4-11-11 Monday

TODAY’s HOLY MACKEREL: 1890 - Ellis Island designated as an immigration station

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MY FREE RAMBLING THOUGHTS

Last night I went to bed with about 18” of snow on the ground. By 3pm today, all of it was gone except for the piles left by the snow shovelers. Even the piles are almost gone. Ahhh, spring in Flag.

I read an amazing article this morning. We have all seen those ‘shortened’ website addresses. They usually are bit.ly and then a short series of numbers and letters. To my surprise, the ‘.ly’ part means that the shortened name is going through one of five big servers in Libya. Yep, ‘.ly’ is the country code for our former friend. The company got a good deal on using the servers in that country. Now it doesn’t appear to be such a good deal after all. These shortened websites have made a big hit for many. It is much easier to use than the sometimes very long address that one must type. One can simply go to their site and paste in an address and it will magically give them an address with about 5 characters to remember. They are also a boom for cell phone users who like to share addresses on Twitter, which limits your message to 140 characters. The company is working quickly to change their servers to ‘bit.li’ as they feel that Lichtenstein is probably a less volatile address. Now they just have to hope that Lichtenstein has servers they can use. The global economy is here and does have some pitfalls.

I did a blood test for my thyroid a couple of weeks ago. The doctor didn’t call so I assume that I don’t need more or less meds. I go in and see him at 8:15 on Tuesday. I expect a positive report for all his hard work.  

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DID YOU KNOW THAT…

~To hard cook eggs, place in a pan of cold water to cover. Bring to a boil and remove the pan from the heat. Cover and let stand 20 minutes. Immediately rinse in cold water. The eggs will be tender, the yolk will be an even yellow and there will be no grey ring.

~When making Deviled eggs...Keep yolks centered in eggs by stirring the water while cooking hard-boiled eggs.

SOMEWHAT USELESS INFORMATION…

All types of ducks are part of the bird family Anatidae, and there are species of ducks found worldwide on every continent except Antarctica. A baby duck is called a duckling, and an adult male is a drake. An adult female duck is called a hen or a duck, and a group of ducks can be called a raft, team or paddling.
***
All ducks have highly waterproof feathers as a result of an intricate feather structure and a waxy coating that is spread on each feather while preening. A duck's feathers are so waterproof that even when the duck dives underwater, its downy under-layer of feathers will stay completely dry.
***
A hen will lead her ducklings up to a half mile or more over land after hatching in order to find a suitable water source for swimming and feeding.

PUZZLE:   Trivia Quiz […answers at bottom…] Geography

1. If you landed at Merignac airport - where are you?
2. If you landed at Schipol airport where are you?
3. Where can you find the London bridge today?
4. In Paris there are two islands, one is the Ile de la Cite, what is the other?
5. The Rimac river runs through what city?
6. What European capital city is not on a river?
7. What is the largest state in the USA?
8. What is the longest river in Italy?
9. Until 1971 what was the name of Zaire?
10. In which city was the famous 'Black Hole'?

UNUSUAL NEWS ITEM:

MASON, Ohio - Police in Ohio said a man was charged with a misdemeanor count of teasing a police dog after he was spotted making barking sounds at the canine. Mason Police said Officer Bradley Walker was investigating a car crash outside the Mason Pub at about 2:30 a.m. Sunday when he heard the police dog in the back seat of his car "barking uncontrollably" in response to Ryan Stephens, 25, "making barking noises" and "hissing" at the animal, The Cincinnati Enquirer reported Wednesday. Walker said Stephens began to walk away from the scene and ignored commands to stop. He said he caught up with the suspect and asked him why he was harassing the canine. "The dog started it," Stephens allegedly replied. Stephens, who Walker said appeared "highly intoxicated," was released to a bar employee who promised to drive him home. He was ordered to appear in court April 21 to face a charge of teasing a police dog.

A LITTLE LAUGH:

It was entertainment night at the Senior Center...
Claude the hypnotist exclaimed, “I’m here to put you into a trance. I intend to hypnotize each and every member of the audience.”
The excitement was almost electric as Claude withdrew a beautiful, antique pocket watch from his coat.
“I want you each to keep your eye on this antique watch. It’s a very special watch. It’s been in my family for six generations.” He began to swing the watch gently back and forth while quietly chanting, “Watch the watch, watch the watch, watch the watch...”
The crowd became mesmerized as the watch swayed back and forth, light gleaming off its polished surface.
Hundreds of pairs eyes followed the swaying watch until, suddenly, it slipped from the hypnotist’s fingers and fell to the floor, breaking into a hundred pieces.
“SHlT!” shouted the hypnotist.
It took three days to clean up the Senior Center.
Claude was never invited back to entertain again.

