 Prototype of modern reflecting telescope completed by Jan Lippershey
1942 1st self-sustaining nuclear chain reaction demonstrated, Chicago
GREY MATTER ANSWERS
↔ 1
$100-Sport which uses epees, foils & sabres: What is Fencing?
$200-Name given to annual competition among U.S. amateur boxers: What is Golden Gloves?
$DD-Number of downs allowed in Canadian football to advance the ball 10 yards: What is 3?
$400-Because of WWII, these 2 NFL teams combined squads in '43 to become the "Stegles": Who are the Stealers and the Eagles?
$500- Ex-Boston Celtics' star who has refused induction into Basketball Hall of Fame: Who was Bill Russell? * he claimed the media and Boston were too racist.
↔ 2
Returns tomorrow
↔ PICTURE
Returns tomorrow
TODAY’S NATIONAL PARK PHOTO SHOTS
Taroko Gorge National Park, Taiwan: When Taroko National Park was established on November 28, l986, it was of special significance for the environmental protection movement in Taiwan: it showed that both the public and the government agencies had realized that against the background of the nation's four decades of extraordinary economic success, serious damage was being done to its natural resources.
According to the National Park Act of the Republic of China (passed in l972), parks are established to protect the natural scenery, historic relics and wildlife; to conserve natural resources; and to facilitate scientific research and promote environmental education.
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