The more, the merrier is certainly true for Ziona Chana, a 66-year-old man in India's remote northeast who has 39 wives, 94 children and 33 grandchildren -- and wouldn't mind having more.
They all live in a four storied building with 100 rooms in a mountainous village in Mizoram state, sharing borders with Myanmar and Bangladesh, media reports said.
"I once married 10 women in one year," he was quoted as saying.
His wives share a dormitory near Ziona's private bedroom and locals said he likes to have seven or eight of them by his side at all times.
The sons and their wives, and all their children, live in different rooms in the same building, but share a common kitchen.
The wives take turns cooking, while his daughters clean the house and do washing. The men do outdoor jobs like farming and taking care of livestock.
The family, all 167 of them, consumes around 91 kg (200 pounds) of rice and more than 59 kg (130 pounds) of potatoes a day. They are supported by their own resources and occasional donations from followers.
"Even today, I am ready to expand my family and willing to go to any extent to marry," Ziona said.
"I have so many people to care (for) and look after, and I consider myself a lucky man."
Ziona met his oldest wife, who is three years older than he is, when he was 17.
He heads a local Christian religious sect, called the "Chana," which allows polygamy. Formed in June 1942, the sect believes it will soon be ruling the world with Christ and has a membership of around 400 families.
Sunday, February 27, 2011
Handcuffed burglary suspect drives off in police car
A 19-year-old Henderson, Nevada man arrested for burglary managed to drive off in a police car on Wednesday, despite wearing handcuffs, only to be nabbed on foot a few hours later.
The unidentified burglary suspect drove off in the police car while officers stood outside their Chevrolet Tahoe shortly after apprehending him on suspicion of attempting to break into a nearby home, police spokesman Todd Rasmussen said.
While sitting in the back seat of the patrol car, the suspect managed to slide his handcuffed hands behind his back and scramble through a square-foot-wide opening in a plexiglass window separating the back from the driver's seat.
"He was pretty thin," Rasmussen said.
The suspect then drove off while still handcuffed, making it as far as a softball field about two miles away, Rasmussen said.
Authorities found the car using its built-in GPS, and shortly after that discovered the suspect hiding between nearby houses.
The unidentified burglary suspect drove off in the police car while officers stood outside their Chevrolet Tahoe shortly after apprehending him on suspicion of attempting to break into a nearby home, police spokesman Todd Rasmussen said.
While sitting in the back seat of the patrol car, the suspect managed to slide his handcuffed hands behind his back and scramble through a square-foot-wide opening in a plexiglass window separating the back from the driver's seat.
"He was pretty thin," Rasmussen said.
The suspect then drove off while still handcuffed, making it as far as a softball field about two miles away, Rasmussen said.
Authorities found the car using its built-in GPS, and shortly after that discovered the suspect hiding between nearby houses.
Shop to make breast milk ice cream
A specialist ice cream parlor plans to serve up breast milk ice cream and says people should think of it as an organic, free-range treat.
The breast milk concoction, called the "Baby Gaga," will be available from Friday at the Icecreamists restaurant in London's Covent Garden.
Icecreamists founder Matt O'Connor was confident his take on the "miracle of motherhood" and priced at a hefty 14 pounds ($23) a serving will go down a treat with the paying public.
The breast milk was provided by mothers who answered an advertisement on online mothers' forum Mumsnet.
Victoria Hiley, 35, from London was one of 15 women who donated milk to the restaurant after seeing the advert.
Hiley works with women who have problems breast-feeding their babies. She said she believes that if adults realized how tasty breast milk actually is, then new mothers would be more willing to breast-feed their own newborns.
"What could be more natural than fresh, free-range mother's milk in an ice cream? And for me it's a recession beater too -- what's the harm in using my assets for a bit of extra cash," Hiley said in a statement.
"I tried the product for the first time today -- it's very nice, it really melts in the mouth."
The Baby Gaga recipe blends breast milk with Madagascan vanilla pods and lemon zest, which is then churned into ice cream.
O'Connor said the Baby Gaga was just one of a dozen radical new flavors at the shop.
"Some people will hear about it and go, 'yuck' but actually it's pure, organic, free-range and totally natural," he said. "I had a Baby Gaga just this morning and I feel great."
The breast milk concoction, called the "Baby Gaga," will be available from Friday at the Icecreamists restaurant in London's Covent Garden.
Icecreamists founder Matt O'Connor was confident his take on the "miracle of motherhood" and priced at a hefty 14 pounds ($23) a serving will go down a treat with the paying public.
The breast milk was provided by mothers who answered an advertisement on online mothers' forum Mumsnet.
Victoria Hiley, 35, from London was one of 15 women who donated milk to the restaurant after seeing the advert.
Hiley works with women who have problems breast-feeding their babies. She said she believes that if adults realized how tasty breast milk actually is, then new mothers would be more willing to breast-feed their own newborns.
"What could be more natural than fresh, free-range mother's milk in an ice cream? And for me it's a recession beater too -- what's the harm in using my assets for a bit of extra cash," Hiley said in a statement.
"I tried the product for the first time today -- it's very nice, it really melts in the mouth."
The Baby Gaga recipe blends breast milk with Madagascan vanilla pods and lemon zest, which is then churned into ice cream.
O'Connor said the Baby Gaga was just one of a dozen radical new flavors at the shop.
"Some people will hear about it and go, 'yuck' but actually it's pure, organic, free-range and totally natural," he said. "I had a Baby Gaga just this morning and I feel great."
MONEY-- SAVING TRAVEL TIPS
Learn a few cost-cutting tricks to stretch your vacation budget.
Work the Internet.
Sign up for every travel deal newsletter and e-mail alert you come across online. Travelocity and Travelzoo send weekly specials on hotels, flights, cruises, car rentals and entertainment items, like tickets to theater programs, concerts and sporting events, as well as museum passes and spa deals. Individual airlines and hotel chains send bargains by e-mail, too, so sign up for your favorites on their individual websites.
Find hot hotel deals
Hotwire guarantees a great bang for your buck when it comes to hotel rooms. You won't know what hotel you've booked until after you've paid, but you do select the city, neighborhood and star-rating. For example, a typical hotel room at a four-star hotel in Midtown Manhattan might run you $300 or more on the weekend. Using Hotwire, you can find a hotel with those specifications for half that price.
Hotel loyalty programs are a bargain if you're a frequent traveler. National chains offer incentives for your allegiance, like free stays and luxurious upgrades. If you travel often for business (or pleasure), you can save hundreds of dollars a year.
Be flexible.
Traveling on weekdays instead of the weekend is almost always a deal. In large cities like Chicago and Dallas that are popular for business travelers, you might find a better deal on the weekend than during the week.
Last-minute vacation packages are popular ---- and usually a great value ---- for cruises and popular tourists spots like Las Vegas and Hawaii. But last-minute deals may have some short-comings. You might be able to save a bundle on a short-notice cruise package, but airfare to your port designation could be sky-high. Look for deals in port cities you can travel to by car. For example, cruises shipping out of Baltimore go to Bermuda, the Bahamas, the Caribbean and Canada.
Save on air travel.
Unless you're using frequent flier miles for a specific airline, always comparison shop to find the best deal. Kayak is a great search engine site for comparing multiple sites at once.
Track airfare prices using FareCompare before you buy, and Yapta before and after you buy. Yapta will even send you price-drop alerts on flight tickets you'vealready purchased. Many airlines will refund or credit the difference, though you'll have to check with each carrier individually, and if you purchased your tickets through a second-party site like Orbitz or Expedia, limitations may apply.
Southwest Airlines doesn't charge for checked baggage, but most other airlines do. Pack light and carry on your belongings to avoid costly fees. Or group your checked items into one suitcase. For example, without a doubt, a family of four with a baby will have to check some items. Instead of checking one bag per person, however, this family could pack only items that must be checked ( like large bottles of shampoo, baby formula and tubes of toothpaste) into one suitcase and carry on the rest.
Usually it's the toiletries that throw off the carry-on baggage plan, so figure out if they're worth the $25 to $50 per flight fee. Can you ship them to your designation hotel or a local post office in advance? Can you buy them at a drug store or supermarket once you get there? Or can you do without them altogether? It's hard to justify paying $50 extra in order to bring a $15 bottle of body spray or $9 bottle of tanning oil.
Split the costs.
Plan a trip with family or friends to split costs and share the fun. Rather than booking individual hotel rooms, bundle your money and rent a vacation home. Share the osts of a rental car and gas. Buy groceries for the week together and take turns cooking meals. It takes some coordination, but you may be able to afford to see and do more while you're on vacation if you can save on some of the big costs like accommodations and food.
Be a frugal traveler.
Airfare, hotel rooms, car rentals, museum passes --- it all adds up, even with great deals. Save more money by stretching your dollar.
Book a hotel room with a kitchenette, buy food from a local grocery store, and skip the cost of dining out for a few meals. Buy fresh fruit, a loaf of bread and a bottle of jam, and eat breakfast in your room instead of paying $10 a meal in a diner or cafe. Pack a sandwich, a bag of pretzels, and a bottle of water for a light lunch later in the day.
Splurge on lunch, not dinner. Many restaurants offer lunch menus with their dinner entrees for as much as 30 percent off of their dinner prices. (And if you have leftovers, bring them back to your room for dinner or a late-night snack.)
If possible, skip paying for a rental car and use public transit instead. Or rent a bicycle or walk to places of interest instead of taking taxis.
A few overseas insights...
Before you travel out of the country, review your credit card and cell phone policies to avoid international fees and rates. It may be better to pull a lot of cash out of the ATM ---- and carry it in a money belt ---- than to use your credit or debit card for every transaction. Some wireless carriers charge exorbitant rates for international calling, others don't, so check with your wireless phone provider before you overspend.
If your travel plans are flexible, visit places with good exchange rates. The value of the dollar in euros may be better than in British pounds, for example.
Work the Internet.
Sign up for every travel deal newsletter and e-mail alert you come across online. Travelocity and Travelzoo send weekly specials on hotels, flights, cruises, car rentals and entertainment items, like tickets to theater programs, concerts and sporting events, as well as museum passes and spa deals. Individual airlines and hotel chains send bargains by e-mail, too, so sign up for your favorites on their individual websites.
Find hot hotel deals
Hotwire guarantees a great bang for your buck when it comes to hotel rooms. You won't know what hotel you've booked until after you've paid, but you do select the city, neighborhood and star-rating. For example, a typical hotel room at a four-star hotel in Midtown Manhattan might run you $300 or more on the weekend. Using Hotwire, you can find a hotel with those specifications for half that price.
Hotel loyalty programs are a bargain if you're a frequent traveler. National chains offer incentives for your allegiance, like free stays and luxurious upgrades. If you travel often for business (or pleasure), you can save hundreds of dollars a year.
Be flexible.
Traveling on weekdays instead of the weekend is almost always a deal. In large cities like Chicago and Dallas that are popular for business travelers, you might find a better deal on the weekend than during the week.
Last-minute vacation packages are popular ---- and usually a great value ---- for cruises and popular tourists spots like Las Vegas and Hawaii. But last-minute deals may have some short-comings. You might be able to save a bundle on a short-notice cruise package, but airfare to your port designation could be sky-high. Look for deals in port cities you can travel to by car. For example, cruises shipping out of Baltimore go to Bermuda, the Bahamas, the Caribbean and Canada.
Save on air travel.
Unless you're using frequent flier miles for a specific airline, always comparison shop to find the best deal. Kayak is a great search engine site for comparing multiple sites at once.
Track airfare prices using FareCompare before you buy, and Yapta before and after you buy. Yapta will even send you price-drop alerts on flight tickets you'vealready purchased. Many airlines will refund or credit the difference, though you'll have to check with each carrier individually, and if you purchased your tickets through a second-party site like Orbitz or Expedia, limitations may apply.
Southwest Airlines doesn't charge for checked baggage, but most other airlines do. Pack light and carry on your belongings to avoid costly fees. Or group your checked items into one suitcase. For example, without a doubt, a family of four with a baby will have to check some items. Instead of checking one bag per person, however, this family could pack only items that must be checked ( like large bottles of shampoo, baby formula and tubes of toothpaste) into one suitcase and carry on the rest.
Usually it's the toiletries that throw off the carry-on baggage plan, so figure out if they're worth the $25 to $50 per flight fee. Can you ship them to your designation hotel or a local post office in advance? Can you buy them at a drug store or supermarket once you get there? Or can you do without them altogether? It's hard to justify paying $50 extra in order to bring a $15 bottle of body spray or $9 bottle of tanning oil.
Split the costs.
Plan a trip with family or friends to split costs and share the fun. Rather than booking individual hotel rooms, bundle your money and rent a vacation home. Share the osts of a rental car and gas. Buy groceries for the week together and take turns cooking meals. It takes some coordination, but you may be able to afford to see and do more while you're on vacation if you can save on some of the big costs like accommodations and food.
