COMMENTS:
I wasn't sorry to see Kathy Ireland eliminated from Dancing With Stars. While my preference would have been to see Tom Delay go she was my second choice. What bothered me the most about Delay is that he wasn't even in the bottom two, which means we might see him for a free more weeks. Ugh. They eliminated two teams from The Amazing Race Sunday, one poor team got eliminated before the race even started. I'm thinking the Globetrotters and The Poker players will be tough teams to beat.
THE BAD STORY:
Remember a while back that I reported on a story where a daughter of a couple died because due to religious beliefs the parents didn't seek medical help for her? They are back in the news today. From the Oregonian: "The Clackamas County Sheriff's Office is investigating the death of a child born Saturday to members of an Oregon City faith-healing church." The key question for the investigators is if the child would have survived with medical care. How many deaths, how many stories, before this church is forced to disband?
THE AMAZING STORY:
We have all be hungry for good stories. The most amazing story was in the Oregonian this morning. This is just the lead of the story.
"If her six-hour surgery goes as planned today, Chrissy Steltz will wake up able to breathe through a nasal airway for the first time in more than 10 years. "
She won't yet have a nose -- just a rectangular opening where the nose should be. But it's a start.
An accidental shotgun blast at close range when she was 16 blew away much of Steltz's face, including her eyes, cheeks, nose and upper jaw. The first page of her 725-page medical record at Legacy Emanuel Hospital & Medical Center in 1999 gives a stark summary, under Reason for Admission."
Run, don't walk to read this absolutely amazing story. Click this link now:
http://www.oregonlive.com/health/index.ssf/2009/09/post_4.html
If it turns out that the child mentioned in the above bad story would have lived, what should we do with that church? If you read the complete amazing story up above, tell me what you think about it. Could the amazing things they are doing translate to hope in other areas?
TODAY'S TRIVIA:
Monday's answers: Benjamin Netanyahu,, the NAACP, Benjamin Disraeli, Emma Lazarus, Timur AKA Tamerlane,
Today is a Who Am I?
I was born in 1783 and died of a young age in 1819. I grew up with my cousin in Kinderhook, New York. I fell in love with my cousin but because he wanted to establish his law practice we didn't not marry until he was 24 and I was three months younger. Martin omitted my name from his autobiography because a gentleman in those days would not shame a lady by public references. One of my nieces said I had a loving and gentle disposition and also remembered me as being honest and timid. I had s son in Kinderhook and three in Hudson, although the fourth died in infancy. I had a fifth boy in January of 1817. Sometimes my household included Martin's law partner and three apprentices and relatives came and went constantly. It was said in contemporary letters that I was busy, sociable and happy. The following winter after the birth of my fifth son I died from tuberculosis. Martin never remarried and moved into a house as widower with four bachelor sons. Accustomed to living an elegant lifestyle Martin immediately began to refurbish the house that Andrew left shabby from public use. Dolley introduced a lady from South Carolina to Abraham, my eldest son. Angelica's aristocratic manners, excellent education, and handsome face won the heart won Abraham's and they were married in 1938. Abraham became Martin's private secretary and Angelica became the lady of their house. Who Am I?
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Monday, September 28, 2009
Thumbs Up, Thumbs Down
Today it will be thumbs up and thumbs down. Tomorrow there won't be a blog post. I have to take Mom in early in the morning for a blood test. It is one of those fasting test so she has to get there early. Then it is running errands for her. I will be back on Wednesday with bells on.
THUMBS UP
To the FBI, the New York City police, and Homeland security for stopping not one but two terrorist threats that were considered the most serious threats since 9-11. One was to take place on the anniversary of 9-11 but a traffic stop scared the terrorists into delaying the attacks.
To Mackenzie Phillips who divulged her personal past in order to potentially help others involved in "consensual incest." At first I thought that story was best kept out of the paper. Now I am in the camp that if that is going on out there we need to be aware of it and work to stop it.
To a new AIDS vaccine that has reduced new infections by thirty-one percent.
To Casie Cathrea a 13 year-old girl that made a hole-in=one in a LPGA Event.
To Kyle Post and Stacey Doornbos for landing the job of their dreams. They get paid to ride roller coasters. The Orlando Convention and Visitors Bureau hired the New York City pair to spend 67 days seeing and experiencing every ride, restaurant and spa they could squeeze into their days. For their $25,000 salary, they have to blog, photograph, and tweet every move in a marathon blitz of social media marketing.
THUMBS DOWN
To Najibullah Zazi the alleged terrorist in the above plots.
To Mackenzie Phillips' dad who according to Ms. Phillips had a consensual sexual relationship with her. Barf city. What kind of dad would do that do a daughter?
To Randy Quaid and his wife who were arrested after leaving with out paying a ten grand hotel bill. And apparently this wasn't their first time bailing on a hotel bill!
To the bureaucracy that if followed means it will be several more years before the AIDS vaccine that reduces new infections by thirty-one percent will be available for wider use.
To the unnamed man whose romantic proposal killed 60 baby sea turtles. The light from the man's romantic proposal on the shore of Hilton Head Island confused 60 baby loggerhead sea turtles who died trying to find their way to the sea.
Comment on my thumbs up and thumbs down then give me your thumbs ups and thumbs down!
TODAY'S TRIVIA:
Yesterday's answers: Mamie Eisenhower, Mamie Eisenhower, Hillary Clinton, Eleanor Roosevelt, and Abigail Adams.
LET'S PLAY DOUBLE JEOPARDY:
DISCLAIMER: THE MONEY MENTIONED IS IMAGINARY MONEY ONLY MEANT TO DEFINE THE DIFFICULTITY OF THE QUESTION AND NOT MEANT TO IMPLY IT AS A PRIZE FOR GETTING THE RIGHT ANSWER.
SUBJECT: PEOPLE IN HISTORY. YES WE HAVE HAD ONE OF THESE BEFORE BUT THAT IS THE WAY THE GAME FELL.
$400
In 1996 this MIT graduate became prime minister of Israel.
$800
Benjamin L. Hooks, a lawyer and civil rights leader, was executive director of this organization from 1977 to 1993.
$1,200
In 1876 this man was created Earl of Beaconfield then Prime Minister.
$1,600
Benjamin Cardozo, the second Jewish supreme court justice, was a cousin of this "newcolossus" poet.
$2,000
This 14th Century nomadic leader's corpse was exhumed by Russian scientists in 1941.
THUMBS UP
To the FBI, the New York City police, and Homeland security for stopping not one but two terrorist threats that were considered the most serious threats since 9-11. One was to take place on the anniversary of 9-11 but a traffic stop scared the terrorists into delaying the attacks.
To Mackenzie Phillips who divulged her personal past in order to potentially help others involved in "consensual incest." At first I thought that story was best kept out of the paper. Now I am in the camp that if that is going on out there we need to be aware of it and work to stop it.
To a new AIDS vaccine that has reduced new infections by thirty-one percent.
To Casie Cathrea a 13 year-old girl that made a hole-in=one in a LPGA Event.
To Kyle Post and Stacey Doornbos for landing the job of their dreams. They get paid to ride roller coasters. The Orlando Convention and Visitors Bureau hired the New York City pair to spend 67 days seeing and experiencing every ride, restaurant and spa they could squeeze into their days. For their $25,000 salary, they have to blog, photograph, and tweet every move in a marathon blitz of social media marketing.
THUMBS DOWN
To Najibullah Zazi the alleged terrorist in the above plots.
To Mackenzie Phillips' dad who according to Ms. Phillips had a consensual sexual relationship with her. Barf city. What kind of dad would do that do a daughter?
To Randy Quaid and his wife who were arrested after leaving with out paying a ten grand hotel bill. And apparently this wasn't their first time bailing on a hotel bill!
To the bureaucracy that if followed means it will be several more years before the AIDS vaccine that reduces new infections by thirty-one percent will be available for wider use.
To the unnamed man whose romantic proposal killed 60 baby sea turtles. The light from the man's romantic proposal on the shore of Hilton Head Island confused 60 baby loggerhead sea turtles who died trying to find their way to the sea.
Comment on my thumbs up and thumbs down then give me your thumbs ups and thumbs down!
TODAY'S TRIVIA:
Yesterday's answers: Mamie Eisenhower, Mamie Eisenhower, Hillary Clinton, Eleanor Roosevelt, and Abigail Adams.
LET'S PLAY DOUBLE JEOPARDY:
DISCLAIMER: THE MONEY MENTIONED IS IMAGINARY MONEY ONLY MEANT TO DEFINE THE DIFFICULTITY OF THE QUESTION AND NOT MEANT TO IMPLY IT AS A PRIZE FOR GETTING THE RIGHT ANSWER.
SUBJECT: PEOPLE IN HISTORY. YES WE HAVE HAD ONE OF THESE BEFORE BUT THAT IS THE WAY THE GAME FELL.
$400
In 1996 this MIT graduate became prime minister of Israel.
$800
Benjamin L. Hooks, a lawyer and civil rights leader, was executive director of this organization from 1977 to 1993.
$1,200
In 1876 this man was created Earl of Beaconfield then Prime Minister.
$1,600
Benjamin Cardozo, the second Jewish supreme court justice, was a cousin of this "newcolossus" poet.
$2,000
This 14th Century nomadic leader's corpse was exhumed by Russian scientists in 1941.
Sunday, September 27, 2009
Your Weekly Update.
This is the day when you do my work for me. Tell me about your lives. Tell me your secrets, your joys, you disappointments, your successes. Vent if you need to get something off of your chest. Tell me about your relatives. Introduce yourself if the mood strikes you.
Busy week for me. Monday I took mom to the primary care physician. Tuesday we went to the foot doctor, mom had her feet done, and I had very minor foot surgery. Wednesday was picking up some work assignments from the guys that bought my business. Thursday I picked up another work assignment and had a business lunch. In between I cooked four meals at mom's and we went out twice for meals. Then there was the grocery shopping for two households, the minor repairs for two households, the dropping off and picking up of Mom's prescriptions, and the scheduling of some specialist for doctors appointments for Mom. She is been have knee problems. The three days I was there I iced her knee and exercised them a little. I did get the swelling down and so far so good, it has stayed down.
Now on to the entertainment world. Eliminated on Dancing With The Stars were Macy Gray (thank goodness) and Ashley Hamilton (I wanted Delay to go.) On Top Chef it was still boring but a little more exciting this week due to some drama. Because the contestants wanted Robin to go last week instead of Mattin all of the them wore red scarves in honor of Mattin. Robin donned one too. Good for her. Then later in the show Robin and Laurine almost had a cat fight. The Quickfire Challenge was to cook one thing that reminds you of the angel on one shoulder and the devil on the other shoulder. Special judge for the Quickfire Challenge was James Beard Award winner Michelle Bernstein. Much to the chagrin of the other contestants Robin won the Quickfire Challenge and received immunity from elimination. Special guests for the elimination challenge were Penn & Teller. The pair deconstructed a couple of magic tricks which lead to the elimination challenge. The cooks had to deconstruct a classic dish. That is basically to mkae a classic dish unrecognizable but tastes the same as the classic dish. The bottom three were Ron, Ash, and Laurine. Top four were Jennifer, Michael, Ashley, and Kevin. Kevin won the night. For the third week in a row a man goes home, Ron. I kind of felt sorry for Ron during this season, because of the language barrier he often didn't really understand the challenges. This time it really hurt him. Staring tonight is The Amazing Race. It will be on CBS at 8 PM, 7 PM Central time. Two hour premier looking forward to it.
I did enjoy Flash Forward on ABC this last week. For two minutes and thirty seconds everyone in the world blacksout. During the blackout they see themselves on a date six month in the future. They don't see how they got there, they just see where they are on that date. Joseph Fiennes is the FBI agent trying to get to the bottom of the worldwide blackout. Great acting, pretty good music, and some interesting storylines!
I'm done. The blog is now yours. Update me. Post anything you damn well please!
TODAY'S TRIVIA:
Yesterday's answers: Peter Sellers, They all have flies, all have hosts, they all have hits, and were played by Eddie Murphy on Saturday Night Live.
LET'S PLAY JEOPARDY:
DISCLAIMER: THE MONEY MENTIONED IS IMAGINARY MONEY ONLY MEANT TO DEFINE THE DIFFICULTITY OF THE QUESTION AND NOT MEANT TO IMPLY IT AS A PRIZE FOR GETTING THE RIGHT ANSWER.
SUBJECT: FIRST LADIES
$200
This first lady's hairstyle, including the famous bangs, became one of her trademarks.
$400
She served as first lady both in New York & Philadelphia.
$600
In 1991 The Nation Law Review cited her as "one of the one hundred most influential lawyers in America.
$800
At this first lady's death in 1962, JFJ ordered all U.S. flags to be flown at half-staff.
$1,000
During her time in the White House, November 1800 to March 1801, she hung the family wash out to dry in the East Room.
Busy week for me. Monday I took mom to the primary care physician. Tuesday we went to the foot doctor, mom had her feet done, and I had very minor foot surgery. Wednesday was picking up some work assignments from the guys that bought my business. Thursday I picked up another work assignment and had a business lunch. In between I cooked four meals at mom's and we went out twice for meals. Then there was the grocery shopping for two households, the minor repairs for two households, the dropping off and picking up of Mom's prescriptions, and the scheduling of some specialist for doctors appointments for Mom. She is been have knee problems. The three days I was there I iced her knee and exercised them a little. I did get the swelling down and so far so good, it has stayed down.
Now on to the entertainment world. Eliminated on Dancing With The Stars were Macy Gray (thank goodness) and Ashley Hamilton (I wanted Delay to go.) On Top Chef it was still boring but a little more exciting this week due to some drama. Because the contestants wanted Robin to go last week instead of Mattin all of the them wore red scarves in honor of Mattin. Robin donned one too. Good for her. Then later in the show Robin and Laurine almost had a cat fight. The Quickfire Challenge was to cook one thing that reminds you of the angel on one shoulder and the devil on the other shoulder. Special judge for the Quickfire Challenge was James Beard Award winner Michelle Bernstein. Much to the chagrin of the other contestants Robin won the Quickfire Challenge and received immunity from elimination. Special guests for the elimination challenge were Penn & Teller. The pair deconstructed a couple of magic tricks which lead to the elimination challenge. The cooks had to deconstruct a classic dish. That is basically to mkae a classic dish unrecognizable but tastes the same as the classic dish. The bottom three were Ron, Ash, and Laurine. Top four were Jennifer, Michael, Ashley, and Kevin. Kevin won the night. For the third week in a row a man goes home, Ron. I kind of felt sorry for Ron during this season, because of the language barrier he often didn't really understand the challenges. This time it really hurt him. Staring tonight is The Amazing Race. It will be on CBS at 8 PM, 7 PM Central time. Two hour premier looking forward to it.
I did enjoy Flash Forward on ABC this last week. For two minutes and thirty seconds everyone in the world blacksout. During the blackout they see themselves on a date six month in the future. They don't see how they got there, they just see where they are on that date. Joseph Fiennes is the FBI agent trying to get to the bottom of the worldwide blackout. Great acting, pretty good music, and some interesting storylines!
I'm done. The blog is now yours. Update me. Post anything you damn well please!
TODAY'S TRIVIA:
Yesterday's answers: Peter Sellers, They all have flies, all have hosts, they all have hits, and were played by Eddie Murphy on Saturday Night Live.
LET'S PLAY JEOPARDY:
DISCLAIMER: THE MONEY MENTIONED IS IMAGINARY MONEY ONLY MEANT TO DEFINE THE DIFFICULTITY OF THE QUESTION AND NOT MEANT TO IMPLY IT AS A PRIZE FOR GETTING THE RIGHT ANSWER.
SUBJECT: FIRST LADIES
$200
This first lady's hairstyle, including the famous bangs, became one of her trademarks.
$400
She served as first lady both in New York & Philadelphia.
$600
In 1991 The Nation Law Review cited her as "one of the one hundred most influential lawyers in America.
$800
At this first lady's death in 1962, JFJ ordered all U.S. flags to be flown at half-staff.
$1,000
During her time in the White House, November 1800 to March 1801, she hung the family wash out to dry in the East Room.
Saturday, September 26, 2009
Germs & The Swine Flu.
Interesting article in The Portland Tribune on September 24, 2009. The Portland Tribune is a weekly paper that is free. Some of the highlights of the article:
NOT-SO-BAD-GERM-SOURCES:
Toilet seats. The cleanest place in most offices and homes as the surfaces are cleaned the most often.
Inside bathroom doorknobs. People usually have clean hands when they leave the rest room. The outside bathroom doorknobs are more germier.
Light switches. Often touched only twice a day.
Dishes. Amazingly clean.
OVERLOOKED GERM HOTSPOTS:
Computer keyboard and mice. When is the last time you cleaned either?
Television remote. Same question.
Telephones. Door number three, question number one.
Grocery cart handles. 80% tested positive for E-Coli.
In addition the article said that women will often use one of their feet to flush the toilet and that is one of the worse things you can do to keep germs from spreading. The bottom of your shoes carry a lot of germs and while you may use your shoes to flush the toilet the next person might not. The next person could pickup germs from your shoes and spread them to the next person they contact. The best thing to do is to use your hands to flush the toilet, then wash your hands and use hand sanitizer.
The article also made note of the fact that people are now more fearful of shaking hands. Patti Woods, author of "Success Signals: Understanding Body Language", was quoted as saying that businesses are losing one of its most valuable means of establishing trust, the handshake. She was quoted as saying "handshakes are about the only legal form of touch we have in the business world." She suggests that you carry hand sanitizer in your pocket and use it after you shake someone's hands.
The article also listed some places that were doing different things to prevent the spread of germs. One company replaced their bowls of M & M's and put them in pourable pitchers. You can read the entire article here:
http://www.portlandtribune.com/news/story.php?story_id=125373693848697500
Staying on the same subject according to the Department of Health here is should get the Swine Flu shot:
Pregnant women.
People who live with or care for children younger than 6 months of age.
People with heart trouble.
Children and young people between the ages of 6 months and 24 years.
Health care workers and emergency medical service providers.
People between 25 and 64 years of age who have chronic medical disorders or compromised immune systems.
Surprisingly the elderly are not a high risk group for the Swine flu.
Questions of the day. Does anything in the article about germs surprise you? (Yes, he toilet seat being the cleanest place). What are you doing to protect yourself and others? (I am just more aware when I cough in public places.) Are you doing anything extra like wearing gloves or masks? (No to both.) Washing your hands more? (Definitely.) Should we all try harder to prevent the spreading of germs? If so, should we shake on it?
TODAY'S TRIVIA:
Yesterday's answers: They all have anchors, they all played football in college, they were former U.S. national capitals, they can all be pulled, and they were former names of The Beatles.
What do these things have in common::
The Mouse That Roared, Dr. Strangelove, and The Pink Panther. In addition to being movies.
Baseball Games, Men's blue jeans, and trash dumps.
A party, a tapeworm, and a talk show.
Pete Rose, The Beatles, and A mob assassin.
Mr. Robinson, Gumby, and Buckwheat.
NOT-SO-BAD-GERM-SOURCES:
Toilet seats. The cleanest place in most offices and homes as the surfaces are cleaned the most often.
Inside bathroom doorknobs. People usually have clean hands when they leave the rest room. The outside bathroom doorknobs are more germier.
Light switches. Often touched only twice a day.
Dishes. Amazingly clean.
OVERLOOKED GERM HOTSPOTS:
Computer keyboard and mice. When is the last time you cleaned either?
Television remote. Same question.
Telephones. Door number three, question number one.
Grocery cart handles. 80% tested positive for E-Coli.
In addition the article said that women will often use one of their feet to flush the toilet and that is one of the worse things you can do to keep germs from spreading. The bottom of your shoes carry a lot of germs and while you may use your shoes to flush the toilet the next person might not. The next person could pickup germs from your shoes and spread them to the next person they contact. The best thing to do is to use your hands to flush the toilet, then wash your hands and use hand sanitizer.
The article also made note of the fact that people are now more fearful of shaking hands. Patti Woods, author of "Success Signals: Understanding Body Language", was quoted as saying that businesses are losing one of its most valuable means of establishing trust, the handshake. She was quoted as saying "handshakes are about the only legal form of touch we have in the business world." She suggests that you carry hand sanitizer in your pocket and use it after you shake someone's hands.
The article also listed some places that were doing different things to prevent the spread of germs. One company replaced their bowls of M & M's and put them in pourable pitchers. You can read the entire article here:
http://www.portlandtribune.com/news/story.php?story_id=125373693848697500
Staying on the same subject according to the Department of Health here is should get the Swine Flu shot:
Pregnant women.
People who live with or care for children younger than 6 months of age.
People with heart trouble.
Children and young people between the ages of 6 months and 24 years.
Health care workers and emergency medical service providers.
People between 25 and 64 years of age who have chronic medical disorders or compromised immune systems.
Surprisingly the elderly are not a high risk group for the Swine flu.
Questions of the day. Does anything in the article about germs surprise you? (Yes, he toilet seat being the cleanest place). What are you doing to protect yourself and others? (I am just more aware when I cough in public places.) Are you doing anything extra like wearing gloves or masks? (No to both.) Washing your hands more? (Definitely.) Should we all try harder to prevent the spreading of germs? If so, should we shake on it?
TODAY'S TRIVIA:
Yesterday's answers: They all have anchors, they all played football in college, they were former U.S. national capitals, they can all be pulled, and they were former names of The Beatles.
What do these things have in common::
The Mouse That Roared, Dr. Strangelove, and The Pink Panther. In addition to being movies.
