Founded : December 2000 Created By : Esther Aquino and Joseph Garcia
Editor : Amerfino B. Aquino
DEDICATED TO THE MEMORY OF ESPERANZA AQUINO
Founded : December 2000 Created By : Esther Aquino and Joseph Garcia
Editor : Amerfino B. Aquino
DEDICATED TO THE MEMORY OF ESPERANZA AQUINO
December 1st, 2005
In Today's Edition
Scientists have discovered a new gene that they say proves that some people are just not wired for exercising. They say it was very hard to find the non-exercising gene because it was almost completely covered up by the fat ass gene. - Jay Leno
Have a super weekend.
Born on December 1st
Actor-director Woody Allen is 70.
Singer Lou Rawls is 70.
Singer Dianne Lennon of the Lennon Sisters is 66.
Comedian-actor Richard Pryor is 65.
Country bassist Casey Van Beek of The Tractors is 63.
Singer-guitarist Eric Bloom of Blue Oyster Cult is 61.
Drummer John Densmore of the Doors is 61.
Actress-singer Bette Midler is 60.
Singer Gilbert O'Sullivan is 59.
Actor Treat Williams is 54.
Country singer Kim Richey is 49.
Actress Charlene Tilton is 47.
Model-actress Carol Alt is 45.
Actor Jeremy Northam is 44.
Actor Nestor Carbonell (Suddenly Susan ) is 38.
Guitarist Brad Delson of Linkin Park is 28.
Actress Ashley Monique Clark (The Hughleys ) is 17.
Angel Contreras
Born On December 2nd
Alexandra Garcia
Born On December 4th
Mrs. "Kat" Tuttle
Pole Installers
There was a Midwestern phone company that was going to hire one team of telephone pole installers, and the boss had to choose between a team of two Norwegian guys and a team of two Irish guys.
So the boss met with both teams and said: "Here's what we'll do. Each team will be installing poles out on the new road for a day. The team that installs the most phone poles gets the job."
Both teams headed right out.
At end of the shift, Pat and Mike, the Irish guys, came back and the boss asked them how many they had installed. They said that it was tough going, but they'd put in twelve.
Forty-five minutes later, Ole and Sven, the Norwegian guys came back in and they were totally exhausted.
The boss asked, "Well, how many poles did you guys install?"
Ole, the team leader, wiped his brow and sighed, "Sven and me, we got three in."
The boss gasped, "Three? Those two Irish guys put in twelve!"
"Yeah," said Ole, "but you should see how much they left sticking out of the ground!"
Today's useless fact - Is it okay to drink coffee that's been sitting out all day?
If you can stand the taste! If you are asking if coffee "goes bad", consider the following:
Brewed coffee will deteriorate, though not all at the same rate. If you take a commercial coffee like Maxwell House or Folgers and let it get cold, it will be nasty. It will turn bitter.
If you take specialty coffee and let it get cold, it is still pretty good tasting.
Even specialty coffee will fade and get unpleasant if left in the open air long enough. Coffee oxidizes. It gives off aroma (flavor leaves the liquid coffee). It absorbs ambient aromas (leave coffee next to a counter-top compost bin and in time, your coffee will pick up some interesting new organic esters).
It won't hurt you, but coffee is best fresh brewed - there is just so much more going on in a fresh cup. And at 10 cents for an 8 oz. cup, why be cheap?
The Buzzword for December 1st
aficionado \uh-fish-ee-uh-NAH-doh\ noun
What does it mean?
: a person who really likes and appreciates something
How do you use it?
"If you are a jazz aficionado like me," said our music teacher, "then
you must know about Louis Armstrong, Billie Holiday, and Wynton
Marsalis."
Are you a word wiz?
"Aficionado" has its roots in Latin, but English speakers
borrowed it from another language. Which language do you think
that was?
A. Portuguese
B. Romanian
C. Spanish
D. German
Answer:
We really like answer C. English speakers borrowed "aficionado"
directly from Spanish. Spanish speakers formed "aficionado" from the verb
"aficionar," which means "to inspire affection" and which in turn comes
from the noun "aficion," meaning "affection." Both Spanish words trace
to the Latin root "afficere," meaning "to influence." Not surprisingly,
that Latin word is also the ancestor of our word "affection." Although
it shares the same Latin root as "aficionado," "affection" took a
different path into English. English speakers adopted "affection" from
Anglo-French, the French language spoken in medieval England.
Today's Jigsaw Puzzle
CLICK HERE
Kitty
That's all for now. Have a great weekend.