CLOSEUP PICTURE: Can you identify this close up picture?

FOUND ON ‘YOU TUBE’:General Douglas McArthur

♫ Rock and Roll Hall of Fame ♫

2006 Inductee: Lynyrd Skynrd: Mention the term “Southern rock” and two bands instantly leap to mind: the Allman Brothers and Lynyrd Skynyrd. They defined the genre in its Seventies heyday and beyond, and both bands are still active entities. But whereas the Allmans were deeply steeped in blues and jazz, Lynyrd Skynyrd more freely embraced rock. Their three-guitar lineup gave them an uncommon musical muscle, while their down-to-earth songs spoke plainly and honestly from a working-class Southerner’s perspective. MORE INFO

Click on Song Title to see and hear it.

♪…Simple Man

♪…Sweet Home Alabama

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DAYBOOK INFORMATION

«THIS WEEK

10-16

Consider Christianity Week
Health Information Privacy and Security Week

National Animal Control Appreciation Week
National Environmental Week

National Inspirational News Week
National Library Week
National Volunteer Week
Pan American Week
Passion Week
Week of The Young Child
11-17

National Personal Training Week

«TODAY IS

Eight-Track Tape Day

Barbershop Quartet Day

International "Louie Louie" Day

National Pet Day

… ARTISTS:  AUTHORS:  COMPOSERS…

1913 Oleg Cassini, Paris, France, fashion designer, Jackie Kennedy

John Davidson 4/11/1857 - 3/23/1909 Scottish poet and playwright

…ATHLETES

Jason Varitek, Baseball player, turns 39

…BUSINESS & EDUCATION

Ethel Kennedy, Widow of Robert F. Kennedy, turns 83

…ENTERTAINERS (ACTORS/SINGERS…)

Joel Grey, Actor ("Cabaret"), turns 79

Louise Lasser, Actress ("Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman"), turns 72

Meshach Taylor, Actor ("Designing Women"), turns 64

…POLITICIANS
Dean Acheson 4/11/1893 - 10/12/1971 American Secretary of State (1949-1953)

Hugh Carey, Former New York governor, turns 92

…SCIENCE & RELIGION

1899 Percy L. Julian, chemist, drugs for treatment of arthritis

Today’s Obits:

1992 James Brown, actor (Rip-Adv of Rin Tin Tin), dies at 72

1987 Erskine Caldwell, novelist (Tobacco Road), dies at 83

1997 Michael Dorris, writer, scholar, first unmarried man to adopt child, wrote about experience in 'The Broken Cord', commits suicide, at age 52

1839 John Galt, Scottish writer (Last of the Lairds), dies at 59

1988 David Prater, U.S. singer (Sam and Dave-Soul Man), dies in car crash at 50

2007 Kurt Vonnegut, dies at his home in Manhattan, at 84

Today’s Events:

…  ARTS

1830 - Robert Schumann attends piano concerto by Paganini

1956 - Singer Nat Cole attacked on stage of Birmingham Theater by whites

…  ATHLETICS

1921 - KDKA broadcast 1st radio sporting event, a boxing match (Ray-Dundee)

1940 - Andrew Ponzi set a world's record in a New York pocket billiards tournament when he ran 127 balls straight. 

1975 - Hank Aaron returns as a Milwaukee player (Brewer)

…  BUSINESS & EDUCATION

1876 - The stenotype was patented by John C. Zachos. 

1980 - The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission issued regulations specifically prohibiting sexual harassment of workers by supervisors. 

1986 - Kellogg's stopped giving tours of its breakfast-food plant. The reason for the end of the 80-year tradition was said to be that company secrets were at risk due to spies from other cereal companies. 

2007 - Apple announced that the iTunes Store had sold more than two million movies. 

…  INDIGENOUS PEOPLE

1968 - The American Indian Civil Rights Act is passed.

…  International POLITICS

1471 - King Edward IV of England conquers London from Henry VI

1689 - William III & Mary II crowned as joint rulers of Britain

1979 - Ugandan dictator Idi Amin overthrown; Tanzania takes Kampala

…  SCIENCE & RELIGION

1775 - The last execution for witchcraft in Germany takes place.