Baseball Games, Men's blue jeans, and trash dumps.
A party, a tapeworm, and a talk show.
Pete Rose, The Beatles, and A mob assassin.
Mr. Robinson, Gumby, and Buckwheat.
Friday, September 25, 2009
Connections!
When I was at Mom's this week I was telling her about a friend of mine that I really respected because he and his wife had adopted two children and no matter what business he owned either outright or jointly he was very instrumental in making those businesses successful. Mom asked how I met him. When I told her how I became to know him she was kind of amazed at the story. As an example of how one connection will often lead to another connection I am going to share the story with you here.
When I first started my business I designed some flyers and hired an artist friend to do the art on the flyers. She was an amazing artist, often doing the drawings for what was then Meir & Frank ads. On the left of the flyer was a man sitting on the beach with a drink in his hand with a big smile on his face, on the left side of the flyer was a man sitting at his desk being attacked by a huge roll of adding machine tape. On the left the caption was "they filed early and are enjoying their refund." On the right the caption was "he waited until April 15 to file his tax return." Then I walked through the residential neighborhood closest to my office and handed out the flyers.
I ended up getting four or five new clients from the flyers. The business that the flyers generated probably wasn't worth the cost of the flyers. At least the first year it wasn't. One of the new clients was a single guy that just had a W-2 form and was a very easy tax return. He told me he called me because he couldn't fathom that there was an accountant in the area with a sense of humor. A couple of years later C.J. quit his job as a sales manager and formed a glass company with a friend of his. They brought in a third partner that they had done business with in the past. He was from Kansas and had to move out to the Portland area to become a one-third owner of the glass company. The glass company became on of the largest glass companies in the Metro Area. Because they formed a corporation in each city that they opened up a glass shop it became a huge junk of business for me. Eight corporate tax returns, three individual tax returns. The company accountant was the wife of the man that moved here from Kansas. Five or six years later two of the partners became upset that the wife of the man from Kansas knew to much about their business and their profits. She was doing a great job and was the type of person that just worked and kept her mouth shut. She was really one of the reasons the company was so successful. The two guys basically told the Kansas guy that his wife had to go. Kansas told the other two if the wife goes, he goes. So the two guys bought him out. Because of ethics you can't represent both sides in a partnership dissolution, it is a conflict of interest, I had to choose which side I would represent. I chose the guy that stood up for his wife.
That is how I became friends with the man and his wife that adopted two children. He used the funds from the glass company buyout to purchase a heating and cooling company. Which is now probably the largest heating and cooling company in the Portland area. Remember the football party we had earlier this month? It was at the home office of the heating and cooling company. The glass company that the man left? Their business went way downhill and while it is still operating you don't hear much about them anymore. There used to be frequent stories about the success of the glass company in business journals, now you are lucky to see one of their trucks every six months.
Do you have any unusual stories of how you became friends with someone? A business associate? A social friend? What about how you met your spouse? Would love to hear those stories!
TODAY'S TRIVIA:
Yesterday's answers: Father & Sons, National anthems either official or unofficial, they all are flat, points of the Bermuda Triangle, and they were all were crucified.
A boat, a tug of war, and the nightly news.
Dwight Eisenhower, Gerald Ford, and Ronald Reagan. Other than being presidents. Think college not funerals.
Philadelphia, Annapolis, and New York. In addition to being cities.
A wagon, a weed, and a practical joke.
Quarrymen, Johnny And The Moondogs, and The Silver Beatles.
When I first started my business I designed some flyers and hired an artist friend to do the art on the flyers. She was an amazing artist, often doing the drawings for what was then Meir & Frank ads. On the left of the flyer was a man sitting on the beach with a drink in his hand with a big smile on his face, on the left side of the flyer was a man sitting at his desk being attacked by a huge roll of adding machine tape. On the left the caption was "they filed early and are enjoying their refund." On the right the caption was "he waited until April 15 to file his tax return." Then I walked through the residential neighborhood closest to my office and handed out the flyers.
I ended up getting four or five new clients from the flyers. The business that the flyers generated probably wasn't worth the cost of the flyers. At least the first year it wasn't. One of the new clients was a single guy that just had a W-2 form and was a very easy tax return. He told me he called me because he couldn't fathom that there was an accountant in the area with a sense of humor. A couple of years later C.J. quit his job as a sales manager and formed a glass company with a friend of his. They brought in a third partner that they had done business with in the past. He was from Kansas and had to move out to the Portland area to become a one-third owner of the glass company. The glass company became on of the largest glass companies in the Metro Area. Because they formed a corporation in each city that they opened up a glass shop it became a huge junk of business for me. Eight corporate tax returns, three individual tax returns. The company accountant was the wife of the man that moved here from Kansas. Five or six years later two of the partners became upset that the wife of the man from Kansas knew to much about their business and their profits. She was doing a great job and was the type of person that just worked and kept her mouth shut. She was really one of the reasons the company was so successful. The two guys basically told the Kansas guy that his wife had to go. Kansas told the other two if the wife goes, he goes. So the two guys bought him out. Because of ethics you can't represent both sides in a partnership dissolution, it is a conflict of interest, I had to choose which side I would represent. I chose the guy that stood up for his wife.
That is how I became friends with the man and his wife that adopted two children. He used the funds from the glass company buyout to purchase a heating and cooling company. Which is now probably the largest heating and cooling company in the Portland area. Remember the football party we had earlier this month? It was at the home office of the heating and cooling company. The glass company that the man left? Their business went way downhill and while it is still operating you don't hear much about them anymore. There used to be frequent stories about the success of the glass company in business journals, now you are lucky to see one of their trucks every six months.
Do you have any unusual stories of how you became friends with someone? A business associate? A social friend? What about how you met your spouse? Would love to hear those stories!
TODAY'S TRIVIA:
Yesterday's answers: Father & Sons, National anthems either official or unofficial, they all are flat, points of the Bermuda Triangle, and they were all were crucified.
A boat, a tug of war, and the nightly news.
Dwight Eisenhower, Gerald Ford, and Ronald Reagan. Other than being presidents. Think college not funerals.
Philadelphia, Annapolis, and New York. In addition to being cities.
A wagon, a weed, and a practical joke.
Quarrymen, Johnny And The Moondogs, and The Silver Beatles.
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Mediation!
I've been late with my posting today because of a couple of business meetings and a luncheon appointment. The luncheon appointment was to mediate some estate issues between a son and his mother. The son is bi-polar. The mother controlling and a perfectionist. They chose me to discuss some issues with because they both trust me and know I won't pull any punches. I did, however, find the meeting kind of stressful. It really was like walking on egg shells. You really don't want to make either one angry even if they are wrong and you really don't want to come across looking like you are playing favorites even if one side is generally right most of the time. Then you have health and life ending issues. Not to mention tax issues, (for example, should I sell a piece of property that I own now in the middle of nowhere, should I give it to charity, or should I let my kids inherit it?)
Then sometimes you just have to throw all logic as well as tax rules out the wndow and, forget what is right or wrong, and just ask them, "What does your heart tell you to do?"
There are also those moments where you know what they should do legally but you are hampered by a professional code of ethics (as well as state law) that prevents you from giving legal advise and you have to tell them to see an attorney. I always give them a list of questions for them to ask their attorney to help their meeting with an attorney, should they actually take my advise and schedule an appointment with one.
I think I did pretty well. Neither one seemed to upset with me. The mom asked if she could take me to lunch just the two of us. The son asked the same thing. So obviously I didn't tick either one of to much.
Have you ever been a mediator? Between friends? Between family? Between co-workers? In a professional setting?
What do you think makes a good mediator? What personality traits should a mediator have? Because women seem to be better listeners, do they make better mediators?
I hope this was and will be a stress free day for you.
TODAY'S TRIVIA:
Yesterday's answers: Former Miss Americas, All had baskets, perfect square numbers, all have springs, and all have torches.
What do these three things have in common:
Martin & Charlie, Kirk & Michael, & Donald & Kiefer. Other than being men's names.
Waltzing Matilda, The Soldier's Song, and Oh Canada. In addition to being songs.
An opened soda, a punctured tire, and an off-key voice.
Puerto Rico, Bermuda,, and Melbourne, Florida.
Jesus, Dismas, & Gestas.
Then sometimes you just have to throw all logic as well as tax rules out the wndow and, forget what is right or wrong, and just ask them, "What does your heart tell you to do?"
There are also those moments where you know what they should do legally but you are hampered by a professional code of ethics (as well as state law) that prevents you from giving legal advise and you have to tell them to see an attorney. I always give them a list of questions for them to ask their attorney to help their meeting with an attorney, should they actually take my advise and schedule an appointment with one.
I think I did pretty well. Neither one seemed to upset with me. The mom asked if she could take me to lunch just the two of us. The son asked the same thing. So obviously I didn't tick either one of to much.
Have you ever been a mediator? Between friends? Between family? Between co-workers? In a professional setting?
What do you think makes a good mediator? What personality traits should a mediator have? Because women seem to be better listeners, do they make better mediators?
I hope this was and will be a stress free day for you.
TODAY'S TRIVIA:
Yesterday's answers: Former Miss Americas, All had baskets, perfect square numbers, all have springs, and all have torches.
What do these three things have in common:
Martin & Charlie, Kirk & Michael, & Donald & Kiefer. Other than being men's names.
Waltzing Matilda, The Soldier's Song, and Oh Canada. In addition to being songs.
An opened soda, a punctured tire, and an off-key voice.
Puerto Rico, Bermuda,, and Melbourne, Florida.
Jesus, Dismas, & Gestas.
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
The Dancing Dahn Report
Dancing With The Stars was on the last two nights. Men danced Monday night. Women danced Tuesday night. I really don't know what was eating Judge Len last night but he was downright mean. He completelyy underscored what I thought was the second best dance of the night, Mya's. Maybe he couldn't refill his Viagra prescription. Here is my recap:
The Surprises:
Tom Delay has a personality even if he can't dance.
Kelly Osbourne can be both feminine and elegant.
Joanna Krupa has moves.
The disappointments:
Ashley Hamilton can't dance.
Macy Gray is clueless.
Mya is absolutely beautiful and can dance.
The contenders:
Donnie Osmond, Mya , Kelly Osbourne, Joanna Krupa, Aaron Carter, Natalie Coughlin,
The elimination:
Who I want to go home: Tom Delay, Macy Gray. Who will go home: Louie Vito, Kathy Ireland:
The Dances: The average judge score follows the names, my score in parenthesis:
The women: Viennese Waltz: Kelly, 8(8), Mya 7* (8), Melissa 6,(7),& Macy 5,(4). The Salsa: Joanna 8,(7), Natalie 6,(6) Debie 5,(6),& Kathy 5,(5).
* false judges' score, two judges gave her an eight, Len gave her a five.
The men: Foxtrot: Donnie 7,(8), Louie 6,(6), Chuck 5,(5), & Ashley 5,(5). The Cha Cha Cha: Mark 7(8), Aaron 7 (7), Louie 6 (6), and Tom 5,(5).
A note to the producers, don't waste any time interviewing Ozzie Osbourne. You can't understand a word he say and even if I could understand what he has to say I wouldn't care.
Dancing questions today. What famous person would you want to do the Foxtrot with? I'm going with Ashley Judd. What famous person would you want to do the sexy salsa with? Sandra Bullock is my choice.
TODAY'S TRIVIA:
Yesterday's answers: Japanese Movie Monsters, Kate Jackson, Barry Manilow wrote the company jinglss, they all can be spiked, and they all have channels:
What do these three things have in common:
Mary Ann Mobley, Phyllis George, & Lee Meriwether. Other than being women.
Little Red Riding Hood, A High School Gym, and A hot air balloon.
4, 9, and 16. Other than being numbers, more about what kind.
A year, a mattress, and a car.
The Statue of Liberty, A welder, and an Olympian.
The Surprises:
Tom Delay has a personality even if he can't dance.
Kelly Osbourne can be both feminine and elegant.
Joanna Krupa has moves.
The disappointments:
Ashley Hamilton can't dance.
Macy Gray is clueless.
Mya is absolutely beautiful and can dance.
The contenders:
Donnie Osmond, Mya , Kelly Osbourne, Joanna Krupa, Aaron Carter, Natalie Coughlin,
The elimination:
Who I want to go home: Tom Delay, Macy Gray. Who will go home: Louie Vito, Kathy Ireland:
The Dances: The average judge score follows the names, my score in parenthesis:
The women: Viennese Waltz: Kelly, 8(8), Mya 7* (8), Melissa 6,(7),& Macy 5,(4). The Salsa: Joanna 8,(7), Natalie 6,(6) Debie 5,(6),& Kathy 5,(5).
* false judges' score, two judges gave her an eight, Len gave her a five.
The men: Foxtrot: Donnie 7,(8), Louie 6,(6), Chuck 5,(5), & Ashley 5,(5). The Cha Cha Cha: Mark 7(8), Aaron 7 (7), Louie 6 (6), and Tom 5,(5).
A note to the producers, don't waste any time interviewing Ozzie Osbourne. You can't understand a word he say and even if I could understand what he has to say I wouldn't care.
Dancing questions today. What famous person would you want to do the Foxtrot with? I'm going with Ashley Judd. What famous person would you want to do the sexy salsa with? Sandra Bullock is my choice.
TODAY'S TRIVIA:
Yesterday's answers: Japanese Movie Monsters, Kate Jackson, Barry Manilow wrote the company jinglss, they all can be spiked, and they all have channels:
What do these three things have in common:
Mary Ann Mobley, Phyllis George, & Lee Meriwether. Other than being women.
Little Red Riding Hood, A High School Gym, and A hot air balloon.
4, 9, and 16. Other than being numbers, more about what kind.
A year, a mattress, and a car.
The Statue of Liberty, A welder, and an Olympian.
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Just Fun Today.
Today we are just going to have fun. No thinking but maybe a few laughs. From the Edge Column in the Oregonian on September 15, 2009. Here are ways to tell if a redneck has been working on your computer:
The monitor is up on blocks.
Outgoing faxes have tobacco stains on them.
The six front keys have rotted out.
The numeric keypad only goes up to six.
The password is Bubba.
The CPU has a gun rack mount.
The mouse is referred to as a "critter."
You can always read The Oregonian at oregonlive.com
The Emmys were Sunday night. Most of the women looked stunning and most of the men were dressed appropriately. I do wonder what Kyra Sedgwick was thinking. Tina Fey looked beautiful in black. Here are some of the highlights:
Drama Series: Mad Men.
Comedy Series: 30 Rock.
Actor, Drama Series: Byran Cranston, Breaking Bad.
Actress, Drama Series: Glenn Close, Damages.
Actor Comedy Series: Alec Baldwin, 30 Rock.
Actress Comedy Series: Toni Collette, United States of Tara.
Supporting Actor, Drama Series, Michael Emerson, Lost.
Supporting Actress, Drama Series, Cherry Jones, 24.
Supporting Actor Comedy Series: Jon Cryer, Two And A Half Men.
Supporting Actress Comedy Series: Kristin Chenoweth, Pushing Daises.
Best Reality Show: Amazing Race. I wanted Top Chef.
Has a redneck been using your computer? When you want to relax what do you do for fun?
TODAY'S TRIVIA:
What do these three things have in common:
Rodan, Mothra, & Gammera
Scarecrow & Mrs. King, The Rookies, & Charlie Angels. Besides TV shoes or movies.
Kentucky Fried Chicken, Dr. Pepper, & Band-Aids. Besides being companies.
Punch, Hair, and A volleyball.
A T.V., A C.B, and England.
The monitor is up on blocks.
Outgoing faxes have tobacco stains on them.
The six front keys have rotted out.
The numeric keypad only goes up to six.
The password is Bubba.
The CPU has a gun rack mount.
The mouse is referred to as a "critter."
You can always read The Oregonian at oregonlive.com
The Emmys were Sunday night. Most of the women looked stunning and most of the men were dressed appropriately. I do wonder what Kyra Sedgwick was thinking. Tina Fey looked beautiful in black. Here are some of the highlights:
Drama Series: Mad Men.
Comedy Series: 30 Rock.
Actor, Drama Series: Byran Cranston, Breaking Bad.
Actress, Drama Series: Glenn Close, Damages.
Actor Comedy Series: Alec Baldwin, 30 Rock.
Actress Comedy Series: Toni Collette, United States of Tara.
Supporting Actor, Drama Series, Michael Emerson, Lost.
Supporting Actress, Drama Series, Cherry Jones, 24.
Supporting Actor Comedy Series: Jon Cryer, Two And A Half Men.
Supporting Actress Comedy Series: Kristin Chenoweth, Pushing Daises.
Best Reality Show: Amazing Race. I wanted Top Chef.
Has a redneck been using your computer? When you want to relax what do you do for fun?
TODAY'S TRIVIA:
What do these three things have in common:
Rodan, Mothra, & Gammera
Scarecrow & Mrs. King, The Rookies, & Charlie Angels. Besides TV shoes or movies.
Kentucky Fried Chicken, Dr. Pepper, & Band-Aids. Besides being companies.
Punch, Hair, and A volleyball.
A T.V., A C.B, and England.
Monday, September 21, 2009
From The Bedroom To The Boardroom.
The questions of the day involve women's rights. Where are we with women's rights?
I'm taking a break from trivia today. The answer to yesterday's Who Am I was Arabella Mansfield. I had a lot of fun doing the Who Am I questions that involved women in history. I learned a ton too. Sure when we were in school we all learned of Susan B. Anthony, Betsy Ross, Florence Nightingale but did we learn of some other women groundbreakers? Did we really know of the following:
The first woman doctor in the United States, Dr. Elizabeth Blackwell
The first woman attorney in the United States, Arabella Mansfield.
The first African-American to win an Oscar, Hattie McDaniel.
A female stagecoach robber, Pearl Hart.
The first woman to run for president in the United States , Victoria Claflin Woodhull.
Crystal Lee Sutton (Jordon) the real life Norma Rae.
In researching the answer to yesterday's question Pat came up with some interesting information. Myra Bradwell who passed the Illinois bar exam in 1869 is sometimes credited with being the first woman lawyer, however, she was admitted to the bar later than Mansfield. Bradwell was not allowed to practice law due to gender until 1892. When Bradwell appealed to the Supreme Court that she be allowed to practice, Associate Justice Joseph P. Bradley stated in his decision to decline:
"The natural and proper timidity and delicacy which belongs to the female sex evidently unfits it for many occupations of civil life. The paramount destiny and mission of women are to fulfill the noble and benign office of wife and mother. This is the law of the Creator."
Have women ever come a long way but society has so much further to go. The glass ceiling still resides in some occupations. There are still some religions that teach men are supreme and women are subservient. While I try to enlighten them, I do have some men friends that still believe a woman should be at home and not in the work force.
Are they teaching women's history in high schools now? Or is it only taught as an elective in college? I honestly don't know but I do think both genders should be made aware of women in history that fought for the equality of the sexes.
My granddad was bedridden due to a back injury. My grandmother had no choice but to go out into the work force. That was at a time when society taught you that a man had to support his family to be a real man and a woman had to raise her family to be considered a real woman. Granddad died an early death in part due to the depression of not being able to live up to societies expectations of men. My grandmother cooked for the airlines. Fighting tooth and nail the right for a woman to have that job. I'm all for equality that would have extended my grandfather's life and made my grandmother's life easier.
Where do you think women's rights are now? What do you see in the future? Do you still see discrimination in your life right now? Is there still a long way to go? Do you see the sexes being completely equal in thought as well as reality before your life ends?
I'm taking a break from trivia today. The answer to yesterday's Who Am I was Arabella Mansfield. I had a lot of fun doing the Who Am I questions that involved women in history. I learned a ton too. Sure when we were in school we all learned of Susan B. Anthony, Betsy Ross, Florence Nightingale but did we learn of some other women groundbreakers? Did we really know of the following:
The first woman doctor in the United States, Dr. Elizabeth Blackwell
The first woman attorney in the United States, Arabella Mansfield.
The first African-American to win an Oscar, Hattie McDaniel.
A female stagecoach robber, Pearl Hart.
The first woman to run for president in the United States , Victoria Claflin Woodhull.
Crystal Lee Sutton (Jordon) the real life Norma Rae.
In researching the answer to yesterday's question Pat came up with some interesting information. Myra Bradwell who passed the Illinois bar exam in 1869 is sometimes credited with being the first woman lawyer, however, she was admitted to the bar later than Mansfield. Bradwell was not allowed to practice law due to gender until 1892. When Bradwell appealed to the Supreme Court that she be allowed to practice, Associate Justice Joseph P. Bradley stated in his decision to decline:
"The natural and proper timidity and delicacy which belongs to the female sex evidently unfits it for many occupations of civil life. The paramount destiny and mission of women are to fulfill the noble and benign office of wife and mother. This is the law of the Creator."
Have women ever come a long way but society has so much further to go. The glass ceiling still resides in some occupations. There are still some religions that teach men are supreme and women are subservient. While I try to enlighten them, I do have some men friends that still believe a woman should be at home and not in the work force.
Are they teaching women's history in high schools now? Or is it only taught as an elective in college? I honestly don't know but I do think both genders should be made aware of women in history that fought for the equality of the sexes.
My granddad was bedridden due to a back injury. My grandmother had no choice but to go out into the work force. That was at a time when society taught you that a man had to support his family to be a real man and a woman had to raise her family to be considered a real woman. Granddad died an early death in part due to the depression of not being able to live up to societies expectations of men. My grandmother cooked for the airlines. Fighting tooth and nail the right for a woman to have that job. I'm all for equality that would have extended my grandfather's life and made my grandmother's life easier.