The following is what appeared in Wednesday's edition.
In Today's Edition
If you believe in creation as espoused in the Bible, then Adam and Eve's children would actually have had to have sex with one another for the earth to have become populated.
This is surely proof positive that Alabama was at one time the Garden of Eden.
Born on November 30th
Actor Efrem Zimbalist Jr. is 88.
Actor Robert Guillaume is 78.
TV personality-producer Dick Clark is 76.
Director Ridley Scott is 68.
Singer Rob Grill of the Grass Roots is 62.
Singer Luther Ingram is 61.
Bassist Roger Glover of Deep Purple is 60.
Actress Margaret Whitton is 55.
Singer-actor Mandy Patinkin is 53.
Guitarist Shuggie Otis is 52.
Singer June Pointer of the Pointer Sisters is 52.
Country singer Jeannie Kendall of The Kendalls is 51.
Singer Billy Idol is 50.
Guitarist John Ashton of Psychedelic Furs is 48.
Comedian Colin Mochrie (Whose Line Is It Anyway?) is 48.
Rapper Jalil of Whodini is 42.
Actor-director Ben Stiller is 40.
Actress Sandra Oh is 35.
Country singer Mindy McCready is 30.
Singer Clay Aiken is 27.
Actress Elisha Cuthbert (24) is 23.
Anessa Hernandez
Sermons
The congregation liked their new clergyman, but were somewhat puzzled by his speaking style. His first sermon ran only 8 minutes; the second Sunday he spoke for 45 minutes; the third week he rattled on for an hour-and-a-half. That was enough for the Board to summon him for a little chat.
To their relief, Wilkerson had a ready explanation. "The Saturday before the first sermon, I had my teeth pulled and my mouth was still terribly sore. But, by the time a week had gone by, I'd gotten used to my new dentures." Here the minister paused, and blushed deeply. "And as for last Sunday . . . well, I'm afraid that I picked up my wife's set of teeth by mistake!"
Today's useless fact - What requirements must be met for fish to be designated as "sushi-grade"?
Sushi-grade fish, available at specialty stores and fish vendors, must meet certain aesthetic and health requirements. According to the links in the Sushi Cooking category, fish that is suitable for eating raw must be frozen for seven days at negative 4 degrees Fahrenheit, or flash frozen for 15 hours at negative 31 degrees. Contrary to popular belief, fish that's "fresh out of the ocean" is often dangerous to eat. An abstract of a recently archived New York Times article revealed some helpful facts:
* Fifty to sixty percent of sushi in United States is frozen at some point.
* The Food and Drug Administration stipulates that all fish to be eaten raw (with the exception of tuna) must be frozen first, in order to kill parasites.
* The FDA leaves enforcement of the frozen-fish rule to local health officials.
Tina Ujlaki of "Food & Wine" magazine rather unhelpfully notes that in addition to meeting the FDA freezing guidelines, "sushi- grade" fish must meet standards of freshness, fat content, and firmness.
The Buzzword for November 30th
fellow \FEL-oh\ noun
What does it mean?
1 : comrade, associate
2 a : an equal in rank, power, or character : peer b : one of
a pair : mate
3 : a person holding any of various positions at a university
4 : a male person
How do you use it?
"The Old-Green-Grasshopper turned his huge black eyes upon the
Centipede and gave him a withering look. 'Young fellow,' he
said, speaking in a deep, slow, scornful voice, 'I have never
been a pest in my life. I am a musician.'" (Roald Dahl, _James
and the Giant Peach_)
Are you a word wiz?
"Fellow" came into English long ago from a Scandinavian word for a
person involved in a particular activity. Which one of these do you think
is an example of such a person?
A. a dining companion
B. a teammate in sports
C. a business partner
D. a musician who accompanied a singer
Answer:
You're in business if you chose C! Although the people of 9th
century Britain likely didn't think of their Scandinavian invaders as
comrades, our word "fellow" arose from that history. The Old English
ancestor of "fellow" is "feolaga," a modification of the Old Norse
"felagi," meaning "fee-layer." A "fee-layer" put down property (usually
livestock or money) in a business venture with another person, for trade or
some other common goal. "Fellow" didn't retain this sense of "partner"
or "business associate" in English, but it has acquired other meanings,
one of the most common being "male person."
Today's Jigsaw Puzzle
CLICK HERE
That's all for today. Tune in tomorrow for more stuff.
The following is what appeared in Tuesday's edition.
