Always and never are two words you should always remember never to use.
- Wendell Johnson -
Saturday, January 12, 2008
The Idea Zone
On a lazy Saturday morning when you're lying in bed, drifting in and out of sleep, there is a space where fantasy and reality become one. Are you awake, or are you dreaming? You see people and things; some are familiar; some are strange. You talk, you feel, but you move without walking; you fly without wings. Your mind and body exist, but on separate planes. Time stands still. For me, this is the feeling I have when ideas come.
- Lynn Johnston -
- Lynn Johnston -
Friday, January 11, 2008
Thoughts For The Day
People do not decide to become extraordinary. The decide to accomplish extraordinary things.
- Sir Edmund Hillary -
You don't have to be a fantastic hero to do certain things - to compete. You can just be an ordinary chap, sufficiently motivated to reach challenging goals.
- Sir Edmund Hillary -
- Sir Edmund Hillary -
You don't have to be a fantastic hero to do certain things - to compete. You can just be an ordinary chap, sufficiently motivated to reach challenging goals.
- Sir Edmund Hillary -
Sir Edmund Hillary
Sir Edmund Hillary, one of the greatest adventurers of our time, and the first man to climb Mount Everest, died yesterday in New Zealand at age 88. He accomplish the feat on May 29, 1953. However, he was such a modest man, he wouldn't confirm that he was the first one to reach the peak until his climbing companion, Tenzing Norgay, died in 1986. His great accomplishment was announced on the day before the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II, and one of her first acts was to grant Knighthood to Sir Edmund. He was a beekeeper by trade, an occupation he enjoyed because it was seasonal and allowed him to travel on his many adventures.
Sir Edmund climbed 11 different mountains higher than 20,000 feet. (Mount Everest is an amazing 29,029 feet, almost five times higher than Mount Washington.) He also traveled to both the South Pole and the North Pole, making him the only person to stand on both poles and the highest point on earth. In fact, he was joined on his trip to the North Pole by Neil Armstrong, the first man on the moon.
Sir Edmund Hillary's ashes will be spread over Waitemata Harbor in Auckland, New Zealand, "to be washed gently ashore".
Sir Edmund climbed 11 different mountains higher than 20,000 feet. (Mount Everest is an amazing 29,029 feet, almost five times higher than Mount Washington.) He also traveled to both the South Pole and the North Pole, making him the only person to stand on both poles and the highest point on earth. In fact, he was joined on his trip to the North Pole by Neil Armstrong, the first man on the moon.
Sir Edmund Hillary's ashes will be spread over Waitemata Harbor in Auckland, New Zealand, "to be washed gently ashore".
Thursday, January 10, 2008
Thought For The Day
For a list of all the ways technology has failed to improve the quality of life, please press three.
- Alice Kahn -
- Alice Kahn -
New Hampshire Primary
Wasn't Tuesday a great night for politics! Those independent New Hampshire Yankees did it again. When Hillary got choked up on Sunday, it showed that she actually is human and the women responded. She won a very large percentage of the women's vote. Clinton and Obama should split the next two primaries, Michigan and Nevada, so either of them could win the nomination. Even John Edwards could get back into the picture with a good showing in South Carolina. Bill Richardson dropped out, but he's a good man and he's probably shooting for VP.
The Republicans are even more undecided. We could have contests in five different states, with five different winners. It might not even be decided on "Super Tuesday", February 5th, when something like 23 states hold their primaries. Huckabee should do well in the South with the Christian Conservatives, but they also like sleepy Ol' Fred Thompson. John McCain should do well in the West, but they don't like him in the South. Rudy is still in the running, but he's pro-choice, pro-gun control, pro-gay rights, etc. so he has his work cut out for him. The guy who is hard to figure is Romney. His sincerity, or lack of it, is a problem. His religion shouldn't be a factor, but it is. He's a smart guy, so it will be interesting to watch him in the next few weeks. It's like watching a case study in political science.
The Republicans are even more undecided. We could have contests in five different states, with five different winners. It might not even be decided on "Super Tuesday", February 5th, when something like 23 states hold their primaries. Huckabee should do well in the South with the Christian Conservatives, but they also like sleepy Ol' Fred Thompson. John McCain should do well in the West, but they don't like him in the South. Rudy is still in the running, but he's pro-choice, pro-gun control, pro-gay rights, etc. so he has his work cut out for him. The guy who is hard to figure is Romney. His sincerity, or lack of it, is a problem. His religion shouldn't be a factor, but it is. He's a smart guy, so it will be interesting to watch him in the next few weeks. It's like watching a case study in political science.