Where do you think women's rights are now? What do you see in the future? Do you still see discrimination in your life right now? Is there still a long way to go? Do you see the sexes being completely equal in thought as well as reality before your life ends?
Sunday, September 20, 2009
Your Day Is Here Again!
Sunday is my favorite day of the week. Breakfast with my friends Ted, Doug, Dave, and Bill. And you tell me all about your lives!
Been a good week. Mom is flying high in the sky after this week as she has been fawned over and called beautiful more than once. Monday I called Mom's pharmacy to inquire about the flu shot for her. They said not only did she need a prescription for the flu but that they weren't giving flu shots until mid October. I walked over to my pharmacy and talked to Randy, my trusted pharmacist. He told me to come on in at 2:00 that afternoon, bring your mom and her insurance card. So we did. Randy wasn't there but another pharmacist and a beautiful tech were. While we were waiting someone that read mom's information shouted out "you aren't ninety," Everyone behind in line came up to Mom telling her how beautiful she was and how young she looked. One lady said to her "you know I was really feeling sorry for you because someone in her sixties was in a wheelchair." It really made her day. Then on Thursday I was pushing Mom through Albertson's and a very young woman customer looked at her and said "you are so beautiful." All in all a good week for Mom thanks to so many strangers.
Now the entertainment updates. Dona correctly predicted the winner of America's Got Talent as unemployed chicken catcher Kevin Skinner. Opera singer Barbara Padilla finished second. The Texas Tenors finished in the fourth. I actually thought the finish is exactly the way it should have gone. Padilla and The Texas Tenors have the talent to go places on their own and I'm not sure Skinner does. I think this was the only way he was going to get a million bucks and a Las Vegas gig. So the Gods took over.
Top Chef is still more boring than previous seasons. They need something to spice it up, maybe a romance between Michael V. and Jennifer. My allegiance has gone to Jennifer for three reasons. One she is a good cook. Two I want a woman to win because the men don't seem to be giving a woman much chance to win. And third failing to suppress the dirty old man side of my personality she has a sexy walk. This week it was cowboy themed all the way. Tim Love owner of The Lonesome Dove restaurant in Texas was guest judge. The Quickfire challenge this week was to make something succulent within forty-five minutes using cactus as the base of the meal. Ash, Ron, and surprisingly Michael V were in the bottom three. Winner of the Quickfire Challenge was Mike I., winning fifteen grand but not receiving immunity from elimination in the elimination challenge. The elimination challenge was to cook for twenty-four cowboys. The contestants could make anything they wanted as long as it was high end. They had to cook it outside cooking on open fire grills instead of high end kitchen equipment. The ones that pleased the judges the most were of course the brothers, Bryan and Michael V, and surprisingly Laurine and Ashley. Byran won the night. Getting blasted for their work were Robin, Ron, and Mattin. Eliminated Mattin. A note to contestants, when you are in the bottom three don't defend your dish.
Tomorrow night Dancing With The Stars begins. I'm looking forward to seeing how Michael Irvin does. I'm also looking forward to seeing Tom Delay eliminated. There are some new dances this season. The new dance that I am looking the most forward to is the Charleston. Something about the decade of the twenties kind of enthralls me.
OK, your turn. This is your day. Post anything you damn well please. Concerns, joys, good things, bad things. Introduce yourself if you so desire. Confession is good for the soul. The Blog is now yours.
TODAY'S TRIVIA.
Yesterday's answer was the first woman to get her MD in the United States, Dr. Elizabeth Blackwell.
Today's Who Am I?
I was born on a family farm in Burlington, Iowa in 1846. I was the second child to Mary and Miles. When I was a mere child my father left Iowa for the California Gold Rush. My dad became superintendent of the Bay State Mining Company. Unhappy with the California lifestyle my Mom, my brother, and I moved to Mount Pleasant, Iowa in 1862. I began college at Iowa Wesleyan College in Mount Pleasant. With many men leaving to fight in the civil war, universities were admitting more women students and teachers. I graduated in three years as valedictorian. In the same class my brother was salutatorian. I began a teaching career at Simpson College in Indianola, Iowa. One year later I married my college love. My brother encouraged me to get an advanced degree so I could share an occupation with him. I studied in his office. I passed the occupation entrance test in 1869. I was allowed to take the exam and passed with high scores, despite a state law restricting applicants to white males over 21. Shortly after I passed the exam, Iowa amended its law and became the first state to allow women and minorities into the profession. The court ruled that women may not be denied the right to practice the profession in Iowa and admitted me into the club. I was sworn into my occupation at the the Union Block building in Mount Pleasant in 1869. I never practiced that occupation, however, instead I focused on teaching and other activist work. I taught at Iowa Wesleyan, then at DePauw University in Greencastle, Indiana, where I became Dean of the School of Art in 1893 and Dean of the School of Music in 1894. I was also active in the women’s suffrage movement, chairing the Iowa Women’s Suffrage Convention in 1870. I worked with Susan B. Anthony. I died in 1911 not living long enough to see the passage of the Nineteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution in 1920. I was inducted into the Iowa Women's Hall of Fame in 1980. In 2002 the Iowa Organization of Women Attorneys established an award in my name to recognize outstanding women lawyers in Iowa. Who Am I?
Been a good week. Mom is flying high in the sky after this week as she has been fawned over and called beautiful more than once. Monday I called Mom's pharmacy to inquire about the flu shot for her. They said not only did she need a prescription for the flu but that they weren't giving flu shots until mid October. I walked over to my pharmacy and talked to Randy, my trusted pharmacist. He told me to come on in at 2:00 that afternoon, bring your mom and her insurance card. So we did. Randy wasn't there but another pharmacist and a beautiful tech were. While we were waiting someone that read mom's information shouted out "you aren't ninety," Everyone behind in line came up to Mom telling her how beautiful she was and how young she looked. One lady said to her "you know I was really feeling sorry for you because someone in her sixties was in a wheelchair." It really made her day. Then on Thursday I was pushing Mom through Albertson's and a very young woman customer looked at her and said "you are so beautiful." All in all a good week for Mom thanks to so many strangers.
Now the entertainment updates. Dona correctly predicted the winner of America's Got Talent as unemployed chicken catcher Kevin Skinner. Opera singer Barbara Padilla finished second. The Texas Tenors finished in the fourth. I actually thought the finish is exactly the way it should have gone. Padilla and The Texas Tenors have the talent to go places on their own and I'm not sure Skinner does. I think this was the only way he was going to get a million bucks and a Las Vegas gig. So the Gods took over.
Top Chef is still more boring than previous seasons. They need something to spice it up, maybe a romance between Michael V. and Jennifer. My allegiance has gone to Jennifer for three reasons. One she is a good cook. Two I want a woman to win because the men don't seem to be giving a woman much chance to win. And third failing to suppress the dirty old man side of my personality she has a sexy walk. This week it was cowboy themed all the way. Tim Love owner of The Lonesome Dove restaurant in Texas was guest judge. The Quickfire challenge this week was to make something succulent within forty-five minutes using cactus as the base of the meal. Ash, Ron, and surprisingly Michael V were in the bottom three. Winner of the Quickfire Challenge was Mike I., winning fifteen grand but not receiving immunity from elimination in the elimination challenge. The elimination challenge was to cook for twenty-four cowboys. The contestants could make anything they wanted as long as it was high end. They had to cook it outside cooking on open fire grills instead of high end kitchen equipment. The ones that pleased the judges the most were of course the brothers, Bryan and Michael V, and surprisingly Laurine and Ashley. Byran won the night. Getting blasted for their work were Robin, Ron, and Mattin. Eliminated Mattin. A note to contestants, when you are in the bottom three don't defend your dish.
Tomorrow night Dancing With The Stars begins. I'm looking forward to seeing how Michael Irvin does. I'm also looking forward to seeing Tom Delay eliminated. There are some new dances this season. The new dance that I am looking the most forward to is the Charleston. Something about the decade of the twenties kind of enthralls me.
OK, your turn. This is your day. Post anything you damn well please. Concerns, joys, good things, bad things. Introduce yourself if you so desire. Confession is good for the soul. The Blog is now yours.
TODAY'S TRIVIA.
Yesterday's answer was the first woman to get her MD in the United States, Dr. Elizabeth Blackwell.
Today's Who Am I?
I was born on a family farm in Burlington, Iowa in 1846. I was the second child to Mary and Miles. When I was a mere child my father left Iowa for the California Gold Rush. My dad became superintendent of the Bay State Mining Company. Unhappy with the California lifestyle my Mom, my brother, and I moved to Mount Pleasant, Iowa in 1862. I began college at Iowa Wesleyan College in Mount Pleasant. With many men leaving to fight in the civil war, universities were admitting more women students and teachers. I graduated in three years as valedictorian. In the same class my brother was salutatorian. I began a teaching career at Simpson College in Indianola, Iowa. One year later I married my college love. My brother encouraged me to get an advanced degree so I could share an occupation with him. I studied in his office. I passed the occupation entrance test in 1869. I was allowed to take the exam and passed with high scores, despite a state law restricting applicants to white males over 21. Shortly after I passed the exam, Iowa amended its law and became the first state to allow women and minorities into the profession. The court ruled that women may not be denied the right to practice the profession in Iowa and admitted me into the club. I was sworn into my occupation at the the Union Block building in Mount Pleasant in 1869. I never practiced that occupation, however, instead I focused on teaching and other activist work. I taught at Iowa Wesleyan, then at DePauw University in Greencastle, Indiana, where I became Dean of the School of Art in 1893 and Dean of the School of Music in 1894. I was also active in the women’s suffrage movement, chairing the Iowa Women’s Suffrage Convention in 1870. I worked with Susan B. Anthony. I died in 1911 not living long enough to see the passage of the Nineteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution in 1920. I was inducted into the Iowa Women's Hall of Fame in 1980. In 2002 the Iowa Organization of Women Attorneys established an award in my name to recognize outstanding women lawyers in Iowa. Who Am I?
Saturday, September 19, 2009
The Informant!
The Informant! is a dark comedy directed by Steven Soderbergh, based on true events and the 2000 non fiction book about Mark Whitacre, The Informant, by journalist Kurt Eichenwald. The script was written by Scott Z. Burns and the film stars Matt Damon, Scott Bakula, Joel McHale and Melanie Lynskey.
Here is the synopsis from Rotten Tomatoes: A rising star at agri-industry giant Archer Daniels Midland (ADM), Whitacre (Matt Damon) suddenly turns whistleblower. Even as he exposes his company's multi-national price-fixing conspiracy to the FBI, Whitacre envisions himself being hailed as a hero of the common man and handed a promotion. But before all that can happen, the FBI needs evidence, so Whitacre eagerly agrees to wear a wire and carry a hidden tape recorder in his briefcase, imagining himself as a kind of de facto secret agent. Unfortunately for the FBI, their lead witness hasn't been quite so forthcoming about helping himself to the corporate coffers. Whitacre's ever-changing account frustrates the agents (Scott Bakula and Joel McHale) and threatens the case against ADM as it becomes almost impossible to decipher what is real and what is the product of Whitacre's active imagination.
The story was enthralling, the acting was top notch, and the questions that the movie left the viewers with were mind boggling. Why so often do the major perpetrators of a crime end up either getting off Scott free or are punished less than the whistle blower? And does the whistle blower have to be completely clean so that the investigation doesn't turn against him or her? Matt Damon gave an Oscar winning performance as did Scott Bakula. I am sure that Melainie Lynskey's performance as Whitacre's wife was stunning but I had a hard time seeing her as anything but Charlie's stalker on Two and A Half Men. I am giving it four footballs, one each for Damon & Bakula, one for Soderbergh, and one for script by Burns.
Have you ever been a whistle blower? I have and I ended up suffering more than the people that I blew the whistle on. The reward was that I could sleep, I just couldn't get a job. I was Vice President of Finance and on the board of directors of a publicly held company. The main product we sold were syringes. The second largest shareholder left our company in Oregon and moved to the Mid-West to start his own manufacturing company. At the time we were borrowing money from the bank using inventory and receivables as collateral. We would fill out a bank report that stated the value of our inventory and the amount of our receivables and borrow eighty per-cent of that amount. If that bank report is filled out in error with doctored up numbers it is consider both to be fraud and obtaining money by false pretenses. The largest shareholder, the one staying in Oregon to run the company, wanted to take the company private but didn't have the funds to buy the now Mid-Westerner's shares of stock. What he did was ship the syringes off the books to the guy in the Midwest who would then sign over shares of stock to him. That meant the numbers on the bank report were immensely inflated. When I discovered what the crooks were doing I resigned immediately. I went company's outside attorney and outside accountant and gave them all the documents to verify what I discovered. They both said that they would resign immediately. They not only didn't resign, they approved the financial statements that followed. The company went broke. The person that replaced me became the fall guy and went to jail. The shareholders got screwed. Nothing happened to either the two main shareholders or the outside professionals. They gave me such a terrible reference I couldn't find a job. But I recovered by starting my own business which by all reports turned out to be pretty damn successful. Now only if the bank would have believed me everyone would have paid but me. Such is life.
Have you ever been a whistle blower? What do you think you would do if you discovered something illegal at your place of work? Bite the tongue or bite the perpetrators?
TODAY'S TRIVIA:
Yesterday's answer. Hattie McDaniel the first African-American to win an Oscar for her supporting role in Gone With The Wind.
Today's Who Am I?
I was born February 3, 1821 in Bristol, England to a family of Quakers that believed that men and women were equal. I was the third of nine children. My dad was a sugar refiner who could afford to send his sons to school but he also believed his daughters deserved the same education and had them tutored by house servants. While growing up I lost all six of my sisters and two of my brothers. When I was eleven my father's business burnt down. In 1832 our family emigrated to the United States and opened a refinery in New York City. Due to our Quaker beliefs we were anti-slavery. When an opportunity presented itself to open a refinery where slaves wouldn't be needed we moved to Ohio. Three months after the move my father got sick with biliary fever and died. After my father's death I took up a career in teaching to make money to go to an advanced college. I became very active in the anti-slavery movement.
In 1845 I applied to Geneva College in New York. Because they hadn't had a woman student there before the faculty put up my admittance to a vote of the students. The students thinking my application was a hoax voted yes. I braved the prejudice of some professors and students to finish my education and become the first woman in the United States to receive this degree. I once replied to a professor that was upset that I wore a bonnet to class that I would remove the bonnet and sit in the back of the class but hell would freeze over before I voluntarily left the lecture. The male students there treated me like an older sister. I finished first in my class and received my famous degree on January 23, 1849. Because in the United States I was banned from the institutions were I could practice my occupation I was advised to go to France and intern there. My internship there was cut short with an eye infection that left me with a glass eye. In 1857 I was one of the co-founders of New York Infirmary for Indigent Women and Children.
During the American Civil War I trained many women to be nurses and sent them to the Union. After the war I established a Women's Medical College at the Infirmary to train women, physicians, and doctors. In January of 1859 I was the first woman to have my name entered on the General Medical Council's medical register. In England together with Florence Nightingale, I opened the Women's Medical College. I taught at the London School of Medicine for Women. Although I retired a year later I still worked hard in the Women's Rights Movement by writing lectures on the importance of education and publishing books about disease and hygiene.
In 1907 I was injured in a fall that I never recovered from and died in 1910. Who Am I?
Here is the synopsis from Rotten Tomatoes: A rising star at agri-industry giant Archer Daniels Midland (ADM), Whitacre (Matt Damon) suddenly turns whistleblower. Even as he exposes his company's multi-national price-fixing conspiracy to the FBI, Whitacre envisions himself being hailed as a hero of the common man and handed a promotion. But before all that can happen, the FBI needs evidence, so Whitacre eagerly agrees to wear a wire and carry a hidden tape recorder in his briefcase, imagining himself as a kind of de facto secret agent. Unfortunately for the FBI, their lead witness hasn't been quite so forthcoming about helping himself to the corporate coffers. Whitacre's ever-changing account frustrates the agents (Scott Bakula and Joel McHale) and threatens the case against ADM as it becomes almost impossible to decipher what is real and what is the product of Whitacre's active imagination.
The story was enthralling, the acting was top notch, and the questions that the movie left the viewers with were mind boggling. Why so often do the major perpetrators of a crime end up either getting off Scott free or are punished less than the whistle blower? And does the whistle blower have to be completely clean so that the investigation doesn't turn against him or her? Matt Damon gave an Oscar winning performance as did Scott Bakula. I am sure that Melainie Lynskey's performance as Whitacre's wife was stunning but I had a hard time seeing her as anything but Charlie's stalker on Two and A Half Men. I am giving it four footballs, one each for Damon & Bakula, one for Soderbergh, and one for script by Burns.
Have you ever been a whistle blower? I have and I ended up suffering more than the people that I blew the whistle on. The reward was that I could sleep, I just couldn't get a job. I was Vice President of Finance and on the board of directors of a publicly held company. The main product we sold were syringes. The second largest shareholder left our company in Oregon and moved to the Mid-West to start his own manufacturing company. At the time we were borrowing money from the bank using inventory and receivables as collateral. We would fill out a bank report that stated the value of our inventory and the amount of our receivables and borrow eighty per-cent of that amount. If that bank report is filled out in error with doctored up numbers it is consider both to be fraud and obtaining money by false pretenses. The largest shareholder, the one staying in Oregon to run the company, wanted to take the company private but didn't have the funds to buy the now Mid-Westerner's shares of stock. What he did was ship the syringes off the books to the guy in the Midwest who would then sign over shares of stock to him. That meant the numbers on the bank report were immensely inflated. When I discovered what the crooks were doing I resigned immediately. I went company's outside attorney and outside accountant and gave them all the documents to verify what I discovered. They both said that they would resign immediately. They not only didn't resign, they approved the financial statements that followed. The company went broke. The person that replaced me became the fall guy and went to jail. The shareholders got screwed. Nothing happened to either the two main shareholders or the outside professionals. They gave me such a terrible reference I couldn't find a job. But I recovered by starting my own business which by all reports turned out to be pretty damn successful. Now only if the bank would have believed me everyone would have paid but me. Such is life.
Have you ever been a whistle blower? What do you think you would do if you discovered something illegal at your place of work? Bite the tongue or bite the perpetrators?
TODAY'S TRIVIA:
Yesterday's answer. Hattie McDaniel the first African-American to win an Oscar for her supporting role in Gone With The Wind.
Today's Who Am I?
I was born February 3, 1821 in Bristol, England to a family of Quakers that believed that men and women were equal. I was the third of nine children. My dad was a sugar refiner who could afford to send his sons to school but he also believed his daughters deserved the same education and had them tutored by house servants. While growing up I lost all six of my sisters and two of my brothers. When I was eleven my father's business burnt down. In 1832 our family emigrated to the United States and opened a refinery in New York City. Due to our Quaker beliefs we were anti-slavery. When an opportunity presented itself to open a refinery where slaves wouldn't be needed we moved to Ohio. Three months after the move my father got sick with biliary fever and died. After my father's death I took up a career in teaching to make money to go to an advanced college. I became very active in the anti-slavery movement.
In 1845 I applied to Geneva College in New York. Because they hadn't had a woman student there before the faculty put up my admittance to a vote of the students. The students thinking my application was a hoax voted yes. I braved the prejudice of some professors and students to finish my education and become the first woman in the United States to receive this degree. I once replied to a professor that was upset that I wore a bonnet to class that I would remove the bonnet and sit in the back of the class but hell would freeze over before I voluntarily left the lecture. The male students there treated me like an older sister. I finished first in my class and received my famous degree on January 23, 1849. Because in the United States I was banned from the institutions were I could practice my occupation I was advised to go to France and intern there. My internship there was cut short with an eye infection that left me with a glass eye. In 1857 I was one of the co-founders of New York Infirmary for Indigent Women and Children.
During the American Civil War I trained many women to be nurses and sent them to the Union. After the war I established a Women's Medical College at the Infirmary to train women, physicians, and doctors. In January of 1859 I was the first woman to have my name entered on the General Medical Council's medical register. In England together with Florence Nightingale, I opened the Women's Medical College. I taught at the London School of Medicine for Women. Although I retired a year later I still worked hard in the Women's Rights Movement by writing lectures on the importance of education and publishing books about disease and hygiene.
In 1907 I was injured in a fall that I never recovered from and died in 1910. Who Am I?
Friday, September 18, 2009
Women & Alcohol
Today's post comes from an article written by Elizabeth Wiese in the September 15, 2009 USA Today.
An estimated 17.6 million adults in the USA are either alcoholics or have alcohol problems, according to the National Institutes of Health. By some estimates, one-third of alcoholics are women. Yes one third of alcoholics are women. Yet if you were to ask a woman's friends and family if she had a drinking problem, they might very well say no.
According to the article female alcoholics face a double whammy of addiction and culture. Society is more likely to ignore drinking in women than it is in men. Women often don't equate the problems their friends are having in life to being drinking problems.
Do you have a woman friend or know someone that you expect is drinking enough that it is cause problems in their life? From the article this is advise from women who have been there:
Don't ignore signs that a friend is having trouble with alcohol and drugs.
Reach out. Write them a letter, call them by phone, or sit down and talk with them. Tell them your concerns.
Recognize that just because your friend isn't a maniac running down the street that she doesn't have a problem.
A doctor can help and will keep it confidential. If you don't want to tell your husband or wife or walk into a meeting where you know someone a doctor's office can be a good place to start the healing process.
Help the family members of the friend by taking them to groups like Al-Anon.
