Saturday, September 26, 2009
Where Will the Olympics Be in 2016?
The official announcement is less than a week away. I'm really hoping that Chicago wins the 2016 Summer Olympics bid. The futures chart (in which people have real money riding on the outcome) places Chicago as the favorite. Right now, the Money says that there is a 57% chance that Chicago will win the bid.
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
We Didn't Start the Fire - What I Think - Part 16
This is the sixteenth post in my blog series about the song We Didn't Start the Fire by Billy Joel. I am writing about the significance of each item mentioned in the song. That is, what significance I THINK they have. I am not doing any research or looking anything up, so I could be totally wrong.
More information about this blog series can be found in the series' first post.
Birth control - Birth control was illegal in much of the United States until the early 1960s. Legalization brought about the 60s "sexual revolution."
Ho Chi Minh - After the communist takeover of Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh was the first Vietnamese premiere. Hanoi was renamed Ho Chi Minh City as a way for the communist regime to honor their first leader.
Richard Nixon back again - Richard Nixon ran for the 1964 Republican presidential nomination, but lost. He was "back again" in 1968. This time he won the nomination and the presidency.
Moonshot - The United States put the first man on the moon. On July 27, 1969 Apollo 11 landed on the moon's surface and Neil Armstrong stepped onto the the lunar ground.
Woodstock - In August of 1969 almost 500,000 people gathered in a farmer's pasture for a music festival just outside of Woodstock, New York. Many big names played during the three day festival, including Cream, the Rolling Stones and The Who. There were shortages of food and sanitary supplies, but the event was peaceful and in a way shed positive light on a generation of American's who just wanted to give peace a chance.
Watergate - President Richard Nixon was fully aware that member's of his staff broke into the Democratic offices in Washington's Watergate Hotel. Their task was to spy on Nixon's 1972 presidential opponent, Al Gore, Sr.
punk rock - In the 1970s punk rock was all the rage. Groups like Devo put out hits like "Whip It" that even crossed over to the mainstream Top 40 chart.
More information about this blog series can be found in the series' first post.
Birth control - Birth control was illegal in much of the United States until the early 1960s. Legalization brought about the 60s "sexual revolution."
Ho Chi Minh - After the communist takeover of Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh was the first Vietnamese premiere. Hanoi was renamed Ho Chi Minh City as a way for the communist regime to honor their first leader.
Richard Nixon back again - Richard Nixon ran for the 1964 Republican presidential nomination, but lost. He was "back again" in 1968. This time he won the nomination and the presidency.
Moonshot - The United States put the first man on the moon. On July 27, 1969 Apollo 11 landed on the moon's surface and Neil Armstrong stepped onto the the lunar ground.
Woodstock - In August of 1969 almost 500,000 people gathered in a farmer's pasture for a music festival just outside of Woodstock, New York. Many big names played during the three day festival, including Cream, the Rolling Stones and The Who. There were shortages of food and sanitary supplies, but the event was peaceful and in a way shed positive light on a generation of American's who just wanted to give peace a chance.
Watergate - President Richard Nixon was fully aware that member's of his staff broke into the Democratic offices in Washington's Watergate Hotel. Their task was to spy on Nixon's 1972 presidential opponent, Al Gore, Sr.
punk rock - In the 1970s punk rock was all the rage. Groups like Devo put out hits like "Whip It" that even crossed over to the mainstream Top 40 chart.
Sunday, September 20, 2009
Saturday, September 19, 2009
We Didn't Start the Fire - What I Think - Part 15
This is the fifteenth post in my blog series about the song We Didn't Start the Fire by Billy Joel. I am writing about the significance of each item mentioned in the song. That is, what significance I THINK they have. I am not doing any research or looking anything up, so I could be totally wrong.
More information about this blog series can be found in the series' first post.
Pope Paul - He became the Pope in 1967.
Malcolm X - Malcolm X was a leader in the civil rights movement. Unlike Martin Luther King Jr., he didn't hesitate to encourage non-peaceful acts to elicit change.
British politician sex - In the late 1960s British politicians changed laws in the United Kingdom that placed restrictions on its citizens "behind closed doors." These laws were, for the most part, eliminated during this time.
JFK, blown away - Obviously, a reference to the assassination of President John F. Kennedy.
More information about this blog series can be found in the series' first post.
Pope Paul - He became the Pope in 1967.
Malcolm X - Malcolm X was a leader in the civil rights movement. Unlike Martin Luther King Jr., he didn't hesitate to encourage non-peaceful acts to elicit change.
British politician sex - In the late 1960s British politicians changed laws in the United Kingdom that placed restrictions on its citizens "behind closed doors." These laws were, for the most part, eliminated during this time.
JFK, blown away - Obviously, a reference to the assassination of President John F. Kennedy.
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
We Didn't Start the Fire - What I Think - Part 14
This is the fourteenth post in my blog series about the song We Didn't Start the Fire by Billy Joel. I am writing about the significance of each item mentioned in the song. That is, what significance I THINK they have. I am not doing any research or looking anything up, so I could be totally wrong.
More information about this blog series can be found in the series' first post.
"Lawrence of Arabia" - This was a movie from the late 1960s. It won 7 Oscars, including best picture at the 1967 Oscar Awards.
British Beatlemania - This simply refers to the frenzied fans of The Beatles, both in Britain and the United States. The frenzy peaked when The Beatles came to America and appeared on the Ed Sullivan Show in July, 1966.
Ole Miss - By order of the Supreme Court, The University of Mississippi was forced to admit African American students in 1966. At the start of class that fall, federal marshals were on hand to ensure that the Supreme Court ruling would be followed in spite of the contrary directives handed down by Mississippi's governor.
John Glenn - John Glenn was the first American in space - an event that began America's emergence to the top of the Space Race with the Russians.
