4 April 2010~~Week 15 of 2010: 94 days this year…271 days remain
‡ Scottish Proverbs
He goes long barefoot that waits for dead men's shoes.
He's the slave of all slaves who serve's none but himself
• Holy Mackerel: On this day in 1964 ►The Beatles set an all-time record on the Top 100 chart of Billboard magazine this day. All five of the top songs were by the British rock group.
‡ Free Ramblings
I was watching the news when a crawl came across the screen about a murder in South Africa. After the news was over, I was at the computer learning about the AWB and its dead leader. The AWB is a very far right group of Afrikaans that may make up 5% of the Afrikaans in South Africa. The Afrikaner Weerstandsbeweging (Afrikaner Resistance Movement) wants a separate white state, Boerestaat, within South Africa. Their 69 year old leader was killed in his bed today by two workers on his farm. They were upset over not receiving pay for work they claimed they had done. The AWB flag and logo is three black sevens forming a triskelion with lots of red and white. There are many visual similarities to the Nazi flag. Since my trip to South Africa I knew there had to be Afrikaans who were not behind the end of apartheid, but I had no idea they were so organized. With the World Cup starting on June 11, this killing may or may not become world news. Right now it seems to be a killing of a farmer by two dissatisfied workers. If it comes out that it was more about AWB beliefs, I fear this will become much more news that will not help the healing process.
There were two very good basketball games in the NCAA playoffs. Butler beat Michigan State, Duke is beating West Va. at half-time. Monday’s game should be very good. Should be a great way to start the week.
Flag made it to 58° today and was only 28° last night. Sounds like it should have been a great day outside. Oh, I didn’t mention the 30mph winds that blew around most of the day. It finally calmed down about 3pm so I could be out on the deck a little while.
‡ A Quick Smile
An elderly Italian man who lived on the outskirts of Rimini, Italy, went to the local church for confession. When the priest slid open the panel in the confessional, the man said:
"Father.. During World War II, a beautiful Jewish woman from our neighborhood knocked urgently on my door and asked me to hide her from the Nazis. So I hid her in my attic."
The priest replied: "That was a wonderful thing you did, and you have no need to confess that."
"There is more to tell, Father.. She started to repay me with sexual favors. This happened several times a week, and sometimes twice on Sundays."
The priest said, "That was a long time ago and by doing what you did, you placed the two of you in great danger, but two people under those circumstances can easily succumb to the weakness of the flesh. However, if you are truly sorry for your actions, you are indeed forgiven."
"Thank you, Father. That's a great load off my mind. I do have one more question."
"And what is that?" asked the priest.
"Should I tell her the war is over?'
‡ Random Fact
Scientists say that Einstein’s brain was 15% wider than the average human brain
‡Easter Trivia
Easter probably derives its name from Eostre, an Anglo-Saxon goddess of spring. A month corresponding to April had been named "Eostremonat," or Eostre's month, leading to "Easter" becoming applied to the Christian holiday that usually took place within it.
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In Medieval Europe, eggs were forbidden during Lent. Eggs laid during that time were often boiled or otherwise preserved. Eggs were thus a mainstay of Easter meals, and a prized Easter gift for children and servants.
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Hares and rabbits have long been symbols of fertility. The inclusion of the hare into Easter customs appears to have originated in Germany, where tales were told of an "Easter hare" who laid eggs for children to find. German immigrants to America -- particularly Pennsylvania -- brought the tradition with them and spread it to a wider public. They also baked cakes for Easter in the shape of hares, and may have pioneered the practice of making chocolate bunnies and eggs.
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Hot cross buns were among the earliest Easter treats, made by European monks and given to the poor during Lent.
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Pretzels were originally associated with Easter. The twists of a pretzel were thought to resemble arms crossed in prayer.
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Around 1885, Russian jeweler Peter Carl Fabergé took the decoration of eggs to new heights. He volunteered to create a jewelry egg for Czar Alexander III to give his wife, Marie. Fabergé kept the egg a secret, but delighted the royal family with an ordinary looking "egg," but with tiny surprises made of gold, enamel, and precious gems inside.
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After their baptisms, early Christians wore white robes all through Easter week to indicate their new lives. Those had already been baptized wore new clothes instead to symbolize their sharing a new life with Christ. In Medieval Europe, churchgoers would take a walk after Easter Mass, led by a crucifix or the Easter candle. Today these walks endure as Easter Parades.
‡ Puzzle
State Mottos: Name the state with this motto
1 Our liberties we prize and our rights we will maintain,
2 Oro y plata, Gold and silver
3 Wisdom, justice, and moderation,
4 Si quaeris peninsulam amoenam circumspice, If you seek a pleasant peninsula, look around you
5 Regnat populus, The people rule
‡ Side Show Stories
ORLANDO, Fla. - A Florida juvenile court judge went too far when he found a woman in contempt because her cellphone rang in the courtroom, an appeals court ruled. The appeals panel in Daytona said Michelle McRoy's ringing phone was "annoying" but that does not justify a finding of contempt, The Orlando (Fla.) Sentinel reported. The court said Circuit Judge Anthony Johnson provided no evidence for his contempt finding and an order that McRoy's phone should be confiscated. "Contempt is an act tending to embarrass, hinder, or obstruct the court in the administration of justice, or to lessen the court's authority or dignity," the appeals court wrote in an opinion released Wednesday. "Contempt does not exist just because a judge feels aggrieved or vexed." McRoy said she allowed her sister to use the phone outside the courtroom and forgot to check when she returned it whether it was turned off. She was in the Orange County courtroom last year because a juvenile relative was appearing in court. She told the newspaper the judge "just went off" without giving her a chance to explain what happened. She said she hopes to get the phone back.
