This is Week 40 of 2010►Day 278 with 87 days left.
FREE RAMBLING THOUGHTS
We left Taipei with great memories. We had to be at the airport at 5am for our flight. It was a 6+ hour flight, even though it didn’t look that far on the map. Flying on Malaysian Airlines for the entire trip, on this flight many of us noticed that the airlines had hired flight attendants from a cookie cutter mold. Most of the females still had their hair in a French roll and all met what appeared to be very strict height, weight, and age requirements. They all seemed to exude the same facial smiles, no glasses, only perfect skin. I found it kinda unsettling. They entire flight crew was always multi-lingual. Throughout all our flights, all passenger announcements were in Chinese, followed by Malay, and then English. I realized that the poor monolingual English speakers would be the last to know that we were crashing. The meals on all the flights were good, for airline food. We always had two entrée choices. There was always a good portion of fresh Malayan fruit—grapes, papaya, etc. The cabin crew seemed to enter the restrooms each time they were used, checking for cleanliness and using a fresh citrus spray. I mention this because the Egypt Air cabin crew didn’t even seem to know there were restrooms on the plane. On Malayan Airlines, the restrooms were as clean at the end of the flight as at the beginning.
We were greeted at the airport by our guide, Susan and our driver Mr. Wo. Susan was Malay, and Mr. Wo was Chinese. Susan was part of the 2% Catholic populous and made sure we knew that very early. Malaysia is a Muslim country and I am sure our tour would have been much different if we had a Muslim guide. Susan raised an interesting view regarding the future of Malaysia. The goal is to become achieve ‘developed country’ status. She was a little vague about what that means, but did say that Malaysia needs more children, good jobs, and more electricity. She mentioned that Kuala Lumpur, the capital, keeps its business building lit 24/7. As our adventure continued, I began to feel that Susan was looking at the surface appearance of the country; not the deep infrastructure changes needed to move from a developing nation to a developed nation. Susan talked about One Malaysia and that the country was celebrating a new holiday—Malaysia Day—during our visit. About 50 years ago, Malaysia and Borneo joined together to form Malaysia, Singapore was part of Malaysia until it pulled out of the alliance. Malaysia has the highest GDP in the region @ 6.5%. The South China Sea divides Malaysia into East and West Malaysia. Oddly, foreigners and some Malaysians must provide passports to travel from East to West within this one country. It seems West Malaysians need a passport to go to East Malaysia, but East Malaysians do not need a passport to travel to West Malaysia. There is no customs check, just passports.
After refreshing at the hotel, we went to KL Tower, the 5th tallest building in the world and had an amazing buffet dinner in the rotating restaurant that gave us 360° view of the city. The next day we went to Lake Gardens—a 20 hectares (50 acres) enclosed bird park aviary with 3000+ birds. The entire park is netted overheard and some of the more rare species are kept in fairly large cages. Visitors can enter most of the cages through a series of gates that prevent escape. Two hours was not enough time to study the birds, but certainly enough time to slowly walk and enjoy the area. Next to the aviary was an Orchid Park with 500 different species of orchids.
Our busy day ended at Kuala Selangor about 90 minutes from KL. This town is famous for its mangrove forest and its fireflies. After a great dinner, we walked down to the dock, climbed onto a sampan (boat) to quietly glide down the river to see the fireflies. This is only one of two places in the world where this many fireflies can be seen. We were all very quiet with only six passengers per boat + the ‘pilot’. As we floated by the mangrove trees, they lit up like a well decorated Christmas tree. We were doing this in a full moon. I can only image what it would have been like without a bright moon. At first as we crossed the river, we heard people on the shore talking away. Suddenly the trees began lighting up. It was almost as if there were workers deep in the forest turning on the lights as we got close. As we moved deeper into the bayou we knew for sure that the fireflies were real. The pilot caught one and we passed it from hand to hand as we traveled. If you ever did Disney’s Pirates of the Caribbean ride you get an idea of the lights…now multiply that by about 50 times. The hour long floating was a great end to the day. Several in our group had grown up around fireflies in the South. They were as impressed as the rest of us who had never even seen a firefly.