Be a frugal traveler.
Airfare, hotel rooms, car rentals, museum passes --- it all adds up, even with great deals. Save more money by stretching your dollar.
Book a hotel room with a kitchenette, buy food from a local grocery store, and skip the cost of dining out for a few meals. Buy fresh fruit, a loaf of bread and a bottle of jam, and eat breakfast in your room instead of paying $10 a meal in a diner or cafe. Pack a sandwich, a bag of pretzels, and a bottle of water for a light lunch later in the day.
Splurge on lunch, not dinner. Many restaurants offer lunch menus with their dinner entrees for as much as 30 percent off of their dinner prices. (And if you have leftovers, bring them back to your room for dinner or a late-night snack.)
If possible, skip paying for a rental car and use public transit instead. Or rent a bicycle or walk to places of interest instead of taking taxis.
A few overseas insights...
Before you travel out of the country, review your credit card and cell phone policies to avoid international fees and rates. It may be better to pull a lot of cash out of the ATM ---- and carry it in a money belt ---- than to use your credit or debit card for every transaction. Some wireless carriers charge exorbitant rates for international calling, others don't, so check with your wireless phone provider before you overspend.
If your travel plans are flexible, visit places with good exchange rates. The value of the dollar in euros may be better than in British pounds, for example.
Saturday, February 26, 2011
PARENTING AND THE GREAT VIDEO GAME DEBATE
Kids love playing video games and as a parent, you're well aware. While you don't mind occasional play and educational game choices, you may be concerned about a grab-bag of issues commonly associated with children and video games. From the potentially negative effects of violent video games, to the risk of developing dangerously low activity levels, to the fear of your child missing out on valuable socialization skills due to his or her constant isolation, these deep concerns are supported by some research studies and refuted by others. So what's the truth and, most importantly, what's a parent to do?
Scholars have studied video games and their effects on the people who play them for many years. For just as long, they have come to mixed conclusions. Hundreds of studies on the link between violent video games and aggressive behavior have shown not that these games cause children to become violent themselves, but that aggressive people like playing aggressive video games.
A study from Yale University released in November suggests that most teens who play video games do not develop unhealthy behaviors, but a small minority of teens who play video games and already have addictive traits may be more likely to smoke, use drugs, fight or become depressed.
The study also found that the boys who played video games (76 percent of the male respondents) typically earned a higher grade average, were less likely to smoke and were more likely to say they'd never used alcohol or marijuana. Among girls, just 29 percent of those surveyed said they played video games, and those that did were more likely than the girls who didn'tplay video games to get into serious fights or carry weapons to school. The researchers interpreted these findings to mean that for boys, playing video games in normal, while the girls who are more aggressive are more attracted to playing video games. Neither of the findings suggests that playing video games causes any change in behavior.
Some research suggests that playing video games is socially isolating. However, other research shows that almost 60 percent of frequent gamers play with friends, one-third of people play with siblings and another quarter of players game with spouses or parents. Even single-player games are often played in group settings, as players rotate turns. And numerous games are designed for multiple players of all ages, especially families.
Ultimately, as the parent, you are the authority on what's healthy for your child, and promoting an active lifestyle is one of your duties. If your child spends most of his or her time sitting on the couch, starting at a screen rather than running around outside, playing sports or engaging in an educational activity, you have rightful cause for concern. If this is the case, take your own parental measures to encourage your child to turn off the game. If restricting his or her use of video games causes serious strife, you may want to research video game addiction and treatment.
Monitoring the games your child plays is another parental duty. The Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) is a nonprofit organization that assigns ratings to video games on an age scale, ranging from Early Childhood (EC) to Adults Only (AO). Review these ratings on the packaging before you allow your child to play. Also, you can access an online database of video game reviews and descriptions on ESRB's website, http://www.esrb.org/. In addition, look into parental controls on your child's video game unit and games. Parenting.com has more useful tips in "5 Steps to Smart Video Game Choices," online at www.parenting.com/article/Child/Gear--Products/5-Steps-to-Smart-Video-Game-Choices.
Scholars have studied video games and their effects on the people who play them for many years. For just as long, they have come to mixed conclusions. Hundreds of studies on the link between violent video games and aggressive behavior have shown not that these games cause children to become violent themselves, but that aggressive people like playing aggressive video games.
A study from Yale University released in November suggests that most teens who play video games do not develop unhealthy behaviors, but a small minority of teens who play video games and already have addictive traits may be more likely to smoke, use drugs, fight or become depressed.
The study also found that the boys who played video games (76 percent of the male respondents) typically earned a higher grade average, were less likely to smoke and were more likely to say they'd never used alcohol or marijuana. Among girls, just 29 percent of those surveyed said they played video games, and those that did were more likely than the girls who didn'tplay video games to get into serious fights or carry weapons to school. The researchers interpreted these findings to mean that for boys, playing video games in normal, while the girls who are more aggressive are more attracted to playing video games. Neither of the findings suggests that playing video games causes any change in behavior.
Some research suggests that playing video games is socially isolating. However, other research shows that almost 60 percent of frequent gamers play with friends, one-third of people play with siblings and another quarter of players game with spouses or parents. Even single-player games are often played in group settings, as players rotate turns. And numerous games are designed for multiple players of all ages, especially families.
Ultimately, as the parent, you are the authority on what's healthy for your child, and promoting an active lifestyle is one of your duties. If your child spends most of his or her time sitting on the couch, starting at a screen rather than running around outside, playing sports or engaging in an educational activity, you have rightful cause for concern. If this is the case, take your own parental measures to encourage your child to turn off the game. If restricting his or her use of video games causes serious strife, you may want to research video game addiction and treatment.
Monitoring the games your child plays is another parental duty. The Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) is a nonprofit organization that assigns ratings to video games on an age scale, ranging from Early Childhood (EC) to Adults Only (AO). Review these ratings on the packaging before you allow your child to play. Also, you can access an online database of video game reviews and descriptions on ESRB's website, http://www.esrb.org/. In addition, look into parental controls on your child's video game unit and games. Parenting.com has more useful tips in "5 Steps to Smart Video Game Choices," online at www.parenting.com/article/Child/Gear--Products/5-Steps-to-Smart-Video-Game-Choices.
CURE THE WINTER BLUES
Punxsutawney Phil may have said spring is coming early this year, but we've still got another month of winter. For many of us, this news is hard to stomach. Just the thought of braving one more shivering-cold morning or trudging through any more snow is enough to drive a person crazy, or straight down to the Flordia Keys for some sun and sand. But if a beach vacation is out of the question, kick your winter blues at home.
Prevent sickness
Being sick isn't fun and it will only make the winter doldrums worse. Since people seem to be more susceptible to colds and the flu in the wintertime, take measures to prevent them, like frequently washing your hands and drinking plenty of fluids. For more tips on preventing the common cold and flu, go to www.webmd.com/cold-and-flu/cold-guide/11-tips-prevent-cold-flu.
Live healthfully
If your winter blues have you feeling sluggish and tired, eat right, exercise and get some sunlight to boost your body and mind. Sugary food and drinks will weigh you down, so avoid them. Ask any doctor, and he or she will tell that exercise is one of the best ways to beat the winter blues. Go for a walk, hit the gym, use your treadmill at home --- do what you have to do to get enough exercise. And whenever possible, go outside and get some sunlight. A light therapy box is another option.
Distract yourself
Start spring early and remind yourself of summer indoors. Decorate your home with fresh flowers and houseplants. Open the blinds and curtains to let in more sunlight. Hang a calendar of Hawaiian beaches on the wall, or display a painting of flowers. Listen to upbeat beach music while you make a summertime salad. Invite your friends over for a luau-themed party and put an umbrella in your drink. Get a bunch of women together for a summertime clothing swap, or invite the guys over for a fantasy baseball draft.
Are you SAD ?
The winte blues can be especially downtrodden for people affected by seasonal affective disorder (SAD). The seasonal depression occurs during the fall and winter months when there is less natural sunlight. According to the National Mental Health Association, symptoms may include excessive eating and sleeping, weight gain and carbohydrate cravings. Other symptoms may include a general lack of energy, slow and lethargic movement, social withdrawal, and decreased interest in work or other activities.
According to the National Institute of Mental Health, "The depression generally lifts during spring and summer. SAD may be effectively treated with light therapy, but nearly half of those with SAD do not respond to light therapy alone. Antidepressant medication and psychotherapy also can reduce SAD symptoms, either alone or in combination with light therapy."
Vitamin D
Though the evidence is minimal, some studies have linked low levels of vitamin D to depression, and at least one study reported benefits of vitamin D in treating SAD, according to WebMD. Our bodies create vitamin D naturally when we are exposed to sunlight. The lack of sun during the winter months means we're producing less vitamin D on our own. Eat foods rich in vitamin D like salmon and yogurt, and foods fortified with vitamin D such as orange juice and milk. Vitamin D supplements are another option.
Don't hibernate
We all tend to stay indoors more and socialize less in the winter months, but don't isolate yourself completely. Sunlight, outdoor exercise, fun activities and socializing with others will help to lift your mood.
Prevent sickness
Being sick isn't fun and it will only make the winter doldrums worse. Since people seem to be more susceptible to colds and the flu in the wintertime, take measures to prevent them, like frequently washing your hands and drinking plenty of fluids. For more tips on preventing the common cold and flu, go to www.webmd.com/cold-and-flu/cold-guide/11-tips-prevent-cold-flu.
Live healthfully
If your winter blues have you feeling sluggish and tired, eat right, exercise and get some sunlight to boost your body and mind. Sugary food and drinks will weigh you down, so avoid them. Ask any doctor, and he or she will tell that exercise is one of the best ways to beat the winter blues. Go for a walk, hit the gym, use your treadmill at home --- do what you have to do to get enough exercise. And whenever possible, go outside and get some sunlight. A light therapy box is another option.
Distract yourself
Start spring early and remind yourself of summer indoors. Decorate your home with fresh flowers and houseplants. Open the blinds and curtains to let in more sunlight. Hang a calendar of Hawaiian beaches on the wall, or display a painting of flowers. Listen to upbeat beach music while you make a summertime salad. Invite your friends over for a luau-themed party and put an umbrella in your drink. Get a bunch of women together for a summertime clothing swap, or invite the guys over for a fantasy baseball draft.
Are you SAD ?
The winte blues can be especially downtrodden for people affected by seasonal affective disorder (SAD). The seasonal depression occurs during the fall and winter months when there is less natural sunlight. According to the National Mental Health Association, symptoms may include excessive eating and sleeping, weight gain and carbohydrate cravings. Other symptoms may include a general lack of energy, slow and lethargic movement, social withdrawal, and decreased interest in work or other activities.
According to the National Institute of Mental Health, "The depression generally lifts during spring and summer. SAD may be effectively treated with light therapy, but nearly half of those with SAD do not respond to light therapy alone. Antidepressant medication and psychotherapy also can reduce SAD symptoms, either alone or in combination with light therapy."
Vitamin D
Though the evidence is minimal, some studies have linked low levels of vitamin D to depression, and at least one study reported benefits of vitamin D in treating SAD, according to WebMD. Our bodies create vitamin D naturally when we are exposed to sunlight. The lack of sun during the winter months means we're producing less vitamin D on our own. Eat foods rich in vitamin D like salmon and yogurt, and foods fortified with vitamin D such as orange juice and milk. Vitamin D supplements are another option.
Don't hibernate
We all tend to stay indoors more and socialize less in the winter months, but don't isolate yourself completely. Sunlight, outdoor exercise, fun activities and socializing with others will help to lift your mood.
F. Y. I.
Quotable
by Anne Lamott, writer and activist
"I do not understand the mystery of grace, only that it meets us where we are but does not leave us where it found us."
Presidents' Files
The White House was originally called the President's Palace. It became the White House in 1901.
Table Tidbits
The English word coconut comes from the Spanish and Portuguese word "coco", which means "monkey face".
Still on the Books
In Blythe, Calif., you are not permitted to wear cowboy boots unless you own at least two cows.
Did You Know ?
Most koala bears sleep about 22 hours a day.
Fear This
Chionophobia is the fear of snow.
by Anne Lamott, writer and activist
"I do not understand the mystery of grace, only that it meets us where we are but does not leave us where it found us."
Presidents' Files
The White House was originally called the President's Palace. It became the White House in 1901.
Table Tidbits
The English word coconut comes from the Spanish and Portuguese word "coco", which means "monkey face".
Still on the Books
In Blythe, Calif., you are not permitted to wear cowboy boots unless you own at least two cows.
Did You Know ?
Most koala bears sleep about 22 hours a day.
Fear This
Chionophobia is the fear of snow.
THIS MONTH IN HISTORY ( FEBRUARY )
- Feb. 6: The board game Monopoly first went on sale. (1935)
- Feb. 9: An act of Congress is passed authorizing the US Weather Bureau.
