Tuesday 01-11-11



HOLY MACKEREL: 1984 Supreme Court reinstated $10M award to Karen Silkwood's family

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MY FREE RAMBLING THOUGHTS
I had a great lunch with Cheryl and Mary today. Cheryl needed to come in for an eye exam so we met up for lunch. They agree that my voice doesn’t sound any different. Cheryl continues to lose weight after her surgery. I now understand what she means about food…my taste buds still aren’t back to normal. I eating well, but just not tasting well. Mary and I talked about her surgery for thyroid. Not looking forward to a long scar on my neck, but as Mary said, it gets smaller and is harder to see if one has several chins. Guess I fit that category. She said that I shouldn’t plan on any facelifts, since that will accentuate the scar. Anytime one goes under the knife, it is a little disconcerting. The doc says it is textbook stuff. Easy for him to say. Actually my biggest concern is having to lay on that moving bed for several days. That alone will be enough to get me out of the hospital. If the abnormal cells are just that, I will be in 1-3 days and if they are cancerous, I will be in longer. I’m not looking forward to Mary’s description of the ‘radiation room’ where they put you if they take the whole thyroid. You are basically sealed in a room, the TV, Phone, etc are covered in some kind of plastic that won’t absorb the radiation. Friends, visitors and nurses ‘observe’ you thought the window. Food is brought to your door, they knock, they stand back to block the hallway and you come out and get your food, take it inside, and when finished put it back outside the door. When the Geiger counter stops beeping enough, you put your clothes, books, and everything else into a ‘safe’ bag and go home. I prefer my vacations in far off lands.

The shock of the shootings has settled in. NPR ran a great piece today on ‘compassion’. Thus today’s quote above. I continue to hope that politicians, news analysts, and everyday Americans can search their own lives to find compassion for all individuals. Every major religion of the world has a form of the Golden Rule. Our country needs to return to an era of compassion. I realize that it is very difficult, and sometimes impossible, to deal with the mentally disturbed. Many of those that are disturbed or on the edge of being disturbed do not need to hear anyone talking about killing, injuring, or destroying those who don’t agree with them. The news carried a few of the shock jocks comments today, and some still don’t get it. Rush is still saying that the Pima County sheriff is out of touch when he said that words helped lead to this tragedy. The hero stories keep coming out from all points of Tucson. Our governor gave her required State of the State speech this afternoon. So disappointing. She was unable to pull the state together. She only talked about the tragedy and not about our budget. She said that would come later. Listening to her, she just didn’t have the words. It sounded like someone had told her the key points to talk about, but they just didn’t inspire. She is just not a good public speaker. Somehow she seemed removed from the whole speech, as though she was watching from afar. Maybe she is still in shock. The injured congresswoman is Jewish, and Jan made several references to Scripture. The Old Testament references were appropriate, but the New Testament references seemed out of place. Many in Arizona are not Christian and her words certainly were not directed to them. I understand that Jan is Christian, but as Governor she needs to realize that not every Arizonan believes as she does. This is a very difficult time for all. One last thing that amazed me—Congresswoman Gifford’s husband posted some thoughts on Facebook. He thanked everyone for their concern, their prayers, and their outpouring of support. Then he said that Gabby would be delighted if people donated to the American Red Cross or the Tucson Food Bank. Here is a man who has just has his entire world shattered, and he is still thinking about the less fortunate. Amazing.

I got up about 6am to an overcast sky that looked a lot like snow on the horizon. Our little Mount Elden was completely covered with fog…couldn’t even tell there was a mountain there. The fog stayed till almost noon before we saw the sun. Once the fog was gone, it was a clear blue sky. No snow, no rain, just fog. Fog is always eerie to me, as I am never sure what is hiding in it. I was glad to see it gone.

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∞ JEOPARDY PUZZLE—(Super-Jeopardy Answers) from 1990 LAKES & RIVERS
…answers at bottom…
•3 of the 5 largest lakes in North America are part of this group
•This country's longest river is the Tay, but the Clyde carries more traffic
•New York state actually has 11, not 10, of them
•Lake Eyre, the largest on this continent, covers 3600 square miles but is only about 4 feet deep
•The name of this river which joins the Ganges means “the son of Brahma, the creator of the universe”

UNUSUAL NEWS ITEM-- GREAT FALLS, MT
Authorities in Montana say a man who had three outstanding warrants for his arrest gave officers a false name during a traffic stop — but ended up in custody anyway because that man was also wanted.
Court records say that during a traffic stop Monday in Great Falls, Jonothan Ray Gonsalez, of Box Elder, told police that his name was Timothy Michael Koop Jr.
The officer learned a man by that name was wanted in Hill County and arrested him.
Police say a search of Gonsalez after his arrest turned up half a gram of methamphetamine in his jacket pocket and he was charged with criminal possession of dangerous drugs.
The Great Falls Tribune reports Gonsalez gave his real name on Tuesday, so a charge of issuing a false report to law enforcement was added.

SOMEWHAT USELESS INFORMATION—
• The live-action movie How the Grinch Stole Christmas features more than 52,000 Christmas lights, about 8,200 Christmas ornaments, and nearly 2,000 candy canes.
• The original Grinch was not green—like everything else in the book, he was black and white with some red and pink splotches.
• It has been said that the conflict between the Whos and the Grinch was inspired by how German immigrants in Dr. Seuss's native Springfield, Massachusetts, were mistreated by the owners of the factories where they worked.
• The TV movie director Chuck Jones decided to make the Grinch green, a color inspired by several ugly rental cars he had driven. Although the character of Max the dog was minor in the book, Jones made him a major character.
• For many years the line "You're a rotter, Mr. Grinch" was censored because it was considered too vulgar for television.
• Boris Karloff, the original movie Frankenstein, was the voice of the Grinch and the narrator. Thurl Ravenscroft, who sang such numbers as "You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch," was also the voice of Tony the Tiger.

A LITTLE LAUGH
There was a farmer who had many pigs. One day someone came to the farm and asked the farmer, "What do you use to feed your pigs?"
"Well, I give them acorn, corn, and things like that. Why?"
"Because I am from the Animals Protection Association and I think you don't feed them like you should, they shouldn't eat wastes." Then he fined the farmer.
Some days later, another person arrived and asked the same question. The farmer answered, "Well, I feed them very well. I give them fish, whole grains, hot corn mash and as much fresh fruit and vegetables as I can get my hands on. Why?"
"Because I am from the United Nations Organization and I think it's unfair that you feed your pigs like that when there are people dying with nothing to eat." And he fined the farmer.
Finally, another man came in and asked the same question. The hesitant farmer answered after a minute of careful thought: "Well, I give five dollars to each pig so they can buy whatever it is they want."

GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS—Early Starters
•The youngest radio presenter is Kimberley Perez (b. 20 February 1998) (USA) who hosts a show every Saturday 3-7pm, on KLAX 97.9 La Raza FM, in Los Angeles, California, USA, which started when she was 5 years old.
•The record for the youngest professional artist was achieved by Arushi Bhatnagar (India, b. 1 June 2002). She had her first solo exhibition at the Kalidasa Akademi in Ujjain, India, on 11 May 2003 when she was 344 days (or 11 months) old.
•Daniel Sanchez-Ruiz (UK) was given a full set of dentures on 25 February 2005 at the age of 3 years and 301 days due to a condition called Hypohydrotic Ectodermal Dysplasia.
•The youngest person to ski on all seven continents is Victoria Rae White (USA, b. 25 December 1997) beginning at the age of 9 years 88 days in Zermatt, Switzerland and ending aged 10 years 79 days in Winter Park, Colorado, USA, 16 March 2008.
•The youngest man to complete a marathon on all seven continents is Raj Patel (United Kingdom) (b.4 March 1986) who was 22 years 40 days when he completed the Canberra Marathon, Canberra, Australia, on 13 April 2008. His first marathon was run when he was 18 years 10 days old.
• Adám Lörincz (Hungary, b. 1 June 1988) was aged 14 years 76 days when his 92-minute musical, Star of the King was performed on August 16, 2002 in Szekesfehervar, Hungary.