Fall is in the air for Flag. Our local weather guy says there might even be some snow on the highest part of the peaks tonight. I had an early eye appointment—everything is fine—and actually wore long pants to get there. It quickly warmed up and after running a few errands my long sleeved shirt was way too hot. Not Malaysia hot, but Flagstaff hot.
Flag…H—68°; L—43°; RH—93%; and wind gust of 20 mph—a couple of good rain showers this afternoon and more expected tonight made is just a wet day.
QUOTE FOR THE DAY
If it rains stones in our country and rains gold in other people's countries,it is better to live in our country. (meaning of proverb: whatever reasons, it is better to live in own country)
HOLY MACKEREL: 1892 Dalton Gang ends in shoot-out in Coffeyville, Kansas bank holdup
SOMEWHAT USELESS INFORMATION
If Antarctica's ice sheets melted, the world’s oceans would rise by 60 to 65 meters (200 - 210ft) - everywhere.
GREY MATTER PUZZLE 1—Jeopardy Answers: Starts with “Q”
$100-Hugo's hunchback
$200-"To be or not to be"
$300-Oldest city in Canada
$400-Popular name of the Religious Society of Friends
$500- Klugman’s coroner
UNUSUAL NEWS ITEM
CINCINNATI - Kroger stores in Cincinnati said cereal boxes named for Bengals star Chad Ochocinco are being pulled due to a misprinted phone number leading to a sex line. Store managers said the Ochocinco cereal was supposed to bear the number 1-888-HELP-FTC, which connects to Feed the Children, the charity the cereal is supporting, but customers who attempted to call the number listed on the box, 1-800-HELP-FTC, were instead connected with a phone sex line, the Cincinnati Enquirer reported. "We didn't even know the other number existed," said Tony Sellars, spokesman for Oklahoma City-based Feed The Children, which took responsibility for the error. Robert Bailey, president of Rosenhaus Sports, the firm representing Ochocinco, said the player expects the correct number to appear on future boxes of the honey nut cereal.
A LITTLE LAUGH
While on a ski trip in Wyoming, I encountered a husband and wife on the slopes who asked me if I would take a picture of them. I said I would be happy to, and I did. Then I asked if they wouldn't mind taking a picture of me.
"Oh, sorry," the man answered, "but we only have two pictures left, and we wanted to take some pictures of the lodge."
FOUND ON ‘YOU TUBE’
Malaysian Tourism Bureau Video: Click Here to See It
GREY MATTER PICTURE
This is a close up of what object?
SOME CALENDAR INFORMATION
¤ Weekly Observances ¤
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
8-10: 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 ¤
World Teachers’ Day
Azores, Guinea-Bisau, Maderia, Portugal : Republic Day (1910)
Bulgaria : Independence Day (1908)
Indonesia : Army Day
Lesotho : Sports Day
¤ Hit Songs on this date ¤
1913 ...You Made Me Love You, I Didn't Want to Do It / Al Jolson
1923 ...Yes! We Have No Bananas / Billy Jones http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8k5X_R5Xmd4
1943 …Sunday, Monday or Always / Bing Crosby
1953 …St. George and the Dragonet / Stan Freberg http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VBcASC9VqzY
1963 …Blue Velvet / Bobby Vinton
1973 …Half-Breed / Cher
1983 …Total Eclipse of the Heart / Bonnie Tyler
1993 …Dreamlover / Mariah Carey http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CqBtS6BIP1E&ob=av2e
¤ Today’s Births ¤
