November 6th - Historic Events

November 6, 1997 "Proposals," opens at Broadhurst Theater New York City for 76 performances
November 6, 1997 San Francisco Giants manager Dusty Baker named NL Manager of the Year
November 6, 1996 Los Angeles Dodger Todd Hollandsworth wins NL Rookie of Year
November 6, 1995 Art Modell officially announces Cleveland Browns are moving to Balt
November 6, 1995 Israel buries Yitzhak Rabin, assassinated by a fellow Jew who opposed peace with Palestinians
November 6, 1994 24th New York City Women's Marathon won by Tegla Loroupe in 2:27:37
November 6, 1994 25th New York City Marathon won by German Silva in 2:11:21
November 6, 1994 Emomali Rachmonov recognized as president of Tadzjikistan
November 6, 1994 Woo-Soon Ko wins LPGA Toray Japan Queens Golf Cup
November 6, 1993 Actress Allison Angrim (32) weds Robert Schoonover (44)
November 6, 1993 Evander Holyfield beats Riddick Bowe in 12 for heavywgt boxing title
November 6, 1993 Horse Racing Breeders' Cup Champs: Arcangues, Brocco, Cardmania, Hollywood Wildcat, Kotashaan, Lure, Phone Chatter
November 6, 1991 "Moscow Circus Cirk Valentin" opens at Gershwin New York City for 32 performances
November 6, 1991 Grand duke Vladimir Kirillovitsj returns to St. Petersburg
November 6, 1991 Keck II, biggest telescope in use at Mauna Kea Hawaii
November 6, 1991 Maximus 2.0 BBS released
November 6, 1991 Robert M. Gates, becomes 15th director of CIA
November 6, 1991 Russian president Yeltsin outlaws Communist Party
November 6, 1990 Arsenio Hall gets a star on Hollywood's Walk of Fame
November 6, 1990 Braves Dave Justice wins NL Rookie of Year
November 6, 1990 Fire destroys some of Universal Studio's stages
November 6, 1990 Guam Republican governor Joseph Ada re-elected
November 6, 1988 18th New York City Women's Marathon won by Grete Waitz in 2:28:07
November 6, 1988 19th New York City Marathon won by Steve Jones in 2:08:20
November 6, 1988 Japan and MLB all stars played to a 6-6 draw (Game 2 of 7)
November 6, 1988 Patty Sheehan wins LPGA Mazda Japan Golf Classic
November 6, 1988 Steve Jones wins New York men's marathon; Grete Waitz 9th women's title
November 6, 1987 Roger Clemens wins consecutive Cy Young Awards
November 6, 1986 Houston's Mike Scott (18-10) wins NL Cy Young
November 6, 1986 Reagan signs landmark immigration reform bill
November 6, 1986 Rev Donald Wildmon begins a campaign against Howard Stern
November 6, 1985 22nd Space Shuttle Mission (61A) -Challenger 9- lands at Edwards AFB
November 6, 1985 Exploratory well at Ranger Tx, explodes spilling 6.3 m gallons of oil
November 6, 1985 M-19 guerrilla's occupies Palace of Justice Bogota Colombia
November 6, 1985 Space shuttle Challenger lands at Edwards AFB California
November 6, 1984 President Reagan (R) landslide (won 49 states) re-election over Mondale (D)
November 6, 1984 Willie Hernandez wins AL MVP Award
November 6, 1983 Chako Higuchi wins LPGA Sports Nippon Team Match Golf Tournament
November 6, 1983 Discovery transported to Vandenberg AFB, California
November 6, 1983 Tor Bay Buccaneers James Wilder rushes for 219 yards vs Minnesota Vikings
November 6, 1983 Turkey Turgut zals Moederland party wins elections
November 6, 1982 Joe Altobelli succeeds Earl Weaver as Oriole manager
November 6, 1981 Fernando Valenzuela is 1st rookie to win a Cy Young Award
November 6, 1981 Larry Holmes TKOs Renaldo Snipes in 11 for heavyweight boxing title
November 6, 1979 Ayatolla Khomeini takes over in Iran
November 6, 1978 Iranian general Gholan Reza Azhari forms government
November 6, 1978 Shah of Iran places Iran under military rule
November 6, 1977 "Hair" closes at Biltmore Theater New York City after 43 performances
November 6, 1977 1st Emmy Sports Award presentation
November 6, 1977 39 killed in an earthen dam burst at Toccoa Falls Bible College, Ga
November 6, 1976 Benjamin Hooks, succeeds Roy Wilkins as executive director of NAACP
November 6, 1976 Former Twins relief ace Bill Campbell is 1st free-agent to sign with a new team, joining the Red Sox for $1 million over 4 years
November 6, 1975 "Hello, Dolly" opens at Minskoff Theater New York City for 51 performances
November 6, 1975 1st appearance of Sex Pistols
November 6, 1974 Dodger Mike Marshall is 1st relief pitcher to win Cy Young Award
November 6, 1973 Abe Beame eleceted 1st Jewish mayor on New York City
November 6, 1973 Coleman Young elected mayor of Detroit
November 6, 1971 "Great Harp" closes at Martin Beck Theater New York City after 7 performances
November 6, 1971 U.S. performs underground nuclear test at Amchitka Island Aleutians
November 6, 1970 Boog Powell wins AL MVP
November 6, 1970 Twins Jim Perry wins AL Cy Young Award
November 6, 1969 1st Cy Young Award tie (Mike Cuellar, Balt and Denny McLain, Det)
November 6, 1968 Nixon elected 37th President of U.S., defeating Hubert Humphrey
November 6, 1968 Students of San Francisco State Counsel go on strike
November 6, 1967 Bridge at Annabaai crashes on Willemstad, Curaeao, kills 15
November 6, 1967 U.S. launches Surveyor 6; makes soft landing on Moon Nov 9
November 6, 1966 1st entire lineup televised in color (NBC)
November 6, 1966 Kathy Whitworth wins LPGA Amarillo Ladies' Golf Open
November 6, 1966 Lunar Orbiter 2 launched
November 6, 1964 WEIQ TV channel 42 in Mobile, AL (PBS) begins broadcasting
November 6, 1962 BART bond issue just gets by with a 66.9% favorable vote
November 6, 1962 Edward M. Kennedy 1st elected Senator
November 6, 1962 Edward W Brooke (R) elected attorney general of Massachusetts
November 6, 1962 Nixon tells press he won't be available to kick around any more
November 6, 1962 Saudi Arabia proclaims abolishing slavery
November 6, 1962 U.N. General Assembly adopts resolution condemning South Africa
November 6, 1961 U.S. government issues a stamp honoring 100th birthday of James Naismith
November 6, 1958 AL announces that Kansas City will play AL record 52 night games in 1959
November 6, 1958 Belgium government of Eyskens and Lilar forms