- Feb. 15: The Post Office uses adhesive postage stamps for the first time. (1842)
- Feb. 19: A prize is inserted into a Crackerjacks box for the first time. (1913)
- Feb. 20: John Glenn become the first U.S. astronaut to orbit the earth. (1962)
- Feb. 22: Frank Woolworth opens the first "Five Cent Store in Utica, N.Y. (1879)
- Feb. 23: The Tootsie Roll rolls into stores in America. (1896)
Sunday, February 20, 2011
GIRL WITH 12 FINGERS, 14 TOES REACHES FOR A RECORD
From almost the moment Le Yati Min was born, her mother knew the girl had a little something extra.
"I asked the nurses whether my kid was born complete with hands and legs," says her mother. "They replied that the baby even has more than she needs."
Born with 12 fingers and 14 toes, Le may be the most "digitally enhanced" person in the world. Now, the 16-month-old girl's family in impoverished Myanmar is seeking a Guinness World Record to prove it.
A neighbor is helping her mother apply to claim the record hearing that a boy from India currently hold bragging rights for the most digits, with 12 fingers and 13 toes.
Polydactylism being born with an extra finger or toe is fairly unusual, but it is even more rare for someone to have spare functional digits on both hands and feet, as Le does.
Le lives with her family in a small wooden house on the outskirts of the Southeast Asian country's former capital of Yangon, where she runs around with seven toes on each foot.
Proud mom Phyo Min Min Soe, 26, said Tuesday that she'd be happen to see Le gain a world record, but even without that, her daughter already has a happy life, and even some natural advantages.
"She seems to have a stronger grip on things so she doesn't drop things much," she says, as Le plays nearby with a mobile phone.
According to the Guinness World Records website, the record for most fingers and toes for a living person is currently held by two people in India, who have 12 fingers and 13 toes each.
"I asked the nurses whether my kid was born complete with hands and legs," says her mother. "They replied that the baby even has more than she needs."
Born with 12 fingers and 14 toes, Le may be the most "digitally enhanced" person in the world. Now, the 16-month-old girl's family in impoverished Myanmar is seeking a Guinness World Record to prove it.
A neighbor is helping her mother apply to claim the record hearing that a boy from India currently hold bragging rights for the most digits, with 12 fingers and 13 toes.
Polydactylism being born with an extra finger or toe is fairly unusual, but it is even more rare for someone to have spare functional digits on both hands and feet, as Le does.
Le lives with her family in a small wooden house on the outskirts of the Southeast Asian country's former capital of Yangon, where she runs around with seven toes on each foot.
Proud mom Phyo Min Min Soe, 26, said Tuesday that she'd be happen to see Le gain a world record, but even without that, her daughter already has a happy life, and even some natural advantages.
"She seems to have a stronger grip on things so she doesn't drop things much," she says, as Le plays nearby with a mobile phone.
According to the Guinness World Records website, the record for most fingers and toes for a living person is currently held by two people in India, who have 12 fingers and 13 toes each.
WACKY DESSERTS FROM AROUND THE WORLD
Many cuisines have traditional desserts made with unexpected ingredients.
Here are a few of them:
Vegetables
Americans havetheir zucchini bread, pumpkin pie and carrot cake. Italians make a sweet tart with Swiss chrd or spinach sweetened with dried fruits. Indian cooks often use vegetables such as cauliflower or carrots to make a pudding called kheer.
Potatoes
Sweet potato pie is a Southern specialty. Mashed potatoes (and sometimes the water they are cooked in) add body to sweet breads, doughnuts and even candy.
Meat
These days, mincemeat is made from dried fruit, nuts and spices, but in 16th century England, minced lean meat, usually beef, and beef fat. If you want meat in your dessert today, you'll have better luck with bacon, which shows up in everything from brownies and chocolate chip cookies to fudge.
Beans
Black bean brownies are a vegan staple. Mashedwhite beans can add moistness to cakes. And what would Japanese and Chinese sweets be without red bean paste?
From A Can or Jar
American community cookbooks and recipe-sharing sites are full of recipes for novelty cakes made with ingredients such as tomato soup, sauerkraut and mayonnaise. The accompanying text invariably insists, reassuringly: "Your guests will never guess what's in it."
Rice
Every country seems to have its own verison of rice pudding --- and that's only the beginning. Southeast Asians combine sticky rice with fruit and other seasonings. Italians use Arborio rice in pies and cakes, sometimes in combination with ricotta cheese. Arroz con Leche --- rice with milk --- is a popular dessert in Spain and Mexico. Balls made from glutinous rice flour (sometimes with a bean paste filling) are a traditional part of many Chinese New Year celebrations.
Cornmeal
Resourceful American cooks have long used cornmeal to makehomey desserts, including chess pie and classic New England Indian pudding. Polenta cake is popular in Italy, and Mexicans enjoy dessert tamales made with masa, a dough created from dried corn kernels.
Here are a few of them:
Vegetables
Americans havetheir zucchini bread, pumpkin pie and carrot cake. Italians make a sweet tart with Swiss chrd or spinach sweetened with dried fruits. Indian cooks often use vegetables such as cauliflower or carrots to make a pudding called kheer.
Potatoes
Sweet potato pie is a Southern specialty. Mashed potatoes (and sometimes the water they are cooked in) add body to sweet breads, doughnuts and even candy.
Meat
These days, mincemeat is made from dried fruit, nuts and spices, but in 16th century England, minced lean meat, usually beef, and beef fat. If you want meat in your dessert today, you'll have better luck with bacon, which shows up in everything from brownies and chocolate chip cookies to fudge.
Beans
Black bean brownies are a vegan staple. Mashedwhite beans can add moistness to cakes. And what would Japanese and Chinese sweets be without red bean paste?
From A Can or Jar
American community cookbooks and recipe-sharing sites are full of recipes for novelty cakes made with ingredients such as tomato soup, sauerkraut and mayonnaise. The accompanying text invariably insists, reassuringly: "Your guests will never guess what's in it."
Rice
Every country seems to have its own verison of rice pudding --- and that's only the beginning. Southeast Asians combine sticky rice with fruit and other seasonings. Italians use Arborio rice in pies and cakes, sometimes in combination with ricotta cheese. Arroz con Leche --- rice with milk --- is a popular dessert in Spain and Mexico. Balls made from glutinous rice flour (sometimes with a bean paste filling) are a traditional part of many Chinese New Year celebrations.
Cornmeal
Resourceful American cooks have long used cornmeal to makehomey desserts, including chess pie and classic New England Indian pudding. Polenta cake is popular in Italy, and Mexicans enjoy dessert tamales made with masa, a dough created from dried corn kernels.
Saturday, February 19, 2011
30 IDEAS FOR FAMILY FUN
- Enjoy the snow. Bundle up and build a snowman in the front yard.
- Find a steep hill for sledding, or take turns pulling each other around in the yard.
- Arrange a scavenger hunt inside the house when it's too cold to venture outside.
- Construct a gingerbread house or decorate sugar cookies made from scratch.
- Get everyone involved and cook dinner together.
- Play charades, cards,board games or interactive video games the whole family can enjoy.
- If you have a membership at a YMCA or community center, go as a group to burn off the additional calories and sugar from your holiday meals.
- Build a fort out of pillows and blankets in the living room and have a family campout.
- Look through family photographs and tell stories, or make up stories about the photos of people in a magazine.
- Make a family calendar either online using a digital photography website, or the old-fashioned way using art supplies and a blank 2011 calendar.
- Write letters or make greeting cards for family and friends who couldn't make it to your family's holiday celebration.
- Go to a concert or put on your own at home. If your family doesn't play any instruments, turn up the music, play your best air guitar and lip-sync along.
- Take turns dressing up as famous or recognizable people. Speak in character using their accents and phrases. Give clues as to who you are. The family member who guesses correctly first wins.
- Bring canned foods and non-perishable items to a local food bank together.
- If the weather permits, play a game of two-hand touch football, H-O-R-S-E or Red Rover with family, friends and neighbors.
- Make an ethnic meal and talk about that culture. Assign each family member to bring something that represents that culture, such as an article of clothing or a traditional saying.
- Write a family newsletter to send in your holiday greeting cards.
- Have a bubble-blowing contest outside with watered-down dish soap and makeshift bubble wands. Test various household items to find which one produces the biggest bubble.
- Practice a foreign language or learn sign language.
- Crank up the tunes and have a dance-off in the living room.
- Wash the car(s) and wax it/them.
- Piece together a large jigsaw puzzle or solve a crossword puzzle as a family.
- Lace up your ice skates and take the family to an indoor or outdoor rink.
- Make homemade bread, ice cream or pizza with fresh ingredients.
- Make popcorn on the stove using oil, popcorn kernels, butter and salt. Split the batch up for homemade caramel corn and cheddar cheese popcorn.
- Cut pictures from magazines and create a collage. Use a theme like "winter wnders" or "our family".
- Make sock puppets and a puppet theater from cardboard boxes. Take turns entertaining.
- Play "20 Questions" and "I Spy".
- Rotate turns reading a book aloud to each other.
- See a movie or a play. Go bowling or to the symphony. Visit a museum, art gallery, zoo, aquarium or farm. Get out of the house for a memorable family outing.
50 NEW WORDS
Each year, a handful of words and expressions become bona fide entries in the world's top English dictionaries. And because we cool hunters at the AARP Bulletin really heart words, we'vechosen 50 favorites that are now official. Whether chillaxing with a gal pal or out on a bromantic date, you'll automantic date, you;ll automagically impress your friends when you rock these beauties. Got all that? If not, read on.
- automagically - adv. Automatically in a way that seems magical.
- bargainous - adj. Costing less than expected.
- big media - n. Primary mass communication sources, e.g., TV and the press.
- bromance - n. Close platonic malefriendship.
- buzzkill - n. Person or thing that hasa depressing effect.
- carbon credit - n. Permit allowing a certain amount of carbon dioxide emissions.
- carbon offsetting - n. Counteraction of CO2 emissions with a corresponding reduction.
- catastrophize - v. to present a situation as worse than it is.
- cheeseball - adj. Lacking taste or style.
- chillax - v. to calm down and relax.
- cool hunter - n. One who predicts new styles and trends.
- cougar - n. Older woman who dates younger men.
- eggcorn - n. Logical swap of words with similar sounds (from "egg corn" for "acorn").
- exit strategy - n. Planned means of extricating oneself from a situation.
- flash mob n. Brief gathering for a common purpose, announced by e-mail or text.
- flyover states n. (derogatory) Central regions of the U.S.
- frenemy - n. Friend with whom one has frequent conflict.
- friend - v. To add to a list of personal associates on a website.
- gal pal - n. Female friend.
- green audit - n. Analysis of a business' environmental impact.
- gren-collar - adj. Of or relating to workers in the environmentalist business sector.
- hater - n. Negative person.
- heart - v. To like very much; love.
- home-shoring - n. Moving jobs to employees' homes (from "offspring").
- hypermilling - n. Altering a car to maximize its fuel economy.
- LBD - n. Little black dress.
- locavore n. One who primarily eats locally grown food.
- matchy-matchy - adj. Excessively color-coordinated.
- megachurch - n. Huge church congregation, typically evangelical Christian.
- meme - n. Image, video or phrase passed electronically on the internet.
- microblog - v. To post very short entries on a blog.
- overieveraged - adj. Having taken on too much debt.
- own. - v. To utterly defeat or humiliate.
- paywall - n. Arrangement whereby website access is restricted to paying users only.
- pimp - v. To make something more showy or impressive.
- riff - v. To expound on a particular subject.
- rock - v. To do something in a confident, flamboyant way.
- sheeple - n. Unquestioning followers (from "sheep" + "people").
- social media - n. Websites and applications used for social networking.
- soft skills - n. Attributes that enable someone to interact harmoniously with others.
- staycation - n. Vacation spent at home.
- toxic debt - n. Debt that has a high risk of default.
- truthiness - n. Quality of seeming true.
- turducken - n. Roast of a chiken inside a duck inside a turkey.
- tweet - n. Posting made on the social networking site Twitter.
- unfriend - v. To remove from a list of personal associates on a website.
- viral - adj. Circulating rapidly on the internet.
- vuvuzela - n. Long horn blown by fans at soccer matches.
- webisode - n. Episode or short film made for viewing online.
- zombie bank - n. Insolvent bank that survives through government support.
HOW TO SOUND SMARTER
All those confusing words and seemingly random rules you missed in English class.
Plus your biggest pet peeves.
Plus your biggest pet peeves.
- You never mean: Could care less You always mean: Couldn't care less Why: You want to say you care so little already that you couldn't possibly care any less. When the Boston Celtic's Ray Allen said, "God could care less whether I can shoot a jump shot," we know he meant exactly the opposite because 1) God has other things on his mind, and 2) God is a Knicks fan.