You can read the entire article here: http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2009-09-14-women-alcoholism_N.htm
Are you surprised by the statistics in the article? Based on your social circle do the stats hold true?
TODAY'S TRIVIA:
Yesterday's answer. While the guesses of Annie Oakley and Calamity Jane were interesting neither were pardoned by Governor Brodie in 1902 which makes those guesses wrong. The answer is the last woman to rob a stagecoach, Pearl Hart.
Today's Who Am I?
I was born on June 10, 1895 to former slaves. My father fought in the Civil War and my mother sang gospel. I was the youngest of thirteen children. I was a professional singer-song writer, comedienne, stage actress, radio performer and television star. I was the first of my nationality to sing on radio in America. I have two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, one for my contributions to radio and one for motion pictures. I appeared in over 300 films but was only credited with eighty. I dropped out of high school to enter show business. I toured with my brothers in my father's Minstrel show. In 1910 I won a gold medal for reciting the poem, Convict Joe. When the stock market crashed in 1929, the only work I could find was as a washroom attendant and waitress at Club Madrid in Milwaukee. Despite the owner's reluctance to let me perform, I took the stage and became a regular. In my second film I got to meet the famous Mae West. Later I was in films in Shirley Temple, Bill "Bojangles" Robinson, Clark Gable, Irene Dunn, Barbara Stanwyck, Henry Fonda, Lionel Barrymore, Bette Davis and many more. I once sang a duet with Will Rogers.
When the film that I had the role that I was the most famous for premiered in Atlanta I was forbidden to attend because of my race. Clark threatened to boycott the premiere unless I was allowed in but I convinced him to go anyhow. After being honored in 1939 for being my supportive self, I gave the following speech:
"This is one of the happiest moments of my life, and I want to thank each one of you who had a part in selecting me for one of their awards, for your kindness. It has made me feel very, very humble; and I shall always hold it as a beacon for anything that I may be able to do in the future. I sincerely hope I shall always be a credit to my race and to the motion picture industry. My heart is too full to tell you just how I feel, and may I say thank you and God bless you."
During World War II, I was the Chairman of one division of the Hollywood Victory Committee, that provided entertainment for soldiers stationed at military bases.
My first husband died within months after I married him. I divorced my second husband the same year I married him. I divorced my third husband after being depressed when my expected pregnancy was diagnosed as a false pregnancy. I divorced my fourth husband one year after marrying him.
I died at the age of 57 on October 26, 1952.
" I desire a white casket and a white shroud; white gardenias in my hair and in my hands, together with a white gardenia blanket and a pillow of red roses" I also wish to be buried in the Hollywood Cemetery." The owner refused to allow her to be buried there.
In 2006 I was honored with a postage stamp. Who Am I?
An estimated 17.6 million adults in the USA are either alcoholics or have alcohol problems, according to the National Institutes of Health. By some estimates, one-third of alcoholics are women. Yes one third of alcoholics are women. Yet if you were to ask a woman's friends and family if she had a drinking problem, they might very well say no.
According to the article female alcoholics face a double whammy of addiction and culture. Society is more likely to ignore drinking in women than it is in men. Women often don't equate the problems their friends are having in life to being drinking problems.
Do you have a woman friend or know someone that you expect is drinking enough that it is cause problems in their life? From the article this is advise from women who have been there:
Don't ignore signs that a friend is having trouble with alcohol and drugs.
Reach out. Write them a letter, call them by phone, or sit down and talk with them. Tell them your concerns.
Recognize that just because your friend isn't a maniac running down the street that she doesn't have a problem.
A doctor can help and will keep it confidential. If you don't want to tell your husband or wife or walk into a meeting where you know someone a doctor's office can be a good place to start the healing process.
Help the family members of the friend by taking them to groups like Al-Anon.
You can read the entire article here: http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2009-09-14-women-alcoholism_N.htm
Are you surprised by the statistics in the article? Based on your social circle do the stats hold true?
TODAY'S TRIVIA:
Yesterday's answer. While the guesses of Annie Oakley and Calamity Jane were interesting neither were pardoned by Governor Brodie in 1902 which makes those guesses wrong. The answer is the last woman to rob a stagecoach, Pearl Hart.
Today's Who Am I?
I was born on June 10, 1895 to former slaves. My father fought in the Civil War and my mother sang gospel. I was the youngest of thirteen children. I was a professional singer-song writer, comedienne, stage actress, radio performer and television star. I was the first of my nationality to sing on radio in America. I have two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, one for my contributions to radio and one for motion pictures. I appeared in over 300 films but was only credited with eighty. I dropped out of high school to enter show business. I toured with my brothers in my father's Minstrel show. In 1910 I won a gold medal for reciting the poem, Convict Joe. When the stock market crashed in 1929, the only work I could find was as a washroom attendant and waitress at Club Madrid in Milwaukee. Despite the owner's reluctance to let me perform, I took the stage and became a regular. In my second film I got to meet the famous Mae West. Later I was in films in Shirley Temple, Bill "Bojangles" Robinson, Clark Gable, Irene Dunn, Barbara Stanwyck, Henry Fonda, Lionel Barrymore, Bette Davis and many more. I once sang a duet with Will Rogers.
When the film that I had the role that I was the most famous for premiered in Atlanta I was forbidden to attend because of my race. Clark threatened to boycott the premiere unless I was allowed in but I convinced him to go anyhow. After being honored in 1939 for being my supportive self, I gave the following speech:
"This is one of the happiest moments of my life, and I want to thank each one of you who had a part in selecting me for one of their awards, for your kindness. It has made me feel very, very humble; and I shall always hold it as a beacon for anything that I may be able to do in the future. I sincerely hope I shall always be a credit to my race and to the motion picture industry. My heart is too full to tell you just how I feel, and may I say thank you and God bless you."
During World War II, I was the Chairman of one division of the Hollywood Victory Committee, that provided entertainment for soldiers stationed at military bases.
My first husband died within months after I married him. I divorced my second husband the same year I married him. I divorced my third husband after being depressed when my expected pregnancy was diagnosed as a false pregnancy. I divorced my fourth husband one year after marrying him.
I died at the age of 57 on October 26, 1952.
" I desire a white casket and a white shroud; white gardenias in my hair and in my hands, together with a white gardenia blanket and a pillow of red roses" I also wish to be buried in the Hollywood Cemetery." The owner refused to allow her to be buried there.
In 2006 I was honored with a postage stamp. Who Am I?
Thursday, September 17, 2009
I'm Sorry!
The USA Today asked in an article a couple of days ago, where has all the civility gone? You can read that article here: http://www.usatoday.com/life/lifestyle/2009-09-14-civility-cover_N.htm . Today I am not only asking where all the civility has gone but I am also asking where did the ability to offer a sincere apology go?
Sincere apologies cannot only make a person feel better it could possibly change history. Would there have been a Watergate scandal had Nixon simply said "I made a mistake, I'm truly sorry. I will try to do better in the future." Could the impeachment of Bill Clinton been stopped with a "I made a mistake. In some areas of my life I am weak and I am working to improve those areas. I am sorry that I let you down but I will work hard to be a better man." During the last few weeks Roger Federer and Serena Williams either cussed out or threatened judges. Then they issued insincere apologies scripted by their public relations staff. Kayne West stole the moment from Taylor Swift and then waited until after Swift's appearance on The View before deciding he needed to apologize. Was Kayne's apology sincere or was it given just to smooth the waters over and make him look better to all the people criticizing the jackass? Joe Wilson violates over one hundred years of decorum during a joint session of congress. Then he apologizes to the president but decides it isn't necessary to apologize to the institute that he embarrassed. As other evidence that rudeness is now the norm we can add bad drivers, clueless clerks, thoughtless friends and relatives.
I've come to the conclusion that more kindness and humbleness is needed in the world. So I am asking you to either say your sorry to someone or do an act of kindness within twenty-four hours after you read this post. Then report back here and post either who you said you were sorry to or what act of kindness that you did. I've also adopted a new game plan. Now when I meet someone new the first thing I say to them is, "I'm Sorry." Sometimes it doesn't hurt to pay for things in advance.
For my act of kindness this morning I got up at 5:30 AM and drove to Mom's. Then I watered her lawn and set out her breakfast. While there I said to her "I'm truly sorry for all the times that I've disappointed you." It sparked a wonderful conversation about her and dad and how they always respected each other and admitted when they were wrong. It is one of the reasons that their marriage lasted over sixty years. As part of the conversation this morning Mom did tell me she was proud of the man that I've become and she also apologized to me for putting me in the position of caregiver.
In closing, I would just like to say to all of you that I am sorry if I have ever written anything that has offended or upset you. I will try to do better in the future.
TODAY'S TRIVIA
Yesterday's answer: The first woman to run for president in the United States. She ran for office at a time when she legally couldn't vote. Victoria Claflin Woodhull
Today is a Who Am I?"
I was born in 1871 and the date of my death is confusing being sometime between 1928 and 1960. I was born in the Canadian Village of Lindsay, Ontario. I am famous for performing one of the last recorded type of an event. My gender made me standout in my occupation. My parents were both religious and affluent, providing me with the best available education. At the age of 16, I became enamored with a young man who has been variously described as a rake, drunkard, and/or gambler. We eloped, but I soon discovered that my new husband was abusive and I left him to return to her mother. I reconciled and my husband several times. During our time together we had two children, a boy and a girl, which I sent to my mother. In 1893 while at The Chicago World's Fair I developed a fascination with the cowboy lifestyle while watching Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show. After the fair I left my husband and worked as a cook and singer. Some people say I had a fondness for cigars, liquor, and morphine. In 1898 I moved to Arizona were some people were confused by my occupation, some thinking I worked as a cook in a boardinghouse. while others thought I operated a brothel. When the nearby mine closed I joined forces with a man and we acquired money from a transportation company. We got the money on May 30, 1899. Not wanting to be recognized I dressed in men's clothing and cut my hair short. I was a handsome dude in my outfit holding a .38 revolver. The time that followed the obtaining of that money was an arresting experience. Because of my gender and the novelty of a female in my occupation a media frenzy started quickly. The local crew put me up in a very small home. I left my house, which was made of lath and plaster, without the landlord's knowledge on on October 12, 1898. Two weeks later my landlord convinced me to return home. The trial period that followed angered a judge because twelve people didn't think I did anything wrong and he did. As soon as I was free I was marshaled in to a new trial and determined to be anything but innocent. I was were sent to a new home in Yuma, Arizona for five years. I was the only female in that otherwise all male home. In December 1902 good Governor Brodie said "pardon." and I left for Kansas to play the lead in a play about my life that had been written by my sister. My life is not only a staple of Western Fiction but my exploits were featured in the film Yuma City and the play The Lady With A Gun. Who Am I?
Sincere apologies cannot only make a person feel better it could possibly change history. Would there have been a Watergate scandal had Nixon simply said "I made a mistake, I'm truly sorry. I will try to do better in the future." Could the impeachment of Bill Clinton been stopped with a "I made a mistake. In some areas of my life I am weak and I am working to improve those areas. I am sorry that I let you down but I will work hard to be a better man." During the last few weeks Roger Federer and Serena Williams either cussed out or threatened judges. Then they issued insincere apologies scripted by their public relations staff. Kayne West stole the moment from Taylor Swift and then waited until after Swift's appearance on The View before deciding he needed to apologize. Was Kayne's apology sincere or was it given just to smooth the waters over and make him look better to all the people criticizing the jackass? Joe Wilson violates over one hundred years of decorum during a joint session of congress. Then he apologizes to the president but decides it isn't necessary to apologize to the institute that he embarrassed. As other evidence that rudeness is now the norm we can add bad drivers, clueless clerks, thoughtless friends and relatives.
I've come to the conclusion that more kindness and humbleness is needed in the world. So I am asking you to either say your sorry to someone or do an act of kindness within twenty-four hours after you read this post. Then report back here and post either who you said you were sorry to or what act of kindness that you did. I've also adopted a new game plan. Now when I meet someone new the first thing I say to them is, "I'm Sorry." Sometimes it doesn't hurt to pay for things in advance.
For my act of kindness this morning I got up at 5:30 AM and drove to Mom's. Then I watered her lawn and set out her breakfast. While there I said to her "I'm truly sorry for all the times that I've disappointed you." It sparked a wonderful conversation about her and dad and how they always respected each other and admitted when they were wrong. It is one of the reasons that their marriage lasted over sixty years. As part of the conversation this morning Mom did tell me she was proud of the man that I've become and she also apologized to me for putting me in the position of caregiver.
In closing, I would just like to say to all of you that I am sorry if I have ever written anything that has offended or upset you. I will try to do better in the future.
TODAY'S TRIVIA
Yesterday's answer: The first woman to run for president in the United States. She ran for office at a time when she legally couldn't vote. Victoria Claflin Woodhull
Today is a Who Am I?"
I was born in 1871 and the date of my death is confusing being sometime between 1928 and 1960. I was born in the Canadian Village of Lindsay, Ontario. I am famous for performing one of the last recorded type of an event. My gender made me standout in my occupation. My parents were both religious and affluent, providing me with the best available education. At the age of 16, I became enamored with a young man who has been variously described as a rake, drunkard, and/or gambler. We eloped, but I soon discovered that my new husband was abusive and I left him to return to her mother. I reconciled and my husband several times. During our time together we had two children, a boy and a girl, which I sent to my mother. In 1893 while at The Chicago World's Fair I developed a fascination with the cowboy lifestyle while watching Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show. After the fair I left my husband and worked as a cook and singer. Some people say I had a fondness for cigars, liquor, and morphine. In 1898 I moved to Arizona were some people were confused by my occupation, some thinking I worked as a cook in a boardinghouse. while others thought I operated a brothel. When the nearby mine closed I joined forces with a man and we acquired money from a transportation company. We got the money on May 30, 1899. Not wanting to be recognized I dressed in men's clothing and cut my hair short. I was a handsome dude in my outfit holding a .38 revolver. The time that followed the obtaining of that money was an arresting experience. Because of my gender and the novelty of a female in my occupation a media frenzy started quickly. The local crew put me up in a very small home. I left my house, which was made of lath and plaster, without the landlord's knowledge on on October 12, 1898. Two weeks later my landlord convinced me to return home. The trial period that followed angered a judge because twelve people didn't think I did anything wrong and he did. As soon as I was free I was marshaled in to a new trial and determined to be anything but innocent. I was were sent to a new home in Yuma, Arizona for five years. I was the only female in that otherwise all male home. In December 1902 good Governor Brodie said "pardon." and I left for Kansas to play the lead in a play about my life that had been written by my sister. My life is not only a staple of Western Fiction but my exploits were featured in the film Yuma City and the play The Lady With A Gun. Who Am I?
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
We've Got Talent!
In honor of tonight's final of America's Got Talent and because Red surprised me by divulging she used to dance professionally I am asking you all today what hidden talent do you possess?
I will reveal the hidden talent that I used to have after my predictions of how the finals will go tonight on America's Got Talent. First a reminder to all of you Susan Boyle fans. She makes her American TV debut as a guest entertainer on tonight's show. 8 PM, & 7 PM Central time on NBC. Be there or be square.
My ratings:
Last even though he is from Grants Pass Oregon, Hairo Torres. He just doesn't cut it with me.
Coming in ninth is Recycled Percussion, a quartet of rhythm makers from Goffstown, N.H. Just not my kind of entertainment.
Comedian Grandma Lee finishes eighth. While I admire her spirit for going for it at her age, I just didn't think she was all that funny.
I know everyone loves the chicken guy Kevin Skinner but his voice needs improvement and he needs a shave. He is seventh in my heart.
The handsome Drew Stevyns finishes sixth, Pleasant voice but I just like others a little better.
Lawrence Beamen stunned us with his version of "Old Man River" but then singing the wrong songs puts him in fifth place.
The adorable lead vocalist of Voices of Glory puts them fourth.
Fab Five, the power tap-dancing five sisters from Morgan, Utah stole my heart and move all the way up to third on my list. The would be a perfect opening act to RiverDance.
Barbara Padilla the beautiful Opera singer and cancer survivor is just amazing. You don't even have to like or understand Opera to love her. She is beyond Vegas, do I hear the Met calling?
And the winners are The Texas Tenors. Perfect for Vegas. As an added note both Mom and my sister think I look like the middle one in the Texas Tenors. I could only dream, he is a stud that no doubt has women falling all over him, the only stud in my life is on a tire.
Now on to hidden talents. Before I got burned out on football and started spending my Saturday's and Sunday's away from the television set and out into life I used to have the unique ability to pick upsets in professional football and college football games. I won several picking contests. I won contest prizes any where from five dollars to a thousand dollars. I even once on a national TV show predicted four players that would perform well the following Sunday. A local columnist wrote about my appearance on the now defunct Financial News Network and said he laughed, actually laughed at my predictions. Then he was amazed when all my predictions came true. Maybe I should reconnect with that talent?
Now it is your turn. Tell me not only what act on America's Got Talent that you think will win the million bucks but also share with us what hidden talent that you have that would surprise us. May all your friends and relatives realize today how lucky they are to have the talented you in their lives!
TODAY'S TRIVIA
Yesterday's answer: Was either Crystal Lee Sutton or Crystal Lee Jordan. The movie Norma Rae was based on her life story. In the sign of the times here is a report on her death that Pat found for us:
"The Raw Story noted she died at Hospice House, a hospice in Burlington, NC on Friday, September 11, 2009, after her death that she died of meningioma, a form of brain cancer that she had been diagnosed as having for several years. She had been struggling with her health insurance company, which had delayed her treatment, according to the publication."
Today is a Who Am I?"
I was born in 1838 and died in 1927. I became a colorful and notorious symbol for women's rights, free love, and spiritualism as I fought against corruption and for labor reforms. Many of my speeches were not written by me alone but also were written by my backers and husband. George Washington and I share a first, both being the first of our gender to do something. Most of the ideas that I was famous for, now taken for granted, were very controversial. I was part of the common working class fighting against the corrupt business elite. Together with my sister I was the first woman to operate a brokerage firm on Wall Street.
I was born in Homer, Licking County, Ohio. My father was a con man, arsonist, snake oil salesman and often a fake doctor. My two brothers were printers but I was associated most of my life with my younger sister. I was married at age 15 to a real doctor. We had two children, one disabled.
I was quoted as saying "To woman, by nature, belongs the right of sexual determination. When the instinct is aroused in her, then and then only should commerce follow. When woman rises from sexual slavery to sexual freedom, into the ownership and control of her sexual organs, and man is obliged to respect this freedom, then will this instinct become pure and holy; then will woman be raised from the iniquity and morbidness in which she now wallows for existence, and the intensity and glory of her creative functions be increased a hundred-fold . "
Today's Who Am I is a broker, a woman's rights advocate, a newspaper editor and known for her politics. Who is she?
I will reveal the hidden talent that I used to have after my predictions of how the finals will go tonight on America's Got Talent. First a reminder to all of you Susan Boyle fans. She makes her American TV debut as a guest entertainer on tonight's show. 8 PM, & 7 PM Central time on NBC. Be there or be square.
My ratings:
Last even though he is from Grants Pass Oregon, Hairo Torres. He just doesn't cut it with me.
Coming in ninth is Recycled Percussion, a quartet of rhythm makers from Goffstown, N.H. Just not my kind of entertainment.
Comedian Grandma Lee finishes eighth. While I admire her spirit for going for it at her age, I just didn't think she was all that funny.
I know everyone loves the chicken guy Kevin Skinner but his voice needs improvement and he needs a shave. He is seventh in my heart.
The handsome Drew Stevyns finishes sixth, Pleasant voice but I just like others a little better.
Lawrence Beamen stunned us with his version of "Old Man River" but then singing the wrong songs puts him in fifth place.
The adorable lead vocalist of Voices of Glory puts them fourth.
Fab Five, the power tap-dancing five sisters from Morgan, Utah stole my heart and move all the way up to third on my list. The would be a perfect opening act to RiverDance.
Barbara Padilla the beautiful Opera singer and cancer survivor is just amazing. You don't even have to like or understand Opera to love her. She is beyond Vegas, do I hear the Met calling?
And the winners are The Texas Tenors. Perfect for Vegas. As an added note both Mom and my sister think I look like the middle one in the Texas Tenors. I could only dream, he is a stud that no doubt has women falling all over him, the only stud in my life is on a tire.
Now on to hidden talents. Before I got burned out on football and started spending my Saturday's and Sunday's away from the television set and out into life I used to have the unique ability to pick upsets in professional football and college football games. I won several picking contests. I won contest prizes any where from five dollars to a thousand dollars. I even once on a national TV show predicted four players that would perform well the following Sunday. A local columnist wrote about my appearance on the now defunct Financial News Network and said he laughed, actually laughed at my predictions. Then he was amazed when all my predictions came true. Maybe I should reconnect with that talent?
Now it is your turn. Tell me not only what act on America's Got Talent that you think will win the million bucks but also share with us what hidden talent that you have that would surprise us. May all your friends and relatives realize today how lucky they are to have the talented you in their lives!
TODAY'S TRIVIA
Yesterday's answer: Was either Crystal Lee Sutton or Crystal Lee Jordan. The movie Norma Rae was based on her life story. In the sign of the times here is a report on her death that Pat found for us:
"The Raw Story noted she died at Hospice House, a hospice in Burlington, NC on Friday, September 11, 2009, after her death that she died of meningioma, a form of brain cancer that she had been diagnosed as having for several years. She had been struggling with her health insurance company, which had delayed her treatment, according to the publication."
Today is a Who Am I?"