‡ Calendar Information
• Observance Weeks in April•
1-7
International Pooper-Scooper Week
Laugh at Work Week
Golden Rule Week
Medication Safety Week
Testicular Cancer Awareness Week
2-4
Alcohol-Free Weekend
4-10
Hate Week: taken from George Orwell’s 1984
Hilo, HI. Hula Festival: Cultural event honoring King David Kalakaua, culminates with the world’s largest hula competition
National Blue Ribbon Week: to raise awareness of the annual 3.2 million abused children
National Public Health Week
National Work Zone Safety Awareness Week
National Week of the Ocean: to raise awareness of the ocean’s role on our planet
• 4 April Observances—US/UN/World •
Tell-A-Lie Day
Easter
International Day for Mine Awareness & Assistance in Mine Action
Victims of Violence Wholly Day: Befriend a victim of violence and do something nice for that person
World Rat Day
•4 April Observances—by country •
Hungary : Liberation Day (1945 from Nazi Germany)
Senegal : National Day (1960 from France)
•Number One Songs in…
1950 ►Long Gone Lonesome Blues - Hank Williams
1958 ►He’s Got the Whole World (In His Hands) - Laurie London
1966 ►(You’re My) Soul and Inspiration - The Righteous Brothers
1974 ►Sunshine on My Shoulders - John Denver
1982 ►I Love Rock ’N Roll - Joan Jett & The Blackhearts
•4 April Happenings•
In The Arts
1859 ►Daniel Emmett introduced I Wish I was in Dixie’s Land (later named Dixie) in New York City. Just two years later, the song became the Civil War song of the Confederacy.
1914 ►The first known serialized moving picture opened in New York City. The Perils of Pauline starred Pearl White.
In Athletics
1974 ►Hank Aaron ties Babe Ruth's home-run record by hitting his 714th
In Business or Education
1973 ►New York's World Trade Center The twin towers of the World Trade Center rising 1,350 feet above Manhattan officially became the world's tallest building.
In Politics
1660 ►English King Charles II ends Declaration of Breda (freedom of religion)
1818 ►Congress decided US flag is 13 red & white stripes & 20 stars
1850 ►City of Los Angeles incorporated
1879 ►According to Army files, a group of Indians stole almost 30 horses from Countryman's ranch, on the Yellowstone River. Local citizens and "friendly" CROW Indians pursued them. They would be found on April 22, 1879.
1912 ►Chinese republic proclaimed in Tibet
1949 ►The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) is established by 12 Western nations: the United States, Great Britain, France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Denmark, Italy, Luxembourg, Norway, Iceland, Canada, and Portugal
1958 ►1st march against nuclear weapons (Aldermaston England)
1966 ►Pirate Radio Scotland changes name to Radio Ireland
1981 ►Henry Cisneros becomes 1st Mexican-American mayor (San Antonio)
In Science/Religion
1896 ►Announcement of Gold in the Yukon
1932 ►Vitamin C 1st isolated, C C King, University of Pittsburgh
1947 ►Largest group of sunspots on record
• 3 April Births •
Artists and Composers
Maya Angelou (Marguerite Ann Johnson), 82, poet, author (I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings)
Kitty Kelley, 68, author (Jackie Oh!, Nancy Reagan)
Margaret Oliphant, 1828, Scotland, novelist/biographer (Beleaguered City)
Athletes
Carlos Reyes, 41, pitcher (Oakland A's)
Entertainers
David Blaine, 37, magician
Robert Downey, Jr, 45, actor
Steve Gatlin, 59, country singer (Gatlin Brothers)
Luke Halpin, 61, actor (Sandy Ricks-Flipper-TV)
Cloris Leachman, 84, actress (Phyllis, Dancing with the Stars)
Craig T. Nelson, 64, actor (“Coach,” “The District”)
Anthony Perkins , 1932 , actor (Psycho)
Muddy Waters (McKinley Morganfield), 1915, blues singer, guitarist
Business, Education Leaders
Bijan, 66, Iran, mens apparel designer (Beverly Hills, New York, London)
Charles Funk , 1881, Encylopediest (Funk & Wagnalls)
Arthur Murray (Moses Teichman) , 1895, dancer: Arthur Murray Dance Studios
John Cameron Swayze , 1906, newscaster (Timex, Hindenberg)
Political Leaders
Dorothea Dix, 1802, aroused interest in treatment of mental inmates
Bob Stump, 83,(Representative -AZ)
Scientists /Religious Leaders
Zénobe Théophile Gramme, 1826, inventor (electric motor)
Linus Yale, 1821, inventor: Yale Infallible Bank Lock and cylinder lock
•3 April Obits •
Alfred Mosher Butts, 1993, US architect/game maker (Scrabble), @ 93
Oliver Goldsmith, 1774,Irish poet (She Stoops to Conquer), kidney failure @ 46
William Henry Harrison, 1841, becomes 1st US President to die in office, common cold @ 68
Reverend Martin Luther King Jr, 1968, civil rights leader, assassinated @ 39
John Napier, 1617, Scottish mathematician/inventor (logarithms), gout @ 67
Adam Clayton Powell Jr, 1972, (Representative-Democrat-NY), prostitutes @ 63
Jason Robards Sr, 1963, actor (Acapulco), heart attack @70
Gloria Swanson, 1983, actress (Airport 1975), heart ailment @ 84
‡ ANSWERS to puzzle
1 Iowa: Our liberties we prize and our rights we will maintain,
2 Montana: Oro y plata, Gold and silver
3 Georgia: Wisdom, justice, and moderation,
4 Michigan: Si quaeris peninsulam amoenam circumspice, If you seek a pleasant peninsula, look around you
5 Arkansas: Regnat populus, The people rule
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