- You might say: Mano a Mano You might mean: Man-to-man Why: You don't speak Spanish by adding vowels to the end of English words, as a columnist describing father-teenage son relationships seemed to think when he wrote, "Don't expect long, mano a mano talks." Mano a mano (literally, "hand to hand") originated with bullfighting and usually refers to a knock-down, drag-out direct confrontation.
- You might say: Less You might mean: Fewer Why: In general, use fewer when you're specifying a number of countable things ("200 words or fewer"); reserve less for a mass ("less than half"). So when you're composing a tweet, do it in 140 characters or fewer, not less.
- You never mean: Hone in You always mean: Home in Why: Like homing pigeons, we can be single-minded about finding our way to a point : "Scientists are homing in on the causes of cancer." Hone means "to sharpen"; "The rookie spent the last three seasons honing his skills in the minor leagues." But it's easy to mishear m's and n's, which is probably what happened to the Virginia senator who said, "We've got to hone in on cost containment." If you're unsure, say "zero in" instead.
- You might say: Bring You might mean: Take Why: The choice depends on your point of view. Use bring when you want to show motion toward you ("Bring the dog treats over here, please"). Use take to show motion in the opposite direction ("I have to take Rufus to the vet"). The rule gets confusing when the movement has nothing to do with you. In those cases, you can use either verb, depending on the context: "The assistant brought the shot to the vet" (the vet's point of view); "the assistant took the shot to the doctor" (the assistant's).
- You might say: Who you might mean: Whom Why: It all depends. Do you need a subject or an object? A subject (who) is the actor of the sentence: "Who left the roller skates on the sidewalk?" An object (whom) is the acted-upon: "Whom are you calling?" Parents, hit the Mute button when Dora the Explorer shouts, "Who do we ask for help when we don't know which way to go?"
- You almost never mean: Brother-in laws, runner-ups, hole in ones, etc. You almost always mean: Plurals of these compound nouns are formed by adding an s to the thing there's more than one of (brothers, not laws). Some exceptions: words ending in ful (mouthfuls) and phrases like cul-de-sacs.
- You almost never mean: Try and You almost always mean: Try to Why: Try and try again, yes, but if you're planning to do something, use the infinitive form: "I'm going to try to run a marathon." Commenting on an online story about breakups, one woman wrote, "A guy I dated used to try and impress me with the choice of books he was reading." It's no surprise that the relationship didn't last.
- You almost never mean: Different than You almost always mean: Different from Why: This isn't the biggest offense, but if you can easily substitute from for than (My mother's tomato sauce is different from my mother-in law's), do it. Use than for comparisons: My mother 's tomato sauce is better than my mother-in-law's.
- You almost never mean: Beg the question You almost always mean: Raise the question Why: Correctly used, "begging the question" is like making a circular argument (I don't like you because you're so unlikeable). But unless you're a philosophy professor, you shouldn't ever need this phrase. Stick to "raise the question."
- You might say: More than You can also say: Over Why: The two are interchangeable when the sense is "Over 6,000 hats were sold." We like grammarian Bryan Garner's take on it: "The charge that over is inferior to more than is a baseless crotchet."
- You almost never mean: Supposably You almost always mean: Supposedly Why: Supposably is, in fact, a word----it means "conceivably" ---but not the one you want if you're trying to say "it's assumed", and certainly not the one you want if you're on a first date with an English major or a job interview withan English speaker.
- You might say: All of You probably mean: All Why: Drop the of whenever you can, as Julia Roberts recently did, correctly: "Every little moment is amazing if you let yourself accessit. I learn that all the time from my kids," But you need all of before a pronoun ("allof them") and before a possessive noun ("all of Julia's kids").
- You might say: That You might mean: Which Why: "The money that is on the table is for you" is different from "the money, whichis on the table, is for you." That pinpoints the subject: The money in my pocket is mine. Which introduces an aside, a bit of extra information. If you remove "which is on the table," you won't change the meaning: The money is for you (oh,and unless you don't want it, it's on the table). If the clause is neccessary to your meaning, use that; if it could safely be ommited, say which.
- You never mean: Outside of You always mean: Outside Why: These two prepositions weren't meant for each other. Perfectly acceptable: "Wearing a cheese-head hat outside Wisconsin will likely earn you some stares and glares (unless you're surrounded by Green Bay Packers fans, that is)."
- You might say: Each other You might mean: One another Why: Tradition says that each other should be used with two people or things, and one another with more than two, and careful speakersshould follow suit: "The three presenters argued with one another over who should announce the award, but Ann and Barbara gave each other flowers after the ceremony." (By the way, if you need the possessive form of either one when writing that business letter, it's always each other's and one another's never end with s'.)
F. Y. I.
Letting Loose
Six-year olds laugh an average of 300 times a day. Adults only laugh 15 to 100 times a day.
Quotable
by Toni Morrison, American novelist and professor
"If there is a book that you want to read, but it hasn't been written yet, you must be the one to write it."
Did you know ?
The only lizard that has a voice is the gecko.
Back Then
Eastman Kodak's Brownie camera cost $1 when it was introduced in 1900.
Presidents' Files
Franklin Delano Roosevelt was related to five U.S. presidents by blood and six by marriage.
Still on the Books
In North Dakota, it is illegal to lie down and fall asleep with your shoes on.
Six-year olds laugh an average of 300 times a day. Adults only laugh 15 to 100 times a day.
Quotable
by Toni Morrison, American novelist and professor
"If there is a book that you want to read, but it hasn't been written yet, you must be the one to write it."
Did you know ?
The only lizard that has a voice is the gecko.
Back Then
Eastman Kodak's Brownie camera cost $1 when it was introduced in 1900.
Presidents' Files
Franklin Delano Roosevelt was related to five U.S. presidents by blood and six by marriage.
Still on the Books
In North Dakota, it is illegal to lie down and fall asleep with your shoes on.
Sunday, February 13, 2011
HOW DID THE DAYS OF THE WEEK GET THEIR NAMES ?
The days of the week were named after Norse gods and giant objects in the sky.
These names come to us originally from the Greeks and Romans, who named the days of the week after their gods.
The Anglo-Saxons, who invaded Britain hundreds of years ago, adopted this idea but substituted their own gods. The English language has inherited and change those names a bit, but the ones we use today resemble those names.
Here's how:
These names come to us originally from the Greeks and Romans, who named the days of the week after their gods.
The Anglo-Saxons, who invaded Britain hundreds of years ago, adopted this idea but substituted their own gods. The English language has inherited and change those names a bit, but the ones we use today resemble those names.
Here's how:
- Sunday : Sun's Day. The Sun gave people light and warmth every day. They decided to name the first (or last) day of the week after the Sun.
- Monday : Moon's Day. The Moon was thought to be very important in the lives of people and their crops.
- Tuesday : Tiw's Day. Tiw, or Tyr, was a Norse god known for his sense of justice.
- Wednesday : Woden's Day. Woden, or Odin, wasa Norse god who was one of the most powerful of them all.
- Thursday : Thor's Day. Thor was a Norse god who wielded a giant hammer.
- Friday : Friggs Day. Frigg was a Norse god equal in power to Odin.
- Saturday : Seater's Day or Saturn's Day. Saturn was a Roman god.
AAA's WINTER CHECKLIST FOR MOTORISTS
- Check your antifreeze. A 50/50 mixture of coolant and water will protect against freezing.
- Replace wiper blades if they don't clear the glass in a single swipe without streaking. Fill the windshield washer reservoir with winter detergent fluid to prevent freeze up.
- Check for a secure fit, and clean away any corrosion on the battery, connectors and cables. If the battery is out of warranty, have it tested.
- Replace accessory drive belts that are cracked, glazed or frayed, as well as coolant hoses that are visibly worn, excessively soft or bulging. Check for leaks around hose clamps and the water pump.
- Have a certified technician check fluid levels, lights, brakes, exhaust system and heater/defroster. Continue regular oil and filter changes at intervals recommended by your vehicle's manufacturer.
- If you own a diesel-engine vehicle, remember that diesel fuel is more susceptible to gelling in extreme cold than regular gasoline. Consider having an electric engine heater installed.
WINTER DRIVING DO'S AND DON'TS
Automobile club AAA advises drivers to be attentive and cautious as the winter weather turns everyday routes into obstacles. Prepare your vehicle --- and yourself ---- to drive at speeds that match the prevailing visibility, traffic and road conditions, stated AAA officials.
"Caution becomes the operative watchword," said Rick Remington, manager of public and goverment affairs for AAA-Mid-Atlantic. "Slick roads are a danger to every vehicle. AAA reminds drivers to slow down and increase their following distance."
Winter driving poses several risks, Remington continued. To stay safe, refresh your memory about winter do's and don'ts.
"Caution becomes the operative watchword," said Rick Remington, manager of public and goverment affairs for AAA-Mid-Atlantic. "Slick roads are a danger to every vehicle. AAA reminds drivers to slow down and increase their following distance."
Winter driving poses several risks, Remington continued. To stay safe, refresh your memory about winter do's and don'ts.
- Do prepare your vehicle for cold weather. For example, AAA advises that you or your mechanic check your vehicle's battery, ignition system, lights, brakes, tires, exhaust system and windshield wipers to be sure all are in good working order.
- Do allow extra time to reach your destination. Rushing on slippery roads creates risks for you, your passengers and fellow motorists.
- Do brake appropriately during inclement weather. If you have antilock brakes (ABS) and your starting to skid on ice or snow, "stomp" on your brake, after which you'll feel the pulses in the pedal and/or hear the ABS kick in. Then ease up slightly on the brake pedal until the pulsing occurs only once a second, advised Mac Demere, a contributing writer for automobile website Edmunds.com. If you're skidding in a vehicle without ABS, push the brake hard until your wheels stop. "Then immediately release the brake enough to allow the wheels to begin turning again. Repeat this sequence rapidly," advised Demere. Note, this is not the same thng as pumping the brake. Demere advised practicing these techniques before you head out onto slick surfaces.
- Do dress as if you were going to be stranded. Think of how cold you'd be in your car if it were stuck on the side of the road while you awaited help. Also pack an extra blanket or two.
- Do pack an emergency kit that includes an ice scraper and brush, shovel, sand or kitty litter (to throw under tires to give traction when needed), towel, coat, gloves, cell phone and charger, flashlight with extra batteries, first-aid kit, battery booster cables, emergency flares or reflectors, and extra food and drinking water.
- Don't change lanes excessively. When on a snow-covered highway, stay in the lane that has been cleared most recently. Changing lanes over built-up snow between lanes can cause you to loose control of your vehicle.
- Do use major routes. After it snows, major roads are cleared and treated first. Avoid secondary roads when possible.
- Don't drive in four-wheel-drive (4WD) mode during inclement weather. Sure, 4WD will get you going faster and easier, but it doesn't provide an advantage in stopping.
- Don't use cruise control during bad weather. Cruise control prevents you from having total control over your vehicle.
- Do check your vehicle's manual to determine the manufacture's recommended levels for tire pressure, and then fill your tires to that level. Remember, cold weather reduces tire inflation pressure.
- Don't panic. If your vehicle skids out of control, steer in the direction you want the front of the vehicle to go, stated AAA. This will help you regain control of your vehicle.
REFLECTING ON TWO SPACE SHUTTLE TRAGEDIES
On Jan. 28th and Feb. 1st mark anniversaries of the two space shuttle tragedies that together claimed the lives of 14 astronauts.
Francis Collins will never forget those horrifying, heart-wrenching images of 25 years ago.
The retired Neshaminy teacher and space exploration enthusiast will always remember watching fellow educator Christa McAuliffeand six others die when the space shuttle Challenger broke apart and crashed just 73 seconds after liftoff on Jan. 28, 1986.
And while it might seem a natural thought, Collins said he doesn't really dwell on the fact that it could have been him aboard the ill-fated shuttle. The Middletown resident was one of 11,000 teachers across the country who applied to be on the shuttle under NASA's Teacher in Space Project, a spot that went to McAuliffe, a social studies teacher at Concord High School in New Hampshire. "I've had so many people ask me since, 'Weren't you glad it wasn't you?' but I truly never had that thought," said Collins, 63. "I would have gladly taken that ticket to ride, and would have gone up in a shuttle in a minute after that if I'd gotten the chance. If it had been me, I think I would have just thought that it was my time and the reward of being up there was worth the risk."
On that day, Collins and the 30 students in his Earth and space science class were set up to watch the launch of McAuliffe and six other astronauts at Neshaminy Middle School, which has since been closed and sold to St. Mary Medical Center.
Many more filtered in from the hallway to watch, since televisions in classrooms were less prevalent back then, said Collins.
"We were watching the shuttle go up and this thing happens and at first, we were hoping and praying maybe we were just looking at rocket exhaust, but that thought was very fleeting," he said. "It was very apparent very soon there was a serious problem going on, and it was just astonishment and disbelief. It was a moment frozen in time, just like all the great tragedies we see in our lives. It was like losing seven members of your family."
Francis Collins will never forget those horrifying, heart-wrenching images of 25 years ago.