I was born in 1838 and died in 1927. I became a colorful and notorious symbol for women's rights, free love, and spiritualism as I fought against corruption and for labor reforms. Many of my speeches were not written by me alone but also were written by my backers and husband. George Washington and I share a first, both being the first of our gender to do something. Most of the ideas that I was famous for, now taken for granted, were very controversial. I was part of the common working class fighting against the corrupt business elite. Together with my sister I was the first woman to operate a brokerage firm on Wall Street.
I was born in Homer, Licking County, Ohio. My father was a con man, arsonist, snake oil salesman and often a fake doctor. My two brothers were printers but I was associated most of my life with my younger sister. I was married at age 15 to a real doctor. We had two children, one disabled.
I was quoted as saying "To woman, by nature, belongs the right of sexual determination. When the instinct is aroused in her, then and then only should commerce follow. When woman rises from sexual slavery to sexual freedom, into the ownership and control of her sexual organs, and man is obliged to respect this freedom, then will this instinct become pure and holy; then will woman be raised from the iniquity and morbidness in which she now wallows for existence, and the intensity and glory of her creative functions be increased a hundred-fold . "
Today's Who Am I is a broker, a woman's rights advocate, a newspaper editor and known for her politics. Who is she?
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
"The Time Of My Life"
Today we honor a GHOST who had the time of his life DIRTY DANCING at THE ROAD HOUSE.
Patrick Swayze was born on August 18, 1952 in Houston, Texas, the eldest child of Patsy Yvonne Helen (née Karnes; b. 1927), a choreographer, dance instructor, and dancer, and Jessie Wayne Swayze (1925–1982), an engineering draftsman. He had two younger brothers, actor Don (born 1958) and Sean Kyle (born 1962), and two sisters, Vicky Lynn (1949–1994) and Bambi, who were adopted into the family.
During school he pursued multiple artistic and athletic skills, such as ice skating, classical ballet, and acting in school plays. He studied gymnastics in college. In 1972, he moved to New York City to complete his formal dance training at the Harkness Ballet and Joffrey ballet schools
Swayze's first professional appearance was as a dancer for Disney On Parade. He made his film début in Skatetown, U.S.A. He appeared as Pvt. Sturgis in the M*A*S*H episode "Blood Brothers" and had a brief stint in 1982 on a short lived TV series The Renegades playing a gang leader named Bandit. Swayze became known to the film industry after appearing in The Outsiders as the older brother of C. Thomas Howell and Rob Lowe. His first major success was in the 1985 television miniseries North and South.
Swayze's breakthrough role came with his performance as dance instructor Johnny Castle in the 1987 film Dirty Dancing, alongside co-star, Jennifer Grey. Dirty Dancing was a low-budget project that was intended to be shown in theaters for one weekend only and then go straight to video. Instead it became a hit that to date has earned over three hundred million dollars. It was the first film to sell one million copies on video. Swayze received a Golden Globe Award nomination for the role and sang one of the songs on the soundtrack, "She's Like the Wind," which he had originally co-written with Stacy Widelitz for the film Grandview, U.S.A. The song became a top ten hit.
He was a licensed pilot. One June 1, 2000 he made news landing on a dirt road in a housing complex in Prescott, Arizona after the plane developed pressurization problems.
Swayze is survived by his wife, Lisa Niemi, who he was married to from June 12, 1975 until his death. They had no children. His sister, Vickie, committed suicide. His dad also died at the age of 57.
"Now I've had the time of my life
No I never felt like this before
Yes I swear it's the truth
and I owe it all to you
'Cause I've had the time of my life
and I owe it all to you."
OK, everyone in honor of the star we have just lost, fess up and confess right here on the blog if you have ever dirty danced? Would your moves make Swayze Proud? I will confess that as someone that looks like an out of control chicken when he dances that I have never had the guts to try dirty dancing. Have you?
TODAY'S TRIVIA
Yesterday's answers: Farmers, glass,. Blue roadster, Baha’i, and Warren G. Harding.
Today is a Who Am I?
Although they really, really liked my gal Sal there was a time when a lot of the big bosses didn't much like me. I was born in 1941 and died of brain cancer on a day when America celebrated a great tragedy. I was the 13th recipient of the Pacem in Terris Peace and Freedom Award. The honor was named after a 1963 encyclical letter, Pacem in Terris (Peace on Earth), by Pope John XXIII, that calls upon all people of good will to secure peace among all nations. A New York Times reporter referred to me as a Woman Of Inheritance. In 1988 I took nursing classes at Alamance Community College in North Carolina, where my papers and memorabilia are deposited. I became famous when I rebelled at making $2.65 an hour folding towels and was fired for trying to improve working conditions. Who Am I?
Patrick Swayze was born on August 18, 1952 in Houston, Texas, the eldest child of Patsy Yvonne Helen (née Karnes; b. 1927), a choreographer, dance instructor, and dancer, and Jessie Wayne Swayze (1925–1982), an engineering draftsman. He had two younger brothers, actor Don (born 1958) and Sean Kyle (born 1962), and two sisters, Vicky Lynn (1949–1994) and Bambi, who were adopted into the family.
During school he pursued multiple artistic and athletic skills, such as ice skating, classical ballet, and acting in school plays. He studied gymnastics in college. In 1972, he moved to New York City to complete his formal dance training at the Harkness Ballet and Joffrey ballet schools
Swayze's first professional appearance was as a dancer for Disney On Parade. He made his film début in Skatetown, U.S.A. He appeared as Pvt. Sturgis in the M*A*S*H episode "Blood Brothers" and had a brief stint in 1982 on a short lived TV series The Renegades playing a gang leader named Bandit. Swayze became known to the film industry after appearing in The Outsiders as the older brother of C. Thomas Howell and Rob Lowe. His first major success was in the 1985 television miniseries North and South.
Swayze's breakthrough role came with his performance as dance instructor Johnny Castle in the 1987 film Dirty Dancing, alongside co-star, Jennifer Grey. Dirty Dancing was a low-budget project that was intended to be shown in theaters for one weekend only and then go straight to video. Instead it became a hit that to date has earned over three hundred million dollars. It was the first film to sell one million copies on video. Swayze received a Golden Globe Award nomination for the role and sang one of the songs on the soundtrack, "She's Like the Wind," which he had originally co-written with Stacy Widelitz for the film Grandview, U.S.A. The song became a top ten hit.
He was a licensed pilot. One June 1, 2000 he made news landing on a dirt road in a housing complex in Prescott, Arizona after the plane developed pressurization problems.
Swayze is survived by his wife, Lisa Niemi, who he was married to from June 12, 1975 until his death. They had no children. His sister, Vickie, committed suicide. His dad also died at the age of 57.
"Now I've had the time of my life
No I never felt like this before
Yes I swear it's the truth
and I owe it all to you
'Cause I've had the time of my life
and I owe it all to you."
OK, everyone in honor of the star we have just lost, fess up and confess right here on the blog if you have ever dirty danced? Would your moves make Swayze Proud? I will confess that as someone that looks like an out of control chicken when he dances that I have never had the guts to try dirty dancing. Have you?
TODAY'S TRIVIA
Yesterday's answers: Farmers, glass,. Blue roadster, Baha’i, and Warren G. Harding.
Today is a Who Am I?
Although they really, really liked my gal Sal there was a time when a lot of the big bosses didn't much like me. I was born in 1941 and died of brain cancer on a day when America celebrated a great tragedy. I was the 13th recipient of the Pacem in Terris Peace and Freedom Award. The honor was named after a 1963 encyclical letter, Pacem in Terris (Peace on Earth), by Pope John XXIII, that calls upon all people of good will to secure peace among all nations. A New York Times reporter referred to me as a Woman Of Inheritance. In 1988 I took nursing classes at Alamance Community College in North Carolina, where my papers and memorabilia are deposited. I became famous when I rebelled at making $2.65 an hour folding towels and was fired for trying to improve working conditions. Who Am I?
Monday, September 14, 2009
Contest Ideas.
Thanks to Red Whistle and in honor of the performance final of America's Got Talent her is a link to Susan Boyle's first single, Wild Horses:
http://www.phoenixrealestateguy.com/susan-boyles-first-single-wild-horses/
I've been thinking about doing another contest on the blog but I'm not sure I really want to do a trivia contest. The problem that I have with the trivia contests is everyone uses Google so everyone gets all the answers right and the contest ends up being more of a random drawing contest then it does a test of your knowledge of insignificant events. I am asking for you help in giving me some ideas for a contest. Here are some of ideas:
1. Stick with a Trivia contest.
2. Do what do these three to five things have in commons.
3. A recipe contest.
4. A writing contest where everyone takes over the blog for one day.
5. An IQ Test.
6. One of your ideas. Come on now give me some ideas!!
Also tell me what you think of the idea of opening up the contest to everyone whether they have posted on the blog or not.
May you come in first place today in whatever you are doing and be first in everyone's heart that is important to you!
TODAY'S TRIVIA
Yesterday's answers: Shorthand, teeth , Bullwinkle, Shannon Lucid, & Argentina
TODAY LET'S PLAY WHO WANTS TO BE A MILLIONAIRE.
DISCLAIMER: THE MONEY MENTIONED IS IMAGINARY MONEY ONLY MEANT TO DEFINE THE DIFFICULTITY OF THE QUESTION AND NOT MEANT TO IMPLY IT AS A PRIZE FOR GETTING THE RIGHT ANSWER.
$64,000
In the 1780s, what group of Massachusetts residents revolted during Shay’s Rebellion?
a. farmers
b. freedmen
c. fishermen
d. militia
$125,00
Which of those substances displays physical properties of both solids and liquids?
a. Teflon
b. concrete
c. glass
d. porcelain
$250,00
In the original series of Nancy Drew books, what kind of car does Nancy usually drive?
a. Pink Cadillac
b. Blue roadster
c. White Model T
d. Silver coupe
$500,000
Which of the following religions follows the teachings of a 19th century Persian nobleman?
a. Shinto
b. Sikhism
c. Christian Science
d. Baha’i
$1,000,000
Whose U.S presidential campaign used the slogan “Return to normalcy”?
a. Ulysses S. Grant
b. William H. Taft
c. Warren G. Harding
d. Harry S. Truman
http://www.phoenixrealestateguy.com/susan-boyles-first-single-wild-horses/
I've been thinking about doing another contest on the blog but I'm not sure I really want to do a trivia contest. The problem that I have with the trivia contests is everyone uses Google so everyone gets all the answers right and the contest ends up being more of a random drawing contest then it does a test of your knowledge of insignificant events. I am asking for you help in giving me some ideas for a contest. Here are some of ideas:
1. Stick with a Trivia contest.
2. Do what do these three to five things have in commons.
3. A recipe contest.
4. A writing contest where everyone takes over the blog for one day.
5. An IQ Test.
6. One of your ideas. Come on now give me some ideas!!
Also tell me what you think of the idea of opening up the contest to everyone whether they have posted on the blog or not.
May you come in first place today in whatever you are doing and be first in everyone's heart that is important to you!
TODAY'S TRIVIA
Yesterday's answers: Shorthand, teeth , Bullwinkle, Shannon Lucid, & Argentina
TODAY LET'S PLAY WHO WANTS TO BE A MILLIONAIRE.
DISCLAIMER: THE MONEY MENTIONED IS IMAGINARY MONEY ONLY MEANT TO DEFINE THE DIFFICULTITY OF THE QUESTION AND NOT MEANT TO IMPLY IT AS A PRIZE FOR GETTING THE RIGHT ANSWER.
$64,000
In the 1780s, what group of Massachusetts residents revolted during Shay’s Rebellion?
a. farmers
b. freedmen
c. fishermen
d. militia
$125,00
Which of those substances displays physical properties of both solids and liquids?
a. Teflon
b. concrete
c. glass
d. porcelain
$250,00
In the original series of Nancy Drew books, what kind of car does Nancy usually drive?
a. Pink Cadillac
b. Blue roadster
c. White Model T
d. Silver coupe
$500,000
Which of the following religions follows the teachings of a 19th century Persian nobleman?
a. Shinto
b. Sikhism
c. Christian Science
d. Baha’i
$1,000,000
Whose U.S presidential campaign used the slogan “Return to normalcy”?
a. Ulysses S. Grant
b. William H. Taft
c. Warren G. Harding
d. Harry S. Truman
Sunday, September 13, 2009
Update. Yours, Mine, and Ours.
A busy day planned for today. Breakfast with my friend Ted and then an event that I am pretty sure I am going to attend tonight. Yesterday was lunch with Mom and some housecleaning. In addition I received call from the guys that bought my business to give me a work assignment. This is the longest into the year that they have kept me busy. I'm fine with that. With this economy you have to make hay while the sun shines. During the past week there were two nights, three days at Mom's, some serious reading, taking my car to the doctor and getting a new battery. On the agenda coming up this week is a flu shot, some mome time, and really minor foot surgery.
Sister did decide not to come which means my schedule has to be as flexible as my ethics. They will know on the 23rd whether or not the deal on their house falls through. They had the appraisal last week and are worried that the appraisal will come in below the selling price. If that happens they can't afford to go through with the deal. Keep your fingers crossed about two things for my sister, that the deal on their house goes through and if the deal goes through that they move here!
On to the entertainment updates. The Amazing Race starts on CBS on September 27. Among the teams are two Harlem Globetrotters, two female professional poker players, an engaged couple from Boston, grade school sweethearts from San Diego, a dating couple from San Francisco that met online, married yoga instructors from Encino, California, dating aspiring country singers, and a former Miss America and her husband. Should be interesting.
Top Chef is still boring but a little less boring that previous episodes. Finally a man was eliminated. This week was everything French. The Quickfire challenge was all about snails. Or escargot as some of the high society like to call them. For the first time, the loser of the Quickfire challenge was sent packing. The bottom three in the Quickfire challenge were Robin, Jesse, and Ashley. The terrible trio had a cook off, twenty minutes to make a knockout dish with anything in the Top Chef kitchen with the loser going home. Goodbye Jesse. I'm really not sorry to see her go. Kevin won the Quickfire challenge and not only got immunity from elimination but didn't have to cook in the elimination challenge. Instead he got to have dinner with four of the most well known French chefs in the world. Dinner was at one of the famous chef's restaurants. The restaurant owned by the chef of the century, Joel Robouchon. Also at the table were my man Hubert Keller, Laurent Touronde, Jean Joho Daniel, the regular judges, and Kevin. Cooking for them were the other contestants. The contestants were divided into teams of two. One member of the team had to cook French sauces. The other member of the team was in charge of French protein. The top two teams were Jennifer & Michael V and Byran & Mike. I am predicting right now that before this season of Top Chef ends Jennifer and Michael V. are going to do some serious connecting. Winner of the night was Byran. The bottom two teams were Hector & Ash and Matten & Ashley. Hector gets the honor of being the first man eliminated from this season of Top Chef.
I received this message from DR. "Shelly had surgery for a "macular pucker" about four months ago and cataract surgery about two months ago. Both seemed to do well, until the past week. Now, she's told she has "macular edema" and has had a steroid shot to try to correct that and there's a "cloud" behind the lens inserted during cataract surgery and she sees the doc for that in a week or two. Her eyesight is now more troublesome than it was before either procedure and she's scared spitless and depressed. Shelly is a very active, caring, community-driven woman of just 65, a docent for Place of Peace at Furman, an active member, one of the guitar group. She has shared her fear of losing her sight (she only recently had procedures to correct hearing problems from a benign brain tumor they can't remove) with very few and she does believe in prayer, because I asked if I could put her on my prayer list and share with others. She does so much for so many, any positives of whatever nature would be appreciated."
She certainly has mine. It would be appreciated if you would send your good vibes, good thoughts, and prayers if that is your style in Shelly's direction.
The blog is now yours. Tell me everything going on in your life. Post about anything you damn well please. I need to know more about my friends here. And if you are new to the blog or haven't posted on the blog before I would love for you to introduce yourself. What is life if it isn't learning more about the people that you care about and meeting new friends?
TODAY'S TRIVIA
Yesterday's answers: Dollar, snow, really trying, mill, and flags.
TODAY LET'S PLAY WHO WANTS TO BE A MILLIONAIRE.
DISCLAIMER: THE MONEY MENTIONED IS IMAGINARY MONEY ONLY MEANT TO DEFINE THE DIFFICULTITY OF THE QUESTION AND NOT MEANT TO IMPLY IT AS A PRIZE FOR GETTING THE RIGHT ANSWER.
$2,000
Which of these specialized forms of writing is traditionally used by secretaries?
a. italics
b. shorthand
c. calligraphy
d. lithography
$4,000
The age of a horse is commonly determined by examining which part of his body?
a. teeth
b. mane
c. eyes
d. hooves
$8,000
Which of these animated characters attended “Woosamotta U.”?
a. Fred Flintstone
b. Bugs Bunny
c. Bullwinkle
d. Goofy
$16, 000
In 1996, what astronaut set an American record by logging 188 days in space on the Russian space station Mir?
a. Robert H. Lawrence
b. Sally Ride
c. Michael Collins
d. Shannon Lucid
$32,000
The tango, in its present form, emerged from what country in the late 19th century?
a. Cuba
b. Argentina
c. Spain
d. Brazil
Sister did decide not to come which means my schedule has to be as flexible as my ethics. They will know on the 23rd whether or not the deal on their house falls through. They had the appraisal last week and are worried that the appraisal will come in below the selling price. If that happens they can't afford to go through with the deal. Keep your fingers crossed about two things for my sister, that the deal on their house goes through and if the deal goes through that they move here!
On to the entertainment updates. The Amazing Race starts on CBS on September 27. Among the teams are two Harlem Globetrotters, two female professional poker players, an engaged couple from Boston, grade school sweethearts from San Diego, a dating couple from San Francisco that met online, married yoga instructors from Encino, California, dating aspiring country singers, and a former Miss America and her husband. Should be interesting.
Top Chef is still boring but a little less boring that previous episodes. Finally a man was eliminated. This week was everything French. The Quickfire challenge was all about snails. Or escargot as some of the high society like to call them. For the first time, the loser of the Quickfire challenge was sent packing. The bottom three in the Quickfire challenge were Robin, Jesse, and Ashley. The terrible trio had a cook off, twenty minutes to make a knockout dish with anything in the Top Chef kitchen with the loser going home. Goodbye Jesse. I'm really not sorry to see her go. Kevin won the Quickfire challenge and not only got immunity from elimination but didn't have to cook in the elimination challenge. Instead he got to have dinner with four of the most well known French chefs in the world. Dinner was at one of the famous chef's restaurants. The restaurant owned by the chef of the century, Joel Robouchon. Also at the table were my man Hubert Keller, Laurent Touronde, Jean Joho Daniel, the regular judges, and Kevin. Cooking for them were the other contestants. The contestants were divided into teams of two. One member of the team had to cook French sauces. The other member of the team was in charge of French protein. The top two teams were Jennifer & Michael V and Byran & Mike. I am predicting right now that before this season of Top Chef ends Jennifer and Michael V. are going to do some serious connecting. Winner of the night was Byran. The bottom two teams were Hector & Ash and Matten & Ashley. Hector gets the honor of being the first man eliminated from this season of Top Chef.
I received this message from DR. "Shelly had surgery for a "macular pucker" about four months ago and cataract surgery about two months ago. Both seemed to do well, until the past week. Now, she's told she has "macular edema" and has had a steroid shot to try to correct that and there's a "cloud" behind the lens inserted during cataract surgery and she sees the doc for that in a week or two. Her eyesight is now more troublesome than it was before either procedure and she's scared spitless and depressed. Shelly is a very active, caring, community-driven woman of just 65, a docent for Place of Peace at Furman, an active member, one of the guitar group. She has shared her fear of losing her sight (she only recently had procedures to correct hearing problems from a benign brain tumor they can't remove) with very few and she does believe in prayer, because I asked if I could put her on my prayer list and share with others. She does so much for so many, any positives of whatever nature would be appreciated."
She certainly has mine. It would be appreciated if you would send your good vibes, good thoughts, and prayers if that is your style in Shelly's direction.
The blog is now yours. Tell me everything going on in your life. Post about anything you damn well please. I need to know more about my friends here. And if you are new to the blog or haven't posted on the blog before I would love for you to introduce yourself. What is life if it isn't learning more about the people that you care about and meeting new friends?
TODAY'S TRIVIA
Yesterday's answers: Dollar, snow, really trying, mill, and flags.
TODAY LET'S PLAY WHO WANTS TO BE A MILLIONAIRE.
DISCLAIMER: THE MONEY MENTIONED IS IMAGINARY MONEY ONLY MEANT TO DEFINE THE DIFFICULTITY OF THE QUESTION AND NOT MEANT TO IMPLY IT AS A PRIZE FOR GETTING THE RIGHT ANSWER.
$2,000
Which of these specialized forms of writing is traditionally used by secretaries?
a. italics
b. shorthand
c. calligraphy
d. lithography
$4,000
The age of a horse is commonly determined by examining which part of his body?
a. teeth
b. mane
c. eyes
d. hooves
$8,000
Which of these animated characters attended “Woosamotta U.”?
a. Fred Flintstone
b. Bugs Bunny
c. Bullwinkle
d. Goofy
$16, 000
In 1996, what astronaut set an American record by logging 188 days in space on the Russian space station Mir?
a. Robert H. Lawrence
b. Sally Ride
c. Michael Collins
d. Shannon Lucid
$32,000
The tango, in its present form, emerged from what country in the late 19th century?
a. Cuba
b. Argentina
c. Spain
d. Brazil
Saturday, September 12, 2009
Mascots & Movie Quotes
I'm in my top twenty-five mode as I scrambe to reacquaint myself with my crativity while trying to find a life. Today we are doing mascots and movies. First up are the top twenty-five mascots according to Walletpop.com. I was kind of sorry not to see the "where is the beef" granny from Wendy's because I always kind of had the hots for her.