Wednesday, January 9, 2008
Thought For The Day
The world stands aside to let anyone pass who knows
where he is going.
- David Starr Jordan -
where he is going.
- David Starr Jordan -
OFFICIAL College Basketball Rankings
Men's Division I
1. UCLA - Big game with #4 Wash. St. on Saturday
2. Memphis - Rolling with no tough games in sight
3. Michigan State - Battling through the Big Ten (eleven)
4. Washington State - Saturday showdown in La-La Land
5. North Carolina - Avoided the Clemson upset, Asheville today
6. Kansas - Beat BC, Nebraska Saturday
7. Butler - How did they lose to Wright State?
8. Georgetown - DePaul and UConn this week
9. Texas A&M - Big 12 play starts this week
10. Texas - Rebounded after losses to Mich. St. & Wisc.
11. Dayton - Today vs URI ! Next Wed. vs UMass.
12. Wisconsin - Not a pretty team to watch, but they win.
13. Indiana - Cruising through the Big 11 for now.
14. Tennessee - Hosts undefeated Ole Miss. tonight.
15. Vanderbilt - Still undefeated, at Kentucky Sat.
16. Marquette - Struggling, bad 15 pt. loss at West Va.
17. Mississippi - Showdown in Knoxville tonight.
18. Villanova - Lost at DePaul, big test at Cinci on Sat.
19. Clemson - Almost upset Tar Heels
20. Pittsburgh - Fading, lost 2 of last 3
21. Rhode Island - At #11 Dayton tonight.
22. Boston College - Awful loss to Rob. Morris, last week in top 25?
23. Xavier - Hot team, big wins vs K St., Virginia, and at Auburn.
24. Texas-Arlington - Movin' Mavs have best team in years.
25. UNC-Asheville - Features 7'7" Kenny George, at UNC tonight.
Men's Division II
1. Saint Anselm - 6-6, beat St. Rose last night.
2. Grand Valley St. - 18-0
3. Winona St.
4. Montevallo
5. Stonehill
Men's Division III
1. Framingham St. - 5-7, beat Curry last night.
2. Rochester
3. Brandies
4. Amherst
5. Williams
Women's Division I
1. Connecticut
2. Tennessee
3. Stanford
4. Maryland
5. Baylor
1. UCLA - Big game with #4 Wash. St. on Saturday
2. Memphis - Rolling with no tough games in sight
3. Michigan State - Battling through the Big Ten (eleven)
4. Washington State - Saturday showdown in La-La Land
5. North Carolina - Avoided the Clemson upset, Asheville today
6. Kansas - Beat BC, Nebraska Saturday
7. Butler - How did they lose to Wright State?
8. Georgetown - DePaul and UConn this week
9. Texas A&M - Big 12 play starts this week
10. Texas - Rebounded after losses to Mich. St. & Wisc.
11. Dayton - Today vs URI ! Next Wed. vs UMass.
12. Wisconsin - Not a pretty team to watch, but they win.
13. Indiana - Cruising through the Big 11 for now.
14. Tennessee - Hosts undefeated Ole Miss. tonight.
15. Vanderbilt - Still undefeated, at Kentucky Sat.
16. Marquette - Struggling, bad 15 pt. loss at West Va.
17. Mississippi - Showdown in Knoxville tonight.
18. Villanova - Lost at DePaul, big test at Cinci on Sat.
19. Clemson - Almost upset Tar Heels
20. Pittsburgh - Fading, lost 2 of last 3
21. Rhode Island - At #11 Dayton tonight.
22. Boston College - Awful loss to Rob. Morris, last week in top 25?
23. Xavier - Hot team, big wins vs K St., Virginia, and at Auburn.
24. Texas-Arlington - Movin' Mavs have best team in years.
25. UNC-Asheville - Features 7'7" Kenny George, at UNC tonight.
Men's Division II
1. Saint Anselm - 6-6, beat St. Rose last night.
2. Grand Valley St. - 18-0
3. Winona St.
4. Montevallo
5. Stonehill
Men's Division III
1. Framingham St. - 5-7, beat Curry last night.
2. Rochester
3. Brandies
4. Amherst
5. Williams
Women's Division I
1. Connecticut
2. Tennessee
3. Stanford
4. Maryland
5. Baylor
Tuesday, January 8, 2008
Thought For The Day
Yes, more Steve Jobs!