In Today's Edition
Shawn Jakob Aquino tells us all about his first Thanksgiving. Check him out. Just click on the links button above and see what the new kid on the block has to say.
Born on November 29th
Blues musician John Mayall is 72.
Musician Chuck Mangione is 65.
Singer Denny Doherty of The Mamas and The Papas is 65.
Country singer Jody Miller is 64.
Actress Diane Ladd is 62.
Singer-keyboardist Felix Cavaliere of The Rascals is 61.
Comedian Garry Shandling is 56.
Director Joel Coen is 51.
Actor-comedian Howie Mandel is 50.
Actor Jeff Fahey (The Marshall) is 48.
Actress Cathy Moriarty is 45.
Actress Kim Delaney is 44.
Actor Tom Sizemore is 44.
Actor Andrew McCarthy is 43.
Actor Don Cheadle is 41.
Singer Jonathan Knight of New Kids on the Block is 37.
Guitarist Martin Carr of the Boo Radleys is 37.
Actress Gena Lee Nolin is 34.
Actress Anna Faris (Scary Movie) is 29.
Drummer Ringo Garza of Los Lonely Boys is 24.
Modern Song Titles To Yesterday's Hits
Some of the artists from the 60's are revising their hits with new lyrics to accommodate us Aging Baby Boomers:
Herman's Hermits - "Mrs. Brown, You've Got A Lovely Walker"
The Bee Gees - "How Can You Mend A Broken Hip"
Bobby Darin - "Splish, Splash, I Was Havin' A Flash"
Ringo Starr - "I Get By With A Little Help From Depends"
Roberta Flack - "The First Time Ever I Forgot Your Face"
Johnny Nash - "I Can't See Clearly Now"
Paul Simon - "Fifty Ways To Lose Your Liver"
The Commodores - "Once, Twice, Three Times To The Bathroom"
Procol Harem - "A Whiter Shade Of Hair"
Leo Sayer - "You Make Me Feel Like Napping"
The Temptations - "Papa's Got A Kidney Stone"
ABBA - "Denture Queen"
Elvis - "Heartbreak Hospice"
Bob Dylan - "Like A Kidney Stone"
Queen - "We Were The Champions"
The Beatles - "With A Little Help From My Meds"
Dion - "Limparound Sue"
The Rolling Stones - "Limping Jack Flash"
Tony Orlando - "Knock Three Times On The Ceiling If You Hear Me Fall"
Helen Reddy - "I Am Woman, Hear Me Snore"
Willie Nelson - "On The Throne Again"
John Denver - "Rocky Mountain High (Fiber)"
Lesley Gore - "It's My Procedure And I'll Cry If I Want To"
Today's useless fact - Why are people who carry a coffin at a funeral called "pallbearers"?
It stands to reason that a pallbearer is one who bears, or carries, a pall. So what's a pall? As we learned from the links in the Funeral Customs category, the word comes from the Latin pallium, which refers to a cloak or covering.
Thus, a pall refers to the cloth covering the coffin. In the case of a military funeral, the pall is often a national flag.
The word can also be used in a general sense to refer to anything that cloaks, shrouds, or obscures. In ecclesiastical terms, the pallium refers to the robes worn by the Pope. Coffin palls probably come from burial cloths. The practice of wrapping a body in a shroud dates from antiquity.
The Buzzword for November 29th
sassafras \SASS-uh-frass\ noun
What does it mean?
: a tall eastern North American tree that is related to the
laurels and has fragrant yellow flowers and bluish black
berries; also : its dried root bark used formerly in medicine or
as a flavoring
How do you use it?
"I found some sassafras trees at the edge of the road one day,
dug up a good supply of roots, peeled and dried them. Sassafras
tea is about as good as anything you want to drink." (Jean
Craighead George, _My Side of the Mountain_)
Are you a word wiz?
"Sassafras" has been part of the English language since the late
1500s. Which language do you think gave us "sassafras"?
A. Spanish
B. Cherokee
C. Hindu
D. Chinese
Answer:
If you picked A, Spanish, muy bueno! The word "sassafras" became part
of English at a time when many words from Spanish began to make their
way into the language. In fact, since 1500, hundreds of words from
Spanish have become English words that we still use. Many of these words
name things that are found in nature, like sassafras. Here are just a few
of the more common words that have come into English from Spanish:
"anchovy,"
"chinchilla," "cocoa," "flamingo," "garbanzo," "mosquito,"
"breeze," "alligator," and "armadillo."