…  US POLITICS

1898 - President William McKinley asked Congress for a declaration of war against Spain.

1951 - Pres Truman fires Gen Douglas McArthur

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ANSWERS:

Quiz

1. If you landed at Merignac airport - where are you?
Bordeaux
2. If you landed at Schipol airport where are you?
Amsterdam
3. Where can you find the London bridge today?
USA (Arizona)
4. In Paris there are two islands, one is the Ile de la Cite, what is the other?
Ile St-Louise
5. The Rimac river runs through what city?
Lima, Peru
6. What European capital city is not on a river?
Madrid
7. What is the largest state in the USA?
Alaska
8. What is the longest river in Italy?
Po
9. Until 1971 what was the name of Zaire?
Congo
10. In which city was the famous 'Black Hole'?
Calcutta 

Close Up Picture

Bars of soap

________AND THAT’S ALL FOR NOW________

4-10-11 Sunday

TODAY’s HOLY MACKEREL:  1858 - The original Big Ben, a 14.5 ton bell for the Tower of London is cast in Stockton-on-Tees by Warner's of Cripplegate. This however cracked during testing and was recast into the 13.76 ton bell by Whitechapel Bell Foundry and is still in use to date.

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MY FREE RAMBLING THOUGHTS

While it doesn’t sound that cold, the wind chill dropped our temps by about 10° so it was not a day to be outside. I did clean off the vehicle and run an errand. Tomorrow should be much better. I let my brother know my pain…and he texted back “82° poolside…sorry.”

I am glad the government didn’t shut down, as it sure looked like it would. Because I was inside most of the day I had news on for noise. One thing hit me…we have two major political parties here—the Dems and the GOP. All the news channels talk about the Tea Party. It is not a political party. It is a loud but small group on GOP. A couple of times I heard the Tea Party Caucus. That is what it is…a group within the GOP. It is something the GOP should be dealing with. It is like a spoiled child with parents who are afraid to do much discipline. The Tea Party talks big thoughts but when push comes to shove the members will not ever talk about how they will do it. I saw a rerun of an interview with seven Tea Party members on CNN. CNN is still fairly unbiased. The moderator asked each on to name programs that each saw as in need of cutting. None of them would name a program. Who would follow anyone who won’t talk specifics? I think we saw a little of their agenda during the past few weeks. They don’t want the government involved in daily life. They used false figures about Planned Parenthood to cut the Federal money. Jon Kyl, our senator, said on the Senate floor, in a speech, that 90% of Planned Parenthood money was spent on abortion. First, using Federal $$ for abortions is illegal. Second, all figures that are available show that PP spends less than 3% of its total budget on abortion. The rest is spent of offering wellness programs for women in this country. About three hours after Senator Kyl made his speech, his office said “…he is sorry if he gave the impression that the things he says in public are factual.” It was so much more than ‘in public’; it is now in the congressional record. What??? Citizens who lie to a Congressional Committee are put on trial when the lie is discovered. Grandstanding at its worst.   

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DID YOU KNOW THAT…

~Add a cup of apple cider vinegar to your bath water to sooth itchy, dry, or cracked skin.

~When you fill muffin pans with batter, fill one of the cups with water and the other muffins won't scorch during baking.

SOMEWHAT USELESS INFORMATION…

Many different cultures have had days of foolishness around the start of April, give or take a couple of weeks. The Romans had a festival named Hilaria on March 25, rejoicing in the resurrection of Attis. The Hindu calendar has Holi, and the Jewish calendar has Purim.
***
The French call April 1 Poisson d'Avril, or "April Fish." French children sometimes tape a picture of a fish on the back of their schoolmates, crying "Poisson d'Avril" when the prank is discovered.
***
In Poland everyone takes part in April Fool's Day activities, including the media and sometimes public institutions. All serious activities are completely avoided for the day. A favorite prank includes pouring water on people.

PUZZLE:   Trivia Quiz […answers at bottom…]

1. What does an aronophobe fear?
2. The average male loses a lb (weight ) of what in 10 years?
3. What do you call a group of owls?
4. Broccoli belongs to which family of plants?
5. What was invented by Dr. Edward Land in 1947?
6. Segmental, Primitive, Doucine and Elliptical are all types of what?
7. A bind is a group of what type of fish?
8. Karl Lienstater discovered what medical breakthrough in 1901?
9. Whats the difference between fog and mist?
10. A tittiliomaniac has a compulsion to do what?