∞CLOSEUP PICTURE
Can you identify this close up picture
FOUND ON ‘YOU TUBE’

♫ T V COMMERICALS OF 1950’s♫
Click on Title to see and hear the old commercial 

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DAYBOOK INFORMATION
‡…THIS WEEK…‡
Universal Letter Writing Week: 8-14
Home Office Safety and Security Week: 9-15
International Snowmobile Safety and Awareness Week: 9-15
‡…TODAY IS…‡
National Step in a Puddle and Splash Your Friend Day
Cigarettes Are Hazardous To Your Health Day
Albania: Republic Day (1946)
Chad: Independence Day (1960 from France)
Japan: Kagami Biraki (Traditional celebration: "Opening the Mirror" (from an abstinence) )
Morocco: Independence Resistance Day
Nepal: National Unity Day (paying homage to King Prithvinarayan Shah (1723–75), founder of the present house of rulers of Nepal and creator of the unified Nepal
US: Puerto Rico: De Hostos' Birthday (1839 "El Ciudadano de América" (meaning: The Citizen of the Americas): educator, philosopher, intellectual, lawyer, sociologist and independence advocate.)
‡…Today’s Births…‡
• AUTHORS/PAINTERS
Jim Hightower, 67, radio host, author (Eat Your Heart Out, There’s Nothing in the Middle of the Road but Yellow Stripes and Dead Armadillos)
1503 Francesco Parmigianino Italian artist (Madonna with the Long Neck)
1903 Alan Paton South African writer (Cry, the Beloved Country)
• ATHLETES
Ben Daniel Crenshaw, 58, golfer
• BUSINESS & EDUCATION
1807 Ezra Cornell founder (Western Union Telegraph, Cornell University)
Grant Tinker, 84, television executive
• ENTERTAINERS (ACTORS/SINGERS/…)
Mary J. Blige, 39, pop singer
Naomi Judd, 64, country singer (The Judds)
Amanda Peet, 38, actress (Melinda and Melinda, Something’s Gotta Give)
Rod Taylor, 80, actor (The Birds, “Masquerade”), born Sydney, Australia
Stanley Tucci, 50, actor (Big Night, “Murder One”)
• POLITICIANS
1757 Alexander Hamilton West Indies, 1st US Secretary of Treasury ($10 face)
1885 Alice Paul women’s rights activist; founder of National Women’s Party [1913]
• SCIENCE & RELIGION
1746 William Curtis English botanist/publisher (Botanical Magazine)
1906 Albert Hofmann Swiss chemist (discovered LSD)
1814 James Paget English surgeon (disease of Paget)
‡…Today’s Obituaries…‡
1994 John Bradley raised US flag at Iwo Jima, @ 70
1988 Gregory (Pappy) Boyington ace WWII pilot, cancer @ 75
1928 Thomas Hardy novelist (Far From the Madding Crowd), @ 87
1984 Jack La Rue TV narrator (Lights Out), @ 84
1997 Sheldon Leonard producer/director (Dick Van Dyke), @ 89
1929 Julio Antonio Mella Cuban revolutionary, murdered @ 28
1988 Isidor Isaac Rabi nuclear physicist (Nobel Prize-1944), @ 89
1843 Francis Scott Key composer (Star Spangled Banner), pleurisy @ 63
1753 Hans Sloane English physician (British Museum), @ 92
1979 Jack Soo actor (Nick Yemana-Barney Miller, Green Berets), esophageal cancer @ 63
‡…Today’s Events…‡
• ARTS
1892 Hawaiian Historical Society founded
1892 Paul Gauguin marries a 13-year-old Tahitian girl
1963 1st discotheque opens, The Whiskey-a-go-go in Los Angeles CA
1966 "Daktari" African adventure series premieres on CBS TV
• ATHLETICS
1976 Dorothy Hamill wins her 3rd consecutive national figure skating championship
1984 Denver Nuggets 163, San Antonio Spurs 155-highest-scoring NBA game
1990 Bobby Knight becomes basketball's Big 10 winningest coach (229)
• BUSINESS & EDUCATION
1770 The first shipment of rhubarb was sent to the United States from London.
1813 1st pineapples planted in Hawaii
1873 1st livestock market newspaper published, Drover's Journal, Chicago
1878 For the first time, milk was delivered in glass bottles -- by one Alexander Campbell, in New York
1913 1st sedan-type car (Hudson) goes on display at 13th Auto Show (New York City NY)
• INDIGENOUS PEOPLE
1698 Four French missionaries have been staying with the Quapaw Indians, on the Mississippi River. They travel downstream, and reach a Tunica Indian village today. Missionary Davion will decide to stay with the Tunica to preach to them.
1886 The 1st infantry has engaged Apaches in the Sierra Madre Mountains of Mexico. For his actions today against "hostiles" under Geronimo and Natchez, First Lt. Marion Maus will be awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor.
• POLITICS (US)
1991 Congress empowers Bush to order attack on Iraq
• POLITICS (International)
1861 Mexico City captured by Juárez (Liberal) in War of the Reform
1942 Japan conquers Kuala Lumpur, Malaya
1989 140 nations agree to ban chemical weapons (poison gas, etc)
1994 Irish government announces end of a 20-year broadcasting ban on IRA
• SCIENCE & RELIGION
1787 Titania & Oberon, moons of Uranus, discovered by William Herschel
1902 Popular Mechanics magazine was published for the first time.
1922 Insulin 1st used to treat diabetes (Leonard Thompson, 14, of Canada)
1935 Amelia Earhart flies from Honolulu HI to Oakland CA (non-stop, of course)
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ANSWERS
∞ JEOPARDY
•3 of the 5 largest lakes in North America are part of this group
     What are the Great Lakes?
•This country's longest river is the Tay, but the Clyde carries more traffic
     What is Scotland?
•New York state actually has 11, not 10, of them
     What are Finger Lakes?
•Lake Eyre, the largest on this continent, covers 3600 square miles but is only about 4 feet deep
     What is Australia?
•The name of this river which joins the Ganges means “the son of Brahma, the creator of the universe”
     What is the Brahmaputra?
∞ Close up Picture
A swing
• AND THAT’S ALL FOR NOW •
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Monday 01-10-11



HOLY MACKEREL: 1967 PBS (the National Educational TV) begins as a 70 station network

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MY FREE RAMBLING THOUGHTS
Certainly a day for reflection. Most of my Sunday Morning News Fix was about the shootings in Tucson. I learned a great deal about the congresswoman and her work in DC. Most eye opening was her statement made to the press after the Palin website put her district on the map as a place to win for Republicans. Palin’s handlers used crosshairs to identify those districts. Gibbons reminded everyone that ‘words can have consequences.’ The most idiotic statement came from one of Palin’s campaign workers who said the crosshairs had nothing to do with guns, but were seen commonly on many maps. While the crazy has not stated his motivation, it doesn’t seem to me that it is much of a jump from the violent language of politics in America to see why this crazy felt he could change things. Due to my recent medical issues I also became entranced by what today’s medical teams can do today. One of the doctors has put out verbal images that are hard to get out of the mind. The Pima County sheriff has made some pretty hard line views on how the wrong people get guns, how America has changed to a much more violent culture, how legislators are making these tragedies easier to occur. He is certainly the polar opposite of the Maricopa sheriff.

While many loud mouth commentators are saying ‘not me’, I am reminded of a study done while I was in college. People in a movie theater were shown a frame of two of popcorn during the movie. The pics went by so quickly no one remembered seeing them, but the popcorn sales soared when the images were shown. We would not have commercials if they didn’t work. The ‘unseen’ pictures are not used, but advertisers find ways to get us to remember their products. Politicians are not much different. Many hire advertising agencies to do their media. While many of the tea party didn’t get elected, they certainly opened the door for a belief that Armageddon was just around the corner if they weren’t elected. ‘Lock and Reload’, ‘2nd amendment remedies’, ‘Taliban supporter’, ‘Nazi’ and other advertising slogans were everywhere. They would not have been used if the politician wasn’t convinced that they would help the campaign. The screamers on Talk Radio and certain TV cable news channels wouldn’t have jobs if people weren’t listening and buying the products advertised on their shows. Freedom of Speech is a cornerstone for our country. Even the Supreme Court says that you can’t yell fire in a crowded theater, unless there is a fire. With all the access to information today it is time that people have to start footnoting again. Without those pesky little numbers and sources anybody can say just about anything about anything. Many who grew up with footnotes seldom checked them, so when they disappeared few noticed. Now we as a country are paying the price.

AZ has now entered the history books for its violence against politicians. I certainly hope that this will soon be seen as the turning point in American politics realized that words must be used very carefully.