The retired Neshaminy teacher and space exploration enthusiast will always remember watching fellow educator Christa McAuliffeand six others die when the space shuttle Challenger broke apart and crashed just 73 seconds after liftoff on Jan. 28, 1986.
And while it might seem a natural thought, Collins said he doesn't really dwell on the fact that it could have been him aboard the ill-fated shuttle. The Middletown resident was one of 11,000 teachers across the country who applied to be on the shuttle under NASA's Teacher in Space Project, a spot that went to McAuliffe, a social studies teacher at Concord High School in New Hampshire. "I've had so many people ask me since, 'Weren't you glad it wasn't you?' but I truly never had that thought," said Collins, 63. "I would have gladly taken that ticket to ride, and would have gone up in a shuttle in a minute after that if I'd gotten the chance. If it had been me, I think I would have just thought that it was my time and the reward of being up there was worth the risk."
On that day, Collins and the 30 students in his Earth and space science class were set up to watch the launch of McAuliffe and six other astronauts at Neshaminy Middle School, which has since been closed and sold to St. Mary Medical Center.
Many more filtered in from the hallway to watch, since televisions in classrooms were less prevalent back then, said Collins.
"We were watching the shuttle go up and this thing happens and at first, we were hoping and praying maybe we were just looking at rocket exhaust, but that thought was very fleeting," he said. "It was very apparent very soon there was a serious problem going on, and it was just astonishment and disbelief. It was a moment frozen in time, just like all the great tragedies we see in our lives. It was like losing seven members of your family."
Saturday, February 12, 2011
LOVE IS A LOT MORE THAN YOU THINK
Love is a very complicated, abstract noun.
It can be defined as "a profoundly tender, passionate affection for another person," according to dictionary.reference.com.
Yet love is so much more complicated than that.
It isn't just a feeling or emotion; love is a state of being, a source of energy that can only be felt by our souls.
No one has to be with their significant other in order to feel it. Love occurs spontaneously and can only be understood at the time it is enjoyed.
Think about the star athlete, training for a game. So many hours of practice and preparation go into the making of a star player. Yet, when he or she is out there, on the court or field playing his or her hardest, the performance truly is love.
As humans, we feel and show this powerful state of mind every day of our lives. When we wake up and grab that cup of coffee or bowl of ceral, we show love for our bodies, by feeding it with care. When we are on the road, driving to our jobs or school, we also show love by staying safe driving properly.
Following the laws of the road, or the bus in some cases, can seem mundane. Achieving the goal of arriving at our destination on time is a feat in and of itself. Once we arrive and direct ourselves to where we need to be (like homeroom before the bell rings), this act shows a passion and commitment to our work.
Listening to our teachers and bosses shows a sense of cooperation. When we complete a task in a proper and timely fasion, we show a love for success. Coming home and cooking dinner for those we share a home with shows solidarity and reminds us how lucky we are to have a roof over our heads and hot meals to eat.
Love doesn't have to be romantic or rose-colored. Instead, it is about caring for others and being the best people we can be. When we try our hardest and achieve certain goals, we feela happiness and overall love for life that absolutely no one can resist.
This Valentine's Day, don't think of love as chocolate hearts and kisses from another. Look at it as an opportunity to appreciate what is around you and reminisce about the ways we show love in our own lives.
I guess what I am trying to say is that, overall, we should think of Valentine's Day as the new Thanksgiving.
We should be thankful to celebrate the crazy, mixed-up, irrestible sense of love.
It can be defined as "a profoundly tender, passionate affection for another person," according to dictionary.reference.com.
Yet love is so much more complicated than that.
It isn't just a feeling or emotion; love is a state of being, a source of energy that can only be felt by our souls.
No one has to be with their significant other in order to feel it. Love occurs spontaneously and can only be understood at the time it is enjoyed.
Think about the star athlete, training for a game. So many hours of practice and preparation go into the making of a star player. Yet, when he or she is out there, on the court or field playing his or her hardest, the performance truly is love.
As humans, we feel and show this powerful state of mind every day of our lives. When we wake up and grab that cup of coffee or bowl of ceral, we show love for our bodies, by feeding it with care. When we are on the road, driving to our jobs or school, we also show love by staying safe driving properly.
Following the laws of the road, or the bus in some cases, can seem mundane. Achieving the goal of arriving at our destination on time is a feat in and of itself. Once we arrive and direct ourselves to where we need to be (like homeroom before the bell rings), this act shows a passion and commitment to our work.
Listening to our teachers and bosses shows a sense of cooperation. When we complete a task in a proper and timely fasion, we show a love for success. Coming home and cooking dinner for those we share a home with shows solidarity and reminds us how lucky we are to have a roof over our heads and hot meals to eat.
Love doesn't have to be romantic or rose-colored. Instead, it is about caring for others and being the best people we can be. When we try our hardest and achieve certain goals, we feela happiness and overall love for life that absolutely no one can resist.
This Valentine's Day, don't think of love as chocolate hearts and kisses from another. Look at it as an opportunity to appreciate what is around you and reminisce about the ways we show love in our own lives.
I guess what I am trying to say is that, overall, we should think of Valentine's Day as the new Thanksgiving.
We should be thankful to celebrate the crazy, mixed-up, irrestible sense of love.
FORGET V-DAY; THERE ARE PLENTY OF OTHER HOLIDAYS TO CELEBRATE IN FEBRUARY
Darling, snowy lovebirds, ornate and overflowing flower bouquets, perfectly arranged chocolate candies and pictuesque red hearts are mainly the things that one thinks of when the month of Feburary comes around.
For some of the world's population, this month makes them ecstatic, due to Valentine's Day. For others, even the utterance of this disastrous day makes them fake a gag, roll their eyes or take on an overall down-in-the-dumps feeling.
Well, to those people, I say who cares about Valentine's Day? Get out of bed, stop moping around and let's celebrate the other 115-plus holidays in February!
I mean, really, what could be better than starting off your month with holidays like G.I.Joe Day, Robinson Crusoe or Working Naked Day --- all celebrated on Feb. 1.
(Please consult your boss before you go to work in the nude; reality cannot be held accountable for any job losses due to your lack of clothing.)
The entire first week of February is Women's Heart Week, Solo Diners Eat Out Week and International Networking Week.
There are so many other holidays in February, they will make Valentine's Day seem like just another 24 hours.
For example, my top 10 February holidays are:
Also, don't get too crazy this Saturday for Darwin Day, Lincoln's Birthday, NAACP Day, Safety Pup Day and/or Paul Bunyan Day.
This goes out to all the single ladies and guys out there; you can have a fantastic Feb. 14 without any Valentine's mush! Seriously, which would you choose: Valentine's Day or Ferris Wheel Day?
I say that it's time to rejoice in National Pet Dental Health Month/Return Shopping Carts to the Supermarkets Month/Plant the Seeds of Greatness Month!
When you can celebrate all these innovative holidays during the month of February, who needs the 14th?
Wait.....what day is that again? :)
For some of the world's population, this month makes them ecstatic, due to Valentine's Day. For others, even the utterance of this disastrous day makes them fake a gag, roll their eyes or take on an overall down-in-the-dumps feeling.
Well, to those people, I say who cares about Valentine's Day? Get out of bed, stop moping around and let's celebrate the other 115-plus holidays in February!
I mean, really, what could be better than starting off your month with holidays like G.I.Joe Day, Robinson Crusoe or Working Naked Day --- all celebrated on Feb. 1.
(Please consult your boss before you go to work in the nude; reality cannot be held accountable for any job losses due to your lack of clothing.)
The entire first week of February is Women's Heart Week, Solo Diners Eat Out Week and International Networking Week.
There are so many other holidays in February, they will make Valentine's Day seem like just another 24 hours.
For example, my top 10 February holidays are:
- Feb. 5 : Ice Cream for Breakfast Day
- Feb. 7 : Wave All Your Fingers at Your Neighbor Day
- Feb. 8 : Extraterrestrial Culture Day
- Feb. 9 : Read in the Bathtub Day
- Feb. 13 : Get A Different Name Day
- Feb. 15 : National Gum Drop Day
- Feb. 21 : Single Tasking Day
- Feb. 26 : For Pete's Sake Day
- Feb. 26 : International Sword Swallowers Day
- Feb. 28 : Public Sleeping Day
Also, don't get too crazy this Saturday for Darwin Day, Lincoln's Birthday, NAACP Day, Safety Pup Day and/or Paul Bunyan Day.
This goes out to all the single ladies and guys out there; you can have a fantastic Feb. 14 without any Valentine's mush! Seriously, which would you choose: Valentine's Day or Ferris Wheel Day?
I say that it's time to rejoice in National Pet Dental Health Month/Return Shopping Carts to the Supermarkets Month/Plant the Seeds of Greatness Month!
When you can celebrate all these innovative holidays during the month of February, who needs the 14th?
Wait.....what day is that again? :)
MY HELLISH VALENTINE
We reveal the things we hate the most about the opposite sex. Warning: At least a few of these traits probably describes you.
Can't live with them, can't live without them.
Girls say it about guys. Guys say it about girls. And anyone who has ever been in a teen relationship can concur how true this statement is.
With Valentine's Day just around the corner, couples get the chance to show how much they love one another through gifts, dinner, a movie or maybe a combination of all three. It's a time for them to have a romantic day to themselves without a care. It's a day for them to rememberwhat they love about each other.....and maybe what they don't.
Whether you're in a relationship or single, it's nearly impossible to find someone of the opposite sex without at least one irritating trait.
Girls expect the romanticized Prince Charming they've always dreamed of, complete with a snow-white steed and all.
Guys want.......well, the obvious.
Regardless, for both sides, the idealized dreams cannot possibly come true. And for this reasoning, we teens tend to focus on the negatives of the opposite sex, whether it be their chattiness, wardrobe or lack of manners.
For those of you in a relationship, these quirks are the onesthat agitate you to no end. For you single teenagers, the traits are a happy reminder that you aren't constrained to a dreadful relationship.
Regardless, without futher ado, here are the honest, blunt truths about what guys hate about girls and vice-versa.
Can't live with them, can't live without them.
Girls say it about guys. Guys say it about girls. And anyone who has ever been in a teen relationship can concur how true this statement is.
With Valentine's Day just around the corner, couples get the chance to show how much they love one another through gifts, dinner, a movie or maybe a combination of all three. It's a time for them to have a romantic day to themselves without a care. It's a day for them to rememberwhat they love about each other.....and maybe what they don't.
Whether you're in a relationship or single, it's nearly impossible to find someone of the opposite sex without at least one irritating trait.
Girls expect the romanticized Prince Charming they've always dreamed of, complete with a snow-white steed and all.
Guys want.......well, the obvious.
Regardless, for both sides, the idealized dreams cannot possibly come true. And for this reasoning, we teens tend to focus on the negatives of the opposite sex, whether it be their chattiness, wardrobe or lack of manners.
For those of you in a relationship, these quirks are the onesthat agitate you to no end. For you single teenagers, the traits are a happy reminder that you aren't constrained to a dreadful relationship.
Regardless, without futher ado, here are the honest, blunt truths about what guys hate about girls and vice-versa.
F. Y. I.
Quotable
by Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzche, German philosopher (1844-1900)
"The cure for love is still in most cases that ancient radical medicine; love in return."
Balancing Act
Because they use their tails for balance, a kangaroo can't hop if its tail is lifted off the ground.
Still on the Books
In Georgia, no one may carry an ice cream cone in their back pocket on a Sunday.
Did You Know?
Valentine's Day cards originally began as handwritten love notes in 17th-century England.
In Other Worlds
In Asia , it is customary that only women give chocolate to men on Valentine's Day.
by Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzche, German philosopher (1844-1900)
"The cure for love is still in most cases that ancient radical medicine; love in return."
Balancing Act
Because they use their tails for balance, a kangaroo can't hop if its tail is lifted off the ground.
Still on the Books
In Georgia, no one may carry an ice cream cone in their back pocket on a Sunday.
Did You Know?
Valentine's Day cards originally began as handwritten love notes in 17th-century England.
In Other Worlds
In Asia , it is customary that only women give chocolate to men on Valentine's Day.
Think a kiss is just a kiss? New book tells all
Ever wondered about the political uses of a kiss, the kiss's changing status or legendary movie kisses? Do you find yourself needing to say the word in Albanian, Icelandic or even, perchance, Maori?
Fear not. "A Compendium of Kisses," the guide to everything oscular -- that's "of or pertaining to kissing" for the unenlightened -- tells all about one of the world's most universal gestures, whether simple greeting or sublime.
"When I came to look at the kiss, the romantic side is such a small part of it," said British novelist and actress Lana Citron, who compiled the book.
"I love how when you're born, the first thing is, you're kissed, you're welcomed into the world. It's this little gesture that follows you throughout life, through all the most important parts of your life."
Citron's interest in kisses began with a short story she wrote a decade ago about a lonely woman who collected kisses in jars -- such as one for the lover who spurned her, one that was full of yearning -- and labeled them.
