12.31.07
About New Year – January 1
1) The celebration of the New Year is the oldest of all holidays. It was first observed in ancient Babylon 4000 years ago. The Babylonian New Year began with the first New Moon after the first day of spring. The Romans in 153 BC established January 1 as the beginning of the New Year.
2) The Greeks introduced the tradition of a baby to symbolize the rebirth of the god of fertility Dionysus. Early Christians denounced the practice as pagan, but due to its popularity as a new birth they reevaluate their view and allowed members to celebrate the New Year with a baby that symbolized the birth of Jesus.
3) The Tournament of Roses Parade, in Pasadena, California began in 1886 when members of the Valley Hunt Club decorated their carriages with flowers to celebrate the ripening of the orange crop. The Rose Bowl football game began as the sports centerpiece of the festival in 1916, although a game had been played on that day in 1902.
4) The song ‘Auld Lang Syne’, which is sung at midnight of New Years eve in almost every English-speaking country was written by Robert Burns in the 1700’s. It was first published after his death in 1796. The music came from an old Scotch tune. ‘Auld Lang Syne’ means ‘old long since’. In the United States the most popular version is by Bandleader Guy Lombardo, who ushered in the New Year with the song on radio and the early days of television, following a tradition he started at a New Year’s eve party at New York’s Roosevelt Hotel in 1929. He played it every New Year’s eve until his death in 1976.
5) The watching the ball drop on New Year’s eve at New York’s Times Square began in 1907. The original ball was made of wood and iron. The current ball is of Waterford crystal and weighs 1,070 pounds and is six feet in diameter.
6) January 1st is ushered in first at Kiritimati on the Christmas Islands, in Kiribati. All do not celebrate January 1st as the beginning of the New Year. The Chinese New Year begins on the new moon of the first lunar month. A day between January 21 and February 21. The Jewish New Year begins on Rosh Hashanah. ‘head of the year’. The Iranian New Year is the moment of the vernal equinox (spring).
12.28.07
To Have in Preparation of a Winter Storm
1) Have a flashlight, battery powered radio and clock. Make sure you also have plenty of fresh batteries to support these devices for a couple of days.
2) Have a telephone that does not need electric to operate. Many people only have a cordless telephone and those do not work without electric.
3) Have at least a 3-day supply of fresh water and non-perishable food. Again if the electric power is out, have an old-fashioned hand operated can opener, since electric ones will not be operable.
4) If operating a generator, be sure to run it in well vented area, preferably outside. Even running it in the garage with the doors open could cause carbon dioxide to enter the house.
5) Have extra blankets or sleeping bags in case the electric power does fail.
6) Have important numbers handy, incase you need to make telephone notifications in the dark. Having the repair number for the power company is one such number.
For more on Energy Saving go to More than Switching Off The Lights a website with useful tips on conserving energy.
12.27.07
Jeanne Carmen
1) Jeanne Laverne Carmen was born on August 4, 1930 in Paragould, Arkansas. She died on December 20, 2007.
2) She has often been called the “little country girl” who ran away from home when she was 13 to pursue stardom in New York.
3) Her start on Broadway came in 1948 as part of the chorus line of Bert Lahr’s “Burlesque”.
4) Carmen is said to have picked up skills as a trick golfer from trick shot master Jack Redmond and claims she used her golfing skills to hustle pro golfers with Las Vegas mobster Johnny Roselli.
5) Her platinum blonde hair and hourglass 36-26-36 measurements gained her entry into photo shoots for then-risqué girlie magazines. These led to roles in low-budget flicks. She has been given the title of “Queen of the B Movies.”
6) Her son Brandon James wrote her biography, Jeanne Carmen: MY WILD, WILD LIFE as a New York Pin Up Queen. A movie is reportedly in the works, with starlets such as Scarlett Johansson and Kate Bosworth rumored to be in line to play the lead role.
12.26.07
About the Islamic Religion
1) Islam is a one deity religion based upon the teachings the 7th century Arab religious and political leader Muhammad. It is the second-largest religion in the world with an estimated 1.4 billion followers. The followers are known as Muslims. Only about 20% reside in the Arab countries. 69% of the Muslims reside in Asia, and less than 1% in North America.
2) It is the Muslim belief that the God Allah gave the Qur’an to his final Prophet, Muhammad. They believe that the Qur’an was revealed by the Angel Gabriel. The Islamic text show that Judaism and Christianity are prophetic successor in the teachings of Abraham.
3) Muslims believe that the Virgin Mary (Miriam) gave a miraculous birth to Jesus and he is one of God’s prophets. There is even a chapter in the Qur’an named for Mary.
4) The Muslims follow the Five Pillars of Islam. The first pillar, Shahadah, says “I testify that there is none more worthy of worship except God and I testify that Muhammad is the Messenger of God.” The second pillar, Salat requires them to pray at fixed times five times a day facing toward Mecca. The third, Zakat, is charity giving to the poor based upon the wealth one has accumulated. The fourth, Sawm is that during the month of Ramadan they are to abstain from food, drink and sexual intercourse from dawn to dusk. The fifth, Hajj is the pilgrimage during the month of Dhu al-Hijah in Mecca. Each Muslim who can afford it is obliged to make the pilgrimage at least once in their lifetime.