Snow really melted today. I cleared off my deck, refilled the bird feeders, and was pleased to see that the birds have returned. It was nice to have some lively birds crowded around the two feeders and the two suet cages. I moved everything around to keep the two pesky squirrels away from them. This was not easy as those little critters are pretty agile, obviously hungry, and really know how to use their tails to get to the bird seed holders. One little guy is never deterred, even when he falls four or five feet onto the soft bed of snow and pine needles.
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∞ JEOPARDY PUZZLE—(Super-Jeopardy Answers) from 1990 SCIENCE
…answers at bottom…
•In 1931 “New Dawn”, a species of this thorny garden flower, became the 1st plant to receive a patent
•It's the common name for hydrated oxide of iron
•It's the ratio of the density of a liquid to that of an equal volume of distilled water at 4 degrees C.
•One of 2 protocontinents that converged about 300 million years ago to form Pangaea
•The greenhouse effect occurs in this, the lowest level of the atmosphere

UNUSUAL NEWS ITEM--ATLANTA, GA 
Atlanta police said a nightclub valet's life may have been saved by his cell phone when a bullet fired by a gunman ricocheted off the device. Investigators said the Halo club valet parking attendant had his phone in his breast pocket shortly before 3 a.m. EST Thursday when a pair of gunmen, who witnesses said had been kicked out of the club, fired off several rounds, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported. Police said the victim was treated for minor injuries at the scene and two men with handguns in their vehicle were arrested a short time later. The names of the suspects and the victim were not released by authorities Thursday.

SOMEWHAT USELESS INFORMATION—
• Victor Bout, known widely as the "Merchant of Death," is the most notorious arms dealer, and has accumulated a private air force as large and that of NATO countries. His clientele include the Taliban as well as U.S. military in Iraq.
• Yakuza, the Japanese mafia, consider themselves decedents of samurai. Their business largely consists of sex trafficking.

A LITTLE LAUGH
"I don't want you to think I don't like marriage," said the man to his friend."I’ve been happily married three times. My last wife was one of them women's libbers. She got mad 'cause I opened the car door for her.
Of course, we were going 75 mph when I did it."

GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS—Golden Oldies
• At the age of 100 years 60 days, Estrid Geertsen (Denmark, b. August 1, 1904) made a tandem parachute jump on September 30, 2004 from an altitude of 4,000 m (13,100 ft) over Roskilde, Demark,.
•The combined age of the 10 dancers from the touring chorus line of The Tivoli Lovelies (Australia), based in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, is 746 years 147 days as of October 12, 2004.
•Charin Yuthasastrkosol (USA) (b. Thailand, December 30, 1930) began ballet lessons at the age of 47. She performed regularly at galas, her most recent being a performance for Sakthip Krairikish, Thailand's Ambassador to the USA at Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA on July 21, 2002 at the age of 71 years 203 days.
• Bernie Barker (USA) ( b. July 31, 1940), a regular performer at Club LeBare, Miami Beach, Florida, USA, began his career in 2000 at the age of 60 as a way to get in shape after recovering from prostate cancer, and worked as a stripper until he sadly passed away in March 2007. During his career, he won over 30 contests.

∞CLOSEUP PICTURE
Can you identify this close up picture
FOUND ON ‘YOU TUBE’

♫ T O P T V T H E M E S O N G S OF ALL TIME♫
Click on Song Title to see and hear
This rollicking Western track has been used and over-used a ton since its debut on the Sixties series. Conjuring up wagons rolling, and life on the frontier, it is every bit as iconic as some of the traditional American folk sings. In fact, it may already be considered one by many forward-thinking historians
What more can you ask for than Carroll O'Connor and Jean Stapleton singing off-key and craggy (totally pre-karaoke, too) "Those Were The Days"? Charles Strouse, the composer/writer of the opening theme song has no less than three Tony Awards under his belt for Best Musical (among them one for Bye, Bye Birdie), so it's no wonder that the song was not only quirky, but damn catchy in that Broadway type of way
For a show that's all about mystery and discovering the unknown in this strange world, The X-Files' creators did an excellent job securing a theme that evokes the necessary emotions. Empty and haunting, the opening riff to the song is enough to make conspiracy theorists and UFO-chasers everywhere salivat
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DAYBOOK INFORMATION
‡…THIS WEEK…‡
Universal Letter Writing Week: 8-14
Home Office Safety and Security Week: 9-15
International Snowmobile Safety and Awareness Week: 9-15
‡…TODAY IS…‡
National Cut Your Energy Costs Day
National Clean Off Your Desk Day
Peculiar People Day
United Nations Day
Benin: Traditional Day (A former French colony in West Africa)
Japan: Coming of Age Day (成人の日 Seijin no Hi) (to celebrate all who turned 20 in the last year)
UK: Plough Monday (1st Monday after 12th Night: ends Christmas season: farmers blacken their faces)
‡…Today’s Births…‡
• AUTHORS
1814 Aubrey de Vere Irish writer (Victorian Observer)
• ATHLETES
Willie (Lee) ‘Stretch’ McCovey, 73, Baseball Hall of Famer: Giants, Padres, Athletics
Bobby Rahal, 58, auto racer: Indianapolis 500 winner [1986]
William Anthony (Bill) Toomey, 71, Olympic gold medal decathlete
• BUSINESS & EDUCATION
George Foreman, 61, former boxer, entrepreneur
• ENTERTAINERS (ACTORS/SINGERS/…)
Pat Benatar, 57, singer, born Patricia Andrejewski
1904 Ray Bolger (Raymond Wallace Bulcao) dancer, actor: The Wizard of Oz
1943 Jim Croce singer/songwriter (Time in a Bottle, Bad Bad Leroy Brown)
1908 Bernard Lee actor (M in James Bond movies)
1927 Gisele MacKenzie singer/actress (Your Hit Parade)
1939 Sal Mineo actor (Exodus, Rebel Without a Cause)
Rod Stewart, 65, singer
• POLITICIANS
1738 Ethan Allen Revolutionary War fighter (led the Green Mountain Boys)
• SCIENCE & RELIGION
1864 George Washington Carver agricultural scientist (estimate date - actual birthdate unknown)
1877 Frederick Gardner Cottrell inventor (electrostatic precipitator)
1502 Hendrik Niclaes German/Dutch merchant/cult leader (Children of God)
‡…Today’s Obituaries…‡
1981 Richard Boone actor (Paladin-Have Gun Will Travel), throat cancer @ 63
1997 Hilary Grover Barratt Brown conservationist, @ 71
1971 Gabrielle "Coco" Chanel French fashion designer, @ 87
1917 Wm Frederick ‘Buffalo Bill’ Cody army scout & Indian fighter, kidney failure @ 70
1862 Samuel Colt inventor (6 shot revolver), natural causes @ 47
1768 Charles Cressent French court furniture maker, @ 82
1951 Harry Sinclair Lewis US writer (Nobel 1930), alcoholism @ 65
1778 Carolus Linnæus "Carl von Linné" Swedish botanist/explorer/"Father of Taxonomy", series of strokes @ 70
1982 Paul Lynde comedian/actor (Uncle Arthur-Bewitched, Bye Bye Birdie, Bewitched), heart attack @ 55
‡…Today’s Events…‡
• ARTS
1776 "Common Sense" by Thomas Paine, published
1911 1st photo in US taken from an airplane, San Diego
1949 1st Jewish family show "The Goldbergs" premieres on CBS
1964 US version of "That Was The Week That Was" premieres
• ATHLETICS
1910 1st international air meet in US held, in Los Angeles
1982 Petra Schneider swims world record 1500 meter freestyle (15 43.31)
• BUSINESS & EDUCATION
1429 Order of the Golden Fleece established in Austria-Hungary & Spain
1430 Order of the Guilder forms
1663 King Charles II affirms charter of Royal African Company
1863 1st underground railway opens in London
1990 Time Inc. aquired Warner Communications for the tidy little sum of $14.1 billion.
2000 America Online, “the company that brought the Internet to the masses,” announced that it had agreed to buy Time Warner, the largest traditional media company in the U.S., for $165 billion.
• INDIGENOUS PEOPLE
1879 President Rutherford Hayes, by Executive Order, adds to the Gila River Reserve in Pima Agency. This reserve was established February 28, 1859. The order also add to the Pima and Maricopa Indian Reservation.
• POLITICS (US)
1811 Louisiana slaves rebel in 2 parishes
1878 US Senate proposes female suffrage
• POLITICS (International)
49BC- Julius Cesar crosses the Rubicon, invades Italy
1839 Tea from India 1st arrives in UK
1990 China lifts martial law (imposed after Tiananmen Square massacre: 6-4-89)
• SCIENCE & RELIGION
1514 Complutensian New Testament in Hebrew, Aramaic, Greek & Latin finished
1951 1st jet passenger trip made
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ANSWERS
JEOPARDY
•In 1931 “New Dawn”, a species of this thorny garden flower, became the 1st plant to receive a patent
What is a rose?
•It's the common name for hydrated oxide of iron
What is ‘rust’?
•It's the ratio of the density of a liquid to that of an equal volume of distilled water at 4 degrees C.
What is ‘specific gravity’?
•1 of 2 protocontinents that converged about 300 million years ago to form Pangaea
What is ‘Gondwanaland’ or ‘Laurasia’?
•The greenhouse effect occurs in this, the lowest level of the atmosphere
What is the ‘troposphere’?
∞ Close up Picture
Strawberry
• AND THAT’S ALL FOR NOW •
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Sunday 01-09-11