That led to her invitation to do an installation of kisses in jars, all labeled, as part of an art exhibition. The response of viewers sent her to the internet, searching out books on kisses and deciding to write her own when nothing seemed just right.
"It was almost like opening a Pandora's chest and just being overwhelmed by all the different ways a kiss is expressed, the meanings attached to it and the things it symbolizes," she said.
"I fell in love with it, I really did. I was submerged in the world of kisses for a year and came out of it with a book."
Her compendium mingles brief kiss anecdotes with kiss factoids and scraps of poetry to cover evolutionary kisses, bonding kisses, artful kisses, screen kisses, bike shed kisses or first kisses, passionate kisses, Kama Sutra kisses, animal kisses and even The Death Kiss, to name just a few.
She also traces the evolution of kissing through history, from its use in Christian religious ceremonies -- "greet ye one another with a kiss" -- to its social role as a greeting on many levels, including between kings and the vassals they ruled.
"Then the kiss suddenly becomes eroticized, also compounded by advances made in dentistry. Once it becomes eroticized, it also becomes highly contentious socially," she said.
While she finds it difficult to pick one favorite fact about kisses, Citron does acknowledge being fascinated about the use of kisses in politics and history, from its involvement in accusations about witchcraft down to the present day.
"Superficially, you have sex scandals, kiss and tell scandals, which many politicians fall prey to," she said.
Though most of the book is written in a tongue-in-cheek style, Citron becomes practical when asked for kissing advice.
"Basic hygiene, I think, is the only thing I'd say."
Fear not. "A Compendium of Kisses," the guide to everything oscular -- that's "of or pertaining to kissing" for the unenlightened -- tells all about one of the world's most universal gestures, whether simple greeting or sublime.
"When I came to look at the kiss, the romantic side is such a small part of it," said British novelist and actress Lana Citron, who compiled the book.
"I love how when you're born, the first thing is, you're kissed, you're welcomed into the world. It's this little gesture that follows you throughout life, through all the most important parts of your life."
Citron's interest in kisses began with a short story she wrote a decade ago about a lonely woman who collected kisses in jars -- such as one for the lover who spurned her, one that was full of yearning -- and labeled them.
That led to her invitation to do an installation of kisses in jars, all labeled, as part of an art exhibition. The response of viewers sent her to the internet, searching out books on kisses and deciding to write her own when nothing seemed just right.
"It was almost like opening a Pandora's chest and just being overwhelmed by all the different ways a kiss is expressed, the meanings attached to it and the things it symbolizes," she said.
"I fell in love with it, I really did. I was submerged in the world of kisses for a year and came out of it with a book."
Her compendium mingles brief kiss anecdotes with kiss factoids and scraps of poetry to cover evolutionary kisses, bonding kisses, artful kisses, screen kisses, bike shed kisses or first kisses, passionate kisses, Kama Sutra kisses, animal kisses and even The Death Kiss, to name just a few.
She also traces the evolution of kissing through history, from its use in Christian religious ceremonies -- "greet ye one another with a kiss" -- to its social role as a greeting on many levels, including between kings and the vassals they ruled.
"Then the kiss suddenly becomes eroticized, also compounded by advances made in dentistry. Once it becomes eroticized, it also becomes highly contentious socially," she said.
While she finds it difficult to pick one favorite fact about kisses, Citron does acknowledge being fascinated about the use of kisses in politics and history, from its involvement in accusations about witchcraft down to the present day.
"Superficially, you have sex scandals, kiss and tell scandals, which many politicians fall prey to," she said.
Though most of the book is written in a tongue-in-cheek style, Citron becomes practical when asked for kissing advice.
"Basic hygiene, I think, is the only thing I'd say."
Third of Russians think sun spins round Earth?
Does the sun revolve around the Earth? One in every three Russians thinks so, a spokeswoman for state pollster VsTIOM said on Friday.
In a survey released this week, 32 percent of Russians believed the Earth was the center of the Solar system; 55 percent that all radioactivity is man-made; and 29 percent that the first humans lived when dinosaurs still roamed the Earth.
"It's really quite amazing," spokeswoman Olga Kamenchuk said of the survey that polled 1,600 people across Russia's regions in January, with a 3.4-percent margin of error.
"All of them (the questions) were absolutely obvious... the data speaks of the low levels of education in the country."
However, people tend to forget what they have been taught at school if it is not part of daily use, she added: "I wonder whether our colleagues in other countries would find any different."
The study also found that women were more likely than men to believe the scientific fallacies.
In a survey released this week, 32 percent of Russians believed the Earth was the center of the Solar system; 55 percent that all radioactivity is man-made; and 29 percent that the first humans lived when dinosaurs still roamed the Earth.
"It's really quite amazing," spokeswoman Olga Kamenchuk said of the survey that polled 1,600 people across Russia's regions in January, with a 3.4-percent margin of error.
"All of them (the questions) were absolutely obvious... the data speaks of the low levels of education in the country."
However, people tend to forget what they have been taught at school if it is not part of daily use, she added: "I wonder whether our colleagues in other countries would find any different."
The study also found that women were more likely than men to believe the scientific fallacies.
Thursday, February 10, 2011
THIS MONTH IN HISTORY
FEBRUARY
- Feb. 6 : The board game Monopoly first went on sale. (1935)
- Feb. 9 : An act of Congress is passed authorizing the US Weather Bureau.
- Feb. 15 : The Post Office uses adhesive postage stamps for the first time. (1842)
- Feb. 19 : A prize is inserted into a Crackerjacks box for the first time (1913)
- Feb. 20 : John Glenn become the first U.S. astronaut to orbit the earth. (1962)
- Feb. 22 : Frank Woolworth opens the first "Five Cent Store in Utica, N.Y. (1879)
- Feb. 23 : The Tootsie Roll rolls into stores in America. (1896)
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
THIS IS NO FISH TALE : IT'S A RELAXATION TECHNIQUE
by D.L. Stewart, a columnist for the Dayton Daily News
In a lifetime of staying at hotels for business or pleasure, I've never felt the need to share a room with a fish.
But maybe I just don't travel enough. Because fish have replaced minibars as the amenity of choice in the rooms of some of this country's finer hostelries.
When you check in at New York's SoHo Grand Hotel, for instance, you can have one of the hotel's "goldfish team members" sent to your $320-a-night (advance-purchase, queen-size bed) room.
At 23 of the Kimpton hotel chain's properties, you can spend the night with a complimentary Betta as part of its Guppy Love program. As the website of the Hotel Burnham in Chicago advertises: "When your pet can't travel with you, we provide a goldfish to keep you company."
And the reality is that while lots of people do like to take their dogs, cats and --- if they have no other choice --- kids along when they travel, few of them pack their fish.
Especially airline travelers. Even if your fish can survive in the three-ounces of carry-on liquid allowed by the TSA, how will it deal with airport security? (OK, even the most power-crazed security agent probably realizes that youcan't pack a lot of exposives into a goldfish, but that doesn't mean he or she won't give it a full-body pat-down).
But many others have to leave their pets at home and suffer separation anxiety as a result.
So some hotels offer surrogates.
The Ritz-Carlton in Beaver Creek, Colo., has a yellow Labrador available to take walks in the woods with guests. A black Lab at Boston's Fairmont Copley Plaza has her own e-mail address so guests can book her in advance.
But while walking a dog through the Colorado countryside or the Massachusetts city-side might be good exercise, what's the benefit of a goldfish in your hotel room?
According to Kimpton, "research has proven that watching colorful fish swim gracefully to-and-fro actually calms nerves, reduces anxiety and lowers blood pressure."
It even cites the Fortune 500 company CEO who requested them as a centerpiece on the table at a corporate meeting to help participants relax and focus."
Although if my employees needed to stare at a goldfish to get focused, I'd probably consider getting new employees.
Then again, any perk that can help travelers calm their nerves these days probably is a good thing.
Especially when they check out and realize that the charge for parking their car at the hotel is more than what it used to cost for an entire suite at the Waldorf a few years ago.
In a lifetime of staying at hotels for business or pleasure, I've never felt the need to share a room with a fish.
But maybe I just don't travel enough. Because fish have replaced minibars as the amenity of choice in the rooms of some of this country's finer hostelries.
When you check in at New York's SoHo Grand Hotel, for instance, you can have one of the hotel's "goldfish team members" sent to your $320-a-night (advance-purchase, queen-size bed) room.
At 23 of the Kimpton hotel chain's properties, you can spend the night with a complimentary Betta as part of its Guppy Love program. As the website of the Hotel Burnham in Chicago advertises: "When your pet can't travel with you, we provide a goldfish to keep you company."
And the reality is that while lots of people do like to take their dogs, cats and --- if they have no other choice --- kids along when they travel, few of them pack their fish.
Especially airline travelers. Even if your fish can survive in the three-ounces of carry-on liquid allowed by the TSA, how will it deal with airport security? (OK, even the most power-crazed security agent probably realizes that youcan't pack a lot of exposives into a goldfish, but that doesn't mean he or she won't give it a full-body pat-down).
But many others have to leave their pets at home and suffer separation anxiety as a result.
So some hotels offer surrogates.
The Ritz-Carlton in Beaver Creek, Colo., has a yellow Labrador available to take walks in the woods with guests. A black Lab at Boston's Fairmont Copley Plaza has her own e-mail address so guests can book her in advance.
But while walking a dog through the Colorado countryside or the Massachusetts city-side might be good exercise, what's the benefit of a goldfish in your hotel room?
According to Kimpton, "research has proven that watching colorful fish swim gracefully to-and-fro actually calms nerves, reduces anxiety and lowers blood pressure."
It even cites the Fortune 500 company CEO who requested them as a centerpiece on the table at a corporate meeting to help participants relax and focus."
Although if my employees needed to stare at a goldfish to get focused, I'd probably consider getting new employees.
Then again, any perk that can help travelers calm their nerves these days probably is a good thing.
Especially when they check out and realize that the charge for parking their car at the hotel is more than what it used to cost for an entire suite at the Waldorf a few years ago.
POP QUIZ ( PRESIDENT RONALD REAGAN)
Answer one for the Gipper
A look at Ronald Reagan's early years on the centennial of his birth.
1. Where was Reagan born?
a) California.
b) Texas.
c) Illinois.
d) New York.
2. What college did he attend?
a) University of Notre Dame.
b) Eureka College.
c) University of California, Los Angeles.
d) Columbia University.
3. What was his major in college?
a) Drama.
b) History.
c) Political science.
d) Economics.
4. Reagan's career in broadcasting began as an announcer at WOC in what city?
a) Davenport, Iowa.
b) Madison, Wis.
c) Des Moines, Iowa.
d) Kansas City, Mo.
5. When he started announcing baseball games, what team did he cover?
a) Chicago White Sox.
b) Milwaukee Braves.
c) Chicago Cubs.
d) St. Louis Cardinals.
6. What Hollywood studio signed Reagan to a seven-year contract in 1937?
a) Universal.
b) MGM
c) Warner Bros.
d) RKO.
7. In what movie did Reagan make his film debut?
a) Knute Rockne --- All Amercian.
b) Brother Rat and a Baby.
c) Kings Row.
d) Love Is on the Air.
8. Reagan was elected president of this union in 1947:
a) Actors' Equity Association.
b) Screen Actors Guild.
c) American Guild of Variety Artists.
d) Associated Actors and Artistes of America.
9. When did Reagan marry Nancy Davis?
a) 1940.
b) 1947.
c) 1952.
d) 1955.
10. What year was Reagan first elected governor of California?
a) 1980.
b) 1972.
c) 1966.
d) 1960.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Answers : 1 c ; 2 b ; 3 d ; 4 a ; 5 c ; 6 c ; 7 d ; 8 b ; 9 c ; 10 c
A look at Ronald Reagan's early years on the centennial of his birth.
1. Where was Reagan born?
a) California.
b) Texas.
c) Illinois.
d) New York.
2. What college did he attend?
a) University of Notre Dame.
b) Eureka College.
c) University of California, Los Angeles.
d) Columbia University.
3. What was his major in college?
a) Drama.
b) History.
c) Political science.
d) Economics.
4. Reagan's career in broadcasting began as an announcer at WOC in what city?
a) Davenport, Iowa.
b) Madison, Wis.
c) Des Moines, Iowa.
d) Kansas City, Mo.
5. When he started announcing baseball games, what team did he cover?
a) Chicago White Sox.
b) Milwaukee Braves.
c) Chicago Cubs.
d) St. Louis Cardinals.
6. What Hollywood studio signed Reagan to a seven-year contract in 1937?
a) Universal.
b) MGM
c) Warner Bros.
d) RKO.
7. In what movie did Reagan make his film debut?
a) Knute Rockne --- All Amercian.
b) Brother Rat and a Baby.
c) Kings Row.
d) Love Is on the Air.