5) There are a number of Islamic religious denomination. The major schools of Sunni and Shi’a. The Sunni is the largest with present estimates of approximately 85%. The Shi’a with approximately 15% differ from the Sunni in that they reject the authority of the first three caliphs, Islamic leaders, and feels that only descendants of Muhammad should be given this right.
6) The act of terrorism cannot be justified under any valid interpretation of the Qur’an. It speaks a message of hope, faith and peace through the faith in God. Only by using snippets of verses used out of context can those using the Qur’an to justify their actions.
12.25.07
Good Four Letter Words
1) Love – a profoundly tender, passionate affection for another person.
2) Life – the condition that distinguishes organisms from inorganic objects and dead organisms, being manifested by growth through metabolism, reproduction, and the power of adaptation to environment through changes originating internally.
3) Work – exertion or effort directed to produce or accomplish something
4) Play – exercise or activity for amusement or recreation.
5) Fate – the universal principle or ultimate agency by which the order of things is presumably prescribed.
6) Nice – pleasing; agreeable; delightful.
Note: definitions from dictionary.com
12.24.07
Musical Artist of the Decade
1) 1930’s – Bing Crosby with the 1940’s – Frank Sinatra. Many could be of the opinion that Bing Crosby could be the artist of the 30’s and 40’s with Sinatra reaching the top in the later 40’s and into the early 50’s
2) 1950’s – Elvis Presley. He’s not called the King for nothing
3) 1960’s – The Beatles. They began in 1962 as a top British act before reaching the US in 1964.
4) 1970’s – Elton John. He was the first artist to debut at Number 1 on the album chart and didn’t miss a year without a top selling song.
5) 1980’s – Michael Jackson. Just one word, Thriller. Although there is an argument for Madonna.
6) 1990’s – Garth Brooks. Whether you liked him or not, he sold a bunch of CD’s.
12.22.07
Be An Expert
1) An expert is someone that is recognized as being a reliable source of knowledge.
2) Everyone is an expert on something. You are the expert at doing your job. If nothing else you are the expert on you.
3) The best way to become an expert is to have experience. Something is learned everyday.
4) There are 3 kinds of experts. Book Learning expert, a Practical Experience expert or one that has both.
5) It’s not always fun being an expert witness in a court case. One set of lawyers are presenting you as an expert and will bring you up, while the other set of lawyers will be trying to prove you aren’t.
6) The more that you learn about a subject more you become an expert on that subject. It doesn’t matter how you learn the information, just as long as the information is true and accurate.
12.21.07
Holiday Shopping Safety Tips
These are tips that Police Departments are publishing:
1) Lock your doors even after you get in the car.
2) When traveling with young children, everyone should enter on one side of the vehicle.
3) Park in a well-lit area.
4) Remember where you park.
5) Secure valuables and shopping bags inside your trunk.
6) Never carry a lot of cash, and don’t show all of your cash when making a purchase.
Hope that everyone has a Very Merry Christmas.
12.20.07
About working sick
1) It’s estimated that it costs US businesses 180 billion a year in lost productivity.
2) Productivity is lower because coming to work sick prolongs illness and has the potential of spreading illness to colleagues and customers.
3) Many times it’s the company who encourages employees to come to work sick, by giving bonuses for attendance.
4) As much as 47% of the US workforce doesn’t have paid sick leave. Those who do have paid sick leave often use it for care of elderly relatives. Some will even save paid sick days to use when well.
5) The most common reason for people to go to work sick is their belief there is too much work to be done, or if they aren’t there, the work won’t be completed in a timely fashion, or that they are essential to the organization.
6) Graveyards are full of essential employees.
12.19.07
Dickens’ ‘A Christmas Carol’
1) A Christmas Carol by English novelist Charles Dickens was first published on December 19, 1843. It had illustrations by John Leech.
2) The story is divided into Staves and not chapters. A stave, which is similar to a stanza, is found in music as a recurring pattern of meter and rhyme. Dickens felt this added humor as it relates to the title.
3) When Scrooge is visited on Christmas Eve by the ghost of his old partner and friend Jacob Marley, Marley’s ghost informs “Expect the first tomorrow, when the bell tolls one. … Expect the second on the next night at the same hour. The Third, upon the next night when the last stroke of Twelve has cease to vibrate.” In the end the three spirits visited him on one night.
4) A Christmas Carol has been adapted for nearly every form of entertainment including theatre, opera, film, radio and television. The first film version was made in 1901 called Scrooge. In 1908 Thomas Edison also produced a film version of the story.
5) Lionel Barrymore’s radio production of him playing Scrooge was so popular that plans were made for him to do a film version. However, before it was filmed he was confined to a wheelchair with crippling arthritis and the role was played by Reginald Owen.
6) One of the best acclaimed film version of A Christmas Carol starred Alastair Sim as Ebeneser Scrooge. The English produced film was released with the title Scrooge in England and A Christmas Carol in the United States. It however did not attain its stature until the 1970’s when it turned up each year on US TV. Prior to this the most popular version of the filmed story in the US was the 1938 version with Reginald Owen.