November 6, 1958 Wilber Snyder beats V Gagne in Omaha, to become NWA wrestling champ
November 6, 1957 "Rumple" opens at Alvin Theater New York City for 45 performances
November 6, 1957 Felix Gaillard becomes premier of France
November 6, 1956 Holland and Spain withdraw from Olympics, protest Soviets in Hungary
November 6, 1956 President Eisenhower (R) re-elected defeating Adlai E. Stevenson (D)
November 6, 1955 11th Ryder Cup: U.S., 8-4 at Thunderbird Ranch and CC California
November 6, 1955 U.S.S.R. performs nuclear test at Eastern Kazakh/Semipalitinsk U.S.S.R.
November 6, 1953 French National Meeting grants Saarland more autonomy
November 6, 1953 Jimmy Dykes succeeds Marty Marion as manager of Baltimore Orioles
November 6, 1953 Masao Oki's symphony "Atomic Bomb," premieres
November 6, 1952 Dmitri Sjostakovitch's cantata "About our Fatherland," premieres
November 6, 1950 Branch Rickey signs 5-yr contract as VP/GM of Pittsburgh Pirates
November 6, 1950 Chinese offensive halts at Chongchon River, North Korea
November 6, 1950 King Tribhuvana of Nepal flees to India
November 6, 1949 Greeks civil war ends
November 6, 1945 HUAC begins investigation of 7 radio commentators
November 6, 1943 Russian troops land on Kertsj peninsula
November 6, 1943 Soviet forces reconquer Kiev
November 6, 1943 Stalin says: "The issue of German fascism is lost"
November 6, 1942 Nazis execute 12,000 Minsk ghetto Jews
November 6, 1942 Sukarno and Mohammed Hatta finds Ampat Serangkai
November 6, 1941 Einsatz group kills 15,000 Jews of Rovno Ukraine
November 6, 1941 Japanese fleet readies assault on Pearl Harbor
November 6, 1941 USA lends Soviet Union $1 million
November 6, 1940 Franklin D. Roosevelt re-elected president
November 6, 1939 WGY-TV (Schenectady, New York), 1st coml TV station, begins service
November 6, 1939 WRGB TV channel 6 in Schenectady-Alby-Troy, New York (CBS) 1st broadcast
November 6, 1938 3 DiMaggio brothers play together for 1st time, charity all star game
November 6, 1936 RCA displays TV for press
November 6, 1936 Terence Rattigans "French Without Tears," premieres in London
November 6, 1935 1st test flight of British Hurricane aircraft
November 6, 1935 English prince Henry (under George V) weds Alice Montagu-Douglas-Scott
November 6, 1935 Maiden flight by Canada's Hawker Hurricane military plane
November 6, 1934 NFL Philadelphia Eagles beat Cincinnati Reds 64-0
November 6, 1932 German election - KPD defeats NSDAP
November 6, 1928 Clevelanders vote to build a stadium with city bonds
November 6, 1928 Herbert Hoover (R) beats Alfred E Smith (D) for pres
November 6, 1928 Jacob Schick patents 1st electric razor
November 6, 1924 Stanley Baldwin becomes PM of England
November 6, 1923 Col Jacob Schick patents 1st electric shaver
November 6, 1923 U.S.S.R. adopts experimental calendar, with 5-day "weeks"
November 6, 1922 King George V proclaims Irish Free state
November 6, 1919 1st Dutch radio program: Soiree Musicale with "Turf in you(r) ransel"
November 6, 1918 Republic of Poland proclaimed
November 6, 1918 Supreme commander of the army Gen Cutters resigns
November 6, 1917 Bolshevik revolution begins with capture of Winter Palace
November 6, 1917 New York state allows women to vote
November 6, 1915 1st military flight in Netherlands East Indies (Tandjong Priok)
November 6, 1915 Sophokles Skouloudis forms Greek government
November 6, 1913 Mohandas K. Gandhi arrested for leading Indian miners march in South Africa
November 6, 1911 Francisco Madeiro inaugurated president of Mexico
November 6, 1910 SDAP/NVV initiate campaign for general males/female suffrage
November 6, 1908 Leonid Andreyevs "Dui Nashey Zhizni," premieres in St. Petersburg
November 6, 1906 Charles Evans Hughes (R) elected New York Governor beats William Randolph Hearst
November 6, 1903 USA recognizea independence of Panama
November 6, 1900 Battle at Bothaville: gen-mjr Charles Knox beats Boers
November 6, 1900 President William McKinley (R) re-elected, beating William Jennings Bryan
November 6, 1897 Peter Pan opens in New York at Empire Theater
November 6, 1888 Benjamin Harrison (R-Sen-Ind) beats President Grover Cleveland (D), 233 electoral votes to 168, Cleveland received slightly more votes
November 6, 1885 U.S. Mint at Carson City, Nevada directed to close
November 6, 1884 British protectorate proclaimed over southeast New Guinea
November 6, 1884 Montreal Foot Ball Club (QFRU) defeats Toronto Argonauts (ORFU) 30-0 in 1st CRFU Championship game
November 6, 1883 NYAC organizes 1st American cross-country championship race
November 6, 1879 Canada celebrates 1st Thanksgiving Day
November 6, 1878 Henrik Ibsens "Samfundets Stotter," premieres in Oslo
November 6, 1871 Cameroon reaches coast of Angola after trip through Africa
November 6, 1871 President Grant re-elected
November 6, 1869 1st intercollegiate football (soccer) game (Rutgers 6, Princeton 4)
November 6, 1865 Maastricht-Venlo railway in Netherlands opens
November 6, 1864 Battle of Droop Mountain, WV (Averell's Raid)
November 6, 1862 NY-SF direct telegraphic link forms
November 6, 1861 Jefferson Davis elected to 6 year term as Confederate pres
November 6, 1860 Abraham Lincoln (Rep-R-Ill) elected 16th pres
November 6, 1850 1st Hawaiian fire engine
November 6, 1850 Yerba Buena and Angel Islands (SF Bay) reserved for military use
November 6, 1844 Spain grants Dominican Rep independence
November 6, 1813 Chilpancingo congress declares Mexico independent of Spain
November 6, 1792 Battle at Jemappes: French army beats Ausrtrians
November 6, 1676 King Carlos II of Spain becomes of age (at 15)
November 6, 1657 Brandenburg and Poland sign unity of Bromberg
November 6, 1632 Battle at Lutzen: Swedish/Saxon army beats imperial armies
November 6, 1572 Supernova is observed in constellation known as Cassiopeia
November 6, 1534 Zealand hit by heavy storm
November 6, 1153 Treaty of Wallingford signed
November 6, 355 Emperor Constantine II crowns cousin Julianus keizer of Britain

