TODAY’s HOLY MACKEREL: 1968 - London Bridge is sold to U.S. oil company to be erected in Arizona
MY FREE RAMBLING THOUGHTS
As expected we had a very good discussion group last night. The actual questions was “are we safer now than we were before 9/11?” We watched a video with Malou Innocent of the CATO Institute. She reminded us that the incident was aimed at the Twin Towers to tear down our economic system. The three wars we are in are doing a lot to help destroy the economic system. Another point was the personal privacy we have had to give up since 9/11. It is true that other attacks have been stopped before costing American lives. She used the term ‘Black Swan Event’ which is an event that is a surprise, has a major impact, and after its first recording the event is rationalized as if it could have been expected. The last part certainly explains the TSA evolvement. After the video we also discussed the issues of ‘War—what is it good for’. Historically it has been good for the economy with every state making war parts which makes jobs for many local communities. Since WWII the Military has made sure that there is some war business in as many communities as possible, making it hard or impossible to cut Defense spending that will cost national politicians their jobs if they stop funding. Most voters will not keep a politician who has hurt the local economy. During WWII Sweden and Canada were providing the metals needed for the Nazis to build their tanks. At the end of the war, Germany was still building tanks. While the liberals in our group are not happy about wars, it is going to be very difficult to stop our military society. Obama has not moved fast enough to get us out of two of our wars, and has gotten us involved in another. The final answer, are we safer? The video polled a variety of people in Reno, Nevada on a college campus and 67% of those polled said ‘no’. It is up to each of us to decide.
DID YOU KNOW THAT…
>Pre-treat stains with a bar of soap! Forget those fancy spots-busters: just rub a fresh stain with a damp bar of soap, then toss the garment in the hamper. Come laundry day, it'll emerge from the wash good as new!
>Not sure when your lawn needs to be watered? Try pushing a screwdriver into the soil. If you have to push hard to penetrate 6 inches then your lawn is need of water.
SOMEWHAT USELESS INFORMATION…
>Scientists now think that the Moon was formed when a Mars-sized object crashed into our planet about 4.5 billion years ago. The collision was so large that a huge spray of material was ejected into space. The orbiting ring of debris gathered itself into a sphere, and formed the Moon.
>In about 50 billion years from now, the Moon will stop moving away from us. It will settle into a stable orbit, taking about 47 days to go around the Earth (it takes 27.3 days today). At that point, the Earth and the Moon will be tidally locked to each other. It will look like the Moon is always in the same spot in the sky.
>From our perspective here on Earth, the Moon and the Sun look approximately the same size in the sky. Of course, the Sun is much much bigger than the Moon. The Sun happens to be 400 times larger than the Moon, but it’s also 400 times further away.
PUZZLE: Trivia Quiz […answers at bottom…]
1. What was a Royal Navy frigate accused of throwing during the Cod War of 1973?
2. In 1891, what did Whitcome Judson invent for fastening shoes?
3. Khons was the Egyptian god of what?
4. What product was introduced as a cure for urinary problems?
5. John Glenn the first American to orbit earth was in which branch of the military?
6. What was Bumper Harris' (who had a wooden leg) job on the London Underground?
7. In 1760, what means of personal transport was invented?
8. The Mau Mau were terrorists in which country during the late 50's early 60's?
9. Who said 'I'm never through with a girl till I've had her three ways'?
10. Who was the first man to fly across the English Channel?
UNUSUAL NEWS ITEM:
>The last public execution in America was the hanging of a 22-year-old black man named Rainey Bethea. He was executed at Owensboro, KY, in 1936 after being convicted of killing a 70-year-old white women. Twenty thousand people showed
up to witness the execution.
>The last person hanged in the U.S. for being a pirate was Capt. Nathaniel Gordon, in New York City on March 8, 1862. Gordon had been smuggling slaves into the US.
>The last person to be burned at the stake was Phoebe Harrius. Harrius was convicted of coining false money and was burned at the stake in front of Newgate Prison in England in 1786.
>The last public execution by guillotine was on June 17, 1939. Eugen Weidman was executed before a large crowd in Versailles, France. The last nonpublic use of the guillotine in France, at Baumetes Prison, in Marsailles, was the execution of convicted murderer Hamida Djandoubi, a Tunisian immigrant, on September 10, 1977.
>During WWII Private Eddie Slovik was tried by court-martial and sentenced to death for desertion. He was shot by his own unit, the 28th Infantry Division, in a small town in northeast France.
A LITTLE LAUGH:
A young woman sat in her stalled car, waiting for help. Finally, two men walked up to her. "I'm out of gas," she purred. "Could you push me to the gas station?"
The men readily put their muscles to the car and rolled it several blocks. After a while, one looked up, exhausted, to see that they had just passed a gas station.
"We just passed a station! How come you didn't turn in?" he yelled.
"Oh, I never go there," the girl shouted back. "They don't have full service."
CLOSEUP PICTURE: Can you identify this close up picture?