╬ THE ARTS
Clive Barker, 58, author
Larry Fine (Louis Fienberg), The fuzzy-haired Stooge, many times a victim of the mean-tempered Moe, in 1902
Bill Keane, 88, cartoonist (“Family Circus”)
Steve Miller, 67, musician, singer (Steve Miller Band)
♦♦♦♦♦♦
Karen Allen, 59, actress (Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Starman, The Wanderers)
Peter Brown, 75, actor (Lawman, Laredo, Bold & Beautiful)
Jeff Conaway or Conway, 60, actor (“Taxi,” Grease)
Bill Dana, 86, actor, comedian
Glynis Johns, 87, actress (Mary Poppins, The Ref, A Little Night Music), born Pretoria, South Africa
Allen Ludden (Ellsworth), TV host: Password, The G.E. College Bowl, married Betty White, in 1917
Kate Winslet, 35, actress (Revolutionary Road, The Reader, Finding Neverland, Little Children, Titanic)
╬ ATHLETICS
Michael Andretti, 48, race car driver, son of Mario Andretti
Grant Hill, 38, basketball player
Mario Lemieux, 45, Hall of Fame hockey player, hockey executive, born Montreal, QC, Canada
╬ BUSINESS & EDUCATION
Ray Kroc, founder of McDonalds/owner (San Diego Padres), in 1902
╬ POLITICS
Chester Alan Arthur, (R) 21st Pres (1881-85), in 1830
Bob Geldof, 59, singer (Boomtown Rats), social activist, born Dublin, Ireland
╬ SCIENCE & RELIGION
Jonathan Edwards, theologian/philosopher (Original Sin), in 1703
Robert Hutchings Goddard, rocket pioneer, in 1882
Louis LumiŠre, with brother Auguste made 1st motion picture in 1895, in 1864
¤ Today’s Obituaries ¤
Louis D Brandeis, 1st Jewish Supreme Court Justice, @ 84 in 1941
Gloria Grahame, actress (Sue-Rich Man Poor Man, Violet in It’s a Wonderful Life), cancer @ 55 in 1981
¤ Today’s Events ¤
╬ THE ARTS
1945 "Meet the Press" premieres on radio
1969 “Monty Python’s Flying Circus” debuted on BBC-1 in Great Britain and aired until 1974.
╬ ATHLETICS
1921 1st World Series radio broadcast, Yanks beat Giants 3-0 (World Series #18)
╬ BUSINESS & EDUCATION
1864 Most of Calcutta destroyed by cyclone (approx 60,000 die)
1892 Dalton Gang ends in shoot-out in Coffeyville, Kansas bank holdup
╬ INDIGENOUS PEOPLE
1877 “From where the sun now stands, I will fight no more forever.” With those words, Chief Joseph and the Nez Perce Indians surrendered to the U.S. Cavalry. The surrender took place at Bear’s Paw, Chinook, Montana.
╬ POLITICS (US)
1947 The first televised White House address is given by U.S. President Harry S. Truman
1981 Swede Raoul Wallenberg becomes an honorary U.S. citizen for saving many Hungarian Jews from Nazis.
╬ POLITICS (International)
1813 Battle of the Thames in Canada; Americans defeat British
1983 Lech Walesa wins the Nobel Peace Prize
1989 Tibet's exiled spiritual leader, the 14th Dalai Lama (Tenzin Gyatso), was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for nonviolent efforts to free his homeland from China.
╬ SCIENCE & RELIGION
1982 Unmanned rocket sled reaches 9,851 kph at White Sands, NM
1989 Former evengelist, Jim Bakker, was convicted by a jury in Norfolk, VA of bilking 116,000 P.T.L. (Praise the Lord) TV show followers out of $158 million
GREY MATTER ANSWERS
↔ 1
$100-Hugo's hunchback: Who is Quasimodo?
$200-"To be or not to be": Who is the Question?
$300-Oldest city in Canada: What is Quebec?
$400-Popular name of the Religious Society of Friends: Who are the Quakers?
$500-Klugman’s coroner: Who is Quincy?
↔ PICTURE
A soda bottle cap
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