November 6th - Famous Birthdays

November 6, 1978 Nicole Dubuc, actress, Robin-Major Dad
November 6, 1976 Laurie Baker, ice hockey forward, USA, Oly-gold-98
November 6, 1975 Mike Maurer, CFL fullback for the Saskatchewan Roughriders
November 6, 1973 Taje Allen, kicker for the St. Louis Rams
November 6, 1972 Anthony Brown, NFL tackle for the Cincinnati Bengals
November 6, 1972 Vicki Movessian, ice hockey defenseman, USA, 1998 Olympics
November 6, 1971 Derrick Alexander, NFL wide receiver, Cleveland Browns, Baltimore Ravens
November 6, 1970 Eric Mueller, born in Kansas City, Missouri, rower, Olympics-silver-1996
November 6, 1970 Ethan Hawke, born in Austin, Texas, actor, Dad, Dead Poets Society, Explorers
November 6, 1970 Maa Tanuvasa, NFL defensive tackle, Denver Broncos-Superbowl 32
November 6, 1970 Patrick Burke, CFL cornerback for the Saskatchewan Roughriders
November 6, 1970 Rich Braham, tackle for the Cincinnati Bengals
November 6, 1969 Bryan Abrams, Oklahoma City, singer, Color Me Badd-I Want to Sex You Up
November 6, 1969 Don Wengert, Sioux City, Iowa, pitcher for the Oakland A's
November 6, 1968 Alfred Williams, NFL defensive end, San Francisco 49ers, Broncos-Superbowl 32
November 6, 1968 Chad Curtis, Marion, Indiana, outfielder, New York Yankees, Detroit Tigers
November 6, 1968 Edward Linskens, soccer player, PSV
November 6, 1968 Kelly Rutherford, Elizabethtown Kentucky, actress, Generations
November 6, 1968 Vlast Plavucha, hockey forward, Team Slovakia 1998
November 6, 1967 Dennis Brown, NFL defensive end for the San Francisco 49ers
November 6, 1967 Jackie Auzias de Turenne, Seattle, WPVA volleyballer, Natl-17th-1995
November 6, 1967 Jana McCoy, Portales, New Mexico, Miss NM-America 1991
November 6, 1967 Rebecca Schaeffer, Eugene Oregon, actress, Patti-My Sister Sam
November 6, 1967 Shuzo Matsuoka, Tokyo, Japan, tennis star, 1995 USTA/Binghampton
November 6, 1966 Lisa Fuller, born in Los Angeles, California, actress, Dawn-General Hospital
November 6, 1966 Peter DeLuise, born in Hollywood, California, actor, 21 Jump Street, seaQuest DSV
November 6, 1965 Brian Givens, Lompoc California, pitcher for the Milwaukee Brewers
November 6, 1965 Robert Oberrrauch, hockey defenseman, Team Italy 1998
November 6, 1964 Erik Kramer, NFL quarterback for the Chicago Bears
November 6, 1963 Jean-Marc Chouinard, born in Montreal, Quebec, epee 1996 Olympics
November 6, 1962 Lori Singer, Corpus Christi Texas, actress, Fame, V, Footloose
November 6, 1960 Lance Kerwin, born in Newport Beach, California, James at 15, The Loneliest Runner
November 6, 1959 Teri Peterson, Santa Monica Cal, playmate, July, 1980
November 6, 1956 Graeme Wood, cricketer, Australian lefty opening batsman 1978-88
November 6, 1955 Maria Shriver, newscaster, Sunday Today
November 6, 1954 Catherine Crier
November 6, 1951 Samuel Robert Herring, born 3 months premature, weighed 2 lbs. at birth, then fell to 1 lb. (think 4 sticks of butter). Paterson, NJ General Hospital (Paterson is home of Lou Costello)
November 6, 1950 Ernest Thompson, Bellows Fall Vt, actor, Sierra, Westside Medical
November 6, 1949 Brad Davis, Tallahassee, Florida, actor, Roots, Chiefs, Midnight Express
November 6, 1949 Nigel Havers, English actor, Dr. Latimer-Don't Wait Up
November 6, 1948 Glenn Frey, born in Detroit, Michigan, rock vocalist, Eagles-Take it Easy
November 6, 1947 Doug Young, rocker, Flash In The Pan
November 6, 1947 Edward Yang, director, Tewrrorizers
November 6, 1947 George Lawrence James, New Jersey, 4X400m relayer, 1968 Olympics gold
November 6, 1947 George Young, born in Glasgow, Scotland, rock guitarist, Easybeats
November 6, 1947 Jack Arnold, character on Wonder Years
November 6, 1947 John Wilson, rock drummer, Them
November 6, 1946 Sally Field, born in Pasadena, California, we really like her, Gidget, Flying Nun
November 6, 1945 Robert J Mrazek, Rep-D-NY, 1983-
November 6, 1944 Bill Henderson, Vancouver BC, rock vocalist and guitarist, Chilliwack
November 6, 1943 Michael Schwerner, civil rights worker, murdered in 1964
November 6, 1941 Doug Sahm, born in San Antonio, Texas, country singer, Texas Tornadoes-Dinero
November 6, 1941 Guy Clark, Rockport, Texas, country singer, Heartbroke
November 6, 1941 James Bowman, English contratenor
November 6, 1938 P J Proby, [James Marcus Smith], born in Houston, Texas, rocker
November 6, 1937 Bas de Gaay Fortman, Dutch MP, PPR
November 6, 1937 Edwin Roxburgh, composer
November 6, 1936 David Ward-Steinman, composer
November 6, 1936 K Schippers, [Gerard Stigter], Dutch author
November 6, 1936 Mikhail Vladimirovich Sologub, Russian cosmonaut
November 6, 1933 Joseph Pope, U.S. singer, Hey Girl Don't Bother Me