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
If you can't drink and drive, why do you need a driver's license to buy liquor, and why do bars have parking lots?
Born on November 28th
Motown Records founder Berry Gordy Jr. is 76.
Singer Randy Newman is 62.
Musician Paul Shaffer (Late Show With David Letterman) is 56.
Actor Ed Harris is 55.
Actress S. Epatha Merkerson (Law & Order) is 53.
Country singer Kristine Arnold of Sweethearts of the Rodeo is 49.
Actor Judd Nelson is 46.
Drummer Matt Cameron (Soundgarden) is 43.
Comedian Jon Stewart is 43.
Actress Garcelle Beauvais-Nilon is 39.
Model Anna Nicole Smith is 38.
Singer Dawn Robinson (En Vogue, Lucy Pearl) is 37.
Musician apl.de.ap of Black Eyed Peas is 31.
Well Trained Sniffing Dog
A man had just settled into his seat next to the window on the plane when another man sat down in the aisle seat and put his black Labrador Retriever in the middle seat next to the man.
The first man looks very quizzically at the dog and asks why the dog is allowed on the plane. The second man explained that he is a DEA agent and that the dog is a "sniffing dog". His name is Sniffer and he's the best there is. I'll show you once we get airborne, when I put him to work."
The plane takes off, and once it has leveled out, the agent says: "Watch this." He tells Sniffer to "search".
Sniffer jumps down, walks along the aisle, and finally sits very purposefully next to a woman for a several seconds. Sniffer then returns to its seat and puts one paw on the agent's arm. The agent says, "Good boy", and he turns to the man and says: "That woman is in possession of marijuana, so I'm making a note of her seat number and the authorities will apprehend her when we land."
"Say, that's pretty neat" replies the first man.
Once again, the agent sends Sniffer to search the aisles. The Lab sniffs about, sits down beside a man for a few seconds, returns to its seat, and this time, he places TWO paws on the agent's arm.
The agent says, "That man is carrying cocaine, so again, I'm making a note of his seat number for the police."
"I like it!" says his seat mate.
The agent then told Sniffer to "search" again.
Sniffer walked up and down the aisles for a little while, sat down for a moment, and then came racing back to the agent, jumped into the middle seat and proceeded to poop all over the place.
The first man is really grossed out by this behavior and can't figure out how or why a well-trained dog would act like that, so he asks the agent, "What's going on?"
The agent nervously replied, "He just found a bomb!!
Today's useless fact - If a company mails you an item you didn't order, can you keep it?
Some links in the US Postal Service category helped us answer your question. Even though it's not yours, it's not likely that the company will spend the time and expense to hunt you down only to discover that you conveniently have amnesia and don't recall a package ever coming. And then they would have to prove that you signed for it and they would have to prove that you have it in your possession and that you willingly stole the item.
After all of that, it's easier to write it off as a loss or file an insurance claim. Large businesses lose stuff all of the time. And if you are talking about general merchandise it's much easier for them to ship another item to the customer than to get you to ship it back to them so they can get it to it's rightful customer. Plus they have special investigation teams that seek out lost merchandise that is particularly expensive like jewelry or laptop computers.
So if the item was shipped to you, the right thing to do would be to call the company that shipped it. We could probably live with it, if we kept the item if it came from someone like Microsoft or IBM. But if it was a package that was delivered from some Mom & Pop operation we would be more inclined to send it back. We might even pay for the shipping to send it back to them.
The Buzzword for November 28th
subpoena \suh-PEE-nuh\ verb
What does it mean?
: to serve or summon with a written order commanding a person
named in it to appear in court under a penalty for failure to
appear
How do you use it?
Prosecutors seeking an indictment in the scam subpoenaed twenty
witnesses to testify before the grand jury.
Are you a word wiz?
"Subpoena" comes to us straight from two Latin words: "sub" and
"poena." What do these words mean?
A. "beneath the floor"
B. "out of a poem"
C. "within the law"
D. "under penalty"
Answer:
There's no penalty if you chose D! In the Middle Ages, many legal
documents, such as writs (court orders), were written in Latin. The word
"subpoena" comes from the first words of the writ issued by the court
commanding someone to appear, which were "sub poena," or "under penalty."
"Poena," the unfamiliar word of the pair, has parented other words in
English. It is the root of the words "pain," "punish," and the verb
"pine," meaning "to long for something."
Today's Jigsaw Puzzle
CLICK HERE
That's all for today. Tune in tomorrow for more stuff.