25. Geico Cavemen.
24. Taco Bell Dog., Gidget..
23. Borden's Elsie The Cow.
22. Spuds McKenzie, Bud Light..
21. Miss Chiquita Banana.
20. Morris the Cat.
19. Trix Rabbit, General Mills' Trix Cereal.
18. Aflac Duck.
17. Speedy Alka-Seltzer.
16. Woodsy the Owl, United States Forest Service
15. Snap, Crackle, & Pop, Kellogg's Rice Krispies.
14. Fruit of the Loom Guys.
13. Joe Camel, Camel Cigarettes.
12. Toucan Sam, Kellogg's Froot Loops.
11. Charlie Tuna, StarKist.
10. Geoffrey Giraffe, Mascot for: Toys"R"Us.
9. Energizer Bunny, Energizer.
8. Jolly Green Giant & Sprout.
7. Mr. Clean.
6. Keebler Elves Led By Ernie.
5. Poppin' Fresh Doughboy, Pillsbury.
4. Michelin Man.
3. Mr. Peanut, Planters.
2. Tony the Tiger, Kellogg's Frosted Flakes.
1. Mickey Mouse, Disney & Ronald McDonald. McDonald's (Tied).
I was also surprised not to see the Clydesdales on the list.
On to the top twenty-five movie quotes from Wikipedia. Some of the ones that didn't make the list. My favorite line of all time from When Harry Met Sally, "I'll have what she is having." Also "There is no crying in baseball" from A League of Their Own and "You had me at hello" from Jerry Maguire.
25. "Show me the money!" Rod Tidwell Cuba Gooding, Jr. Jerry Maguire 1996.
24. "I am big! It's the pictures that got small." Norma Desmond Gloria Swanson Sunset Boulevard 1950.
23. "There's no place like home." Dorothy Gale Judy Garland The Wizard of Oz 1939.
22. "Bond. James Bond." James Bond Sean Connery[8] Dr. No[1] 1962.
21. "A census taker once tried to test me. I ate his liver with some fava beans and a nice Chianti." Hannibal Lecter Anthony Hopkins The Silence of the Lambs 1991.
20. "Louis, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship." Rick Blaine Humphrey Bogart Casablanca 1942.
19. "I'm as mad as hell, and I'm not going to take this anymore!" Howard Beale Peter Finch Network 1976.
18. "Made it, Ma! Top of the world!" Arthur "Cody" Jarrett James Cagney White Heat 1949.
17. "Rosebud." Charles Foster Kane Orson Welles Citizen Kane 1941.
16. "They call me Mister Tibbs!" Virgil Tibbs Sidney Poitier In the Heat of the Night 1967.
15. "E.T. phone home." E.T. Pat Welsh E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial 1982.
14. "The stuff that dreams are made of."[7] Sam Spade Humphrey Bogart The Maltese Falcon 1941.
13. "Love means never having to say you're sorry." Jennifer Cavilleri Barrett Ali MacGraw Love Story 1970.
12. "I love the smell of napalm in the morning!" Lt. Col. Bill Kilgore Robert Duvall Apocalypse Now 1979.
11. "What we've got here is failure to communicate."[6] Captain Strother Martin Cool Hand Luke 1967.
10. "You talkin' to me?" Travis Bickle Robert De Niro Taxi Driver 1976.
9. "Fasten your seatbelts. It's going to be a bumpy night." Margo Channing Bette Davis All About Eve 1950.
8. "May the Force be with you." Han Solo Harrison Ford Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope 1977.
7. "All right, Mr. DeMille, I'm ready for my close-up."[5] Norma Desmond Gloria Swanson Sunset Boulevard 1950.
6. "Go ahead, make my day." Harry Callahan Clint Eastwood Sudden Impact 1983.
5. "Here's looking at you, kid." Rick Blaine Humphrey Bogart Casablanca 1942.
4. "Toto, I've got a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore." Dorothy Gale Judy Garland The Wizard of Oz 1939.
3. "You don't understand! I coulda had class. I coulda been a contender. I could've been somebody, instead of a bum, which is what I am."[4] Terry Malloy Marlon Brando On the Waterfront 1954.
2. "I'm gonna make him an offer he can't refuse."[3] Vito Corleone Marlon Brando The Godfather 1972.
1. "Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn" Rhett Butler Clark Gable Gone with the Wind 1939.
Are you surprised at what mascots made the list? Who are some of your favorite mascots? What about the top twenty-five movie quotes? Surprised at some that made the list? Or didn't make the list? Does love mean never having to say your sorry? May the force be with you today.
Yesterday's answers: Wilson or Harding, Rabies, Holy Roman Emperor, Pulitzer Prize, and The U.N.
TODAY LET'S PLAY WHO WANTS TO BE A MILLIONAIRE.
DISCLAIMER: THE MONEY MENTIONED IS IMAGINARY MONEY ONLY MEANT TO DEFINE THE DIFFICULTITY OF THE QUESTION AND NOT MEANT TO IMPLY IT AS A PRIZE FOR GETTING THE RIGHT ANSWER.
$100
According to a common phrase, if you are very sure of something, you can “bet your bottom” what?
a. layer
b. bunk
c. dollar
d. feeder
$200
A toboggan is best used on which of these surfaces?
a. plastic
b. Velcro
c. snow
d. sandpaper
$300
The title of a 1961 Broadway musical tells you How to Succeed in Business Without what?
a. a lot of money
b. really trying
c. working late
d. taking bribes
$500
Which of the following devices is used to serve fresh pepper?
a. carafe
b. press
c. thermos
d. mill
$1,000
Members of a “color guard” traditionally are responsible for which of these items?
a. flags
b. drums
c. shields
d. bows and arrows
25. Geico Cavemen.
24. Taco Bell Dog., Gidget..
23. Borden's Elsie The Cow.
22. Spuds McKenzie, Bud Light..
21. Miss Chiquita Banana.
20. Morris the Cat.
19. Trix Rabbit, General Mills' Trix Cereal.
18. Aflac Duck.
17. Speedy Alka-Seltzer.
16. Woodsy the Owl, United States Forest Service
15. Snap, Crackle, & Pop, Kellogg's Rice Krispies.
14. Fruit of the Loom Guys.
13. Joe Camel, Camel Cigarettes.
12. Toucan Sam, Kellogg's Froot Loops.
11. Charlie Tuna, StarKist.
10. Geoffrey Giraffe, Mascot for: Toys"R"Us.
9. Energizer Bunny, Energizer.
8. Jolly Green Giant & Sprout.
7. Mr. Clean.
6. Keebler Elves Led By Ernie.
5. Poppin' Fresh Doughboy, Pillsbury.
4. Michelin Man.
3. Mr. Peanut, Planters.
2. Tony the Tiger, Kellogg's Frosted Flakes.
1. Mickey Mouse, Disney & Ronald McDonald. McDonald's (Tied).
I was also surprised not to see the Clydesdales on the list.
On to the top twenty-five movie quotes from Wikipedia. Some of the ones that didn't make the list. My favorite line of all time from When Harry Met Sally, "I'll have what she is having." Also "There is no crying in baseball" from A League of Their Own and "You had me at hello" from Jerry Maguire.
25. "Show me the money!" Rod Tidwell Cuba Gooding, Jr. Jerry Maguire 1996.
24. "I am big! It's the pictures that got small." Norma Desmond Gloria Swanson Sunset Boulevard 1950.
23. "There's no place like home." Dorothy Gale Judy Garland The Wizard of Oz 1939.
22. "Bond. James Bond." James Bond Sean Connery[8] Dr. No[1] 1962.
21. "A census taker once tried to test me. I ate his liver with some fava beans and a nice Chianti." Hannibal Lecter Anthony Hopkins The Silence of the Lambs 1991.
20. "Louis, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship." Rick Blaine Humphrey Bogart Casablanca 1942.
19. "I'm as mad as hell, and I'm not going to take this anymore!" Howard Beale Peter Finch Network 1976.
18. "Made it, Ma! Top of the world!" Arthur "Cody" Jarrett James Cagney White Heat 1949.
17. "Rosebud." Charles Foster Kane Orson Welles Citizen Kane 1941.
16. "They call me Mister Tibbs!" Virgil Tibbs Sidney Poitier In the Heat of the Night 1967.
15. "E.T. phone home." E.T. Pat Welsh E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial 1982.
14. "The stuff that dreams are made of."[7] Sam Spade Humphrey Bogart The Maltese Falcon 1941.
13. "Love means never having to say you're sorry." Jennifer Cavilleri Barrett Ali MacGraw Love Story 1970.
12. "I love the smell of napalm in the morning!" Lt. Col. Bill Kilgore Robert Duvall Apocalypse Now 1979.
11. "What we've got here is failure to communicate."[6] Captain Strother Martin Cool Hand Luke 1967.
10. "You talkin' to me?" Travis Bickle Robert De Niro Taxi Driver 1976.
9. "Fasten your seatbelts. It's going to be a bumpy night." Margo Channing Bette Davis All About Eve 1950.
8. "May the Force be with you." Han Solo Harrison Ford Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope 1977.
7. "All right, Mr. DeMille, I'm ready for my close-up."[5] Norma Desmond Gloria Swanson Sunset Boulevard 1950.
6. "Go ahead, make my day." Harry Callahan Clint Eastwood Sudden Impact 1983.
5. "Here's looking at you, kid." Rick Blaine Humphrey Bogart Casablanca 1942.
4. "Toto, I've got a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore." Dorothy Gale Judy Garland The Wizard of Oz 1939.
3. "You don't understand! I coulda had class. I coulda been a contender. I could've been somebody, instead of a bum, which is what I am."[4] Terry Malloy Marlon Brando On the Waterfront 1954.
2. "I'm gonna make him an offer he can't refuse."[3] Vito Corleone Marlon Brando The Godfather 1972.
1. "Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn" Rhett Butler Clark Gable Gone with the Wind 1939.
Are you surprised at what mascots made the list? Who are some of your favorite mascots? What about the top twenty-five movie quotes? Surprised at some that made the list? Or didn't make the list? Does love mean never having to say your sorry? May the force be with you today.
Yesterday's answers: Wilson or Harding, Rabies, Holy Roman Emperor, Pulitzer Prize, and The U.N.
TODAY LET'S PLAY WHO WANTS TO BE A MILLIONAIRE.
DISCLAIMER: THE MONEY MENTIONED IS IMAGINARY MONEY ONLY MEANT TO DEFINE THE DIFFICULTITY OF THE QUESTION AND NOT MEANT TO IMPLY IT AS A PRIZE FOR GETTING THE RIGHT ANSWER.
$100
According to a common phrase, if you are very sure of something, you can “bet your bottom” what?
a. layer
b. bunk
c. dollar
d. feeder
$200
A toboggan is best used on which of these surfaces?
a. plastic
b. Velcro
c. snow
d. sandpaper
$300
The title of a 1961 Broadway musical tells you How to Succeed in Business Without what?
a. a lot of money
b. really trying
c. working late
d. taking bribes
$500
Which of the following devices is used to serve fresh pepper?
a. carafe
b. press
c. thermos
d. mill
$1,000
Members of a “color guard” traditionally are responsible for which of these items?
a. flags
b. drums
c. shields
d. bows and arrows
Friday, September 11, 2009
We Will Never Forget
There will be no trivia today in honor of all the victims of 9-11-01. Yesterday's trivia answers will be on tomorrow's blog entry. From cnn.com/us the 9-11-01 timeline:
8:45 a.m. (all times are EDT): A hijacked passenger jet, American Airlines Flight 11 out of Boston, Massachusetts, crashes into the north tower of the World Trade Center, tearing a gaping hole in the building and setting it afire.
Plane hits WTC.
9:03 a.m.: A second hijacked airliner, United Airlines Flight 175 from Boston, crashes into the south tower of the World Trade Center and explodes. Both buildings are burning.
9:17 a.m.: The Federal Aviation Administration shuts down all New York City area airports.
9:21 a.m.: The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey orders all bridges and tunnels in the New York area closed.
9:30 a.m.: President Bush, speaking in Sarasota, Florida, says the country has suffered an "apparent terrorist attack."
9:40 a.m.: The FAA halts all flight operations at U.S. airports, the first time in U.S. history that air traffic nationwide has been halted.
9:43 a.m.: American Airlines Flight 77 crashes into the Pentagon, sending up a huge plume of smoke. Evacuation begins immediately.
9:45 a.m.: The White House evacuates.
9:57 a.m.: Bush departs from Florida.
10:05 a.m.: The south tower of the World Trade Center collapses, plummeting into the streets below. A massive cloud of dust and debris forms and slowly drifts away from the building.
Pentagon Burns
10:08 a.m.: Secret Service agents armed with automatic rifles are deployed into Lafayette Park across from the White House.
10:10 a.m.: A portion of the Pentagon collapses.
10:10 a.m.: United Airlines Flight 93, also hijacked, crashes in Somerset County, Pennsylvania, southeast of Pittsburgh.
10:13 a.m.: The United Nations building evacuates, including 4,700 people from the headquarters building and 7,000 total from UNICEF and U.N. development programs.
10:22 a.m.: In Washington, the State and Justice departments are evacuated, along with the World Bank.
10:24 a.m.: The FAA reports that all inbound transatlantic aircraft flying into the United States are being diverted to Canada.
Pennsylvania crash scene
10:28 a.m.: The World Trade Center's north tower collapses from the top down as if it were being peeled apart, releasing a tremendous cloud of debris and smoke.
10:45 a.m.: All federal office buildings in Washington are evacuated.
10.46 a.m.: U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell cuts short his trip to Latin America to return to the United States.
First tower falls.
10.48 a.m.: Police confirm the plane crash in Pennsylvania.
10:53 a.m.: New York's primary elections, scheduled for Tuesday, are postponed.
10:54 a.m.: Israel evacuates all diplomatic missions.
10:57 a.m.: New York Gov. George Pataki says all state government offices are closed.
11:02 a.m.: New York City Mayor Rudolph Giuliani urges New Yorkers to stay at home and orders an evacuation of the area south of Canal Street.
11:16 a.m.: CNN reports that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is preparing emergency-response teams in a precautionary move.
11:18 a.m.: American Airlines reports it has lost two aircraft. American Flight 11, a Boeing 767 flying from Boston to Los Angeles, had 81 passengers and 11 crew aboard. Flight 77, a Boeing 757 en route from Washington's Dulles International Airport to Los Angeles, had 58 passengers and six crew members aboard. Flight 11 slammed into the north tower of the World Trade Center. Flight 77 hit the Pentagon.
11:26 a.m.: United Airlines reports that United Flight 93, en route from Newark, New Jersey, to San Francisco, California, has crashed in Pennsylvania. The airline also says that it is "deeply concerned" about United Flight 175.
11:59 a.m.: United Airlines confirms that Flight 175, from Boston to Los Angeles, has crashed with 56 passengers and nine crew members aboard. It hit the World Trade Center's south tower.
12:04 p.m.: Los Angeles International Airport, the destination of three of the crashed airplanes, is evacuated.
12:15 p.m: San Francisco International Airport is evacuated and shut down. The airport was the destination of United Airlines Flight 93, which crashed in Pennsylvania.
Second tower falls.
12:15 p.m.: The Immigration and Naturalization Service says U.S. borders with Canada and Mexico are on the highest state of alert, but no decision has been made about closing borders.
12:30 p.m.: The FAA says 50 flights are in U.S. airspace, but none are reporting any problems.
1:04 p.m.: Bush, speaking from Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana, says that all appropriate security measures are being taken, including putting the U.S. military on high alert worldwide. He asks for prayers for those killed or wounded in the attacks and says, "Make no mistake, the United States will hunt down and punish those responsible for these cowardly acts."
1:27 p.m.: A state of emergency is declared by the city of Washington.
1:44 p.m.: The Pentagon says five warships and two aircraft carriers will leave the U.S. Naval Station in Norfolk, Virginia, to protect the East Coast from further attack and to reduce the number of ships in port. The two carriers, the USS George Washington and the USS John F. Kennedy, are headed for the New York coast. The other ships headed to sea are frigates and guided missile destroyers capable of shooting down aircraft.
1:48 p.m.: Bush leaves Barksdale Air Force Base aboard Air Force One and flies to an Air Force base in Nebraska.
Bush: "Attacks cowardly."
2 p.m.: Senior FBI sources tell CNN they are working on the assumption that the four airplanes that crashed were hijacked as part of a terrorist attack.
2:30 p.m.: The FAA announces there will be no U.S. commercial air traffic until noon EDT Wednesday at the earliest.
2:49 p.m.: At a news conference, Giuliani says that subway and bus service are partially restored in New York City. Asked about the number of people killed, Giuliani says, "I don't think we want to speculate about that -- more than any of us can bear."
3:55 p.m.: Karen Hughes, a White House counselor, says the president is at an undisclosed location, later revealed to be Offutt Air Force Base in Nebraska, and is conducting a National Security Council meeting by phone. Vice President Dick Cheney and National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice are in a secure facility at the White House. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld is at the Pentagon.
3:55 p.m.: Giuliani now says the number of critically injured in New York City is up to 200 with 2,100 total injuries reported.
4 p.m: CNN National Security Correspondent David Ensor reports that U.S. officials say there are "good indications" that Saudi militant Osama bin Laden, suspected of coordinating the bombings of two U.S. embassies in 1998, is involved in the attacks, based on "new and specific" information developed since the attacks.
4:06 p.m.: California Gov. Gray Davis dispatches urban search-and-rescue teams to New York.
4:10 p.m.: Building 7 of the World Trade Center complex is reported on fire.
New York Mayor Giuliani
4:20 p.m.: U.S. Sen. Bob Graham, D-Florida, chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, says he was "not surprised there was an attack (but) was surprised at the specificity." He says he was "shocked at what actually happened -- the extent of it."
4:25 p.m.: The American Stock Exchange, the Nasdaq and the New York Stock Exchange say they will remain closed Wednesday.
4:30 p.m.: The president leaves Offutt Air Force Base in Nebraska aboard Air Force One to return to Washington.
5:15 p.m.: CNN Military Affairs Correspondent Jamie McIntyre reports fires are still burning in part of the Pentagon. No death figures have been released yet.
5:20 p.m.: The 47-story Building 7 of the World Trade Center complex collapses. The evacuated building is damaged when the twin towers across the street collapse earlier in the day. Other nearby buildings in the area remain ablaze.
5:30 p.m.: CNN Senior White House Correspondent John King reports that U.S. officials say the plane that crashed in Pennsylvania could have been headed for one of three possible targets: Camp David, the White House or the U.S. Capitol building.
6 p.m.: Explosions are heard in Kabul, Afghanistan, hours after terrorist attacks targeted financial and military centers in the United States. The attacks occurred at 2:30 a.m. local time. Afghanistan is believed to be where bin Laden, who U.S. officials say is possibly behind Tuesday's deadly attacks, is located. U.S. officials say later that the United States had no involvement in the incident whatsoever. The attack is credited to the Northern Alliance, a group fighting the Taliban in the country's ongoing civil war.
6:10 p.m.:Giuliani urges New Yorkers to stay home Wednesday if they can.
Stunned onlookers
6:40 p.m.: Rumsfeld, the U.S. defense secretary, holds a news conference in the Pentagon, noting the building is operational. "It will be in business tomorrow," he says.
6:54 p.m.: Bush arrives back at the White House aboard Marine One and is scheduled to address the nation at 8:30 p.m. The president earlier landed at Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland with a three-fighter jet escort. CNN's John King reports Laura Bush arrived earlier by motorcade from a "secure location."
7:17 p.m.: U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft says the FBI is setting up a Web site for tips on the attacks: www.ifccfbi.gov. He also says family and friends of possible victims can leave contact information at 800-331-0075.
7:02 p.m.: CNN's Paula Zahn reports the Marriott Hotel near the World Trade Center is on the verge of collapse and says some New York bridges are now open to outbound traffic.
WTC devastation
7:45 p.m.: The New York Police Department says that at least 78 officers are missing. The city also says that as many as half of the first 400 firefighters on the scene were killed.
8:30 p.m.: President Bush addresses the nation, saying "thousands of lives were suddenly ended by evil" and asks for prayers for the families and friends of Tuesday's victims. "These acts shattered steel, but they cannot dent the steel of American resolve," he says. The president says the U.S. government will make no distinction between the terrorists who committed the acts and those who harbor them. He adds that government offices in Washington are reopening for essential personnel Tuesday night and for all workers Wednesday.
9:22 p.m.: CNN's McIntyre reports the fire at the Pentagon is still burning and is considered contained but not under control.
9:57 p.m.: Giuliani says New York City schools will be closed Wednesday and no more volunteers are needed for Tuesday evening's rescue efforts. He says there is hope that there are still people alive in rubble. He also says that power is out on the westside of Manhattan and that health department tests show there are no airborne chemical agents about which to worry.
10:49 p.m.: CNN Congressional Correspondent Jonathan Karl reports that Attorney General Ashcroft told members of Congress that there were three to five hijackers on each plane armed only with knives.
10:56 p.m: CNN's Zahn reports that New York City police believe there are people alive in buildings near the World Trade Center.