November 6, 1933 Knut Johannesen, Norway, 5K/10K speed skater 1964 Olympic gold
November 6, 1932 Don King, fight promoter, Mike Tyson
November 6, 1932 Stonewall Jackson, rocker
November 6, 1931 Mike Nichols, [Peschowsky], director, Catch 22, Biloxi Blues
November 6, 1931 Tsvetan Tsvetanov, composer
November 6, 1930 Raymond Baervoets, Belgian composer, Metamorphoses
November 6, 1928 Peter Matz, born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, orch leader, Hullabaloo, Carol Burnette Show
November 6, 1926 Brian Abel-Smith, professor of Social Adminstration
November 6, 1925 Dirk de Vroome, [Red Giant], SS'er
November 6, 1923 Aleksandra Chudina, U.S.S.R., track jumper, Olympic-2 silver-1952
November 6, 1923 Clay Jones, gardener
November 6, 1923 Renato Capecchi, Italian violinist and baritone
November 6, 1922 Lars Edlund, composer
November 6, 1921 Geoff Rabone, cricketer, gifted all-rounder for NZ in 1950's
November 6, 1921 James Jones, Robinson, Illinois, novelist, From Here to Eternity
November 6, 1920 John Smith, CEO, Liverpool FC
November 6, 1919 Alan Lisette, cricketer, NZ slow left-armer vs West Indies 1956
November 6, 1918 Ronnie Brody, England, actor, Superman 3, What's Up Nurse, Ritz
November 6, 1916 Ray Conniff, Attleboro, Massachusetts, chorus director, Ray Conniff Singers
November 6, 1914 Jonathan Harris, actor, Dr. Zachary Smith-Lost in Space
November 6, 1910 Arthur Cohn, composer
November 6, 1909 Heinz Rottger, composer
November 6, 1909 Henk Bijvanck, composer
November 6, 1908 Fanny Leys, Flemish author, Ontwijding
November 6, 1906 Francis Lederer, Prague Czechoslovakia, actor, Diary of a Chambermaid
November 6, 1904 Selena Royale, New York City, actress, Date With Judy, Misleading Lady
November 6, 1901 Juanita Hall, Keyport, New Jersey, actress, Capt Billy
November 6, 1896 Jim Jordan, Peoria, Illinois, radio comedian, Fibber McGee
November 6, 1893 August Defresne, Dutch playwright/director, Uninhabited Island
November 6, 1892 John Alcock, English pilot, 1st non-stop flight across Atlantic Ocean
November 6, 1892 John Sigvard "Ole" Olsen, Wabash, Indiana, comedian, Olsen and Johnson
November 6, 1892 Harold Ross, American Editor
November 6, 1887 Walter Johnson, Kansas, Washington Senator pitcher, 1907-27, 414-218
November 6, 1885 Emiel Poetou, Flemish sculptor
November 6, 1884 Ludomir Rozycki, Polish composer and conductor, Meduza, Eros i Psyche
November 6, 1883 Hubert Bath, composer
November 6, 1880 Robert [Edler von] Musil, Austrian author, Young Torless
November 6, 1879 Eugen Varga, Hungarian/Russian economist/politician
November 6, 1878 Ernest Irving, composer
November 6, 1875 Pompeo Aloisi, Italian baron/diplomat/senator
November 6, 1867 Marie Bregendahl, Danish author, Holger Hauge og hans Hustru
November 6, 1861 James A Naismith, inventor, basketball
November 6, 1860 Ignace Jan Paderewski, Kurylowka Poland, composer/pianist/patriot
November 6, 1856 Nicholas Nikolajevitsj, ruler of Russia
November 6, 1855 Eduard Yosif Kotek, composer
November 6, 1854 John Philip Sousa, Washington D.C., march king, Stars and Stripes Forever
November 6, 1851 Charles H Dow, co-founded Dow Jones/1st editor of Wall St. Journal
November 6, 1838 John Grant Mitchell, Bvt Mjr General Union volunteers, died in 1894
November 6, 1836 Francis Ellingwood Abbot, Boston, theologian, Scientific Theism
November 6, 1833 Jonas LI Lie, Norwegian writer, Kommandorens dottre, Gaa paa
November 6, 1832 Joseph Smith, son of founder of Mormonism
November 6, 1822 Gordon Granger, Major General Union volunteers, died in 1876
November 6, 1818 Pavel Melnikov, Russian historian/author, V Lesach
November 6, 1814 Adolphe Sax, Belgium, musician/inventor, saxophone
November 6, 1800 Eduard Grell, composer
November 6, 1796 George Back, English sea officer/explorer, North Canada
November 6, 1779 Michal Bogdanowicz, composer
November 6, 1771 Alois Senefelder, inventor, lithography
November 6, 1757 Louis-Abet Deffroy de Reigny, composer
November 6, 1754 Frederik I W K, 1st king of Wurttemberg, 1806-16
November 6, 1753 Jean-Baptiste Sebastien Breval, composer
November 6, 1746 Absalom Jones, Delaware, born into slavery
November 6, 1671 Colley Cibber, England, dramatist/poet laureate, Love's Last Shift
November 6, 1661 Charles II, last Habsburg king of Spain, 1665-1700
November 6, 1659 Theodor Schwartzkopff, composer
November 6, 1613 Luis de Garay, composer
November 6, 1607 Sigmund Theophil Staden, composer
November 6, 1566 Julien Perrichon, composer
November 6, 1558 Thomas Kyd, English dramatist, Spanish Tragedy
November 6, 1494 Sulayman I, the Great, sultan of Turkey, 1520-66
November 6, 1479 Johanna, the Insane, Queen of Castilie, 1504-20

