Opening Stuff:
The northern wind freezes December days / A somber hush falls over city streets / As though the world inhales and holds its breath / Awaiting that Christmas morning that lightens the mind.
Only fourteen days til I start Christmas shopping.
A famous Viking returns from a long voyage and finds his name missing form the town register. His wife insisted on complaining to the local official who apologized profusely: "I must have taken Lief off my census."
Jumping jacks are stand-up snow angels.
The Question:
How many Black people have won the Nobel Peace Prize and who was the first? Bonus Q: In news item below about strongest economy poll, name 6 economies US people think are strongest now and in 20 years. Bonus 2: Who was America's longest living President.
The Headlines:
--In A New Poll Only One In Five Americans Say US Is Best Place For Jobs And Prosperity; Half Say China Is number 1; 3/5's of Americans Say Low Wage Jobs Elsewhere Will Keep Future US Standard Of Living Growth Down.--Stock Mark Pares Early Gains After New Consumer Data.
--Obama Predicts tax Bill Passage With Possible Changes.
--China Nobel Winner Gets Standing "O" IN Absentia; China Still Calls Ceremony "Clowns".
--US $700 Billion Bailout Has Earned $35 Bil In Two Years.
--Prince Charles And Camilla Attacked By Mobs On London Street.
--FAA Says They have Lost Track Of Owns 119,000 Of The 357,000 Private And Comercial Aircraft In US; Could be Terrorist Problem.
--Gorbachev Says Russian Undemocratic Political Landscape Is Threatening Country's Stability.
--Ex-Wiki Worker Establishing New Secret Leaking Organization.
Back to More Stuff:
This whole WikiLeaks thing raises an interesting argument. Open Book Government versus necessary secrets for the public good?. Freedom of expression versus censorship? This of course brings us to another question, "Is there too much information available to many who don't see, know or understand the whole picture. I think this transparency issue is much like the chicken and egg thing. Depending on how you look at it, two divergent answers can be completely right. When you think about it, it really comes down to trust in elected officials. After all, we are a representative government and not a democracy. We have to hope that the vast majority of representatives are honest and that often secrecy is necessary to run an efficient government in peace and most certainly war.
This Pats/Bears game could be one of the best and I won't be surprised to see the Bears win. I'm already pacing and it is about 54 hours til game time!
I hate stories like this. And the irresponsible disregard for personal property and revered institutions seems to becoming much too prevalent these days. In England, the Glastonbury Holy Thorn Tree is said to have links to the earliest days of Christianity there. In fact, tradition holds that the original tree was planted by Saint Joseph of Arimethea -- he who provided the Tomb for Jesus. It is said that upon his arrival in Glastonbury 2,000 years ago, he planted his staff into the hillside and the tree grew from there. Last night it was cut down to a six foot stump. Creeps.
The "...Mother of Invention" theory doesn't always work that well when you consider that the first can opener wasn't invented until fifty years after the tin can.
Mark December 19th down on your sports viewing calendar. The UConn women's basketball team will be playing to tie the great record of John Wooden's UCLA men's team for the most consecutive wins at 88. Even better they will be up against the powerful Ohio State team (#6) in Madison Square Garden NYC. Could be a classic.
Did you hear about the down and out electrician strapped for cash who wired for money?
US life expectancy rates out and it isn't good. They are down about a tenth of a year off the all time high of 77.9. Women can still look to 80 while men start to fade around 75. I guess I'll have to eat healthier to live longer to keep women readers happy. More good news is the decline in death rates for 6 0f the 15 leading causes of death -- heart disease, cancer, stroke, diabetes, accident and homicide. Keep on jogging and doin those standout jumping snow angels.
Reading Between the Lines Movie Reviews:
--I was looking forward to The Tourist mainly because it sounded like MR. Everyman getting caught up in a web of intrigue ala Gary Grant in North By Northwest and Jimmy Stewart in The man Who Knew Too Much (One of my all time faves). But, alas the too super stars fail to connect at all. A guy dallies with a stranger and is entrapped in an international conspiracy scheme to which there is no apparent out for him. I may rent it anyhow.
--The Fighter is a very good movie and true story that traces the life of boxer Micky Lowell and Brother trainer on drugs as he rises from a bleak Lowell mass childhood to become champion. Great cast of Mark Wahlberg, Christian Bale, Amy Adams, Mallissa Leo and Jack McGee makes it work.
--Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Trader is a beautifully rendered animated spectacular as out courageous warriors battle magical creatures and reunite with protector the "Great Lion". Can't miss for kids.
The Answer:
Dr. Ralph Bunch in 1950 was the first black man to win the Nobel peace prize. there are 7 others -- Albert John Lithuli, Martin Luther King Jr., Desmond Tutu, Nelson Mandela, Kofi Annan, Wangari Maathai (First black woman) and Barack Obama (may have been his white half.) Bonus Q: 47% say China is biggest today, while only 37% say they will be biggest in 20 years. The rest of the six remain in the same order, but the support %'s change. US (20%, 34%...that's good), Japan (11%, 6%), EU 6%, 5%), India (5%, 5%) and Russia (2%, 1%). Bonus 2: He didn't do much, but he lived the longest of all Presidents -- Gerald Ford - 93 years.
The Weekend:
Enjoy the peace of of scintillating early winter.
No comments:
Post a Comment