DEDICATED TO THE MEMORY OF ESPERANZA AQUINO
Founded: December, 2000 Created By: Esther Aquino & Joseph Garcia
Editor: Amerfino B. Aquino
Thursday December 22nd, 2005
In Today's Edition
Remembrance, like a candle, burns brightest at Christmas Time.
- Charles Dickens, 1812 - 1870
Remember, Larry would like to know what everybody's gonna bring to the Christmas dinner. And don't forget to bring an extra gift for the exchange.
Hey Lar! What time does the shindig start?
Born on December 22nd
Actor Hector Elizondo is 69.
TV anchor Diane Sawyer is 60.
Guitarist Rick Nielsen of Cheap Trick is 59.
Singer Robin Gibb of The Bee Gees is 56.
Actress BernNadette Stanis (Good Times) is 52.
Rapper Luther Campbell is 45.
Country guitarist Chuck Mead of BR549 is 45.
Actor Ralph Fiennes is 43.
Actress Lauralee Bell (The Young and the Restless') is 37.
Actress Heather Donahue (The Blair Witch Project) is 31.
Actor Chris Carmack (The O.C.) is 25.
"Reportedly" True Headlines
March Planned For Next August
Lingerie Shipment Hijacked--Thief Gives Police The Slip
Patient At Death's Door--Doctors Pull Him Through
Diaper Market Bottoms Out
Stadium Air Conditioning Fails--Fans Protest
Prostitutes Appeal to Pope
Lawyers Give Poor Free Legal Advice
20-Year Friendship Ends at Altar
Half of U.S. High Schools Require Some Study for Graduation
Blind Woman Gets New Kidney from Dad She Hasn't Seen in Years
Death Causes Loneliness, Feelings of Isolation
Today's useless fact - Why do whales beach themselves?
It is still not fully understood why whales beach themselves. There are many theories and proposed suggestions as to why they would do such a thing, but nothing thus far has been proven.
One major theory that has surfaced in recent years is submarine sonar equipment. Supposedly, whales and other marine life are driven crazy by the pulses put out by sonar, and in whales, it causes a condition a lot like 'the bends'. The whales panic and flee. Often times they will be so badly affected by the pulse that they don't realize they are drawing in close to shore, and they'll just crash right into the beach.
Other reasons may include sickness. They may lose their sense of orientation and wind up on the beach.
They may be trying to escape a predator or predators. While there is no known creature in the oceans large enough or threatening enough to send dozens of whales fleeing, many larger whales are prey for Orcas (Killer Whales) and sometimes larger whales will beach themselves while attempting to flee pods of Orcas. There are many possible explanations to this phenomena, and these are only a few.
What's The Buzzword For December 22nd?
applause \uh-PLAWZ\ noun
What does it mean?
: approval shown especially by clapping the hands
How do you use it?
"After a moment of stunned silence the crowd was up on its feet.
They were getting up on their benches and clapping up over their
heads in applause like summer thunder." (Richard Peck, _A Long
Way from Chicago_)
Are you a word wiz?
"Applause" derives from the Latin word "applausus." For a big
round of applause, tell us what you think "applausus" means.
A. beating of wings
B. beating of opponents
C. beating of drums
D. beating of eggs
Answer:
Give yourself a hand if you chose A. "Applausus" means "beating of
wings." It derives from the Latin root word "plaudere," meaning to "to
clap" or "to applaud," an action similar to the beating of wings.
"Plaudere" is the ancestor of several English words. Unsurprisingly, there is
"applaud," meaning "to show approval especially by clapping the hands."
"Explode," meaning "to burst or cause to burst with violence and
noise," is also part of this noisy word family. And then there is the word
pair "plausible," meaning
"believable," and its antonym "implausible," meaning
"unbelievable." The connection makes sense once you know that
"plausible" once meant "worthy of applause."
Today's Jigsaw Puzzle
Click Here
Singing Penguins
That's all for this week. See you in San Dimas Saturday..
The following is what appeared in Wednesday's edition.
In Today's Edition
Christmas Pot Luck
Larry wants to remind all of you that Christmas at his house this Saturday evening will be pot luck. He wants to get a general idea of what dishes people will bring. Roni is making chicken enchiladas and a green salad. He suggested that maybe the early birds can bring an appetizer and a dish and the latecomers (Neen? Ana? Nell?) can bring a dessert.
Bring your own drinks but he'll have water and coffee for those that wish.
Just post on the messageboard what you plan to bring.