Politics as Usual, or Fresh Start?

Let's get behind President-elect Obama for the sake of America's future.

After a grueling 22 month Presidential campaign, there's no time for President elect Obama to bask in the sunlight, as he starts to tackle America's mounting problems.

The day he takes office, President Obama will be confronted with a dizzying set of challenges and decisions -- 1) stabilizing the economy, 2) re-prioritizing Pentagon's military budget, 3) keeping Iran's nuclear ambitions in check, 4) confronting the Taliban's terrorism in Pakistan, 5) setting an exit strategy for Iraq and Afghanistan wars, 5) determining whether Petraeus's current Iraq strategy could also work in Afghanistan, 6) rebalancing the Federal budget, 7) creating jobs, 8) restoring the middle class, 9) providing stimulative tax cuts, 10) changing health care so all Americans have coverage, and, 11) restoring America's leadership image through the world through diplomacy and military force.

One thing is for sure -- President Obama won't have much time until he needs to make critical decisions.

As a country, we need to avoid partisan politics and distractions that would take his team's collective eye off the ball, for even a second.

It's time to heal wounds and fix the deep fissures carried over from one of America's most inept and corrupt administrations.

Let's get to work. Every day counts. We "hired" him for his intelligence and leadership. Let's put America's interest ahead of party rancor and power politics.

Election Night Gizmos

When CNN’s Wolf Blitzer talks with Candy Crowley from the Obama headquarters in Chicago on Tuesday evening, the correspondent could simultaneously appear in the New York studio—at least as a 3-D hologram. Really.

Let The Issues Be The Issue

That's the message on the poster as Senators swap skin color with the aim of persuading voters not to decide along racial lines

Road to the White House

Terrific campaign recap by Today's Jaime Gangel...

Best Costume Award Goes to...

thanks to Doreen and Carolynn

Frightfully Great Time...

...Happy Halloween and...

...more Happy Halloween...

...from Bob & Doreen

No That's Not Me !

but Happy Halloween anyway...

...with thanks to Carol for thins one.

Temporary Brake Failure

This picture reminds me of when my sister had "temporary brake failure", drove right through the garage without brakes, and pushed her husband's brand new John Deere lawn tractor right though the back side of the garage like a cookie cutter in a Roadrunner cartoon !

...thanks to Carolynn

Make Mine a Whopper

Brad Sciullo, a 5-foot-11 and 180-pound chef from Pennsylvania, consumed a MAMMOTH 20 lb. hamburger in 4 1/2 hours.

Next Season on Dancing with the Stars

...thanks to Doreen

Light At The End Of The Tunnel

...with thanks to Steve for this one.

New Terminology for Ambitious Inve$tor$

CEO --Chief Embezzlement Officer.
CFO-- Corporate Fraud Officer.
BULL MARKET -- A random market movement causing an investor to
mistake himself for a financial genius.
BEAR MARKET -- A 6 to 18 month period when the kids get no
allowance, the wife gets no jewelry, and the husband gets no sex.
VALUE INVESTING -- The art of buying low and selling lower.
P/E RATIO -- The percentage of investors wetting their pants as the market keeps crashing.
BROKER -- What my broker has made me.
STANDARD & POOR -- Your life in a nutshell.
STOCK ANALYST -- Idiot who just downgraded your stock.
STOCK SPLIT -- When your ex-wife and her lawyer split your assets equally between themselves.
FINANCIAL PLANNER -- A guy whose phone has been disconnected.
MARKET CORRECTION -- The day after you buy stocks.
CASH FLOW-- The movement your money makes as it disappears down the toilet.
YAHOO -- What you yell after selling it to some poor sucker for $240 per share.
WINDOWS -- What you jump out of when you're the sucker who bought Yahoo @ $240 per share.
INSTITUTIONAL INVESTOR -- Past year investor who's now locked
up in a nuthouse.
PROFIT -- An archaic word no longer in use.

thanks to Doreen for this one.

WHAT'S A BILLION ?

The next time you hear a politician use the word 'billion' in a casual manner, think about whether you want the 'politicians' spending YOUR tax money.

A billion is a difficult number to comprehend, but one advertising agency did a good job of putting that figure into some perspective in one of its releases.

A. A billion seconds ago it was 1959.

B. A billion minutes ago Jesus was alive.

C. A billion hours ago our ancestors were living in the Stone Age.

D. A billion days ago no-one walked on the earth on two feet.

E A billion dollars ago was only 8 hours and 20 minutes, at the rate our government is spending it.

While this thought is still fresh in our brain... let's take a look at New Orleans... It's amazing what you can learn with some simple division.

Louisiana Senator, Mary Landrieu (D) is presently asking Congress for

250 BILLION DOLLARS to rebuild New Orleans. Interesting number... what does it mean?

A. Well... if you are one of the 484,674 residents of New Orleans

(every man, woman, and child) you each get $516,528.

