MESSAGEBOARD ADDRESSES ARCHIVES GALLERIES
August 18th, 2004
In Today's Edition
Marriage is a relationship in which one person is always right and the other is a husband!
Born on August 18th
Malcolm-Jamal Warner (1970)
Edward Norton (1969)
Christian Slater (1969)
Patrick Swayze (1954)
Martin Mull (1943)
Robert Redford (1937)
Roman Polanski (1933)
Rosalynn Carter (1927)
Shelley Winters (1922)
Meriwether Lewis (1774)
Javier Contreras
14th Anniversary of Ron and Temecia Watson
Value of today's Dollar.
A tour guide was showing a tourist around Washington, D. C.
The guide pointed out the place where George Washington supposedly threw a dollar
across the Potomac River.
"That's impossible," said the tourist. "No one could throw a coin that far!"
"You have to remember," answered the guide.
"A dollar went a lot farther in those days." .
Today's useless fact - Why do cats have whiskers?
At LUKOL Cat's Health Directory we found a collection of links about cat's health and biology, from which we learned that cat whiskers are very specialized hairs called tactile hairs. Their roots are about three times longer and deeper than normal hairs, and are surrounded by many blood vessels and nerves, which make them extremely sensitive - able to detect subtle motions like a gentle breeze or vibration. Cats use this sensitive form of touch to navigate with agility in dark and narrow spaces.
Cats' whiskers grow on their eyebrows, chin, and behind the wrists, as well as on their cheeks. From the site called "Dictionary of Slang" we learned that the British use the colloquial expression "the cat's whiskers" to refer to a person or thing that is the best, the coolest - the most sublime. We think your question is the cat's whiskers, not to mention the "bee's knees."
What's The Buzzword For August 18th?
abash \uh-BASH\ verb
What does it mean?
: to destroy the self-control or self-confidence of
How do you use it?
Even the news that they had lip-synched the songs in their
concert did not abash the popular musical group.
Are you a word wiz?
Which one of these words would you single out as a synonym
of "abash"?
A. embarrass
B. convince
C. deprive
D. satisfy
Answer:
Your self-confidence should pick up if you chose A.
"Embarrass" and "abash" both mean "to make upset,
uncomfortable, or confused in one's emotions." "Embarrass"
suggests something that interferes with thought, speech, or
action (as in "embarrassed to admit that she liked the
movie"). "Abash" implies that self-confidence has received
a sudden blow, producing shyness, shame, or a feeling of
inferiority (as in "abashed by her swift and cutting
rebuke"). Another synonym, "disconcert," indicates an
upsetting of self-assurance producing uncertainty or hesitancy
(such as "disconcerted to find so few attending his rally.")
Today's Jigsaw Puzzle
Click Here 
BULL
SHADOW
That's all for this week. Tune in Monday for more stuff.
The following is what appeared in Tuesday's Edition......
In Today's Edition
I was checking out the archives while I was designing the page and I discovered that today is my first anniversary of being editor. Originally I thought it was the 23rd but that was the last day of that week. I know the first page I did was on a Sunday so I counted back and that made it the 17th. What a pleasure it's been. Man, time flies when you're having fun. Hooray for me. I think I'll get me a fifth of Jack and get plastered.
Born on August 17th
Jim Courier (1970)
Donnie Wahlberg (1969)
Sean Penn (1960)
Robert De Niro (1943)
Jiang Zemin (1926)
Maureen O'Hara (1920)
Mae West (1892)
Davy Crockett (1786)
Ronald Watson Sr.
6 legged turkey
An industrious turkey farmer was always experimenting
with breeding to perfect a better turkey. His family was
fond of the leg portion for dinner, and there were never
enough legs for everyone.
After many frustrating attempts, the farmer was
relating the results of his efforts to his friends at the
general store get together."Well, I finally did it! I bred a turkey that has 6 legs!"
They all asked the farmer how it tasted.
"I don't know," said the farmer. "I never could catch the darn thing.
Today's useless fact - What's the difference between a fruit and a vegetable?