UNUSUAL NEWS ITEM:

ROME, Ga. - A Georgia man who pleaded guilty to tattooing his 2-year-old son has been fined $300 and sentenced to a year's probation. Eugene Ashley, 26, was arrested in 2009 after the Department of Family and Children Services made a home visit and saw the letters "DB" tattooed on the toddler's shoulder, the Rome (Ga.) News-Tribune reported Tuesday. When arrested, Ashley told police "DB" stood for "Daddy's Boy." The boy was three at the time, but District Attorney Leigh Patterson said the tattooing had occurred a year earlier. In Georgia it is illegal to tattoo a child younger than 18. Patterson called the crime egregious but said it would have been impossible to go to a jury with the case because of the victim's age. "I don't know if we would be able to elicit a testimony from a child," Patterson said.

A LITTLE LAUGH:

A FAMILY IS AT THE DINNER TABLE. THE SON ASKS HIS FATHER,
"DAD, HOW MANY KINDS OF BOOBS ARE THERE?"
THE FATHER, SURPRISED, ANSWERS--- "WELL, SON, THERE ARE THREE KINDS OF
BOOBS: IN HER 20'S A WOMAN'S ARE LIKE MELONS, ROUND AND FIRM. IN HER 30'S
AND 40'S THEY ARE LIKE PEARS, STILL NICE BUT HANGING A BIT. AFTER 50,
THEY ARE LIKE ONIONS."
"ONIONS??"
"YES, YOU SEE THEM AND THEY MAKE YOU CRY."
THIS INFURIATED HIS WIFE AND DAUGHTER SO THE DAUGHTER SAID,
"MUM, HOW MANY KINDS OF WILLIES ARE THERE?"
THE MOTHER, SURPRISED, SMILES AND ANSWERS, "WELL DEAR, A MAN GOES THROUGH
THREE PHASES. IN HIS 20'S HIS WILLY IS LIKE AN OAK TREE, MIGHTY AND
HARD. IN HIS 30'S AND 40'S IT IS LIKE A BIRCH, FLEXIBLE BUT RELIABLE.
AFTER HIS 50'S IT IS LIKE A CHRISTMAS TREE."
"A CHRISTMAS TREE??"
"YES-- THE TREE IS DEAD AND THE BALLS ARE JUST FOR DECORATION.

CLOSEUP PICTURE: Can you identify this close up picture?

FOUND ON ‘YOU TUBE’:  Dixie Carter in Julia Sugarbaker Role

♫ Rock and Roll Hall of Fame ♫

2006 Lifetime Achievement Inductees: Herb Alpert and Jerry Moss founded A&M Records, one of the most successful independent labels of the rock and roll era. Over the decades a number of independents changed music history - including Sun, Asylum, Chrysalis, Island, Stiff, I.R.S., Arista, Geffen and A&M. The last of these had one of the longest runs of all, functioning as an independent label from 1962 to 1989 and lasting ten more years, after Alpert and Moss sold it, under the corporate aegis of PolyGram and Universal. More

Click on Song Title to see and hear it.

♪…Lonely Bull

♪…Whipped Cream

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DAYBOOK INFORMATION

«THIS WEEK

4-10

Hate Week
The Masters Tournament: Golf
National Networking Week
National Public Health Week
National Work Zone Safety Awareness Week

7-10

International Whistlers Week
10-16

Consider Christianity Week
Health Information Privacy and Security Week

National Animal Control Appreciation Week
National Environmental Week

National Inspirational News Week
National Library Week
National Volunteer Week
Pan American Week
Passion Week
Week of The Young Child

«TODAY IS

Baby Massage Day

Commodore Perry Day

Golfers Day

National Farm Animals Day

National Sibling Day

Salvation Army Founder's Day

Safety Pin Day

§ § § §                

UK: Care Sunday  

… ARTISTS:  AUTHORS:  COMPOSERS…

Joseph Pulitzer 4/10/1847 - 10/29/1911 American editor and journalist

Lewis Wallace 4/10/1827 - 2/15/1905 American soldier, lawyer and author; wrote "Ben-Hur"
…ATHLETES