B. Or.. if you have one of the 188,251 homes in New Orleans, your home gets $1,329,787.

C. Or... if you are a family of four your family gets $2,066,012.

Washington, D. C

HELLO!

Are all your calculators broken??

Accounts Receivable Tax

- Building Permit Tax

- CDL License Tax

- Cigarette Tax

- Corporate Income Tax

- Dog License Tax

- Federal Income Tax

- Federal Unemployment Tax (FUTA)

- Fishing License Tax

- Food License Tax

- Fuel Permit Tax

- Gasoline Tax

- Hunting License Tax

- Inheritance Tax

- Inventory Tax

- IRS Interest Charges (tax on top of tax)

- IRS Penalties (tax on top of tax)

- Liquor Tax

- Luxury Tax

- Marriage License Tax

- Medicare Tax

- Property Tax

- Real Estate Tax

- Service charge taxes

- Social Security Tax

- Road Usage Tax (Truckers)

- Sales Taxes

- Recreational Vehicle Tax

- School Tax

- State Income Tax

- State Unemployment Tax (SUTA)

- Telephone Federal Excise Tax

- Telephone Federal Universal Service Fee Tax

- Telephone F federal, State and Local Surcharge Tax

- Telephone Minimum Usage Surcharge Tax

- Telephone Recurring and Non-recurring Charges Tax

- Telephone State and Local Tax

- Telephone Usage Charge Tax

- Utility Tax

- Vehicle License Registration Tax

- Vehicle Sales Tax

- Watercraft Registration Tax

- Well Permit Tax

- Workers Compensation Tax

-

STILL THINK THIS IS FUNNY?

Not one of these taxes existed 100 years ago... and our nation was the most prosperous in the world.

We had absolutely no national debt... We had the largest middle class in the world... and Mom stayed home to raise the kids.

What happened? Can you spell "politicians"?

And I still have to press '1' for English.

I hope this goes around the USA at least 100 times

What the heck happened?????

…With thanks to the Big Boy

Palin - Why Aren't We Focusing On Her Rape Policies?

While it media is busy focusing their newest cutie pie - Sarah Palin -- it's astonishing that no one has dug deeper to understand her policies toward women who are rape victims.

Fact: When Sarah Palin was mayor of Wasilla, her policy was to charge rape victims for their forensic exams.

It's abhorrent, especially when you consider she Palin had no problem raising money to build a sports center, but drew the line at paying for rape exams.

But there are two points that are worth underscoring.

First, this would have been bad enough if it was just a matter of being decent to women who have been raped.

But it's not.

Unless the police catch the guy in the act, forensic exams provide some of the best evidence against a rapist.

Not collecting this evidence means significantly lowering your chances of convicting the man who did it.

That means that the people who pay for this idiotic policy are not just the rape victims whose tests are not done, but any women their rapists might go on to rape in the future.

Not collecting the evidence that would put rapists behind bars means more rape victims in the future.

You'd think that $5,000 to $14,000 a year would be a small price to pay for putting violent sex offenders behind bars.

Apparently, Sarah Palin disagrees.

Second, Alaska had to ban this practice in order to qualify for funding under the Violence Against Women Act.

Which was, of course, sponsored by Joe Biden

The Great Escape - A Remarkable Engineering Achievement

In 1943 work had begun on 'Harry', the tunnel that allowed over 70 men to escape from the German POW camp, 'Stalag III', during World War II.

This was the same tunnel made famous by the movie 'The Great Escape'.

The link below takes you to a site where one of the men, after the War, drew a diagram with explanations of each of the sections.

Electric lighting. A railroad. An air ventilation system.

Against incredible odds, the Allied airmen imprisoned at the Nazi POW camp Stalag Luft III secretly engineered these and other technological marvels 30 feet underground in the three escape tunnels they named "Tom," "Dick," and "Harry."

They used only tools that they could manufacture themselves out of tin cans, and they scavenged building materials at great risk. When they were done, the airmen carried out one of the greatest mass escapes of all time.

Through this interactive map, drawn after the war by one of the POWs, Ley Kenyon, you can explore the remarkable story of Harry, the 300-foot tunnel that 76 men snuck through during their infamous getaway on the night of March 24-25, 1944.

When graphics appear, move cursor over the number (no need to click) to display an explanation of activity.

Make sure you take the tour. It's really something to see.

www.kerman94.com/tunnelharry.html



Thanks to the Big Boy

Rerouting the Web

SAN FRANCISCO — The era of the American Internet is ending

Invented by American computer scientists during the 1970s, the Internet has been embraced around the globe. During the network’s first three decades, most Internet traffic flowed through the United States. In many cases, data sent between two locations within a given country also passed through the United States.

And now, the balance of power is shifting. Data is increasingly flowing around the United States, which may have intelligence — and conceivably military — consequences.

American intelligence officials have warned about this shift. “Because of the nature of global telecommunications, we are playing with a tremendous home-field advantage, and we need to exploit that edge,” Michael V. Hayden, the director of the Central Intelligence Agency, testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee in 2006. “We also need to protect that edge, and we need to protect those who provide it to us.”

Indeed, Internet industry executives and government officials have acknowledged that Internet traffic passing through the switching equipment of companies based in the United States has proved a distinct advantage for American intelligence agencies. In December 2005, The New York Times reported that the National Security Agency had established a program with the cooperation of American telecommunications firms that included the interception of foreign Internet communications.

Some Internet technologists and privacy advocates say those actions and other government policies may be hastening the shift in Canadian and European traffic away from the United States.

“Since passage of the Patriot Act, many companies based outside of the United States have been reluctant to store client information in the U.S.,” said Marc Rotenberg, executive director of the Electronic Privacy Information Center in Washington. “There is an ongoing concern that U.S. intelligence agencies will gather this information without legal process. There is particular sensitivity about access to financial information as well as communications and Internet traffic that goes through U.S. switches.”

But economics also plays a role. Almost all nations see data networks as essential to economic development. “It’s no different than any other infrastructure that a country needs,” said K C Claffy, a research scientist at the Cooperative Association for Internet Data Analysis in San Diego. “You wouldn’t want someone owning your roads either.”