HOLY MACKEREL: 1937 The first issue of the periodical LOOK went on sale

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MY FREE RAMBLING THOUGHTS
I certainly hope that the events in Tucson will finally quiet the negative rhetoric toward immigration and Obama and all the hate speech toward politicians. There are too many people out there who listen to that hate and believe it. Some of them believe that it is their responsibility to remove those who don’t agree with them. This one crazy was able to end the lives of at least 6 Americans. One was a 9 year old child; another was a sitting Federal judge. This has been compared to Columbine. This guy had a semi-automatic pistol. I do not think that the founding fathers had this kind of weapon in mind when they wrote the second amendment. This congresswoman had her office windows shot out during the last campaign. At a press conference during the campaign a loaded gun fell out of a woman’s purse. When the FBI went to her office after the shooting they found a suspicious package. This incident should also point out to all Americans that we are not a peace loving nation. A shooting of 19 people at a political event proves that. We have all heard of politicians in India, Israel, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and many other nations who have political figures gunned down. Now it is happening here—again. I have listened to CNN, Faux, MSNBC most of the day, on and off. Everyone is saying how awful this event is. The more right leaning news organizations are treading very carefully when it comes to why. Most other cable news are talking about a calming down of the rhetoric. Faux, as expected, isn’t commenting on their people’s own vial speech. This a truly sad day for all of America.

I am recovering well. My jaw is still a little tender—after being held wide open for so long. My tongue isn’t doing a very good job at tasting things yet, but I am eating well and bodily functions are back to normal. So I guess that is all good. Strangely my throat is not now, nor has ever been really sore. One would think that after all that trimming there should have been some more soreness. My great knowledge of anatomy seems to tell me that there must not be a lot of nerves in whatever they took out. I’m very thankful for that.

It was a nice day here, but still the snow isn’t melting very quickly. Our entire commons area is still covered with snow. That is usually the first snow that disappears. The many residents outside our little complex have still not cleared their sidewalks very well. Walks are difficult unless you want don’t mind walking in the street. Our city ordinances say that you have a few hours after the snow stops to falling to clear your sidewalks. Some of our neighbors either can’t read, don’t care, or live by the rule that nature will eventually melt it. It is very disturbing for those of us who like to walk. It is very inconvenient and a safety hazard. Many of the residents in the housing outside our complex seem to believe that they live in a rural area and don’t realize they live within the city limits.
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∞ JEOPARDY PUZZLE—(Super-Jeopardy Answers) from 1990 OLD TESTAMENT
…answers at bottom…
• I Kings 10 says the Queen of Sheba was highly impressed by his wisdom
• While smiting the firstborn in Egypt, the Lord passed over houses with this on the doorposts
• The Open Bible describes the first of the 150 of these as “two ways of life contrasted”
• Not only did he foil Haman's plot, he got Haman's house after Haman was hanged
• Though the eldest of Jacob's 12 sons, he forfeited his birthright

UNUSUAL NEWS ITEM-- BRADENTON, FL
Florida police said they arrested a bank robbery suspect after his wife recognized his face in a surveillance photo on the news and reported him. The Manatee County Sheriff's Office said Troy Sandifar, 45, allegedly robbed a First Bank branch of an unspecified amount of money at about 10:50 a.m. EST Tuesday and authorities received a call at about 6:30 p.m. from Afra Sandifar, who recognized her husband's face from a surveillance camera video broadcast on the evening news, the Bradenton (Fla.) Herald reported Thursday. Deputies said Troy Sandifar fled the apartment with the cash from the robbery and his vehicle was stopped by authorities. However, he refused commands to exit the vehicle and was spotted swallowing what appeared to be a large amount of rock cocaine. Sandifar was arrested after a brief struggle and taken to Manatee Memorial Hospital where he was treated for ingestion of drugs. Deputies said he made a full confession while being interviewed at the hospital. The suspect was transferred to the Manatee County Jail and held without bond, deputies said.

SOMEWHAT USELESS INFORMATION— Roller Skates
• A Belgian inventor named Joseph Merlin introduced the first patented roller skate in 1760.
• In 1863, James Plimpton, a businessman from Massachusetts invented a roller skate that could turn. It was called a "rocking" skate--the first one that really let people skate curves and turn.
• Plimpton opened a skating club in New York where gentlemen enjoyed showing off for the ladies by doing fancy figures, steps and turns. Within 20 years, roller skating had become a popular pastime for men and women. Just before World War II, in 1937, a group of skating rink owners formed an association to promote roller skating and establish good business practices for skating rinks. The association, known as The Roller Skating Rink Operators Association (RSROA)is now almost 50 years old.
• The RSROA group shortened its title to the Roller Skating Association (RSA). Under the guidance of the RSROA, roller skating enjoyed steady growth through the 1940s, '50s and '60s. It became known as a family activity that was good for everyone, an identity that it still has today.
• In the 1970s, skating floors became easier to care for because of plastic coatings. Plastic skate wheels for smoother, easier, safer skating became the standard.

A LITTLE LAUGH
Bob meets Bill at the bar after work and is looking down in the dumps.
"What’s wrong now Bob," asked Bill.
Bob replies, "They called in a management team and gave everyone in the office an aptitude test to see what they were best suited for."
"Yeah, so what’s the problem with that," asks Bill.
Bob sighs, "Well, it seems I'm best suited for unemployment."

GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS—TEAMWORK
•Students, parents and teachers from 60 schools in the London District Catholic School Board, Ontario, Canada, made 15,851 snow angels simultaneously on February 2, 2004 at 2pm.
•The greatest distance travelled forward rolling by a team in one hour is 10,163.66 m (33,345 ft 3 in) and was set by 12 members of the Mid Island Gymsports (all New Zealand) at the Energy Events Centre, Rotorua, New Zealand, on 16 September 2008. The team completed 169 laps. Each lap was completed in relay and measured 60.14 m.
•A team of 10 Royal Marine reserves from all over the UK pulled a Boeing 737-300, weighing 37 tonnes (81,500 lb), a distance of 100 m (328 ft) in 43.2 seconds at Manchester Airport (UK) on January 27, 2001.
•On July 24, 1999 a total of 34,309 people organized by Realizar Eventos Especias, gathered at the National Stadium of Jamor, Lisbon, Portugal, to create the Portuguese logo for Euro2004, as part of the successful Portuguese bid to UEFA to hold the European football championships in 2004. The kicking leg of the player in the logo was composed of 651 gymnasts wearing black and white capes, which when swapped over, created the illusion of the player kicking the ball. Once the ball was kicked, it released 10,000 red and green helium balloons - the colours of the Portuguese flag. As part of the bid, the crowd shouted 'Portugal we love football' and sang the national anthem.
•The Dare Devils Team of the Indian Army Signal Corps achieved a motorcycle pyramid consisting of 201 men balanced on 10 motorcycles, on July 5, 2001 at Gowri Shankar Parade Ground, Jabalpur, India. The pyramid travelled a distance of 129 m (424 ft).