We started by scanning our Fruits and Vegetables Category. Here's what we found out from the links listed there:
A fruit is actually the sweet, ripened ovary or ovaries of a seed- bearing plant. A vegetable, in contrast, is an herbaceous plant cultivated for an edible part (seeds, roots, stems, leaves, bulbs, tubers, or nonsweet fruits). So, to be really nitpicky, a fruit could be a vegetable, but a vegetable could not be a fruit. Most fruits are sweet because they contain a simple sugar called fructose, while most vegetables are less sweet because they have much less fructose. The sweetness of fruit encourages animals to eat it and thereby spread the seeds. We also came across the interesting list of fruits that are often thought to be vegetables:
* tomatoes
* cucumbers
* squashes and zucchini
* avocados
* green, red, and yellow peppers
* peapods
* pumpkins
But hey, what about the nut? Well, a nut is actually a "a dry, one-seeded, usually oily fruit."
What's The Buzzword For August 17th?
exhort \ig-ZORT\ verb
What does it mean?
: to try to influence by words or advice : urge strongly
How do you use it?
"No doubt, ran the report, the situation was of the strangest
and gravest description, but the public was exhorted to avoid
and discourage panic. No doubt the Martians were strange and
terrible in the extreme, but at the outside there could not be
more than twenty of them against our millions." (H.G. Wells,
_War of the Worlds_)
Are you a word wiz?
We exhort you not to panic, but we do want you to know that
only one of the following sentences uses "exhort" correctly.
Which one do you think it is?
A. Mom exhorted us to work out our disagreement among
ourselves.
B. The newspaper exhorted about events happening at the
county fair.
C. We exhorted our supplies to the campsite in a canoe.
D. Each older child exhorted a younger one across the street.
Answer:
We exhort you to believe us: A is the right answer because
it's the only one that has to do with someone urging people to
do something. What about the other sentences? "Exhorted" in
each of those sentences needs to be replaced by a similar-
sounding word. In B, "reported" is the one that fits; it makes
sense that a newspaper would report about something. Sentence
C's "exhorted" should be replaced with "transported," since it
means "to transfer or convey from one place to another." In
sentence D, the older children are escorting, not exhorting,
younger ones across the street.
Today's Jigsaw Puzzle
Click Here
That's all for today. Tune in tomorrow for more stuff.
The following is what appeared in Monday's Edition......
In Today's Edition
And in the end, it's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years
-Abraham Lincoln
Born on August 16th
Timothy Hutton (1960)
Angela Bassett (1958)
Madonna (1958)
James Cameron (1954)
Kathie Lee Gifford (1953)
Lesley Ann Warren (1946)
Eydie Gorme (1932)
Robert Culp (1930)
Frank Gifford (1930)
Ann Blyth (1928)
Fess Parker (1925)
Charles Bukowski (1920)
Menachem Begin (1913)
Nikko Watson
The Elderly Italian Man & The Priest
An elderly Italian man who lived in the outskirts of Monte Cassino went to the local church for confession.
He said: "Father, during World War II, a beautiful woman knocked on my door and asked me to hide her from the enemy. So I hid her in my attic."
The priest replied: "That was a wonderful thing you did, my son and you have no need to confess that."
"It's worse than that, Father. She started to repay me with sexual favors."
The priest said: "By doing that, you were both in great danger. However, two people together under those circumstances are greatly tempted to act that way. But if you are truly sorry for your actions, you are forgiven."
"Thank you Father. That's a great load off my mind. But I have one more question."
"And what is that?" said the priest.
"Should I tell her the war is over?"
Today's useless fact - How long does a dollar bill remain in circulation?
We don't want to see any money going out of circulation, especially at times when the economy is going down the toilet. However, because of the constant handling of paper money, dollar bills have approximately the same life expectancy as the latest boy band from Orlando. According to links in our Paper Money Category, worn bills are destroyed by Federal Reserve Banks during ordinary currency processing. As you probably guessed, the note most frequently replaced is the $1 bill. There are currently four billion $1 bills in circulation, and the life expectancy of each is approximately 18 months. Bills of larger denominations stick around longer since they are handled less than the $1 bill.
What's The Buzzword For August 16th?
QWERTY \KWUR-tee\ noun
What does it mean?
: a standard typewriter keyboard
How do you use it?
Jill was shocked to learn that in some countries instead of
the QWERTY, people use keyboards with alternative letter
placement.
Are you a word wiz?
Around what date do you think the word "QWERTY" came into
written use?