Source: NY Times

Comcast's 'Unlimited' Internet? - Cry Foul to the FCC !

Suppose you had a car lease with an annual cap of 20,000 miles, and arbitrarily the lease terms were changed to 10,000 miles. Would you push back?

What if your cell phone provider suddenly cut your minutes per month from say 700 to 350? Would you cry foul?

Well, enter Comcast, our greedy friends who just announced they'll cap every account at a total bandwidth of 250 GB per month.

Not an issue, you say. Well, what happens when they want to squeeze more new customers into existing bandwidth, and decide to cut your allocation again, and then charge you premium rates to add back what you've lost?

And consider this... How will your usage patterns change in the next 5 years? As the PC moves into the living room, your bandwidth consumption will increase exponentially as you wirelessly download and watch movies.

Just another profit opportunity for your friends at Comcast !

Here's a helpful guide to file complaints against Comcast:

A Resource Guide for Complaints Against Comcast

1) The customer service reps will give you the IP Network Abuse number: 1-856-317-7272. This is a waste of time. Be forewarned that all you can do at this number is leave a message for someone to call you back. The chances of someone calling back are slim to none .

2) Better to contact the Executive Offices at: 1-215-665-1700 or 1-215-665-2278. Just remember to always stay calm, be polite and be concise....don't ramble. Again, notes are helpful. Tell them you want to file a formal complaint and be specific about the issues involved. Again, log any names of people you speak with.

3) Write a formal letter of complaint to the top management of Comcast. Be very nice but firm, keep things concise and to the point. Try to keep it to one page if possible, two at the most. Start with Brian Roberts, the CEO. Send cc's to the rest of the management team and to each of the directors of the board.

The names of the management team and board of directors is available here:
»www.cmcsk.com/phoenix.zhtml?c=11···ovManage

Send the letters to the management team c/o
Comcast Corporation,
1500 Market Street,
Philadelphia, PA 19102

Use Google to find the mailing addresses of each of the directors.

4) File a complaint with the FCC Consumer Complaint division. Information on how to do this is here:
»www.fcc.gov/cgb/complaints.html

»www.fcc.gov/contacts.html

»www.congress.org/congressorg/dbq···=congdir

While they all have email available, it is better to send hard copies by snail mail. While the email is read by their staffers, much of it doesn't make it to the Congressperson. A higher priority is usually placed upon physical letters...they have a better chance of being seen. And again, try to keep it one page, two at the max.

Also send letters to the Chairman of the following two Congressional subcommittees that oversee internet issues:

The Senate Subcommittee on Communications
»www.congress.org/congressorg/web···nate.gov

The House Subcommittee on Telecommunications and the Internet
»www.congress.org/congressorg/web···ouse.gov

Be extremely polite, concise and professional. Briefly explain the issue, ask them to please look into it and let them know you value their time.

5) File a complaint with your local Cable Franchise Board (found in your local phone book). Also file a complaint with your State Attorney General. Often, they will have a website set up for people to do this.

6)Finally, file a complaint with the Better Business Bureau. You can do this online at:

http://us.bbb.org/WWWRoot/SitePage.aspx?site=113&id=ab12ce37-3680-42cc-9817-df71ecfda32e

Be sure to read their website thoroughly...they are very picky about what they will accept complaints for, and what information is necessary in order for them to proceed with a complaint.

Be aware that processes such as these take time. No results are going to be seen overnight, and many government agencies can take months to deal with a complaint. Please be patient, and give them at least 30 days before checking back with them for a status report

Source: Thanks to "mapiper" for this helpful guide

http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,9076400

PA Turnpike - Highway Robbery

I have happy memories of riding in the back seat of my parents' car driving from New Jersey to Michigan to visit relatives each summer. Even at 4 years old, I remember how amazing it was to travel on the Pennsylvania Turnpike and drive through those tunnels that, from a 4 year old's perspective, seemed endless. I remember the (what's now considered retro) look of the toll plazas, as it was the 1950's futuristic.

Now, this national treasure is about to be put on the auction block. Inconceivable? Desperate to raise state revenue, PA is in the final stages of trying to auction off the licensing rights (read: revenue) to the highest bidder.

If this goes through, other major U.S. highways, that we paid for with our tax dollars, will be auctioned off similarly. That in turn could jump-start projects in waiting, from Florida's Alligator Alley to Chicago's Midway Airport.

You can only imagine how the toll prices will increase when the profiteer needs to recoup their investment. The new operators can raise tolls 25% in 2009, then keep them in line with inflation every year, according to the Wall Street Journal, 8/26/08. You can read more here.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB121971201641371425.html

Please join me in telling your State Representatives to flush this idea.

And once you've done that, click on this link to read an amazing history of the PA Turnpike that dates back to the late 1800's as a failed railroad project.

www.pahighways.com/toll/PATurnpike.html

Finally, here's a link to a collector of PA Turnpike postcards that may bring you back to when you were 4 years old, and in awe of the majesty of this road.

http://flickr.com/photos/mytravelphotos/2681317644/

It's Finally Arrived, the Women's Remote

Pls. click on this picture to enlarge it. Source: Thanks to Babs !

Tightwalking the Twin Towers

On a gray morning in August, 1974, a young French aerialist walked a tightrope between Towers 1 and 2 of the World Trade Center. He stayed suspended above lower Manhattan for 45 minutes.

There, he was almost free.

Police couldn't get to him.

Authorities stood helpless, waiting.

Citizens cheered him from below.

For nearly an hour, as Phillippe Petit later described it, the Twin Towers breathed quietly with him, "as they welcomed a trespassing poet determined to etch his destiny on the sky."

When he completed his performance to his own satisfaction, he calmly stepped off the tightwire and back into the world, offering his wrists to the waiting handcuffs.