It's better to be a pirate than to join the Navy.
- Steve Jobs -
It's better to be a pirate than to join the Navy.
- Steve Jobs -
Early Birds
The results are in, and the winners are Obama and McCain! OK, so it's only Dixville Notch and Hart's Location, two of the smallest towns in New Hampshire. In 2004, Wesley Clark had the most Democratic votes, so it probably doesn't mean much. However, I was impressed that Congressman Duncan Hunter, a long shot Republican presidential candidate actually went to Dixville Notch to watch the vote. That was a very cool thing to do. It should be an interesting day in New Hampshire.
Monday, January 7, 2008
Thought For The Day
A ship in port is safe, but that's not what ships are for.
- Grace Murray Hopper -
- Grace Murray Hopper -
Grace Murray Hopper
Grace Murray Hopper was one of the greatest, yet least known, pioneers in the field of computer programming. She graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Vassar in 1928 with a degree in mathematics and physics, then received masters degrees in math and physics in 1930, and a Ph.D. in math in 1934 from Yale. For the next ten years she taught math at Vassar.
In 1943 she joined the U.S. Naval Reserve and because of her mathematics background, was assigned to work on the Mark I calculator at Harvard University. It was while she was working on later models, the Mark II and Mark III, that she found a moth short-circuiting the machine, and the term,"computer bug", was born. The Mark II calculator is on display today at the Harvard Law School.
She briefly left active Navy duty, but remained in the Reserves, and went to work for Remington-Rand, where she worked on the original UNIVAC computer, which was as large as a room. She returned to active duty in the Naval Reserves and helped to develop the computer programming languages, COBOL and FORTRAN, which became the standard for computer vendors in the 1970's.
In spite of her illustrious career, she was relatively unknown until March, 1983 when she appeared on "60 Minutes". In 1985 she was promoted to the rank of Rear Admiral, and she retired from the Navy in 1986. She died in 1992 and is buried at Arlington National Cemetery. In 1996 the Navy launched the U.S.S. Hopper, one of the few Navy ships named after a woman. It shares her nickname, Amazing Grace.
In 1943 she joined the U.S. Naval Reserve and because of her mathematics background, was assigned to work on the Mark I calculator at Harvard University. It was while she was working on later models, the Mark II and Mark III, that she found a moth short-circuiting the machine, and the term,"computer bug", was born. The Mark II calculator is on display today at the Harvard Law School.
She briefly left active Navy duty, but remained in the Reserves, and went to work for Remington-Rand, where she worked on the original UNIVAC computer, which was as large as a room. She returned to active duty in the Naval Reserves and helped to develop the computer programming languages, COBOL and FORTRAN, which became the standard for computer vendors in the 1970's.
In spite of her illustrious career, she was relatively unknown until March, 1983 when she appeared on "60 Minutes". In 1985 she was promoted to the rank of Rear Admiral, and she retired from the Navy in 1986. She died in 1992 and is buried at Arlington National Cemetery. In 1996 the Navy launched the U.S.S. Hopper, one of the few Navy ships named after a woman. It shares her nickname, Amazing Grace.
Sunday, January 6, 2008
Sunday Stuff
Last night was a great night for sports/political junkies. Both political parties clashed at beautiful Saint Anselms College in beautiful Manchester, New Hampshire. At the same time, the new America's Team, the Boston Celtics, were beating the Pistons and establishing themselves as the Beasts Of The East at 29-3. And if that wasn't enough, we found out who the Patriots next opponent will be when the Jacksonville Jaguars beat the annoying Pittsburgh Steelers.
On the political front, I thought Hillary had a pretty good night, and Romney had an awful night. But when the "experts' gave their analysis, it sounded like they had watched a different debate. By the way, how can Ron Paul have raised $19 million, and have no ads on TV? Show me the money, Ron! All of the candidates looked tired. Campaigning every day must get tiring after a while. John Edwards said the first thing he does in the morning is figure out where he is.
On the political front, I thought Hillary had a pretty good night, and Romney had an awful night. But when the "experts' gave their analysis, it sounded like they had watched a different debate. By the way, how can Ron Paul have raised $19 million, and have no ads on TV? Show me the money, Ron! All of the candidates looked tired. Campaigning every day must get tiring after a while. John Edwards said the first thing he does in the morning is figure out where he is.
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