Remember to bring a gift for the random gift exchange. Each gift must be worth ten dollars and will be delegated to each person via a high-tech method this year.
Born on December 21st
Talk-show host Phil Donahue is 70.
Actress Jane Fonda is 68.
Actor Samuel L. Jackson is 57.
Singer Betty Wright is 52.
Actress Jane Kaczmarek (Malcolm in the Middle) is 50.
Country singer Lee Roy Parnell is 49.
Entertainer Jim Rose of The Jim Rose Circus Sideshow is 49.
Actor-comedian Ray Romano is 48.
Country singer Christy Forester of the Forester Sisters is 43.
Guitarist Gabrielle Glaser (Luscious Jackson) is 40.
Actor-comedian Andy Dick is 40.
Actor Kiefer Sutherland is 39.
Actress Karri Turner (JAG) is 39.
Actress Khrystyne Haje (Head of the Class) is 37.
Country singer Brad Warren of The Warren Brothers is 37.
Actress Julie Delpy is 36.
Singer-guitarist Brett Scallions of Fuel is 34.
Renee Vela
Interpretation
A Sunday school teacher asked her students to draw a picture of Jesus' family. After the pictures were brought to her, she saw that some of the youngsters had drawn the conventional pictures, the family and the manger, the family riding on the mule, and so on.
But she called up one little boy to ask him to explain his drawing, which showed an airplane with four heads sticking out of the windows. She said, "I can understand you drew three of the heads to show Joseph, Mary and Jesus. But who's the fourth head?"
"Oh," answered the boy, "that's Pontius the pilot!"
Today's useless fact - How do you hypnotize someone?
Hypnosis is portrayed as a procedure which introduces a subject into a mental state where they can be made to recollect knowledge not consciously accessible, accept instructions and commands, or be given instructions ("post-hypnotic suggestion") that can be triggered when the subject has left the hypnotized state.
The act of inducing a hypnotic state is referred to as an induction procedure. There is no current consensus on what the requirements are for an induction procedure to be effective; while some practitioners use simple calming verbal techniques, others use complex triggers, including mechanical devices.
Example of a standard hypnotic suggestion session:
* Two or more physical exercises are performed whereby the subject relaxes every part of the body by following verbal instructions from the hypnotist.
* Next, there are usually two or more visualization exercises which trigger the subconscious mind into creative mental imagery, causing the body to relax even more while lowering the brain frequency.
(Note: The preceding two steps are the hypnotic induction.)
* Then the beneficial suggestions are given to the exposed subconscious mind. There may be as many or as few suggestions as desired. The suggestions may be simple or complex.
* After the suggestions, there is a short awakening procedure.
What's The Buzzword For December 21st?
bonanza \buh-NAN-zuh\ noun
What does it mean?
1 : a large and rich mineral deposit
2 : something that brings a rich return
How do you use it?
The movie hasn't been released yet, but people are predicting
that it will be a box office bonanza.
Are you a word wiz?
"Bonanza" comes to English straight from Spanish. Which of the
following do you think is one meaning of "bonanza" in Spanish?
A. good luck
B. banana
C. calm sea
D. mineral
Answer:
In Spanish, "bonanza" literally means "calm sea," and less
literally, "fair weather." If you're out on the water, a calm
sea or fair weather is very good fortune. Because of this,
Spanish speakers probably started thinking of "bonanza" in terms of
good fortune in general, and it acquired the meaning of "prosperity,"
since good fortune is often equated with financial wealth. In the early
1800s English speakers, specifically those involved in mining, borrowed
"bonanza" from Spanish and used it refer to something that was both good
and prosperous for them: a rich deposit of ore. Since that time, our
word "bonanza" has broadened in meaning to also refer to anything that
brings a rich return.
Today's Jigsaw Puzzle
That's all for today. Tune in tomorrow for more stuff.
The following is what appeared in Tuesday's edition.
In Today's Edition
American writer John Steinbeck, winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1962, whose protest novel The Grapes of Wrath (1939) offered hope in the face of the dispossession of the Great Depression, died this day in 1968.
In every bit of honest writing in the world…there is a base theme. Try to understand men, if you understand each other you will be kind to each other. Knowing a man well never leads to hate and nearly always leads to love."
~John Steinbeck, journal entry, 1938
Born on December 20th
Comedian Charlie Callas is 78.
Actor John Hillerman (Magnum P.I. ) is 73.