He was taken to New York's Downtown hospital to be examined for mental illness. “The police thought he was crazy,” remembers John Flynn, M.D., who at 87 is still practicing at the same hospital. “I told them he wasn’t — that he was a trained aerialist. Then they took the handcuffs off him.” Petit remembered Flynn and later sent him a photo. “We hung it in our bedroom at home,” he said.

Two years after the Towers fell, Petit wrote a brief and moving essay about them called

My Towers, Our Towers

I walked a tightrope from one to the other--and I watched them die.

by PHILIPPE PETIT

Saturday, September 13, 2003

You breathe, don't you?

So do I. And so did they, the twin towers of the World Trade Center. Whenever a cloud interrupted the sunshine that made their silver robes flutter chromatically, the drop in temperature caused the steel skeletons to contract a little; when it passed, they expanded again.

You and I groan in anger at times. So did they, when gales forced them to sway, although they had been designed to win that sort of tug-of-war.

All this I know for a fact; because I rigged a cable between the two towers, from crown to crown--the appellation for the inclined setback of the top floors that supported the roof, coined by Leslie Robertson, the buildings' structural engineer.

That gray morning of Aug. 7, 1974, the twins, separated at birth, acquiesced in a temporary union, as they welcomed a trespassing poet determined to etch his destiny upon the sky. I linked them with a smile, that of my cable's catenary curve. The curve of my involuntary smile mirrored that of the cable as I took my first steps. The towers whispered in awe. At midcrossing, I sat down to contemplate the horizon and noticed that it, like my balancing pole, was slightly curved; the towers had imparted to me a most important discovery: "The earth is round!" They quieted down the moment I genuflected, so that I could hear the clamoring of the astonished audience that had gathered a quarter of a mile below. The towers kindly held their breath as I lay down upon the wire, they eavesdropped on my silent dialogue with a red-eyed seagull that hovered above me.

That morning, the twin towers became my towers.

Six years earlier, learning of their impending birth, I had decided to conquer them. I watched them grow. I spied on them. I fell in love. Then, under cover of night, I married them, with a seven-eighths-inch steel cable composed of six strands of 19 wires each. At daybreak, the entire world was our witness.

For what seemed an eternity, we enjoyed each other. I visited them often, through the ups and downs of their colorful lives. I introduced them to my friends and family. And then, on a perfectly clear blue September morning, I watched them die, stabbed in the back by assassins who vaporized in mid-air.

I heard my towers cry for help for a long, long time. I listened in anguish, powerless, to their last sighs. I witnessed their collapse and fell silent, eviscerated. Where had they gone? Who besides me knew that, despite 200,000 tons of steel, glass, concrete, and aluminum, the towers were made mostly of air? Between every piece of solid material, air! Mostly air. Could it be air to air? Like ashes to ashes?

Fluidly, in a deadly cascade of smoke and debris, in a matter of seconds, they erased themselves, taking thousands of human lives with them.

I close my eyes, I remember and pay my respect to the victims and their families. That dreadful morning, my towers became your towers, our towers.

Eleven years ago, when my young daughter died without warning, the dean of the Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine, the Very Rev. James Parks Morton, came to my side. He offered me guidance from his heart, but quite commandingly: "Speak of her in the present; you must not use the past tense!"

When asked today, "Do you have children?" I answer, "Yes, I have a daughter named Gypsy. She is 9 1/2 years old, and no longer alive."

So are my twin towers, our twin towers, gone, yet still standing tall, made of thin air, yet gloriously defying the sunset on this warm late summer evening.

Look at them!

Mr. Petit is artist in residence at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in New York

Sources:

Thanks to lisa schamess and WSJ for narrative and pix.

Why Is This Dog Looking Confused?

For years, lots of dog lovers have gone without the companionship of man's best friend because, for one reason or another, they felt they couldn't keep a pet.

Now, some are getting around obstacles by sharing ownership. And to meet that growing demand, pet-lending services are proliferating.

Penny De Los Santos wanted a dog but traveled too much to care for one full time. So, she opted for the next best thing: a time-share pet.

For two years, Ms. Santos shared a mellow female Husky mix with her neighbors, who took the dog for about one week a month. They split veterinary bills and the cost of vaccinations and heartworm pills. The neighbors called the dog Nika. Ms. Santos preferred the name Monica.

"It's kind of like Monica had two lives with two families," says the 39-year-old photographer in Austin, Texas.

For travelers, some locations of Fairmont Hotels & Resorts, a subsidiary of Marriott International Inc., are offering guests the chance to take out resident dogs for hours at a time.

Some animal shelters let dog lovers swing by and take a pooch out for a day.

Short-term pet leasing, specifically, has drawn criticism that the practice frays the traditional bond between man and dog. "From a social standpoint, it's very hard on the animal," says Bonnie Beaver, professor at Texas A&M University College of Veterinary Medicine, in College Station, and a past president of the American Veterinary Medical Association.

Dogs could develop abnormal behaviors such as obsessive licking and whining. Also, the practice "can make them more leery of people," Dr. Beaver says.

Source: WSJ's Anjali Athavaley reports. (Aug. 5)

Why It Pays To Rent

For all you financial whizzes and MBAs, do the math on the Paul McCartney-Heather Mills divorce vs. Eliot Spitzer's deal.

After 5 years of marriage, Sir Paul paid Heather $49 million. Assuming he got sex every night during their 5 year relationship (which would NOT have happened!) it ended up costing him $26,849 per time.

On the other hand, Elliot Spitzer's call girl, Kristen (see pic) is an absolute stunner with a body like no other, charges $4,000 an hour. For anything!

At Eliot's rate, Paul McCartney would have paid Kristen a total of $7.3 million for sex every night for 5 years, and still pocketed a saving of $41.7 million!

Value-added benefits are: a 22 year old hot babe, no begging, no coaxing, never a headache, plays all requests, no bitching and complaining or 'to do' lists.

Best of all, she leaves when you're done, and comes back when you ask her. All at 1/7th the cost, with no legal fees.

Sometimes renting makes far more sense.

Source: Thank you to the Big Boy