11:54 p.m.: CNN Washington Bureau Chief Frank Sesno reports that a government official told him there was an open microphone on one of the hijacked planes and that sounds of discussion and "duress" were heard. Sesno also reports a source says law enforcement has "credible" information and leads and is confident about the investigation.
Where were you when the first plane hit? I was at my parents. Mom was still able to stay with dad most nights but the night of 9-10-01 she was more nervous than normal and had a premonition that something bad was going to happen. She asked that I spend the night of 9-10 at her house and I did. I was supposed to be in the air that day but canceled a trip to London because dad had a stroke. Mary W. and Bev were in London on that terrible day. Where were you?
"Death is not the end but a beginning. The beginning of a journey to a higher station of life. They have yet to invent anything stronger than love, love travels to hearts through doors and through time. It is everlasting. The journey to your new home will not be taken alone for the love of all of us travel with you."
Bill Dahn 9-11-01
8:45 a.m. (all times are EDT): A hijacked passenger jet, American Airlines Flight 11 out of Boston, Massachusetts, crashes into the north tower of the World Trade Center, tearing a gaping hole in the building and setting it afire.
Plane hits WTC.
9:03 a.m.: A second hijacked airliner, United Airlines Flight 175 from Boston, crashes into the south tower of the World Trade Center and explodes. Both buildings are burning.
9:17 a.m.: The Federal Aviation Administration shuts down all New York City area airports.
9:21 a.m.: The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey orders all bridges and tunnels in the New York area closed.
9:30 a.m.: President Bush, speaking in Sarasota, Florida, says the country has suffered an "apparent terrorist attack."
9:40 a.m.: The FAA halts all flight operations at U.S. airports, the first time in U.S. history that air traffic nationwide has been halted.
9:43 a.m.: American Airlines Flight 77 crashes into the Pentagon, sending up a huge plume of smoke. Evacuation begins immediately.
9:45 a.m.: The White House evacuates.
9:57 a.m.: Bush departs from Florida.
10:05 a.m.: The south tower of the World Trade Center collapses, plummeting into the streets below. A massive cloud of dust and debris forms and slowly drifts away from the building.
Pentagon Burns
10:08 a.m.: Secret Service agents armed with automatic rifles are deployed into Lafayette Park across from the White House.
10:10 a.m.: A portion of the Pentagon collapses.
10:10 a.m.: United Airlines Flight 93, also hijacked, crashes in Somerset County, Pennsylvania, southeast of Pittsburgh.
10:13 a.m.: The United Nations building evacuates, including 4,700 people from the headquarters building and 7,000 total from UNICEF and U.N. development programs.
10:22 a.m.: In Washington, the State and Justice departments are evacuated, along with the World Bank.
10:24 a.m.: The FAA reports that all inbound transatlantic aircraft flying into the United States are being diverted to Canada.
Pennsylvania crash scene
10:28 a.m.: The World Trade Center's north tower collapses from the top down as if it were being peeled apart, releasing a tremendous cloud of debris and smoke.
10:45 a.m.: All federal office buildings in Washington are evacuated.
10.46 a.m.: U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell cuts short his trip to Latin America to return to the United States.
First tower falls.
10.48 a.m.: Police confirm the plane crash in Pennsylvania.
10:53 a.m.: New York's primary elections, scheduled for Tuesday, are postponed.
10:54 a.m.: Israel evacuates all diplomatic missions.
10:57 a.m.: New York Gov. George Pataki says all state government offices are closed.
11:02 a.m.: New York City Mayor Rudolph Giuliani urges New Yorkers to stay at home and orders an evacuation of the area south of Canal Street.
11:16 a.m.: CNN reports that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is preparing emergency-response teams in a precautionary move.
11:18 a.m.: American Airlines reports it has lost two aircraft. American Flight 11, a Boeing 767 flying from Boston to Los Angeles, had 81 passengers and 11 crew aboard. Flight 77, a Boeing 757 en route from Washington's Dulles International Airport to Los Angeles, had 58 passengers and six crew members aboard. Flight 11 slammed into the north tower of the World Trade Center. Flight 77 hit the Pentagon.
11:26 a.m.: United Airlines reports that United Flight 93, en route from Newark, New Jersey, to San Francisco, California, has crashed in Pennsylvania. The airline also says that it is "deeply concerned" about United Flight 175.
11:59 a.m.: United Airlines confirms that Flight 175, from Boston to Los Angeles, has crashed with 56 passengers and nine crew members aboard. It hit the World Trade Center's south tower.
12:04 p.m.: Los Angeles International Airport, the destination of three of the crashed airplanes, is evacuated.
12:15 p.m: San Francisco International Airport is evacuated and shut down. The airport was the destination of United Airlines Flight 93, which crashed in Pennsylvania.
Second tower falls.
12:15 p.m.: The Immigration and Naturalization Service says U.S. borders with Canada and Mexico are on the highest state of alert, but no decision has been made about closing borders.
12:30 p.m.: The FAA says 50 flights are in U.S. airspace, but none are reporting any problems.
1:04 p.m.: Bush, speaking from Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana, says that all appropriate security measures are being taken, including putting the U.S. military on high alert worldwide. He asks for prayers for those killed or wounded in the attacks and says, "Make no mistake, the United States will hunt down and punish those responsible for these cowardly acts."
1:27 p.m.: A state of emergency is declared by the city of Washington.
1:44 p.m.: The Pentagon says five warships and two aircraft carriers will leave the U.S. Naval Station in Norfolk, Virginia, to protect the East Coast from further attack and to reduce the number of ships in port. The two carriers, the USS George Washington and the USS John F. Kennedy, are headed for the New York coast. The other ships headed to sea are frigates and guided missile destroyers capable of shooting down aircraft.
1:48 p.m.: Bush leaves Barksdale Air Force Base aboard Air Force One and flies to an Air Force base in Nebraska.
Bush: "Attacks cowardly."
2 p.m.: Senior FBI sources tell CNN they are working on the assumption that the four airplanes that crashed were hijacked as part of a terrorist attack.
2:30 p.m.: The FAA announces there will be no U.S. commercial air traffic until noon EDT Wednesday at the earliest.
2:49 p.m.: At a news conference, Giuliani says that subway and bus service are partially restored in New York City. Asked about the number of people killed, Giuliani says, "I don't think we want to speculate about that -- more than any of us can bear."
3:55 p.m.: Karen Hughes, a White House counselor, says the president is at an undisclosed location, later revealed to be Offutt Air Force Base in Nebraska, and is conducting a National Security Council meeting by phone. Vice President Dick Cheney and National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice are in a secure facility at the White House. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld is at the Pentagon.
3:55 p.m.: Giuliani now says the number of critically injured in New York City is up to 200 with 2,100 total injuries reported.
4 p.m: CNN National Security Correspondent David Ensor reports that U.S. officials say there are "good indications" that Saudi militant Osama bin Laden, suspected of coordinating the bombings of two U.S. embassies in 1998, is involved in the attacks, based on "new and specific" information developed since the attacks.
4:06 p.m.: California Gov. Gray Davis dispatches urban search-and-rescue teams to New York.
4:10 p.m.: Building 7 of the World Trade Center complex is reported on fire.
New York Mayor Giuliani
4:20 p.m.: U.S. Sen. Bob Graham, D-Florida, chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, says he was "not surprised there was an attack (but) was surprised at the specificity." He says he was "shocked at what actually happened -- the extent of it."
4:25 p.m.: The American Stock Exchange, the Nasdaq and the New York Stock Exchange say they will remain closed Wednesday.
4:30 p.m.: The president leaves Offutt Air Force Base in Nebraska aboard Air Force One to return to Washington.
5:15 p.m.: CNN Military Affairs Correspondent Jamie McIntyre reports fires are still burning in part of the Pentagon. No death figures have been released yet.
5:20 p.m.: The 47-story Building 7 of the World Trade Center complex collapses. The evacuated building is damaged when the twin towers across the street collapse earlier in the day. Other nearby buildings in the area remain ablaze.
5:30 p.m.: CNN Senior White House Correspondent John King reports that U.S. officials say the plane that crashed in Pennsylvania could have been headed for one of three possible targets: Camp David, the White House or the U.S. Capitol building.
6 p.m.: Explosions are heard in Kabul, Afghanistan, hours after terrorist attacks targeted financial and military centers in the United States. The attacks occurred at 2:30 a.m. local time. Afghanistan is believed to be where bin Laden, who U.S. officials say is possibly behind Tuesday's deadly attacks, is located. U.S. officials say later that the United States had no involvement in the incident whatsoever. The attack is credited to the Northern Alliance, a group fighting the Taliban in the country's ongoing civil war.
6:10 p.m.:Giuliani urges New Yorkers to stay home Wednesday if they can.
Stunned onlookers
6:40 p.m.: Rumsfeld, the U.S. defense secretary, holds a news conference in the Pentagon, noting the building is operational. "It will be in business tomorrow," he says.
6:54 p.m.: Bush arrives back at the White House aboard Marine One and is scheduled to address the nation at 8:30 p.m. The president earlier landed at Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland with a three-fighter jet escort. CNN's John King reports Laura Bush arrived earlier by motorcade from a "secure location."
7:17 p.m.: U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft says the FBI is setting up a Web site for tips on the attacks: www.ifccfbi.gov. He also says family and friends of possible victims can leave contact information at 800-331-0075.
7:02 p.m.: CNN's Paula Zahn reports the Marriott Hotel near the World Trade Center is on the verge of collapse and says some New York bridges are now open to outbound traffic.
WTC devastation
7:45 p.m.: The New York Police Department says that at least 78 officers are missing. The city also says that as many as half of the first 400 firefighters on the scene were killed.
8:30 p.m.: President Bush addresses the nation, saying "thousands of lives were suddenly ended by evil" and asks for prayers for the families and friends of Tuesday's victims. "These acts shattered steel, but they cannot dent the steel of American resolve," he says. The president says the U.S. government will make no distinction between the terrorists who committed the acts and those who harbor them. He adds that government offices in Washington are reopening for essential personnel Tuesday night and for all workers Wednesday.
9:22 p.m.: CNN's McIntyre reports the fire at the Pentagon is still burning and is considered contained but not under control.
9:57 p.m.: Giuliani says New York City schools will be closed Wednesday and no more volunteers are needed for Tuesday evening's rescue efforts. He says there is hope that there are still people alive in rubble. He also says that power is out on the westside of Manhattan and that health department tests show there are no airborne chemical agents about which to worry.
10:49 p.m.: CNN Congressional Correspondent Jonathan Karl reports that Attorney General Ashcroft told members of Congress that there were three to five hijackers on each plane armed only with knives.
10:56 p.m: CNN's Zahn reports that New York City police believe there are people alive in buildings near the World Trade Center.
11:54 p.m.: CNN Washington Bureau Chief Frank Sesno reports that a government official told him there was an open microphone on one of the hijacked planes and that sounds of discussion and "duress" were heard. Sesno also reports a source says law enforcement has "credible" information and leads and is confident about the investigation.
Where were you when the first plane hit? I was at my parents. Mom was still able to stay with dad most nights but the night of 9-10-01 she was more nervous than normal and had a premonition that something bad was going to happen. She asked that I spend the night of 9-10 at her house and I did. I was supposed to be in the air that day but canceled a trip to London because dad had a stroke. Mary W. and Bev were in London on that terrible day. Where were you?
"Death is not the end but a beginning. The beginning of a journey to a higher station of life. They have yet to invent anything stronger than love, love travels to hearts through doors and through time. It is everlasting. The journey to your new home will not be taken alone for the love of all of us travel with you."
Bill Dahn 9-11-01
Thursday, September 10, 2009
The Good In The Bad.
There are some good things about a bad economy. In an article in Today's Oregonian by Scott Learn of The Associated Press it was stated that Oregonians have generated less trash. We threw out less garbage and increased our recycling. According to the article we threw out 9% less trash than we did last year. While the decrease in construction caused some of the decline the decline was across the board and we consumed less. The recycling increased as due to the economy we were less likely to throw out stuff and more likely to reuse things.
Another positive result of a bad economy is that grocery prices are down. According to an article written by Emily Fredrix and Sarah Skidmore of the Associated Press that I found on PalmBeachPost.com. "Falling prices for gasoline and transportation plus consumer resistance to price increases have helped drive this latest spiral downward." Prices for milk, eggs, bread, butter and other staples were all down. The cost for meats, fruits and vegetables also declined. According to the article prices of food meant to be eaten at home have fallen for the seventh time in eight months.
What is going on in your area and with you personally? Are the grocery prices going down in your area? Are you using less garbage and recycling more?
TODAY'S TRIVIA
Yesterday's answers: Nader, Firestone, Vijay Singh, The Queen Mother, and Pyongyang.
TODAY LET'S PLAY DOUBLE JEOPARDY
DISCLAIMER: THE MONEY MENTIONED IS IMAGINARY MONEY ONLY MEANT TO DEFINE THE DIFFICULTITY OF THE QUESTION AND NOT MEANT TO IMPLY IT AS A PRIZE FOR GETTING THE RIGHT ANSWER.
The Category is First Things First.
$400
Speaking to World War I Troops in 1919, this man became the first U.S. president to make a radio broadcast.
$800
After being bitten by a dog in 1885, Joseph Meister became the first person innoculated against this.
$1,200
Some consider German King Otto The Great, crowned in 962, the first of these central European "emperors."
$1,600
Ernest Poole became the first novelist to win this prize, on 6-3-1918
$2,000
The Garden Court was the site of the official 1945 banquet honoring the opening session of this organization.
Another positive result of a bad economy is that grocery prices are down. According to an article written by Emily Fredrix and Sarah Skidmore of the Associated Press that I found on PalmBeachPost.com. "Falling prices for gasoline and transportation plus consumer resistance to price increases have helped drive this latest spiral downward." Prices for milk, eggs, bread, butter and other staples were all down. The cost for meats, fruits and vegetables also declined. According to the article prices of food meant to be eaten at home have fallen for the seventh time in eight months.
What is going on in your area and with you personally? Are the grocery prices going down in your area? Are you using less garbage and recycling more?
TODAY'S TRIVIA
Yesterday's answers: Nader, Firestone, Vijay Singh, The Queen Mother, and Pyongyang.
TODAY LET'S PLAY DOUBLE JEOPARDY
DISCLAIMER: THE MONEY MENTIONED IS IMAGINARY MONEY ONLY MEANT TO DEFINE THE DIFFICULTITY OF THE QUESTION AND NOT MEANT TO IMPLY IT AS A PRIZE FOR GETTING THE RIGHT ANSWER.
The Category is First Things First.
$400
Speaking to World War I Troops in 1919, this man became the first U.S. president to make a radio broadcast.
$800
After being bitten by a dog in 1885, Joseph Meister became the first person innoculated against this.
$1,200
Some consider German King Otto The Great, crowned in 962, the first of these central European "emperors."
$1,600
Ernest Poole became the first novelist to win this prize, on 6-3-1918
$2,000
The Garden Court was the site of the official 1945 banquet honoring the opening session of this organization.
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
Random Thoughts & Complaints.
Today is 9-09-09, according to one report I read there are more weddings scheduled for today than any day since 7-07-07.
Barbara Padilla is so far ahead of the competition in her group on America's Got Talent it is absolutely pitiful. The other group has the Three Tenors from Texas and a couple of good cowboy singers and maybe the five sisters have a shot but I'm am betting the final two are Barbara Padilla and The Texas Tenors.
Top Chef is really boring this season but I am addicted so tonight at 10 PM, 9 PM Central time on Bravo I will tune into to watch who gets eliminated. Tonight the loser of the Quickfire Challenge also goes home.
Why do I have such a hard time spelling easy words when I can crank out the difficult words to spell with ease?
No rest for the wicked. There is a good chance that sister won't be here this Saturday like planned. Caregiver is going on a cruise. Bill goes from expecting a rest to a week of care giving. Yes, I'm tired. Tired of having my life planned by others. But that is the way life is. Sister probably sold her house in Utah, if the sale goes through they have two weeks to pack and move. That has to be really hard for them. They need to sell the house because with the economy the way it is he hasn't had a job for several years. They need the equity in their house to survive. I actually asked if I could bring Mom down to Utah and her and I would help any way we could. I can help pack, carry clothes, etc. Mom can pack dishes while sitting down and help in other ways. But sis says they have moved so many times in the last six years (10?) that they have it down to a science and I would be more help here with Mom. Sometimes your roles within families are defined for you. Sometimes your are happy with that role, sometimes you're not. My role is the rock, the only one that doesn't really need help. Or maybe I am beyond help?
"Do you ever wear jeans?" That is a question I was asked on a date. A second date. Yes, I improved to second date status. Maybe some day I will make it all the way to the third date! However, the jean question kind of stumped me. It wasn't an afternoon date, it wasn't a venue where jeans were appropriate. I've always been taught, evening date, long sleeve shirt, nice slacks. Used to be dress shoes but now, because I have some foot problems, I can get a way with a nice pair of athletic shoes. I mean women take a lot of effort to look nice for us, shouldn't we make some effort to dress to respect them? I was kind of surprised how many men we met that night obviously on a date that were in T-shirts and shorts or jeans. Just seems like a lack of respect. Are T-shirts and jeans the new suit and tie?
The other day, the light turned green, I started out and a Van raced through his solid red light and would have hit me if I hadn't slammed on the brakes. And he honked at me! It is a really good thing I don't believe in guns.
James Patterson just signed a book deal. A deal for eleven adult thrillers and six books for young adults by the end of 2012. Seventeen books in three years? I'm sorry but I am afraid the quality of his work will suffer. One of my author friends tells me it is impossible for him to write a book in less than a year. He thinks it takes that long to do appropriate research to make the story seem or be real.
Questions for the day? What quirk surprises you about your writing style? Has your role within your family been defined for you by someone else? Are you happy with that role? How would or did you want your dates to dress? Ever been tooling along in your car following the laws, doing everything according to Hoyle, almost get in an accident and have the driver at fault flip you off? Seventeen books in three years, a good thing or a bad thing?
TODAY'S TRIVIA
Yesterday's answers: Died in plane crashes, The heart, Kenny Loggins, all have flights and all are North or South.
TODAY LET'S PLAY JEOPARDY
DISCLAIMER: THE MONEY MENTIONED IS IMAGINARY MONEY ONLY MEANT TO DEFINE THE DIFFICULTITY OF THE QUESTION AND NOT MEANT TO IMPLY IT AS A PRIZE FOR GETTING THE RIGHT ANSWER.
The Category is 2000 News.
$200
After capturing less than 1% of the vote in 1996 he was again The Green Party's nominee for president in 2000.
$400
On 8-9-2000, this company recalled 6.5 million of its tires.
$600
This Fijian beat Tiger Woods by 6 strokes to win the 2000 masters.
$800
A coach ride past cheering throngs was part of her 100th birthday celebration on 8-4-2000.
$1000
In June the leaders of North and South Korea met for talks in this capital of North Korea.
Barbara Padilla is so far ahead of the competition in her group on America's Got Talent it is absolutely pitiful. The other group has the Three Tenors from Texas and a couple of good cowboy singers and maybe the five sisters have a shot but I'm am betting the final two are Barbara Padilla and The Texas Tenors.
Top Chef is really boring this season but I am addicted so tonight at 10 PM, 9 PM Central time on Bravo I will tune into to watch who gets eliminated. Tonight the loser of the Quickfire Challenge also goes home.
Why do I have such a hard time spelling easy words when I can crank out the difficult words to spell with ease?
No rest for the wicked. There is a good chance that sister won't be here this Saturday like planned. Caregiver is going on a cruise. Bill goes from expecting a rest to a week of care giving. Yes, I'm tired. Tired of having my life planned by others. But that is the way life is. Sister probably sold her house in Utah, if the sale goes through they have two weeks to pack and move. That has to be really hard for them. They need to sell the house because with the economy the way it is he hasn't had a job for several years. They need the equity in their house to survive. I actually asked if I could bring Mom down to Utah and her and I would help any way we could. I can help pack, carry clothes, etc. Mom can pack dishes while sitting down and help in other ways. But sis says they have moved so many times in the last six years (10?) that they have it down to a science and I would be more help here with Mom. Sometimes your roles within families are defined for you. Sometimes your are happy with that role, sometimes you're not. My role is the rock, the only one that doesn't really need help. Or maybe I am beyond help?
"Do you ever wear jeans?" That is a question I was asked on a date. A second date. Yes, I improved to second date status. Maybe some day I will make it all the way to the third date! However, the jean question kind of stumped me. It wasn't an afternoon date, it wasn't a venue where jeans were appropriate. I've always been taught, evening date, long sleeve shirt, nice slacks. Used to be dress shoes but now, because I have some foot problems, I can get a way with a nice pair of athletic shoes. I mean women take a lot of effort to look nice for us, shouldn't we make some effort to dress to respect them? I was kind of surprised how many men we met that night obviously on a date that were in T-shirts and shorts or jeans. Just seems like a lack of respect. Are T-shirts and jeans the new suit and tie?
The other day, the light turned green, I started out and a Van raced through his solid red light and would have hit me if I hadn't slammed on the brakes. And he honked at me! It is a really good thing I don't believe in guns.
James Patterson just signed a book deal. A deal for eleven adult thrillers and six books for young adults by the end of 2012. Seventeen books in three years? I'm sorry but I am afraid the quality of his work will suffer. One of my author friends tells me it is impossible for him to write a book in less than a year. He thinks it takes that long to do appropriate research to make the story seem or be real.