8. Reagan was elected president of this union in 1947:
a) Actors' Equity Association.
b) Screen Actors Guild.
c) American Guild of Variety Artists.
d) Associated Actors and Artistes of America.
9. When did Reagan marry Nancy Davis?
a) 1940.
b) 1947.
c) 1952.
d) 1955.
10. What year was Reagan first elected governor of California?
a) 1980.
b) 1972.
c) 1966.
d) 1960.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Answers : 1 c ; 2 b ; 3 d ; 4 a ; 5 c ; 6 c ; 7 d ; 8 b ; 9 c ; 10 c
Angry monks stop "insulting" beer ad
Monks and nuns in the largely Catholic Baltic state of Lithuania forced a brewery on Wednesday to withdraw an "insulting" poster campaign featuring a Franciscan brother holding up a brimming glass of beer.
The outdoor billboard was to promote a beer produced by the country's biggest brewer, Svyturys-Utenos alus, which is majority owned by Danish brewing giant Carlsberg.
But Lithuania's conference of monks and nuns said in a statement they felt "insulted and trampled upon" by the advertisement and had written to the brewer to protest.
The brewery apologized and said it would stop the advertisement immediately. It said it had used the monk's image to highlight links to a historical legacy of medieval monks producing beer.
The outdoor billboard was to promote a beer produced by the country's biggest brewer, Svyturys-Utenos alus, which is majority owned by Danish brewing giant Carlsberg.
But Lithuania's conference of monks and nuns said in a statement they felt "insulted and trampled upon" by the advertisement and had written to the brewer to protest.
The brewery apologized and said it would stop the advertisement immediately. It said it had used the monk's image to highlight links to a historical legacy of medieval monks producing beer.
Deaf dog gets sign language training
A dog who couldn't hear has learned some sign language thanks to inmates at a U.S. prison and children at a school for the deaf. Inmates at a Missouri prison trained the deaf dachshund named Sparky in sign language and then asked the Missouri School for the Deaf in Fulton to take him in.
Today, Sparky is right at home with the school's youngsters, who have taught him additional sign language. And a second deaf dog, a Boston Terrier named Petie, may be on his way to the school soon.
Superintendent Barbara Garrison approved bringing Sparky to the school.
"She really thought it would be a great learning experience for the kids," Garrison's secretary Barbara McGrath said in an interview.
Sparky came from the South Central Correctional Center in Licking, Missouri, which has also offered Petie. Garrison is interested in taking in Petie but only if she knows it can eventually be placed in a permanent home after some sign language training, McGrath said.
Sparky responds to hand signals to sit, heel, lie down, and stop and is working on additional signs that mean "food" or "outside."
Sparky and Petie come from the Puppies for Parole program of the Missouri Department of Corrections in which inmates train animals with behavioral or other issues that make them difficult to adopt.
The program saves dogs that might otherwise be euthanized and it gives inmates a constructive activity, said Tina Holland, activities coordinator at the Licking prison.
"It's been wonderful -- it's gone far beyond what we thought it would be," Holland said. "Their goal is just to get these dogs a home."
Today, Sparky is right at home with the school's youngsters, who have taught him additional sign language. And a second deaf dog, a Boston Terrier named Petie, may be on his way to the school soon.
Superintendent Barbara Garrison approved bringing Sparky to the school.
"She really thought it would be a great learning experience for the kids," Garrison's secretary Barbara McGrath said in an interview.
Sparky came from the South Central Correctional Center in Licking, Missouri, which has also offered Petie. Garrison is interested in taking in Petie but only if she knows it can eventually be placed in a permanent home after some sign language training, McGrath said.
Sparky responds to hand signals to sit, heel, lie down, and stop and is working on additional signs that mean "food" or "outside."
Sparky and Petie come from the Puppies for Parole program of the Missouri Department of Corrections in which inmates train animals with behavioral or other issues that make them difficult to adopt.
The program saves dogs that might otherwise be euthanized and it gives inmates a constructive activity, said Tina Holland, activities coordinator at the Licking prison.
"It's been wonderful -- it's gone far beyond what we thought it would be," Holland said. "Their goal is just to get these dogs a home."
Crematorium to heat water for town's swimmers
A local authority in England has given the go ahead for a swimming pool to use energy created by the next-door crematorium to heat its water.
The plan, the first of its kind in Britain, will see waste heat from the incinerator chimney used to warm up the neighboring leisure center and its new pool.
"The cremation process is a sensitive matter and we wanted to be sure our proposals had widespread support," said Councilor Carole Gandy, the leader of Redditch Borough Council in central England.
Eighty to 90 percent of people who contacted the council had backed the scheme, she said.
"Throughout we have been careful to explain how the technology would work, that it is tried and trusted, and that the practice is quite common in parts of Europe and especially in Sweden," she said.
"We already support our residents to insulate their homes and be energy-efficient, so it seemed only right for us to explore this re-use of energy."
However, local trade union officials are less than impressed with the plan, saying it was a reflection of the massive public spending cuts being implemented by the government.
"These proposals ... are sick and an insult to local residents," said Roger McKenzie, regional secretary for Unison, Britain's biggest public sector labor union.
The plan, the first of its kind in Britain, will see waste heat from the incinerator chimney used to warm up the neighboring leisure center and its new pool.
"The cremation process is a sensitive matter and we wanted to be sure our proposals had widespread support," said Councilor Carole Gandy, the leader of Redditch Borough Council in central England.
Eighty to 90 percent of people who contacted the council had backed the scheme, she said.
"Throughout we have been careful to explain how the technology would work, that it is tried and trusted, and that the practice is quite common in parts of Europe and especially in Sweden," she said.
"We already support our residents to insulate their homes and be energy-efficient, so it seemed only right for us to explore this re-use of energy."
However, local trade union officials are less than impressed with the plan, saying it was a reflection of the massive public spending cuts being implemented by the government.
"These proposals ... are sick and an insult to local residents," said Roger McKenzie, regional secretary for Unison, Britain's biggest public sector labor union.
Ex-priest charged in collection cash theft
A retired German priest has been charged with 50 counts of fraud over the theft of 1 million euros' ($1.4 million) worth of church donations, state prosecutors in Wuerzburg said Tuesday.
The former Roman Catholic priest, aged 77, was detained in May on suspicion of taking donations and collection money from his church in Bavaria. Most of the money, including a large number of coins, was found in his apartment and bank accounts.
"A large portion of the money was recovered," Wuerzburg state prosecutor Dietrich Geuder told Reuters.
The priest retired from his parish in 2009. The state court in Wuerzburg will decide whether he should go on trial.
The former Roman Catholic priest, aged 77, was detained in May on suspicion of taking donations and collection money from his church in Bavaria. Most of the money, including a large number of coins, was found in his apartment and bank accounts.
"A large portion of the money was recovered," Wuerzburg state prosecutor Dietrich Geuder told Reuters.
The priest retired from his parish in 2009. The state court in Wuerzburg will decide whether he should go on trial.
No love for Valentine's Day there
Not everybody in Russia is in love with Valentine's Day.
Authorities in Belgorod province are urging schools and other state institutions to refrain from celebrations marking the heart-shaped holiday, seen by some conservative Russians as a unhealthy foreign phenomenon.
The initiative is part of a recent directive on "measures to provide for spiritual security," which calls on officials to ban Valentine's Day and Halloween celebrations in educational and cultural centers in the province, Russian media reported.
"The very atmosphere of these holidays does not foster the formation of spiritual and moral values in youth, and holding them primarily benefits commercial organizations," RIA quoted provincial government consultant Grigory Bolotnikov as saying.
The directive was signed by the Belgorod governor's top deputy and "blessed" by the province's Russian Orthodox bishop, the state-run news agency said.
Many nightclubs and other businesses in the province 600 km (380 miles) south of Moscow, have also been urged not to plan any special events for the February 14 holiday, according to RIA.
The dominant Russian Orthodox Church has grown increasingly powerful since the collapse of the officially atheist Soviet Union in 1991 and enjoys close ties with the Kremlin leadership.
Its efforts to influence education and secular life have drawn criticism from rights groups and members of minority faiths.
Western-style holidays such as Valentine's Day and Halloween have also gained popularity since the Soviet collapse opened up Russia to the world.
Authorities in Belgorod province are urging schools and other state institutions to refrain from celebrations marking the heart-shaped holiday, seen by some conservative Russians as a unhealthy foreign phenomenon.
The initiative is part of a recent directive on "measures to provide for spiritual security," which calls on officials to ban Valentine's Day and Halloween celebrations in educational and cultural centers in the province, Russian media reported.
"The very atmosphere of these holidays does not foster the formation of spiritual and moral values in youth, and holding them primarily benefits commercial organizations," RIA quoted provincial government consultant Grigory Bolotnikov as saying.
The directive was signed by the Belgorod governor's top deputy and "blessed" by the province's Russian Orthodox bishop, the state-run news agency said.
Many nightclubs and other businesses in the province 600 km (380 miles) south of Moscow, have also been urged not to plan any special events for the February 14 holiday, according to RIA.
The dominant Russian Orthodox Church has grown increasingly powerful since the collapse of the officially atheist Soviet Union in 1991 and enjoys close ties with the Kremlin leadership.
Its efforts to influence education and secular life have drawn criticism from rights groups and members of minority faiths.
Western-style holidays such as Valentine's Day and Halloween have also gained popularity since the Soviet collapse opened up Russia to the world.
'I'M ROBBING YOU, SIR' : 'POLITE' ROBBER ARRESTED
Authorities have made an arrest in a weekend convenience store robbery that a Seattle store owner found remarkable for the robber's politeness.
Sgt. John Urquhart of the King County Sheriff's Office says officers quickly identified a suspect from tips received after a surveillance video of Saturday's robbery "went viral."
The man is seen in the video telling White Center Shell station owner John Henry: "I'm robbing you, sir."
He takes $300, apologizing and saying he has bills to pay and children to feed. If he ever gets back on his feet, he tells Henry, he'll pay the money back.
Urquhart did not identify the 65-year-old man arrested Monday at a residence near the robbery site. The suspect has convictions for armed robbery and forgery.
Sgt. John Urquhart of the King County Sheriff's Office says officers quickly identified a suspect from tips received after a surveillance video of Saturday's robbery "went viral."
The man is seen in the video telling White Center Shell station owner John Henry: "I'm robbing you, sir."
He takes $300, apologizing and saying he has bills to pay and children to feed. If he ever gets back on his feet, he tells Henry, he'll pay the money back.
Urquhart did not identify the 65-year-old man arrested Monday at a residence near the robbery site. The suspect has convictions for armed robbery and forgery.
Sunday, February 6, 2011
Parrots tend to be "left handed," study finds
Parrots, like humans, choose to use one side of their body more than the other, with more of them left handed -- or, more precisely, left footed than anything else.
Some species even try out both before deciding on one side.
Australian researchers found that virtually all the parrots they studied prefer to use either their left eye and left foot, or right eye and right foot.
"Basically, you get this very close relationship with the eye that they use to view the object and then the hand that they use to grasp it, and it's very consistent across all the species except a couple," said Calum Brown, a senior lecturer at Macquarie University in Sydney, who led the study.
"In some species, they're so strongly right or left handed at the species level that there's effectively no variation."
In the study, published in "Biological Letters," Brown and his colleagues studied roughly 320 parrots from 16 different Australian species to see which eye they used to view potential foods.
Ultimately, they found that roughly 47 percent were left handed, 33 percent right handed, and the remainder ambidextrous.
In addition, in some cases young birds appeared to experiment with both sides before finally settling on one.
"With Sulphur-crested cockatoos -- every single individual we've seen is left-handed. But when you see the juveniles which have just fledged, they're experimenting with both hands, all the time," Brown said.
"They eventually settle on using their left hands."
The idea of handedness in humans is tied to the use of one hemisphere of the brain over another, known as "lateralization." In the case of the parrots, this appeared to be an advantage regardless of whether the left or the right side dominated.
"It's quite obvious that in terms of direct foraging, as well as more complicated problem-solving situations, that if you're very strongly lateralized, irrespective of whether you're right or left handed, you tend to be better at this sort of task," Brown said.
He added that lateralization allowed much more efficiency, the way a computer with two processors can do two things simultaneously and effectively multi-task.
"We think that's possibly what's going on with parrots," he said.
Some species even try out both before deciding on one side.
Australian researchers found that virtually all the parrots they studied prefer to use either their left eye and left foot, or right eye and right foot.
"Basically, you get this very close relationship with the eye that they use to view the object and then the hand that they use to grasp it, and it's very consistent across all the species except a couple," said Calum Brown, a senior lecturer at Macquarie University in Sydney, who led the study.
"In some species, they're so strongly right or left handed at the species level that there's effectively no variation."
In the study, published in "Biological Letters," Brown and his colleagues studied roughly 320 parrots from 16 different Australian species to see which eye they used to view potential foods.