∞CLOSEUP PICTURE Returns
Can you identify this close up picture? …answers at bottom…

FOUND ON ‘YOU TUBE’

♫ T O P  T V  T H E M E  S O N G S OF ALL TIME♫
Click on Song Title to see and hear
If the Blues Brothers never had to resort to covering this theme in the rowdy country (and) western bar, it would still be a classic. Whip-cracks and all, you can almost smell the doagies with your ears. A seminal TV western theme, it isn't quite as "git along" asBonanza, but it comes close
As everybody knows, all heroes need a theme song. To this end, the spoken word intro leading into the blaring horns and pounding percussion that were laced throughout this theme brought to mind the glory cinematic war/western days of John Wayne and an overwhelming sense of American/national pride. It's like a pomp and circumstance revelry tailor made for jovial mercenaries for hire. Plus it made you want to jump out of a moving van and shoot the bad guys something fierce
Most of the songs on this list will have lyrics, as it is easier for a jingle with lyrics to get stuck in your head. But every so often a television theme song will represent the mood of the show, and be catchy enough that it will be moving in your head years after the show has been cancelled. Dallas is like that. While listening to the theme song you know that you are getting a large dramatic show, which will have a more grandiose nature. Dallas' theme song is a memorable song that more than represented one of the most popular primetime dramas of the Eighties
Jack Elliot and Allyn Ferguson's theme encapsulated the funky vibe of the mid-'70s to a T. It also molded itself perfectly to the funky, almost off-the-cuff nature of this ensemble police buddy comedy that took place almost entirely in the precinct station house. Driven by loping bass and a staccato horn section this is one of those songs that just way too short. The duo would later reprise their undeniably funky inclinations with the equally rump shaking theme to Fish, the Abe Vigoda spin-off that followed in 1977
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DAYBOOK INFORMATION
‡…THIS WEEK…‡
New Year's Resolutions Week: 3-9
Women's Self Empowerment Week: 5-9
*Universal Letter Writing Week: 8-14
Home Office Safety and Security Week: 9-15
International Snowmobile Safety and Awareness Week: 9-15
‡…TODAY IS…‡
Balloon Ascension Day
Play God Day
Positively Penguins Day
Stephen Foster Day
Panamá, Canal Zone: Martyrs' Day/Dia de los Martires
Philippines: Feast of the Most Holy Black Nazarene (Quiapo district, Manila: a statue brought from Mexico in early 1600’s, believed to be black from a fire on the ship as it was transported)
Switzerland: Meitlisunntig Festival-Woman in Villmergen War (1712)
US: Connecticut: Ratification Day (1788 becomes 5th state)
‡…Today’s Births…‡
• AUTHORS
1857 Henry B Fuller American writer (Under the Skylights)
Judith Krantz [Judith Tarcher] , 82, author (Dazzle, Scruples)
1856 Lizette Woodworth Reese US poet (Branch of May, Tears)
1901 Chic Young cartoonist (Blondie)
• ATHLETES
Richard Allen (Dick) Enberg, 75, sportscaster
Byron Bartlett (Bart) Starr, 76, Hall of Fame football [Packers] and former coach
• BUSINESS & EDUCATION
1911 Richard Selwyn Francis Schiling professor of occupational health
1870 Joseph B Strauss civil engineer/builder (Golden Gate Bridge)
• ENTERTAINERS (ACTORS/SINGERS/…)
Joan Baez, 69, folksinger
1935 Bob Denver actor:[ Gilligan’s Island, The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis, Back to the Beach, Wackiest Wagon Train in the West]
Crystal Gayle, 59, singer, born Brenda Gayle Webb
1915 Fernando Lamas Argentinean actor ("You look marvelous")
1914 Gypsy Rose Lee [Rose Hovick], Seattle, burlesque actress (Gypsy)
Dave Matthews, 43, singer, musician (The Dave Matthews Band), born Johannesburg, South Africa 1915 Les Paul guitarist/inventor (Les Paul Guitar)
J.K. Simmons, 55, actor (“The Closer,” “Law & Order,” Spider-Man)
Imelda Staunton, 54, actress (Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Vera Drake)
1925 Lee Van Cleef actor (For a Few Dollars More, Escape from New York)
• POLITICIANS
1913 Richard Milhouse Nixon 37th President (1969-74)
1816 John Palmer Usher Secretary Interior (Union)
• SCIENCE & RELIGION
1879 John Broadus Watson behaviorist psychologist
‡…Today’s Obituaries…‡
1930 Edward W Buck Dutch/US editor (Ladies Home Journal), @ 66
1843 Caroline Herschel "1st lady of astronomy", @ 98
1968 Kokichi Tsuburaya Japanese marathoner (Olympics-bronze-1964), commits suicide @ 28…blamed lumbago.
1997 Jesse [Marc Weidenfeld] White actor (Maytag repairman) heart attack after surgery @ 80
‡…Today’s Events…‡
• ARTS
1951 Life After Tomorrow, 1st film to receive an "X" rating, premieres
1959 "Rawhide" with Clint Eastwood premieres on CBS TV
1984 “WHERE’S THE BEEF?” Clara Peller was first seen by TV viewers
• ATHLETICS
1811 1st Women's Golf Tournament held @ Musselburgh Golf Club, Scotland
• BUSINESS & EDUCATION
1793 Jean Pierre Blanchard makes 1st balloon flight in North America (Philadelphia)
1847 1st San Francisco newspaper published (California Star)
• INDIGENOUS PEOPLE
1843 All of Pascofa's Apalachicola "Seminoles" (they were really Creeks who had fled the creek wars and joined the Seminoles) will surrender to Col. Ethan Hitchcock. This will bring an end to this Seminole war. The group will include a total of 50 people.
1879 Cheyenne prisoners led by Dull Knife revolt at Fort Robinson
• POLITICS (US)
1861 1st hostile act of Civil War; Star of the West fired on, Sumter SC
1861 Mississippi becomes 2nd state to secede
1942 US Joint Chiefs of Staff created
• POLITICS (International)
1799 Income Tax introduced in UK
1937 Italian regime bans marriages between Italians & Abyssinians
1951 The United Nations headquarters officially opened in New York City.
• SCIENCE & RELIGION
1349 700 Jews of Basel Switzerland, burned alive in their houses
1493 1st sight of manatees (by Christopher Columbus)
1839 Daguerrotype photo process announced at French Academy of Science
1903 Wind Cave National Park, South Dakota established
1908 Muir Woods National Monument, California established
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ANSWERS
∞ JEOPARDY
•I Kings 10 says the Queen of Sheba was highly impressed by his wisdom
Who was Solomon?
•While smiting the firstborn in Egypt, the Lord passed over houses with this on the doorposts
What was ‘lambs blood’?
•The Open Bible describes the first of the 150 of these as “two ways of life contrasted”
What are Psalms?
•Not only did he foil Haman's plot, he got Haman's house after Haman was hanged
Who was Mordecai?
•Though the eldest of Jacob's 12 sons, he forfeited his birthright
Who was Reuben?

∞ Close up Picture
Snow Globe
• AND THAT’S ALL FOR NOW •
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Saturday 1-8-11



HOLY MACKEREL: 1856 Borax (hydrated sodium borate) was discovered by Dr. John Veatch near Red Bluff, California. It became a multiuse product that was popularized during the era of TV’s Death Valley Days. Remember 20 Mule Team Borax?

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MY FREE RAMBLING THOUGHTS
The ‘trimming’ was very successful, according to the doctor. He said the extra tissue had been there for years and was continuing to grow, but was not malignant. I did spend the night and was out by 11am this morning. My tongue, jaw and teeth are the only sore spots. As a kid I had lots of sore throats and this is nothing like that. I was able to eat dinner and breakfast with no problems. FMC has, they say, placed beds in the hospital that prevent bed sores. I don’t know how many remember those motels with ‘magic fingers’ where you put a quarter into a machine…well the beds are a lot like that. They are air beds that ungulate whenever you shift your weight. If you don’t shift your weight, the suddenly ungulate for no reason. They do this 24/7. I had to partially sit up as there was some swelling in my throat. I don’t know it was the moving bed or not laying down, but I woke up many times. They also took my vitals way too often. The other news was that he found some atypical cells in my thyroid. They do not show as cancer, but he wants to go back in and be sure. He’ll go in, take some of the cells and immediately check them for cancer. If they aren’t, he will remove all the atypical cells. If they are cancer, he will remove the thyroid. He says it is a textbook procedure and says it will be a snap…of course, it’s not his thyroid. If he takes the thyroid I will have to take a radiation pill, sit in a room for three days as it works its way through my body then come home. If not, I will come home much sooner. I talked to Mary, who had this done about 5 years ago, and she said hers was scary because she went in to her regular doctor, he sent her to the hospital, and in the week between the diagnosis of cancer and the surgery it had grown 2cm. Mine is not doing that. She hasn’t had any problems since the operation. I have felt good, but tired since I got home. More from a good night’s sleep than the procedure. The joys of growing old-er.

So far two patients have died since our governor cut Medicaid funding to transplant patients in Arizona. She came out today and said she doesn’t believe the funding cut had anything to do with their passing. They were on the list, then they weren’t. No one will ever know if they would have gotten their needed organ since they were taken off the list. Such a sad state of affairs.
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∞ JEOPARDY PUZZLE—(Super-Jeopardy Answers) from 1990 CLASSIC COMEDY TEAMS
…answers at bottom…
•In 1928 F. Gosden & Chas. Correll renamed their Sam ’n’ Henry characters this, & the rest is history
•Classic comedy team associated with the line “Here's another fine mess you've gotten me into”
•Name completing the catch phrase “Absolutely, Mr. Gallagher?” “Positively...”
•Wheeler had Woolsey, & Olsen had him for a partner
•Their real last name was Joachim; brothers Harry, Al & Jimmy got this name from a passing truck

UNUSUAL NEWS ITEM-- WILMINGTON, DE
Police in Delaware say a man broke into a house, got drunk and couldn't make his way back outside — so he called 911 for help.
New Castle County police say 44-year-old John Finch was trapped in the home in part because he'd broken into it before, back in April. That led the homeowner to change the locks so that a key was required — even inside.
Police say no one was home when Finch broke in again, through a rear window. He stayed for a few days, drinking three bottles of gin and two bottles of whiskey. When he tried to leave, he was too drunk to climb back out of the window and called 911. He was arrested Wednesday afternoon.
Finch now faces charges in both break-ins. Police say he was admitted to a hospital and has yet to make a court appearance. There's no indication Finch has retained an attorney.