FOUND ON ‘YOU TUBE’: Kon Tiki Footage
♫ Rock and Roll Hall of Fame ♫
2005 Inductee: U2: Bono (vocals; born May 10, 1960), The Edge (guitar; born August 8, 1961), Adam Clayton (bass; born March 13, 1960), Larry Mullen Jr. (drums; born October 31, 1961) MORE INFO
Click on Song Title to see and hear it.
DAYBOOK INFORMATION
«THIS WEEK
17-23
Christian Holy Week
Cleaning For A Reason Week
Coin Week
Consumer Awareness Week
Fibroid Awareness Week
Fish Fry Week
National Crime Victims Rights Week
National Karaoke Week
National Paperboard Packaging Week
National Park Week
National Pet ID Week:
Police Officers Who Gave Their Lives In The Line of Duty Week
Turnoff Week
«TODAY IS
Adult Autism Day
Passover
Pet Owners
Independence Day
International Amateur Radio Day
National Stress Awareness Day
National Wear Your Pajamas To Work Day
International Jugglers Day
<> <> <> <>
US: Mass. and Maine Patriot's Day
Zimbabwe: Independence Day (1980)
… ARTISTS: AUTHORS: COMPOSERS…
Leopold Stokowski 1882 – 1977 English-born American conductor
…ATHLETES
Derrick Brooks, NFL linebacker for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, turns 38
…BUSINESS & EDUCATION
--
…ENTERTAINERS (ACTORS/SINGERS…)
America Ferrera, American Actress turns 27
Melissa Joan Hart, born in Sayville, New York, actress, Clarissa, Sabrina turns 35
Jane Leeves, born in London, actress, Murphy Brown, Daphne Moon-Fraiser turns 50
Conan O'Brien, American Entertainer, turns 48
…POLITICIANS
Lucrezia Borgia 1480 – 1519 Italian Renaissance noblewoman of the Borgia family
…SCIENCE & RELIGION
George H. Hitchings 1905 – 1998 American Nobel Prize-winning pharmacologist (1988)
Today’s Obits:
1955 - Albert Einstein, German U.S. physicist, dies at 76
1976 - Percy Julian, holder of more than 138 chemical patents, dies at 78
1853 - William King, U.S. Vice President, dies a month after his inauguration at 67 of TB
2002 - Thor Heyerdahl, anthropologist/adventurer, Kon-Tiki, dies at 87
Today’s Events:
… ARTS
1924 - 1st crossword puzzle book published (Simon and Schuster)
1983 - Alice Walker wins Pulitzer Prize for "The Color Purple"
… ATHLETICS
1995 - Quarterback Joe Montana announces his retirement from football
… BUSINESS & EDUCATION
1853 - 1st train in Asia (Bombay to Tanna, 36 km)
1868 - San Francisco Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals formed
1921 - Junior Achievement incorporated in Colorado Springs CO
1925 - World's fair opens in Chicago
1950 - 1st transatlantic jet passenger trip
1955 - 1st "Walk"/"Don't Walk" lighted street signals installed
1968 - London Bridge is sold to U.S. oil company to be erected in Arizona
… INDIGENOUS PEOPLE
1644 - Forces under 99 year old Opechancanough, a leader of the Powhatan Confederacy, attacks the English along the Pamunkey and York rivers, 22 years after his first attack at Jamestown. His followers will kill almost 400 Virginia colonists.
… International POLITICS
1599 - Valencia arch duke Albrecht of Austrian marries Isabella of Spain
1902 - Denmark is 1st country to adopt fingerprinting to identify criminals
1949 - Republic of Ireland withdraws from British Commonwealth
1956 - Grace Kelly marries Prince Rainier III of Monaco (civil ceremony)
1982 - Canada Constitution Act replaces British North America Act
… SCIENCE & RELIGION
1909 - Joan of Arc declared a saint
… US POLITICS
1775 - Paul Revere rides from Charleston to Lexington
1942 - "Stars and Stripes" paper for U.S. Armed Forces starts
ANSWERS:
Quiz
1. What was a Royal Navy frigate accused of throwing during the Cod War of 1973?
Carrots at Icelandic gunboat
2. In 1891, what did Whitcome Judson invent for fastening shoes?
Zip Fastener
3. Khons was the Egyptian god of what?
The Moon
4. What product was introduced as a cure for urinatary problems?
Pepsi
5. John Glenn the first American to orbit earth was in which branch of the military?
US Marine Corps
6. What was Bumper Harris' (who had a wooden leg) job on the London Underground?
To ride new escalators to prove they were safe.
7. In 1760, what means of personal transport was invented?
Roller Skates
8. The Mau Mau were terrorists in which country during the late 50's early 60's?
Kenya
9. Who said 'I'm never through with a girl till I've had her three ways'?
John F. Kennedy
10. Who was the first man to fly across the English Channel?
Louis Bleriot
Close Up Picture
zig zag fabric tape
…AND THAT’S ALL FOR NOW