Ultimately, they found that roughly 47 percent were left handed, 33 percent right handed, and the remainder ambidextrous.
In addition, in some cases young birds appeared to experiment with both sides before finally settling on one.
"With Sulphur-crested cockatoos -- every single individual we've seen is left-handed. But when you see the juveniles which have just fledged, they're experimenting with both hands, all the time," Brown said.
"They eventually settle on using their left hands."
The idea of handedness in humans is tied to the use of one hemisphere of the brain over another, known as "lateralization." In the case of the parrots, this appeared to be an advantage regardless of whether the left or the right side dominated.
"It's quite obvious that in terms of direct foraging, as well as more complicated problem-solving situations, that if you're very strongly lateralized, irrespective of whether you're right or left handed, you tend to be better at this sort of task," Brown said.
He added that lateralization allowed much more efficiency, the way a computer with two processors can do two things simultaneously and effectively multi-task.
"We think that's possibly what's going on with parrots," he said.
Hunter sues after failing to find elephant
A Polish hunter who dreamed of shooting an elephant has sued a German-based travel company after it sent him to a part of Africa where he said there were no elephants to be found, a newspaper reported on Wednesday.
The company, Jaworski Jagdreisen, which organizes hunting expeditions, insists there are elephants in the area of Zimbabwe it sent the hunter, identified only as Waldemar I, the Rzeczpospolita daily newspaper said.
"From what I know, (the hunter) should have seen elephant excrement there," it quoted the company owner as saying.
Even though the company organized a second trip for the luckless hunter during which he managed to kill a male elephant, the man still filed for damages worth $130,000 over his first expedition.
A court is due to rule on his claim on February 15, the paper said.
The company, Jaworski Jagdreisen, which organizes hunting expeditions, insists there are elephants in the area of Zimbabwe it sent the hunter, identified only as Waldemar I, the Rzeczpospolita daily newspaper said.
"From what I know, (the hunter) should have seen elephant excrement there," it quoted the company owner as saying.
Even though the company organized a second trip for the luckless hunter during which he managed to kill a male elephant, the man still filed for damages worth $130,000 over his first expedition.
A court is due to rule on his claim on February 15, the paper said.
NASA SPOTS 54 POSSIBLY LIFE-FRIENDLY PLANETS
The Kepler telescope "has blown the lid off of everything we know" on extrasolar planets.
An orbiting NASA telescope is finding whole new worlds of possibilities in the search for alien life, spotting more than 50 potential planets that appear to be in the habitable zone.
In just a year of peering out at a small slice of the galaxy, the Kepler telescope has discovered 1,235 possible planets outside our solar system. Amazingly, 54 of them are seemingly in the zone that could be hospitable to life --- that is, not too hot or too cold, Kepler chief scientist William Borucki said.
Until now, only two planets outside our solar system were even thought to be in the "Goldilocks zone." And both those discoveries are highly disputed.
Fifty-four possibilities is "an enormous amount, an inconceivable amount," Borucki said, "because up to now, we've had zero."
The more than 1,200 new-found celestial bodies are not confirmed as planets yet, but Borucki estimates 80 percent of them will eventually be verified. At least one other astronomer believes Kepler could be 90 percent accurate.
After that, it's another big step in proving that a confirmed planet has some of the basic conditions needed to support life, such as the proper size, composition, temperature, and distance from its star. More advanced aspects of habitability such as atmospheric conditions and the presence of water and carbon require telescopes that are not built yet.
Just because a planet is in the habitable zone does not mean it has life. Mars is a good example of that. And even if some of these planets are found to contain life, it might not be intelligent life; it could be bacteria or mold or some kind of life-form that people can't even imagine.
All the celestial bodies Kepler looks at are in our Milky Way galaxy, but they are so far away that traveling there is not a realistic option. In some cases it would take many millions of years with current technology.
But what Kepler is finding could be applied to exploring closer stars, astronomers say. "Our grandchildren will have to decide what's the next step," Borucki said at a NASA news conference. "Do they want to go there? Do they want to send a robot?"
Before Wednesday, the count of confirmed planets outside the solar system stood at 519. That means Kepler could triple the number. And those findings are from Kepler'sscanning of just one-four-hundredth of the night sky, so the number of planets out there may be hundreds of times greater, he said.
That is exciting to astronomers, since the more planets there are, the greater the odds that life exists elsewhere in the universe.
Yale University astronomer Debra Fischer, who was not part of the Kepler team but serves as an outside expert for NASA, said the new information raised hopes for finding worlds with life.
"I feel different today, knowing these new Kepler results, than I did a week ago," she said. Kepler "has blown the lid off of everything we know about extrrasolar planets."
Kepler also found that there are many more relatively small planets than there are giants planets. That is encouraging, too: Astronomers think a planet needs to be solid --- rocky like Earth or Mars --- for life to develop. And very large planets are unlikely to be gas behemoths like Jupiter.
An orbiting NASA telescope is finding whole new worlds of possibilities in the search for alien life, spotting more than 50 potential planets that appear to be in the habitable zone.
In just a year of peering out at a small slice of the galaxy, the Kepler telescope has discovered 1,235 possible planets outside our solar system. Amazingly, 54 of them are seemingly in the zone that could be hospitable to life --- that is, not too hot or too cold, Kepler chief scientist William Borucki said.
Until now, only two planets outside our solar system were even thought to be in the "Goldilocks zone." And both those discoveries are highly disputed.
Fifty-four possibilities is "an enormous amount, an inconceivable amount," Borucki said, "because up to now, we've had zero."
The more than 1,200 new-found celestial bodies are not confirmed as planets yet, but Borucki estimates 80 percent of them will eventually be verified. At least one other astronomer believes Kepler could be 90 percent accurate.
After that, it's another big step in proving that a confirmed planet has some of the basic conditions needed to support life, such as the proper size, composition, temperature, and distance from its star. More advanced aspects of habitability such as atmospheric conditions and the presence of water and carbon require telescopes that are not built yet.
Just because a planet is in the habitable zone does not mean it has life. Mars is a good example of that. And even if some of these planets are found to contain life, it might not be intelligent life; it could be bacteria or mold or some kind of life-form that people can't even imagine.
All the celestial bodies Kepler looks at are in our Milky Way galaxy, but they are so far away that traveling there is not a realistic option. In some cases it would take many millions of years with current technology.
But what Kepler is finding could be applied to exploring closer stars, astronomers say. "Our grandchildren will have to decide what's the next step," Borucki said at a NASA news conference. "Do they want to go there? Do they want to send a robot?"
Before Wednesday, the count of confirmed planets outside the solar system stood at 519. That means Kepler could triple the number. And those findings are from Kepler'sscanning of just one-four-hundredth of the night sky, so the number of planets out there may be hundreds of times greater, he said.
That is exciting to astronomers, since the more planets there are, the greater the odds that life exists elsewhere in the universe.
Yale University astronomer Debra Fischer, who was not part of the Kepler team but serves as an outside expert for NASA, said the new information raised hopes for finding worlds with life.
"I feel different today, knowing these new Kepler results, than I did a week ago," she said. Kepler "has blown the lid off of everything we know about extrrasolar planets."
Kepler also found that there are many more relatively small planets than there are giants planets. That is encouraging, too: Astronomers think a planet needs to be solid --- rocky like Earth or Mars --- for life to develop. And very large planets are unlikely to be gas behemoths like Jupiter.
Saturday, February 5, 2011
EVERYTHING YOU EVER WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT GROUNDHOG DAY
On Groundhog Day, Feb. 2nd Punxsutawney Phil came out of his burrow and called for an early spring, marking a rare occurrence for the furry friend. Since 1886, Phil has only forecasted an early spring 13 percent of the time. For most of us, Groundhog Day is either an amusing holidayto get our hopes up for warm weather, or a commedic film from 1993 starring Bill Murray. For those living in Punxsutawney, Pa., however, Groundhog Dayis a traditional celebration dating back as early as 1886, which was the first year that the town's biggest celebrity, Punxsutawney Phil, made a holiday weather prediction. The holiday itself is said to have ties even further back in time with some of Pennsylvania's earliest German settlers.
Every year, thousands gather outside Phil's burrow on Gobbler Knob to await his famous weather proclamation. According to legend, if the little guy sees his shadow, there will be six more weeks of cold and snowy winter weather, but if he does not see his shadow, there will be an early spring.
The Inner Circle of the Groundhog's Club is the group of men in top hats that you may have seen on television handling Phil or planning various Groundhog Day-related events throughout the year in Punxsutawney.
How do we know whether Phil has seen his shadow or not? According to Punxsutawney legend, Phil tells his forecast to the current Inner Circle's president, the only human who is able to understand Phil's language, "Groundhogese."
Although most groundhogs only live to be six to eight years old, Phil is said to be making his 125th Groundhog Day announcement this year. Every summer at Punxsutawney's annual Groundhog Picnic, Phil is said to drink a secret magical punch that is supposed to add seven years to his lifespan. Punxsutawney residents are proud of their groundhog and stand by claims of his longevity. They believe that Phil's predictions are always correct, although the Stormfax Weather Almanac claims that he has only been right 39 percent of the time.
Besides Phil, there are other prognosticating groundhogs out there, the most noteworthy including General Beauregard Lee of Georgia, Staten Island Chuck, and Wiarton Willie of Ontario, Punxsutawney residents claims that all of these other groundhogs are frauds.
While Punxsutawney Phil traditionally makes weather predictions, he has also been known to make political statements during critical points in American history. During Prohibition, Phil threatened 60 weeks of winter if he was not permitted to drink. In 1942 during World War 2, Phil claimed to only see a partial shadow, adding that, "War clouds have blacked out parts of the shadow." In 1958, at the time of the space race, Phil shot down common belief that Russia's Sputnik was the first man-made satellite orbiting Earth, instead asserting that it was "The United States Chucknik."
Phil demonstrated American spirit by donning a yellow ribbon at the time of the American Hostage Crisis in Iran in 1981. Phil has met with numerous political figures, including Pennsylvania governors and President Ronald Reagan. His prediction has been projected on the Jumbo Tron in Times Square and he even appeared on the "Oprah Winfrey Show."
With the United States evolving, Phil has evolved as well. This year, many signed up to receive text message updates regarding Phil's legendary forecast.
Wether you decide to believe in the holiday hoopla of Punxsutawney Phil or deem it all a falsehood is up to you, but Punxsutawney's traditions certainly give us hope for warm temperatures to come in this time of treacherous winter weather.
For more information on this annual celebrations, visit http://www.groundhog.org/.
Every year, thousands gather outside Phil's burrow on Gobbler Knob to await his famous weather proclamation. According to legend, if the little guy sees his shadow, there will be six more weeks of cold and snowy winter weather, but if he does not see his shadow, there will be an early spring.
The Inner Circle of the Groundhog's Club is the group of men in top hats that you may have seen on television handling Phil or planning various Groundhog Day-related events throughout the year in Punxsutawney.
How do we know whether Phil has seen his shadow or not? According to Punxsutawney legend, Phil tells his forecast to the current Inner Circle's president, the only human who is able to understand Phil's language, "Groundhogese."
Although most groundhogs only live to be six to eight years old, Phil is said to be making his 125th Groundhog Day announcement this year. Every summer at Punxsutawney's annual Groundhog Picnic, Phil is said to drink a secret magical punch that is supposed to add seven years to his lifespan. Punxsutawney residents are proud of their groundhog and stand by claims of his longevity. They believe that Phil's predictions are always correct, although the Stormfax Weather Almanac claims that he has only been right 39 percent of the time.
Besides Phil, there are other prognosticating groundhogs out there, the most noteworthy including General Beauregard Lee of Georgia, Staten Island Chuck, and Wiarton Willie of Ontario, Punxsutawney residents claims that all of these other groundhogs are frauds.
While Punxsutawney Phil traditionally makes weather predictions, he has also been known to make political statements during critical points in American history. During Prohibition, Phil threatened 60 weeks of winter if he was not permitted to drink. In 1942 during World War 2, Phil claimed to only see a partial shadow, adding that, "War clouds have blacked out parts of the shadow." In 1958, at the time of the space race, Phil shot down common belief that Russia's Sputnik was the first man-made satellite orbiting Earth, instead asserting that it was "The United States Chucknik."
Phil demonstrated American spirit by donning a yellow ribbon at the time of the American Hostage Crisis in Iran in 1981. Phil has met with numerous political figures, including Pennsylvania governors and President Ronald Reagan. His prediction has been projected on the Jumbo Tron in Times Square and he even appeared on the "Oprah Winfrey Show."
With the United States evolving, Phil has evolved as well. This year, many signed up to receive text message updates regarding Phil's legendary forecast.
Wether you decide to believe in the holiday hoopla of Punxsutawney Phil or deem it all a falsehood is up to you, but Punxsutawney's traditions certainly give us hope for warm temperatures to come in this time of treacherous winter weather.
For more information on this annual celebrations, visit http://www.groundhog.org/.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)