SOMEWHAT USELESS INFORMATION— TEA
→All true tea (white, green, black, and oolong) comes from the same plant, the Camellia Sinesis. It takes a minimum of three to five years for a tea bush to grow and be ready for harvesting.
→ There is only one working tea plantation in the U.S. and it is located on Wadmalaw Island just outside Charleston, South Carolina. The plantation boasts 127 acres of tea bushes and a state-of-the-art manufacturing facility.
→ Herbal tea is not really tea, but a tea-like drink made from flowers, fruits and herbs. True herbal teas do not contain tea (Camellia Sinesis) leaves. Studies have shown that tea can provide over 15% of the minimum daily requirement of calcium, as much as 10% of folic acid, and 45% of manganese (promotes healthy bones).
→Organically grown tea is eco-friendly. Used tea leaves can be utilized as fertilizer to improve garden soil.
→The Bergamot used in Earl Grey tea comes from the skin of a fruit that has been created from a pear lemon and Seville orange. When consumed in large quantities, Bergamot can block the body’s ability to absorb potassium.

A LITTLE LAUGH
Sitting in the bar George asked his 40-year-old friend John, "How come you aren't married?"
John: "I haven't found the right woman yet."
George: "So what are you looking for?"
John: "Oh she's got to be real pretty, - a good cook and house keeper, she's got to know how to handle money, have a nice and pleasant personality -- and money, she's got to have money, and a nice big house wouldn't hurt either."
George: "A woman like that would be crazy to marry YOU!"
John: "Oh, it's okay, if she is crazy."

GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS—Mass Participation
→The largest spirit tasting was achieved by 2,252 participants in an event organized by Whisky Unlimited in Gent, Belgium, on 31 January 2009.
→The most people belly dancing simultaneously is 535 at an event organized by BBC Radio Hereford and Worcester for Children in Need, in Malvern, UK, on 8 November 2008.
→Thousands descended on Guildhall Square in Derry City, Northern Ireland, on September 9, 2007, to help break the world record for the largest gathering of Santa Clauses. A total of 12,965 people dressed up as Santa or Santa's helper to smash the previous record of 3,921, which was set during the Santa Dash event in Liverpool City Centre on December 4, 2005 . The Derry record attempt, arranged by Martin Mullan, helped to raise over £100,000 for local charities as well as bring an early splash of festive color to the city center.
→The largest school in terms of pupils is the City Montessori School in Lucknow, India, which had a record enrolment of 32,114 pupils on 5 February 2008 for the 2007-2008 academic year.
→The largest ground breaking ceremony was achieved by 4,532 people in an event hosted by Unique Builders (a Mannat Group enterprise) in Jaipur, Rajasthan, India on 17 November 2007.

FOUND ON ‘YOU TUBE’
♫ T O P T V T H E M E S O N G S OF ALL TIME♫
Click on Song Title to see and hear
There have been a lot of cool spy show themes, but this is the one that beats them all. This is an exciting piece of music that instantly puts you in the frame of mind to see some serious espionage and action, and couldn't even be defeated by a horrible Limp Bizkit interpretation
It's tough to follow the powerful and oft-quoted opening statements of Star Trek. After all, where do you go once you boldly go where no man has gone before? You go straight into an amazing space romp of an opening theme, complete with an ethereal female vocalist and a triumphant finale. Always a picker-upper, Star Trek easily earns the fourth spot on our list
While it might be difficult for some to name a character in this series, you'd be hard pressed to find a person who watched TV in the Seventies or Eighties who wouldn't recognize the upbeat, surf-inspired classic. Simple but brilliant, this Morton Stevens theme song manages to do the impossible: remain timeless even though the style of the song is firmly lodged in its era of creation—the late Sixties
The theme to this Korean war dramedy originally appeared as "Suicide is Painless" in the Robert Altman film that inspired it. Stripped of its lyrics for the television show, the melancholy song is the perfect lead-in to a show that dealt with humanity head-on with humor and grace. Immediately recognizable and iconic, the MASH theme only barely lost to #1… which is, of course
One of the best sitcoms ever was complemented by an iconic theme song that quickly became instantly identifiable with the employees and customers of that bar in Boston where everybody knows your name. We all wanted to hang out with Sam and the gang at Cheers, and this wonderful, rather poignant theme song instantly set the tone

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DAYBOOK INFORMATION
‡…THIS WEEK…‡
National Lose Weight/Feel Great Week: 1-8
Someday We'll Laugh About This Week: 2-8
New Year's Resolutions Week: 3-9
Women's Self Empowerment Week: 5-9
Universal Letter Writing Week: 8-14
‡…TODAY IS…‡
National JoyGerm Day: a day to spread joy
Man Watcher's Day
Show & Tell Day at Work
Greece: Midwife's Day/Women's Day
Northern Mariana Islands: Commonwealth Day
Thailand: Children's Day
North Korea: Kim Jong-un's Birthday (youngest son and rising leader. He is either 27 or 28 today)
US: Louisana: Battle of New Orleans/Old Hickory Day/ Jackson Day (1815)
‡…Today’s Births…‡
• AUTHORS
1904 Peter Arno cartoonist (New Yorker)
1824 William Wilkie Collins English novelist (The Woman in White, The Moonstone)
1896 Manuel Rojas Sepulveda Chilean writer (Men of the South)
• ATHLETES
1930 Doreen Wilbur archery: Olympic Gold Medalist [Munich: 1972]
• BUSINESS & EDUCATION
1786 Nicholas Biddle made 2nd bank of US 1st effective central bank
1862 Frank Nelson Doubleday publisher/founder (Doubleday & Co)
1836 Fannie M Jackson pioneer & educator, 1st US Black woman college grad
Charles Osgood, 77, television journalist
Sander Vanocur, 83, news anchor (NBC Weekend News/History Channel)
1909 Evelyn Wood, American educator
• ENTERTAINERS (ACTORS/SINGERS/…)
Shirley Bassey, 73, singer (“Goldfinger”), born Cardiff, Wales
David Bowie, 63, musician, actor (The Labyrinth), born David Robert Jones
Bob Eubanks, 73, game show host (The Newlywed Game. Rhyme and Reason, Card Sharks, The New Newlywed Game)
1912 José Ferrer (Cintron) Academy Award-winning actor: Cyrano de Bergerac [1950]; Joan of Arc, Moulin Rouge, The Caine Mutiny, Deep in My Heart, Lawrence of Arabia, The Greatest Story Ever Told, Ship of Fools, Dune, The Evil That Men Do
1935 Elvis Aaron Presley Tupelo MS, rocker (Blue Suede Shoes, Hounddog)
1926 Soupy Sales [Milton Hines Supman], slap stick comedian (Soupy Sales Show)
Larry Storch, 88, New York City NY, comedian (F Troop, Larry Storch Show)
• POLITICIANS
--
• SCIENCE & RELIGION
Stephen Hawking, 68, physicist, author (A Brief History of Time)1902 Carl R[ansom] Rogers US, psychologist (Client-Centered Therapy)
‡…Today’s Obituaries…‡
1941 Lord Robert Baden-Powell founder of the Boy Scout movement, @ 83
1992 Menachim Begin Israeli PM, heart attack @ 78
1998 Walter Diemer inventor (bubble gum 1928), heart failure @ 93
1642 Galileo Galilei Italian physicist/astronomer, @ 78
1324 Marco Polo Venetian explorer/Governor of Nanking, bedridden @ 70
‡…Today’s Events…‡
• ARTS
1906 Arthur Rubinstein made his debut at Carnegie Hall in New York City.
• ATHLETICS
1996 For 1st time in 25 years no one is elected to Baseball Hall of Fame
• BUSINESS & EDUCATION
1656 Oldest surviving commercial newspaper begins (Haarlem, Netherlands)
1675 1st American commercial corporation chartered (New York Fishing Co)
2002 President George W. Bush signs into law the No Child Left Behind Act.
• INDIGENOUS PEOPLE
1877 Crazy Horse and his warriors fight their last battle against the United States Cavalry at Wolf Mountain, Montana Territory.
1996 The last native speaker of the Catawba language, Red Thunder Cloud, @ 76 years old.
• POLITICS (US)
1790 George Washington delivers 1st "State of the Union" address
1964 President Lyndon B Johnson declares "War on Poverty"
• POLITICS (International)
1746 Bonnie Prince Charlie's troops occupy Stirling
• SCIENCE & RELIGION
1889 Dr Herman Hollerith receives 1st US patent for a tabulating machine (1st Computer)
1929 1st telephone connection between Netherlands & West-Indies
1935 Spectrophotometer (light intensity measure) patented, AC Hardy
1951 Thought extinct since 1615, a Cahow (nocturnal bird) is rediscovered in Bermuda
1974 Loch Ness Monster photographed
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ANSWERS
∞ JEOPARDY
•In 1928 F. Gosden & Chas. Correll renamed their Sam ’n’ Henry characters this, & the rest is history
Who are Amos and Andy?
•Classic comedy team associated with the line “Here's another fine mess you've gotten me into”
Who are Laurel and Hardy?
•Name completing the catch phrase “Absolutely, Mr. Gallagher?” “Positively...”
What is ‘Mr. Shean’?
•Wheeler had Woolsey, & Olsen had him for a partner
Who was (Chick) Johnson?
•Their real last name was Joachim; brothers Harry, Al & Jimmy got this name from a passing truck
Who were the Ritz Brothers?
THAT'S ALL FOR NOW
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Thursday 1-6-11