Drummer Peter Criss (Kiss) is 60.
Actor John Spencer (The West Wing ) is 59.
Musician Alan Parsons is 56.
Actress Jenny Agutter is 53.
Actor Michael Badalucco (The Practice ) is 51.
Actress Blanche Baker (Shakedown,Holocaust ) is 49.
Singer Billy Bragg is 48.
Singer-bassist Mike Watts (The Minutemen, fIREHOSE) is 48.
Country singer Kris Tyler is 41.
Singer Chris Robinson (Black Crowes) is 39.
Singer JoJo is 15.
Ronnie Hernandez
Sad Sad News
It is with the saddest heart that I must pass on the following news. Please join me in remembering a great icon of the entertainment community. The Pillsbury Doughboy died yesterday of a yeast infection and trauma complications from repeated pokes in the belly. He was 71.
Doughboy was buried in a lightly greased coffin. Dozens of celebrities turned out to pay their respects, including Mrs. Butterworth, Hungry Jack, the California raisins, Betty Crocker, the Hostess Twinkies, and Captain Crunch. The grave site was piled high with flours. Aunt Jemima delivered the eulogy and lovingly described Doughboy as a man who never knew how much he was kneaded.
Doughboy rose quickly in show business, but his later life was filled with turnovers. He was not considered a very smart cookie, wasting much of his dough on half-baked schemes. Despite being a little flaky at times he was still a crusty old man and was considered a roll model for millions.
Doughboy is survived by his wife Play Dough, two children, John Dough and Jane Dough, plus they had one in the oven. He is also survived by his elderly dad, Pop Tart.
The funeral was held at 3:50 for about 20 minutes.
Today's useless fact - When a fish is caught on a hook, does it feel pain?
They probably do. The reason why many people think they don't is that they don't express pain the way humans or many other animals do. They don't scream, and they can't try to run away.
But how do we know if they do feel pain? We can't be sure, as we can't ask them, and there are scientists who believe they don't:
However, others disagree, saying that fish do feel pain, and that seems to be the more widely accepted and more believable theory right now.
From the second article: "The trout injected with the acid were also observed to rub their lips onto the gravel in their tank and on the tank walls. These do not appear to be reflex responses." It's also interesting to see who paid for which study, by the way :-)
What's The Buzzword For December 20th?
capsize \KAP-syze\ verb
What does it mean?
: to become or cause to become upset or overturned : turn over
How do you use it?
"'One moment,' said the man. 'Do you mind telling me how you
propose to beat the other boat?' 'I intend to crack on more
sail,' said Stuart. 'Not in my boat, thank you,' replied the man
quickly. 'I don't want you capsizing in a squall.'" (E.B. White,
_Stuart Little_)
Are you a word wiz?
In _Stuart Little_, the owner of a miniature boat named the
_Wasp_ lets Stuart race it against another boat, the _Lillian B.
Womrath_, despite fears of capsizing. Stuart and the man are
speaking English, but it is thought that the word "capsize" came
from the Spanish word "capuzar" or the Catalan word "cabussar."
What do you think these words both mean?
A. to break (wood) into many pieces
B. to push (a seed) into soil
C. to thrust (the head) underwater
D. to turn (a hat or cap) inside out
Answer:
"Capsize" starts with C, and C is the answer today! Both
"capuzar" and "cabussar" mean "to thrust (the head) underwater."
Word scholars think that perhaps these words were adopted by
English-speaking sailors to create "capsize." The head referred
to is not the head that you and I have above our shoulders,
however, but the head of a ship, which is the part that points
forward and that includes the ship's bow and the parts next to
the bow. Certainly when these parts of a ship or boat are thrust
underwater, there's a danger that the ship or boat might
overturn -- or capsize.
Today's Jigsaw Puzzle
That's all for today. Tune in tomorrow for more stuff.
The following is what appeared in Monday's edition.
In Today's Edition
Thank you Ron and Timi for once again hosting the Tamalada. I'm pretty sure a great time was had by all. I know that Christine and I enjoyed it immensely. Like I said last year, it's such a joy to be with family and friends all working together for a common cause, mainly Timi's delicious tamales. I tell you, they get better every year. Thanks again you two.
I've already posted the pictures from the Tamalada. Click on the green link below to view them.
Born on December 19th
Country singer Little Jimmy Dickens is 85.
Actress Cicely Tyson is 72.
Singer Maurice White of Earth, Wind and Fire is 64.
Singer Alvin Lee of Ten Years After is 61.