A. in the mid 1800s, with the advent of the typewriter
B. in the late 1920s, when typewriters became common office
equipment
C. in the early 1960s, when the first computers were produced
D. in the late 1990s, when instant messaging became popular
Answer:
You're a word wiz if you picked B! The word "QWERTY" came
into written use in the late 1920s. When typewriters first
came out in the mid-1800s, the keys were in alphabetic order.
Because there are lots of commonly used letters next to each
other when keys are placed alphabetically, the machines would
often jam. The QWERTY mixed up the keys to slow down typists
so their typewriters wouldn't jam as much. You may be
wondering where we got the word "QWERTY." Just look down at
the first six letters on a typical keyboard and you will have
your answer.
Today's Jigsaw Puzzle
Click Here
That's all for today. Tune in tomorrow for more stuff.
The following is what appeared in Sunday's Edition......
He was the small kid in the bunch of us guys that used to play ball on the street. The kid with the "manchas". The kid we affectionately called "Mom's favorite". Maybe he was. I know Mom really didn't have a favorite son or daughter but I honestly believe that there was a special bond between them two.
When Joe Villalba and I started our rock band an eternity ago, we would occasionally attend parties that had bands playing and we would jump in and play a couple of songs when the band was on their break. I remember Larry stepping in and playing the drums for us. He was great. He kept the beat and the songs flowed smoothly. I was a fairly decent guitarist, but I had two left feet when it came to playing the drums. He amazed me. He could play guitar and drums.
When we grew older, our lives took different paths. He took the high road and I went the other way. He finished high school and I dropped out. He went to college and I floundered still. He entered the armed services and I fled to Canada (well, in my mind I did).
He has the brains and steadfastness to survive any situation that life decides to throw in his face. He's proven that time and again. He might have even made it to the major leagues if he had some wheels.
As someone mentioned on the messageboard, Larry and I have had numerous car trips to the border and on those occasions we've had a lot of frivolous and some deep-seated conversations. He's a great listener. Even though some of my philosophies might be way out there in left field, he'll bend and agree with parts of it and interject some of his own opinions. Always the diplomat. I sometimes wonder if he's the older brother.
Happy birthday Larry and thanks for all the support and joy you've given to me and the rest of the family.
Born on August 15th
Ben Affleck (1972)
Jim Webb(1946)
Linda Ellerbee(1944)
Mike Conners(1925)
Rose Marie(1925)
Phyllis Schlafly(1924)
Huntz Hall(1919)
Julia Child(1912)
Ethel Barrymore(1879)
Napoleon Bonaparte(1769)
Lawrence Aquino
WardsBack
Foe's condition? State of the enemy
Photographed without enough backlight? Dark in the shot
Box rhythmically? Punch to the beat
Boundaries of a golf course? Edges around the rough
Lavatory entrance? Door for the head
Staircase fuel spill? Gas on the steps
Opportunity to skydive? Chance at the jump
The Three Stooges Larry
Moe
Curly
Today's useless fact - Does sitting too close to the TV really damage your eyes?
008
What's The Buzzword For August 15th?
ham \HAM\ noun
What does it mean?
1 : a buttock with its associated thigh -- usually used in
plural
2 : a cut of meat consisting of a thigh; especially : one
from a hog
3 a : an unskillful but showy performer b : an operator
of an amateur radio station
How do you use it?
As usual, Uncle Larry was a complete ham at the party,
doing bad impersonations that embarrassed everyone instead
of entertaining them.
Are you a word wiz?
As you can see, "ham" has a wide variety of meanings. What
do you think influenced the creation of the "performer"
sense of "ham"?
A. an old custom of paying actors with hams
B. a once famous clown called "Ham-bo"
C. the former practice of letting a pig loose on stage
D. an old song called "The Ham-fat Man"
Answer:
Do you know the old song called "The Ham-fat Man"? Probably
not, but you know its descendant, the "showy performer" sense
of "ham." The song was about a bad actor, and it gave rise
to another word, "hamfatter," which referred to an
inexperienced actor or performer. "Hamfatter" was later
shortened to "ham." You are probably wondering about the
"amateur radio operator" sense of "ham" -- did that have to
do with "The Ham-fat Man," too? Not at all. By the time that
sense came into use, the "unskillful performer" sense was
well in use and was just applied to the amateur radio station
operators.
Today's Jigsaw Puzzle
Click Here ON
THE BORDER
That's all for today. Tune in tomorrow for more stuff.