HOLY MACKEREL: 1952 A regular feature of Sunday funny papers debuted. Peanuts was seen above the fold in newspapers across the U.S. The Charles Schulz creation became the most successful syndicated comic strip in history.
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MY FREE RAMBLING THOUGHTS
Our retirement group had a good lunch. Mary is happy to be back from Phx. Mike, not so much as he came back to find many NAU buildings he oversees were badly flooded during our deep freeze. Cheryl had a good time in California. Her weight loss has kicked in. The docs tell her that the weight loss comes in stair steps. Loss, adjust, loss. Many of the patients who get this surgery are morbidly obese and l lose, plateau, … Cheryl started far from that so her weight loss just took time to start. She feels good, says it is easier because food doesn’t taste that good. Hmmm, didn’t realize the stomach was connected to the taste buds. She says that food doesn’t taste bad, just not good. She also bought a new ride—a Toyota 4-door pick up in jet black. A beautiful ride. She kept her Rav and will be selling her older pick up. She said it was hard to explain to Wms people why a single woman needed two vehicles and now with three the town will just think she is eccentric. I shared pics of my niece and nephew-in-laws. They agree that both Chase and Skylar are very cute. Kids are always cute at their ages—especially in pictures.

OK then, our new congress is seated. Our rep, Paul Gosar, has been FBing all day. I am beginning to understand the FB thing for politicians. During the election cycle, they post—or have someone post—almost hourly. Since the November election our new rep hasn’t posted squat. Now that he is in DC, the posts started again. I must say his FB rhetoric sounds really good. “I want to listen to the people”, “I want to cut spending”, “I want to balance our budget”, … . He has yet to say WHAT spending he will cut. He has yet to say HOW he will balance the budget. Sadly, he has said that he is against Obamacare. As a dentist, one would think that he understands to problems with the current system. He hasn’t said how he will improve Healthcare for those of us in his district. My friend Martha had another friend who suggested a chiropractor to her. Martha has a good chiropractor right now, but decided to make an appointment with her friend’s chiropractor. She called and made an appointment. The receptionist asked what insurance she had. She said Medicare. She was told that Dr. X doesn’t accept Medicare patients and that it is $55 for an adjustment. Isn’t that discrimination against the elderly? Martha thinks so, and so do I. Finding a good medical person in this small town is not easy. Here in Flg I have heard that some doctors are not accepting new patients. I get that. Some doctors don’t accept certain insurances—some of the smaller companies that no one has ever heard of. Every doctor I have visited here bills their patients through some centralized bill system. If I try to pay a doctor more than the co-pay, the receptionist has to call the billing company to get the amount owed. I’m sure this is because a small town doctor finds it easier to pay someone else to deal with the billing so they can deal with patients. So maybe it’s this chiropractor’s billing service that isn’t allowing Medicare. Yes, every insurance company has their own forms, their own requirements, their own payment schedule. It is a lot of paperwork. My dentist bills from his office. The receptionist has three four inch binders on her desk that has dental plans in the state. She is new and when I had my teeth cleaned she had to pull out one of the books to see how much I owed. My BCBS dental coverage is basically worthless, but does give me a break on cleaning and X-rays. I dread getting my bills from the numerous ‘specialists’ I have seen over my throat trimming. So far neither the lab nor the doctor has gotten any money from my pocket, but I am sure their bills will start arriving soon. I am actually more concerned about my out of pocket cost than I am about the trimming. I like to know up front some kind of figure. The doctor’s don’t see it that way. The hospital doesn’t see it that way, and the labs don’t see it that way. The scary part is that I’m sure that which insurance I have determines what I am charged. An odd way to run a business.

Watch the news on immigration. AZ’s legislature will introduce a bill on its first day of business that will no longer allow babies of illegal aliens to be automatically given citizenship when born in AZ. Senate President Pearce, the leader of SB1070, has stated that he expects the bill to be passed and then end up in the Supreme Court. His issue is that 14th Amendment was only for Negroes who had been denied citizenship before it was passed. We must remember that Pearce is the father of a man who was shot by an illegal immigrant back in the 70’s. His agenda is to get rid of all illegals because one illegal shot his son—an on-duty Mesa Cop. His son did survive and from what I can find, did not suffer any permanent injuries. He never mentions this when he talks about the bills, but truly believes that every illegal immigrant is evil and needs to git outta our state. Way to many listen to him.

Note: Tomorrow is my ‘trimming’ surgery, so this blog will return either Fri or Sat.
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∞ JEOPARDY PUZZLE—(Super-Jeopardy Answers) from 1990 THE MIDDLE AGES
…answers at bottom…
•During the 10th & 11th centuries, the king of France ruled only a narrow strip of land around this city
•They were trade organizations that fixed wages & set quality standards
•This king of England lost territories, was excommunicated & was forced to accept the Magna Carta
•In the 13th C. the Franciscan friars wore gray, while the Friars founded by this saint wore black
•Pope Stephen II gave him the title patrician, but most people know Pepin III by this nickname

UNUSUAL NEWS ITEM-- LONDONDERRY, N.H.
A New Hampshire man rushing to get his pregnant wife to the hospital says he was given a state police escort, and then a speeding ticket.
John Coughlin says he'll fight the ticket, but the state police say it was deserved.
Coughlin hit a speed of 102 mph on Sept. 18 as he rushed to a Manchester hospital with his wife.
When a trooper tried to stop them, the Coughlins called 911 and said the baby was coming. The trooper then turned the pursuit into a hospital escort. WMUR-TV says baby Kyle was born six minutes after they reached the hospital.
The trooper congratulated Coughlin on the birth of his son and then handed him a ticket. State Police Major Russell Conte says the trooper did the right thing, contending Coughlin put his wife, unborn child, himself and the public at risk.

SOMEWHAT USELESS INFORMATION— Postage Stamps
→An undersea post office was established in 1939 as part of a scientific facility on the sea bed off the Bahamas. They used a special oval postmark that was inscribed "SEA FLOOR/BAHAMAS."
→Great Britain is the only country which issues stamps without its name printed on them. The profile of the monarch appears instead.
→When stamps were first issued, they had no gum on the back. If paste was not available, mailers sometimes pinned or even sewed stamps to envelopes.

A LITTLE LAUGH
An elderly gentleman was reading his recovery-room record at the hospital where I work. He looked quite concerned at one notation.
"I know I was in a bit of a muddle, but I didn't realize I was that bad," he said to me apologetically. "I hope I didn't offend anyone."
He was greatly relieved when I explained the acronym in question meant "Short Of Breath" and not what he thought.

GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS—Mass Participation
→The longest contra line was achieved by 2,208 participants at the Riga Technical University of Latvia, in Latvia, on 25 October 2008.
→A total of 20 members from the Paraclub Flevo of Lelystad, The Netherlands, jumped from a ballon simultaneously at 2,000 m (6,500 ft) over Markelo, The Netherlands, on May 10, 2003.
→The largest human mobile was made up of 105 people from Target Cranes, The Stunt Company, Bellville Fire Dept. and the Fire Brigade of Boland Mun, in the grounds of Horizon House, Stellenbosch, South Africa on 3 November 2007. The lowest point of the mobile was 98 meters above the ground.
→The largest Irish dance involved 10,036 participants at the Dublin Irish Festival organized by the City of Dublin in Dublin, Ohio, USA on August 4, 2007.
→The record for the largest tea party is 32,681 participants and was achieved by Dainik Bhaskar (India) for the City of Indore, at Nehru Stadium, in Indore, India, on 24 February 2008.

FOUND ON ‘YOU TUBE’

♫ T O P T V T H E M E S O N G S OF ALL TIME♫
Click on Song Title to see and hear
"Here's the story" that we can all finish. The Brady Bunch theme is one of the most instantly identifiable songs ever, and a hard one to resist singing along to. This beloved sitcom about a way too good to be true family was perfectly set up in a theme song that told you everything you needed to know about the secret origin of those lovable Bradys
"A dimension of sight, a dimension of sound…" Rod Serling's voiceover had its variations throughout the years, but the eerie music beneath it always retained the same feeling that let you know something bizarre was about to occur
From the opening of "It's time to play the music" to the many endings of Gonzo attempting to play an instrument, this catchy and upbeat theme song captures the fun spirit of The Muppet Show. The sequence succinctly introduces not only the cabaret style format of the program (albeit with Muppets), but also the green-skinned host, a multitude of singing and dancing monsters, the band, and the show's two persistent hecklers -- all while staying fast and fun
The venerable Mike Post, perhaps one of the Lord/Gods of television theme music, crafted the recognizable instrumental for Steven Bochco's critically acclaimed cop drama. Beginning with the chaotic rush of sirens the song quickly dips into somber, contemplative terrain thanks to happily melancholic piano. It provides the perfect sonic dichotomy to what the show was all about: the rigors of police work and the human drama that lurks underneath.
"Just sit right back and you'll hear a tale, a tale of a fateful ship…" Just hearing these lyrics brings back memories of impossible coconut machines and guest star cameos. Gilligan's Island was never really a great show, the humor was predictable and the plot holes were big enough to drive a truck through. But oddly enough the opening theme song was good enough to make you forget anything that was going to come after it, and embrace the characters and the farfetched plots. In fact the theme song sets up the show well enough that it actually immortalizes the characters and the fate of The Minnow that was just supposed to be a three hour tour

►..◄……….►..◄……….►..◄
DAYBOOK INFORMATION
‡…THIS WEEK…‡
Celebration of Life Week: Diet Resolution Week: Silent Record Week: 1-7
National Lose Weight/Feel Great Week: 1-8
Someday We'll Laugh About This Week: 2-8
New Year's Resolutions Week: 3-9
Women's Self Empowerment Week: 5-9
‡…TODAY IS…‡
Carnival Season: from Epiphany to Shrove Tuesday in Roman Catholic Countries
Celtic world: Little Christmas (Irish: Nollaig Bheag, Scottish Gaelic Nollaig Bheag ) Women hold parties and celebrate while men do household chores.
Christian: Epiphany
Christian: Three Kings Day ("The Adoration of the Magi" or "The Manifestation of God." the arrival day of the Three Kings (or wise men/magi): Caspar, Melchior and Balthasar.)
Italy: La Befana (Italian equivalent of St. Nicholas: Old lady delivers presents to children)
Iraq: Armed Forces Day
US: New Mexico: Admission Day (47th state: Original motto was ‘Land of Sunshine’ but FL protested and was changed to ‘Land of Enchantment’)
‡…Today’s Births…‡
• AUTHORS
1859 Samuel Alexander English philosopher (Moral order & progress)
1883 Khalil Gibran Lebanonese mystic poet (The Prophet, Broken Wings)
1878 Carl Sandburg US, poet/biographer of Lincoln (The People, Yes)
John Singleton, 42, director, screenwriter (Shaft, Boyz N the Hood)
• ATHLETES
Louis Leo (Lou) Holtz, 73, former football coach
Nancy Lopez, 53, Hall of Fame golfer
• BUSINESS & EDUCATION
1896 Abram N Pritzker US businessman (Hyatt Hotels, McCall's magazine)
1799 Jedediah Strong Smith US fur trader/explorer
• ENTERTAINERS (ACTORS/SINGERS/…)
Rowan Atkinson, 55, actor (“Mr Bean,” “Blackadder”)
Bonnie Franklin, 66, actress (“One Day at a Time
1880 Tom Mix silent screen cowboy actor (Dick Turpin)
1914 Danny Thomas (Amos Jacobs) comedian (Danny Thomas Show)
1913 Loretta Young (Gretchen Michaela Young) actress (Farmer's Daughter, Stranger)
• POLITICIANS
1882 Samuel Rayburn (Representative- TX), speaker of the House (1940-57)
• SCIENCE & RELIGION
1412 Joan of Arc martyr
1745 Jacques-Étienne Montgolfier aeronaut (1st pioneer balloonist/brother of Joseph-Michel/co-inventor of calorimeter, hydraulic ram, and process for producing vellum)
Reverend Sun Myung Moon, 91, evangelist (Unification Church-Moonies)
1799 Jedediah Smith explorer: helped to create Oregon Trail
Earl Scruggs, 86, musician
‡…Today’s Obituaries…‡
1950 Isaiah Bowman geographer/co-founder (Geographical Review), @71
1993 John B "Dizzy" Gillespe blues trumpeter, cancer @ 75
1978 John D MacArthur US insurance billionaire, @ 80
1994 Morty the Moose (Northern Exposure), @ 6 [ave. life of moose in captivity is 7yrs; in the wild 14 yrs)
1994 Thomas Phillip "Tip" O'Neill, Jr. Speaker of the house, cancer @ 81
1919 Theodore Roosevelt 26th President (1901-09), heart attack in sleep @60
‡…Today’s Events…‡
• ARTS
1957 Elvis Presley makes his 7th & final appearance on Ed Sullivan Show
1963 "Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom" with Marlin Perkins begins on NBC
1973 "Schoolhouse Rock" premieres on ABC-TV with Multiplication Rock
1975 "Wheel Of Fortune" debuts on NBC-TV
• ATHLETICS
1896 1st US women's 6-day bicycle race starts, Madison Square Garden
1976 Ted Turner purchases Atlanta Braves for reported $12 million
1994 Nancy Kerrigan, a favorite to win the women’s U.S. Figure Skating Championship, was assaulted after she finished a practice session in Detroit.
• BUSINESS & EDUCATION
1639 Virginia is 1st colony to order surplus crops (tobacco) destroyed
• INDIGENOUS PEOPLE
1864 To force the Navajos to move to the Bosque Redondo Encampment, the Army gets Kit Carson to mount an expedition against the Navajos in the Canyon de Chelly. Captain Albert Pfeiffer, and a small force, leaves Fort Canby on this date to meet Carson at the canyon. Carson is called "rope thrower" by the Indians.
1975 Mattie Grinnell, 108 years old, the last full-blooded Mandan dies in Twin Buttes, North Dakota.
• POLITICS (US)
1941 FDR's "4 Freedoms" speech (speech, worship, from want & from fear)
1978 1st postage stamp copyrighted by US (Carl Sandburg stamp)
• POLITICS (International)
1497 Jews are expelled from Graz (Syria)
1535 City of Lima Peru founded by Francisco Pizarro
1540 King Henry VIII of England married his 4th wife, Anne of Cleves
1745 Bonnie Prince Charlie’s army draws to Glasgow
1936 Barbara Hanley became Canada's 1st woman mayor (Webbwood, Ontario)
• SCIENCE & RELIGION
1838 Samuel Morse made 1st public demonstration of telegraph
1898 1st telephone message from a submerged submarine, by Simon Lake

►..◄……….►..◄……….►..◄
ANSWERS
∞ JEOPARDY
•During the 10th & 11th centuries, the king of France ruled only a narrow strip of land around this city
What is Paris?
•They were trade organizations that fixed wages & set quality standards
What are ‘guilds’?
•This king of England lost territories, was excommunicated & was forced to accept the Magna Carta
Who was John?
•In the 13th C. the Franciscan friars wore gray, while the Friars founded by this saint wore black
Who was St. Dominic?
•Pope Stephen II gave him the title patrician, but most people know Pepin III by this nickname
Who was Pepin the Short?
THAT'S ALL FOR TODAY
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Flagstaff, Arizona, United States
I retired in '06--at the ripe old age of 57. I enjoy blogging, photography, traveling, and living life to it's fullest.