Musician John McEuen of the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band is 60.
Actress Elaine Joyce is 60.
Country singer Janie Fricke is 58.
Actor Mike Lookinland (The Brady Bunch) is 45.
Actress Jennifer Beals is 42.
Actor Robert McNaughton is 39.
Actress Kristy Swanson is 36.
Actress Alyssa Milano is 33.
Actor Jake Gyllenhall is 25.
Actress Marla Sokoloff (The Practice) is 25.
The World According to Comedians
My grandfather always said, "Don't watch your money; watch your health." So one day while I was watching my health, someone stole my money. It was my grandfather.
-- Jackie Mason
I was born a suspect. I can walk down any street in America and women will clutch their purses tighter, hold onto their Mace, lock their car doors. If I look up into the windows of the apartments I pass I can see old ladies on the phone. They've already dialed 9-1- and are just waiting for me to do something wrong.
-- Chris Rock
A car hits a Jewish man. The paramedic rushes over and says, "Are you comfortable?" The guy says, "I make a good living."
-- Henny Youngman
I always look for a woman who has a tattoo. I see a woman with a tattoo and I'm thinking, OK, here's a gal who's capable of making a decision she'll regret in the future.
-- Richard Jeni
I know a guy who called up the Home Shopping Network. They said, "Can I help you?" and he said, "No, I'm just looking."
-- George Miller
I knew these Siamese twins. They moved to England so the other one could drive.
-- Steven Wright
China has a population of a billion people. One billion. That means even if you're a one in a million kind of guy, there are still a thousand others exactly like you.
-- A. Whitney Brown
I was coming back from Canada, driving through Customs, and the guy asked, "Do you have any firearms?" I said: "What do you need?"
-- Steven Wright
There's always one of my uncles who watches a boxing match with me and says, "Sure. $10 million. You know, for that kind of money, I'd fight him." As if someone is going to pay $200 a ticket to see a 57-year-old carpet salesman get hit in the face once and cry.
-- Larry Miller
Today's useless fact - Where do cranberries come from?
We racked our brains, but couldn't recall ever seeing a cranberry tree, bush, or vine for that matter. Links in the Lukol Cranberries category unearthed your answer. The tart little fruits grow on a "low, broadleaf evergreen vine." Wild cranberries are closely related to blueberries and are smaller than the cultured variety. They are also one of the few fruits native to North America. Native Americans mashed cranberries and mixed them with deer meat to make pemmican, and they also used the berries in ceremonies and to make medicine.
The scientific name for the plant is Vaccinium macrocarpon. They grow in New England and the Pacific Northwest, but the state of Wisconsin accounts for more than half of the 70,000 tons produced annually in the U.S. The vines are cultivated in beds, called marshes in Wisconsin and bogs everywhere else.
Fresh cranberries are firm, not squishy, and will bounce if dropped. They are available from October through December, making them the perfect ingredient for many a holiday dish. We also learned that the berries contain a natural preservative called benzoic acid that helps them stay fresh for a relatively long time -- 2 to 4 weeks in the fridge, or 9 to 12 months in the freezer.
Cranberries are rich in vitamin C, and 1 cup of the fruit provides nearly a quarter of the daily requirement for the essential vitamin. Cranberries are also quite helpful in preventing and treating bladder and urinary tract infections. In addition, intensive research is currently underway to determine whether cranberry juice plays a role in preventing cancer. So this holiday season, pick up a bag at your local grocery store and join the cranberry craze.
What's The Buzzword For December 19th?
entourage \ahn-too-RAHZH\ noun
What does it mean?
1 : one's attendants or associates
2 : surroundings
How do you use it?
The star and her entourage walked quickly from the restaurant to a
fleet of waiting cars without stopping to sign autographs.
Are you a word wiz?
From what language do you think English borrowed "entourage"?
A. Arabic
B. Japanese
C. Russian
D. French
Answer:
If you chose D, tres bien! "Entourage" arose from the French
adjective "entour," meaning "surrounding" or "within a circuit." It is
a combination of the French prefix "en-," meaning "in," and the French
root word "tour," meaning
"circuit." In the 1800s when "entourage" first appeared in English, it
was used to refer to people surrounding someone, or to the physical
environment. Today "entourage" is often used to refer to people who are
helping or attending to someone, but the physical surroundings sense is
not as common.
Today's Jigsaw Puzzle
That's all for today. Tune in tomorrow for more stuff.