Mel Blount, Football Hall of Famer, turns 63

John Madden, Sportscaster, turns 75

Don Meredith, Sportscaster, turns 73

…BUSINESS & EDUCATION

Benjamin H. Day 4/10/1810 - 12/21/1889 American printer and journalist; founded The New York Sun

…ENTERTAINERS (ACTORS/SINGERS…)

Harry Morgan, Actor ("Dragnet," "M*A*S*H"), turns 96

Steven Seagal, Actor, turns 60

Omar Sharif, Actor ("Doctor Zhivago," "Lawrence of Arabia"), turns 79

Max von Sydow, Actor, turns 82

…POLITICIANS
Vladimir Lenin 4/10/1870 (OS) - 1/21/1924 Russian Communist leader of the Bolshevik Revolution (1917)

Frances Perkins 4/10/1880 - 5/14/1965 American Secretary of Labor (1933-45)

Matthew Calbraith Perry 4/10/1794-3/4/1858, Commodore, opened Japan

…SCIENCE & RELIGION

Frank Baldwin 4/10/1838 - 4/8/1925 American inventor; known for the Monroe calculator

William Booth 4/10/1829 - 8/20/1912 English minister and founder of the Salvation Army

Robert Burns Woodward 4/10/1917 - 7/8/1979 American Nobel Prize-winning chemist (1965)

Today’s Obits:

2010 - Dixie Carter, an American actress dies at 71 of cancer

1784 - Simon Fokke, book illustrator, dies at 71

1931 - Khalil Gibran (بران خليل جبران), Lebanese poet and painter dies at 48 of cirrhosis

2003 - Little Eva (Eva Narcissus Boyd), American singer dies at 60 of cervical cancer

2000 - Larry Linville, American actor dies at 61 of cancer

1966 - Evelyn Waugh, British writer (Black Mischief), dies at 62 of heart failure

1958 - Chuck Willis, rocker (The Stroll), dies at 30 of peritonitis

Today’s Events:

…  ARTS

1925 "The Great Gatsby" by F. Scott Fitzgerald was published.

1953 - "House of Wax," 1st 3-D movie, released (NYC)

1974 - Magicians Penn & Teller 1st meet

…  ATHLETICS

1877 - 1st human cannonball act performed in London

1992 - NHL strike ends after 10 days

…  BUSINESS & EDUCATION

1825 - 1st hotel in Hawaii opens

1841 - NY "Tribune" begins publishing under editor Horace Greeley

1930 - Synthetic rubber 1st produced

1989 H. J. Heinz, Van Camp Seafood and Bumble Bee Seafood say they would not buy tuna caught in nets that also trap dolphins

…  INDIGENOUS PEOPLE

1871 - Apaches raid the San Xavier mission, south of Tucson, and steal livestock.

1837 - As part of the treaty signed on March 6th, the Seminoles were to report to Tampa Bay no later than today for transport to the Indian Territory.

…  International POLITICS

1710 - The first law regulating copyright is issued in Great Britain.

1972 Some 70 nations, including the United States and the Soviet Union, signed an agreement banning biological warfare.

1981 - Imprisoned IRA hunger striker Bobby Sands won election to the British Parliament.

1986 - Benazir Bhutto returns to Pakistan

1998 - The Belfast Agreement is signed.

…  SCIENCE & RELIGION

1790 - Robert Gray is 1st American to circumnavigate the Earth

…  US POLITICS

1790 - US Patent system forms

1869 - Congress increases number of Supreme Court judges from 7 to 9

1960 - Senate passes landmark Civil Rights Bill

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ANSWERS:

Quiz

1. What does an aronophobe fear?
Internet
2. The average male loses a lb (weight ) of what in 10 years?
Beard
3. What do you call a group of owls?
Parliament
4. Broccoli belongs to which family of plants?
Cabbage
5. What was invented by Dr. Edward Land in 1947?
Polaroid instant developing camera
6. Segmental, Primitive, Doucine and Elliptical are all types of what?
Arch (in construction)
7. A bind is a group of what type of fish?
Salmon
8. Karl Lienstater discovered what medical breakthrough in 1901?
ABO Blood Groups
9. Whats the difference between fog and mist?
Seeing Distance under 1000 yards
10. A tittiliomaniac has a compulsion to do what?
Scratch 
Close Up Picture

Wheel

________AND THAT’S ALL FOR NOW________