Questions for the day? What quirk surprises you about your writing style? Has your role within your family been defined for you by someone else? Are you happy with that role? How would or did you want your dates to dress? Ever been tooling along in your car following the laws, doing everything according to Hoyle, almost get in an accident and have the driver at fault flip you off? Seventeen books in three years, a good thing or a bad thing?
TODAY'S TRIVIA
Yesterday's answers: Died in plane crashes, The heart, Kenny Loggins, all have flights and all are North or South.
TODAY LET'S PLAY JEOPARDY
DISCLAIMER: THE MONEY MENTIONED IS IMAGINARY MONEY ONLY MEANT TO DEFINE THE DIFFICULTITY OF THE QUESTION AND NOT MEANT TO IMPLY IT AS A PRIZE FOR GETTING THE RIGHT ANSWER.
The Category is 2000 News.
$200
After capturing less than 1% of the vote in 1996 he was again The Green Party's nominee for president in 2000.
$400
On 8-9-2000, this company recalled 6.5 million of its tires.
$600
This Fijian beat Tiger Woods by 6 strokes to win the 2000 masters.
$800
A coach ride past cheering throngs was part of her 100th birthday celebration on 8-4-2000.
$1000
In June the leaders of North and South Korea met for talks in this capital of North Korea.
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
The Most Dangerous Speach In History?
Before today the last president to address our school students was President George H.W. Bush. Some radio hosts have stated that if President Obama addressed the school students he would mold their minds by espousing a socialist agenda. One radio host said it could be one of the most dangerous speaches in history.
You make the call. Here is President Obama's speach. Not paraphrased. Not shortened. Not censored. Not changed in anyway.
"Hello, everyone — how's everybody doing today? I'm here with students at Wakefield High School in Arlington, Virginia. And we've got students tuning in from all across America, kindergarten through 12th grade. I'm glad you all could join us today.
I know that for many of you, today is the first day of school. And for those of you in kindergarten, or starting middle or high school, it's your first day in a new school, so it's understandable if you're a little nervous. I imagine there are some seniors out there who are feeling pretty good right now, with just one more year to go. And no matter what grade you're in, some of you are probably wishing it were still summer, and you could've stayed in bed just a little longer this morning. I know that feeling. When I was young, my family lived in Indonesia for a few years, and my mother didn't have the money to send me where all the American kids went to school. So she decided to teach me extra lessons herself, Monday through Friday — at 4:30 in the morning. Now I wasn't too happy about getting up that early. A lot of times, I'd fall asleep right there at the kitchen table. But whenever I'd complain, my mother would just give me one of those looks and say, "This is no picnic for me either, buster." So I know some of you are still adjusting to being back at school. But I'm here today because I have something important to discuss with you. I'm here because I want to talk with you about your education and what's expected of all of you in this new school year.
Now I've given a lot of speeches about education. And I've talked a lot about responsibility. I've talked about your teachers' responsibility for inspiring you, and pushing you to learn. I've talked about your parents' responsibility for making sure you stay on track, and get your homework done, and don't spend every waking hour in front of the TV or with that Xbox. I've talked a lot about your government's responsibility for setting high standards, supporting teachers and principals, and turning around schools that aren't working where students aren't getting the opportunities they deserve. But at the end of the day, we can have the most dedicated teachers, the most supportive parents, and the best schools in the world and none of it will matter unless all of you fulfill your responsibilities. Unless you show up to those schools; pay attention to those teachers; listen to your parents, grandparents and other adults; and put in the hard work it takes to succeed.
And that's what I want to focus on today: the responsibility each of you has for your education. I want to start with the responsibility you have to yourself. Every single one of you has something you're good at. Every single one of you has something to offer. And you have a responsibility to yourself to discover what that is. That's the opportunity an education can provide. Maybe you could be a good writer — maybe even good enough to write a book or articles in a newspaper — but you might not know it until you write a paper for your English class. Maybe you could be an innovator or an inventor — maybe even good enough to come up with the next iPhone or a new medicine or vaccine — but you might not know it until you do a project for your science class. Maybe you could be a mayor or a senator or a Supreme Court justice, but you might not know that until you join student government or the debate team.
And no matter what you want to do with your life — I guarantee that you'll need an education to do it. You want to be a doctor, or a teacher, or a police officer? You want to be a nurse or an architect, a lawyer or a member of our military? You're going to need a good education for every single one of those careers. You can't drop out of school and just drop into a good job. You've got to work for it and train for it and learn for it. And this isn't just important for your own life and your own future. What you make of your education will decide nothing less than the future of this country. What you're learning in school today will determine whether we as a nation can meet our greatest challenges in the future.
You'll need the knowledge and problem-solving skills you learn in science and math to cure diseases like cancer and AIDS, and to develop new energy technologies and protect our environment. You'll need the insights and critical thinking skills you gain in history and social studies to fight poverty and homelessness, crime and discrimination, and make our nation more fair and more free. You'll need the creativity and ingenuity you develop in all your classes to build new companies that will create new jobs and boost our economy. We need every single one of you to develop your talents, skills and intellect so you can help solve our most difficult problems. If you don't do that — if you quit on school — you're not just quitting on yourself, you're quitting on your country.
Now I know it's not always easy to do well in school. I know a lot of you have challenges in your lives right now that can make it hard to focus on your schoolwork. I get it. I know what that's like. My father left my family when I was two years old, and I was raised by a single mother who struggled at times to pay the bills and wasn't always able to give us things the other kids had. There were times when I missed having a father in my life. There were times when I was lonely and felt like I didn't fit in. So I wasn't always as focused as I should have been. I did some things I'm not proud of, and got in more trouble than I should have. And my life could have easily taken a turn for the worse. But I was fortunate. I got a lot of second chances and had the opportunity to go to college, and law school, and follow my dreams. My wife, our first lady Michelle Obama, has a similar story. Neither of her parents had gone to college, and they didn't have much. But they worked hard, and she worked hard, so that she could go to the best schools in this country.
Some of you might not have those advantages. Maybe you don't have adults in your life who give you the support that you need. Maybe someone in your family has lost their job, and there's not enough money to go around. Maybe you live in a neighborhood where you don't feel safe, or have friends who are pressuring you to do things you know aren't right. But at the end of the day, the circumstances of your life — what you look like, where you come from, how much money you have, what you've got going on at home — that's no excuse for neglecting your homework or having a bad attitude. That's no excuse for talking back to your teacher, or cutting class, or dropping out of school. That's no excuse for not trying.
Where you are right now doesn't have to determine where you'll end up. No one's written your destiny for you. Here in America, you write your own destiny. You make your own future. That's what young people like you are doing every day, all across America. Young people like Jazmin Perez, from Roma, Texas. Jazmin didn't speak English when she first started school. Hardly anyone in her hometown went to college, and neither of her parents had gone either. But she worked hard, earned good grades, got a scholarship to Brown University, and is now in graduate school, studying public health, on her way to being Dr. Jazmin Perez. I'm thinking about Andoni Schultz, from Los Altos, California, who's fought brain cancer since he was three. He's endured all sorts of treatments and surgeries, one of which affected his memory, so it took him much longer — hundreds of extra hours — to do his schoolwork. But he never fell behind, and he's headed to college this fall. And then there's Shantell Steve, from my hometown of Chicago, Illinois. Even when bouncing from foster home to foster home in the toughest neighborhoods, she managed to get a job at a local health center; start a program to keep young people out of gangs; and she's on track to graduate high school with honors and go on to college.
Jazmin, Andoni and Shantell aren't any different from any of you. They faced challenges in their lives just like you do. But they refused to give up. They chose to take responsibility for their education and set goals for themselves. And I expect all of you to do the same.
That's why today, I'm calling on each of you to set your own goals for your education — and to do everything you can to meet them. Your goal can be something as simple as doing all your homework, paying attention in class, or spending time each day reading a book. Maybe you'll decide to get involved in an extracurricular activity, or volunteer in your community. Maybe you'll decide to stand up for kids who are being teased or bullied because of who they are or how they look, because you believe, like I do, that all kids deserve a safe environment to study and learn. Maybe you'll decide to take better care of yourself so you can be more ready to learn. And along those lines, I hope you'll all wash your hands a lot, and stay home from school when you don't feel well, so we can keep people from getting the flu this fall and winter.
Whatever you resolve to do, I want you to commit to it. I want you to really work at it. I know that sometimes, you get the sense from TV that you can be rich and successful without any hard work — that your ticket to success is through rapping or basketball or being a reality TV star, when chances are, you're not going to be any of those things. But the truth is, being successful is hard. You won't love every subject you study. You won't click with every teacher. Not every homework assignment will seem completely relevant to your life right this minute. And you won't necessarily succeed at everything the first time you try.
That's OK. Some of the most successful people in the world are the ones who've had the most failures. J.K. Rowling's first Harry Potter book was rejected twelve times before it was finally published. Michael Jordan was cut from his high school basketball team, and he lost hundreds of games and missed thousands of shots during his career. But he once said, "I have failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed." These people succeeded because they understand that you can't let your failures define you — you have to let them teach you. You have to let them show you what to do differently next time. If you get in trouble, that doesn't mean you're a troublemaker, it means you need to try harder to behave. If you get a bad grade, that doesn't mean you're stupid, it just means you need to spend more time studying. No one's born being good at things, you become good at things through hard work. You're not a varsity athlete the first time you play a new sport. You don't hit every note the first time you sing a song. You've got to practice. It's the same with your schoolwork. You might have to do a math problem a few times before you get it right, or read something a few times before you understand it, or do a few drafts of a paper before it's good enough to hand in.
Don't be afraid to ask questions. Don't be afraid to ask for help when you need it. I do that every day. Asking for help isn't a sign of weakness, it's a sign of strength. It shows you have the courage to admit when you don't know something, and to learn something new. So find an adult you trust — a parent, grandparent or teacher; a coach or counselor — and ask them to help you stay on track to meet your goals. And even when you're struggling, even when you're discouraged, and you feel like other people have given up on you — don't ever give up on yourself. Because when you give up on yourself, you give up on your country.
The story of America isn't about people who quit when things got tough. It's about people who kept going, who tried harder, who loved their country too much to do anything less than their best. It's the story of students who sat where you sit 250 years ago, and went on to wage a revolution and found this nation. Students who sat where you sit 75 years ago who overcame a Depression and won a world war; who fought for civil rights and put a man on the moon. Students who sat where you sit 20 years ago who founded Google, Twitter and Facebook and changed the way we communicate with each other.
So today, I want to ask you, what's your contribution going to be? What problems are you going to solve? What discoveries will you make? What will a president who comes here in twenty or fifty or one hundred years say about what all of you did for this country?
Your families, your teachers, and I are doing everything we can to make sure you have the education you need to answer these questions. I'm working hard to fix up your classrooms and get you the books, equipment and computers you need to learn. But you've got to do your part too. So I expect you to get serious this year. I expect you to put your best effort into everything you do. I expect great things from each of you. So don't let us down — don't let your family or your country or yourself down. Make us all proud. I know you can do it.
Thank you, God bless you, and God bless America."
Your reaction to the speach? Should school students be spending school time listening to a political figure? How do you feel about the hype leading up the speach?
TODAY'S TRIVIA
Yesterday's answers: Judges, they have a peal, the largest in their category, middle names of presidents, and they all are loaded.
What do these three things have in common:
Will Rogers, Glenn Millier, and Roberto Clemente.
Erythrocytes, leukocytes, and platelets.
Caddyshack soundtrack, Footloose soundtrack, and Top Gun soundtrack. Other than music or soundtracks.
A Dart, a stairwell, and an airline.
Dakota, Carolina, and Korea.
You make the call. Here is President Obama's speach. Not paraphrased. Not shortened. Not censored. Not changed in anyway.
"Hello, everyone — how's everybody doing today? I'm here with students at Wakefield High School in Arlington, Virginia. And we've got students tuning in from all across America, kindergarten through 12th grade. I'm glad you all could join us today.
I know that for many of you, today is the first day of school. And for those of you in kindergarten, or starting middle or high school, it's your first day in a new school, so it's understandable if you're a little nervous. I imagine there are some seniors out there who are feeling pretty good right now, with just one more year to go. And no matter what grade you're in, some of you are probably wishing it were still summer, and you could've stayed in bed just a little longer this morning. I know that feeling. When I was young, my family lived in Indonesia for a few years, and my mother didn't have the money to send me where all the American kids went to school. So she decided to teach me extra lessons herself, Monday through Friday — at 4:30 in the morning. Now I wasn't too happy about getting up that early. A lot of times, I'd fall asleep right there at the kitchen table. But whenever I'd complain, my mother would just give me one of those looks and say, "This is no picnic for me either, buster." So I know some of you are still adjusting to being back at school. But I'm here today because I have something important to discuss with you. I'm here because I want to talk with you about your education and what's expected of all of you in this new school year.
Now I've given a lot of speeches about education. And I've talked a lot about responsibility. I've talked about your teachers' responsibility for inspiring you, and pushing you to learn. I've talked about your parents' responsibility for making sure you stay on track, and get your homework done, and don't spend every waking hour in front of the TV or with that Xbox. I've talked a lot about your government's responsibility for setting high standards, supporting teachers and principals, and turning around schools that aren't working where students aren't getting the opportunities they deserve. But at the end of the day, we can have the most dedicated teachers, the most supportive parents, and the best schools in the world and none of it will matter unless all of you fulfill your responsibilities. Unless you show up to those schools; pay attention to those teachers; listen to your parents, grandparents and other adults; and put in the hard work it takes to succeed.
And that's what I want to focus on today: the responsibility each of you has for your education. I want to start with the responsibility you have to yourself. Every single one of you has something you're good at. Every single one of you has something to offer. And you have a responsibility to yourself to discover what that is. That's the opportunity an education can provide. Maybe you could be a good writer — maybe even good enough to write a book or articles in a newspaper — but you might not know it until you write a paper for your English class. Maybe you could be an innovator or an inventor — maybe even good enough to come up with the next iPhone or a new medicine or vaccine — but you might not know it until you do a project for your science class. Maybe you could be a mayor or a senator or a Supreme Court justice, but you might not know that until you join student government or the debate team.
And no matter what you want to do with your life — I guarantee that you'll need an education to do it. You want to be a doctor, or a teacher, or a police officer? You want to be a nurse or an architect, a lawyer or a member of our military? You're going to need a good education for every single one of those careers. You can't drop out of school and just drop into a good job. You've got to work for it and train for it and learn for it. And this isn't just important for your own life and your own future. What you make of your education will decide nothing less than the future of this country. What you're learning in school today will determine whether we as a nation can meet our greatest challenges in the future.
You'll need the knowledge and problem-solving skills you learn in science and math to cure diseases like cancer and AIDS, and to develop new energy technologies and protect our environment. You'll need the insights and critical thinking skills you gain in history and social studies to fight poverty and homelessness, crime and discrimination, and make our nation more fair and more free. You'll need the creativity and ingenuity you develop in all your classes to build new companies that will create new jobs and boost our economy. We need every single one of you to develop your talents, skills and intellect so you can help solve our most difficult problems. If you don't do that — if you quit on school — you're not just quitting on yourself, you're quitting on your country.
Now I know it's not always easy to do well in school. I know a lot of you have challenges in your lives right now that can make it hard to focus on your schoolwork. I get it. I know what that's like. My father left my family when I was two years old, and I was raised by a single mother who struggled at times to pay the bills and wasn't always able to give us things the other kids had. There were times when I missed having a father in my life. There were times when I was lonely and felt like I didn't fit in. So I wasn't always as focused as I should have been. I did some things I'm not proud of, and got in more trouble than I should have. And my life could have easily taken a turn for the worse. But I was fortunate. I got a lot of second chances and had the opportunity to go to college, and law school, and follow my dreams. My wife, our first lady Michelle Obama, has a similar story. Neither of her parents had gone to college, and they didn't have much. But they worked hard, and she worked hard, so that she could go to the best schools in this country.
Some of you might not have those advantages. Maybe you don't have adults in your life who give you the support that you need. Maybe someone in your family has lost their job, and there's not enough money to go around. Maybe you live in a neighborhood where you don't feel safe, or have friends who are pressuring you to do things you know aren't right. But at the end of the day, the circumstances of your life — what you look like, where you come from, how much money you have, what you've got going on at home — that's no excuse for neglecting your homework or having a bad attitude. That's no excuse for talking back to your teacher, or cutting class, or dropping out of school. That's no excuse for not trying.
Where you are right now doesn't have to determine where you'll end up. No one's written your destiny for you. Here in America, you write your own destiny. You make your own future. That's what young people like you are doing every day, all across America. Young people like Jazmin Perez, from Roma, Texas. Jazmin didn't speak English when she first started school. Hardly anyone in her hometown went to college, and neither of her parents had gone either. But she worked hard, earned good grades, got a scholarship to Brown University, and is now in graduate school, studying public health, on her way to being Dr. Jazmin Perez. I'm thinking about Andoni Schultz, from Los Altos, California, who's fought brain cancer since he was three. He's endured all sorts of treatments and surgeries, one of which affected his memory, so it took him much longer — hundreds of extra hours — to do his schoolwork. But he never fell behind, and he's headed to college this fall. And then there's Shantell Steve, from my hometown of Chicago, Illinois. Even when bouncing from foster home to foster home in the toughest neighborhoods, she managed to get a job at a local health center; start a program to keep young people out of gangs; and she's on track to graduate high school with honors and go on to college.
Jazmin, Andoni and Shantell aren't any different from any of you. They faced challenges in their lives just like you do. But they refused to give up. They chose to take responsibility for their education and set goals for themselves. And I expect all of you to do the same.
That's why today, I'm calling on each of you to set your own goals for your education — and to do everything you can to meet them. Your goal can be something as simple as doing all your homework, paying attention in class, or spending time each day reading a book. Maybe you'll decide to get involved in an extracurricular activity, or volunteer in your community. Maybe you'll decide to stand up for kids who are being teased or bullied because of who they are or how they look, because you believe, like I do, that all kids deserve a safe environment to study and learn. Maybe you'll decide to take better care of yourself so you can be more ready to learn. And along those lines, I hope you'll all wash your hands a lot, and stay home from school when you don't feel well, so we can keep people from getting the flu this fall and winter.
Whatever you resolve to do, I want you to commit to it. I want you to really work at it. I know that sometimes, you get the sense from TV that you can be rich and successful without any hard work — that your ticket to success is through rapping or basketball or being a reality TV star, when chances are, you're not going to be any of those things. But the truth is, being successful is hard. You won't love every subject you study. You won't click with every teacher. Not every homework assignment will seem completely relevant to your life right this minute. And you won't necessarily succeed at everything the first time you try.
That's OK. Some of the most successful people in the world are the ones who've had the most failures. J.K. Rowling's first Harry Potter book was rejected twelve times before it was finally published. Michael Jordan was cut from his high school basketball team, and he lost hundreds of games and missed thousands of shots during his career. But he once said, "I have failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed." These people succeeded because they understand that you can't let your failures define you — you have to let them teach you. You have to let them show you what to do differently next time. If you get in trouble, that doesn't mean you're a troublemaker, it means you need to try harder to behave. If you get a bad grade, that doesn't mean you're stupid, it just means you need to spend more time studying. No one's born being good at things, you become good at things through hard work. You're not a varsity athlete the first time you play a new sport. You don't hit every note the first time you sing a song. You've got to practice. It's the same with your schoolwork. You might have to do a math problem a few times before you get it right, or read something a few times before you understand it, or do a few drafts of a paper before it's good enough to hand in.
Don't be afraid to ask questions. Don't be afraid to ask for help when you need it. I do that every day. Asking for help isn't a sign of weakness, it's a sign of strength. It shows you have the courage to admit when you don't know something, and to learn something new. So find an adult you trust — a parent, grandparent or teacher; a coach or counselor — and ask them to help you stay on track to meet your goals. And even when you're struggling, even when you're discouraged, and you feel like other people have given up on you — don't ever give up on yourself. Because when you give up on yourself, you give up on your country.
The story of America isn't about people who quit when things got tough. It's about people who kept going, who tried harder, who loved their country too much to do anything less than their best. It's the story of students who sat where you sit 250 years ago, and went on to wage a revolution and found this nation. Students who sat where you sit 75 years ago who overcame a Depression and won a world war; who fought for civil rights and put a man on the moon. Students who sat where you sit 20 years ago who founded Google, Twitter and Facebook and changed the way we communicate with each other.
So today, I want to ask you, what's your contribution going to be? What problems are you going to solve? What discoveries will you make? What will a president who comes here in twenty or fifty or one hundred years say about what all of you did for this country?
Your families, your teachers, and I are doing everything we can to make sure you have the education you need to answer these questions. I'm working hard to fix up your classrooms and get you the books, equipment and computers you need to learn. But you've got to do your part too. So I expect you to get serious this year. I expect you to put your best effort into everything you do. I expect great things from each of you. So don't let us down — don't let your family or your country or yourself down. Make us all proud. I know you can do it.
Thank you, God bless you, and God bless America."
Your reaction to the speach? Should school students be spending school time listening to a political figure? How do you feel about the hype leading up the speach?
TODAY'S TRIVIA
Yesterday's answers: Judges, they have a peal, the largest in their category, middle names of presidents, and they all are loaded.
What do these three things have in common:
Will Rogers, Glenn Millier, and Roberto Clemente.
Erythrocytes, leukocytes, and platelets.
Caddyshack soundtrack, Footloose soundtrack, and Top Gun soundtrack. Other than music or soundtracks.
A Dart, a stairwell, and an airline.
Dakota, Carolina, and Korea.
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