Liston beats Patterson - Sonny Liston beat Joe Patterson in a world championship boxing match in 1967.
More information about this blog series can be found in the series' first post.
"Lawrence of Arabia" - This was a movie from the late 1960s. It won 7 Oscars, including best picture at the 1967 Oscar Awards.
British Beatlemania - This simply refers to the frenzied fans of The Beatles, both in Britain and the United States. The frenzy peaked when The Beatles came to America and appeared on the Ed Sullivan Show in July, 1966.
Ole Miss - By order of the Supreme Court, The University of Mississippi was forced to admit African American students in 1966. At the start of class that fall, federal marshals were on hand to ensure that the Supreme Court ruling would be followed in spite of the contrary directives handed down by Mississippi's governor.
John Glenn - John Glenn was the first American in space - an event that began America's emergence to the top of the Space Race with the Russians.
Liston beats Patterson - Sonny Liston beat Joe Patterson in a world championship boxing match in 1967.
Sunday, September 13, 2009
13 Old Pictures - Scanned
We got a digital camera in 2004, when our daughters were three years old. We have been working on scanning the negatives of our photos from before that. Kristi organizes the negatives and loads them into the scanner. I scan, save and retouch the photos. I love looking at the old photos, so it's a job I am enjoying.
Here are one percent of the pictures we have scanned so far. (We're about half done - from the girls' first birthday through about 2 1/2 years old.)
Here are one percent of the pictures we have scanned so far. (We're about half done - from the girls' first birthday through about 2 1/2 years old.)
Friday, September 11, 2009
Facebook Quiz
I made one of those "How Well Do You Know . . ." quizzes on Facebook tonight. If you read this blog, you might be able to do pretty well. You can take it here.
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
Friday, September 4, 2009
We Didn't Start the Fire - What I Think - Part 13
This is the thirteenth post in my blog series about the song We Didn't Start the Fire by Billy Joel. I am writing about the significance of each item mentioned in the song. That is, what significance I THINK they have. I am not doing any research or looking anything up, so I could be totally wrong.
More information about this blog series can be found in the series' first post.
Hemingway - Earnest Hemingway was an American author. He wrote classics, such as The Old Man and The Sea that have been read by generations of American high school students.
Eichmann - Was the leading rocket scientist on NASA's "Destination Moon" team, that oversaw the mission to send the first man to the moon.
"Stranger in a Strange Land" - Was a book chronicling Ling Po's exile from Vietnam to America after he escaped Ho Chi Minh City via helicopter from the top of the Hilton hotel.
Dylan - Bob Dylan was an American rock icon. He specialized in 1960s modern rock.
Berlin - Berlin was the capital of Germany. Following Word War II it was split into East Berlin and West Berlin; the new capitals of communist East Germany and democratic West Germany. The Berlin Wall was erected to keep people from freely traveling between the two cities. In the late 1980s Ronald Reagan famous said, "Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!" Just a few years later, the wall came down and the two cities (and countries) were once again united as one democratic country.
Bay of Pigs Invasion - The Bay of Pigs Invasion happened in conjunction with the Cuban Missile Crisis. The plan was for a covert team to enter Cuba and put an end to the crisis. However, Cuba (and the Soviet troops stationed there) were not surprise by the U.S's mini-invasion. The boat carrying the American troops was quickly sunk in the Bay of Pigs, putting an end to our attempt to end the crisis with military action. The execution of the plan was an embarrassment to the United States and was the low point of John F. Kennedy's presidency.
More information about this blog series can be found in the series' first post.
Hemingway - Earnest Hemingway was an American author. He wrote classics, such as The Old Man and The Sea that have been read by generations of American high school students.
Eichmann - Was the leading rocket scientist on NASA's "Destination Moon" team, that oversaw the mission to send the first man to the moon.
"Stranger in a Strange Land" - Was a book chronicling Ling Po's exile from Vietnam to America after he escaped Ho Chi Minh City via helicopter from the top of the Hilton hotel.
Dylan - Bob Dylan was an American rock icon. He specialized in 1960s modern rock.
Berlin - Berlin was the capital of Germany. Following Word War II it was split into East Berlin and West Berlin; the new capitals of communist East Germany and democratic West Germany. The Berlin Wall was erected to keep people from freely traveling between the two cities. In the late 1980s Ronald Reagan famous said, "Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!" Just a few years later, the wall came down and the two cities (and countries) were once again united as one democratic country.
Bay of Pigs Invasion - The Bay of Pigs Invasion happened in conjunction with the Cuban Missile Crisis. The plan was for a covert team to enter Cuba and put an end to the crisis. However, Cuba (and the Soviet troops stationed there) were not surprise by the U.S's mini-invasion. The boat carrying the American troops was quickly sunk in the Bay of Pigs, putting an end to our attempt to end the crisis with military action. The execution of the plan was an embarrassment to the United States and was the low point of John F. Kennedy's presidency.
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
Logan's Roadhouse Vs. Texas Roadhouse
I like both. Generally we eat at one or the other three or four times a year; with enough of a gap in between visits that I can't quite remember how well I liked the previous visit to the other establishment. I've generally had this thought in the back of my mind that I like Texas Roadhouse better. But truthfully, I wasn't sure. My actual preference was a mystery to myself.
Mystery solved!
On Saturday I went with my wife and twin eight-year-old daughters to Logan's Roadhouse.
On Monday I went to Texas Roadhouse with just my daughters.
Two days apart, easy comparison.
My favorite restaurant BY FAR between Logan's and Texas is. . .
TEXAS!
The girls actually ordered pretty much the same meal at both restaurants, steak tips. (Which we got for 99 cents at Texas on Monday, $2.99 on special Logan's.) The steak at Texas was far superior to the steak at Logan's. Far, Far!
Other things that were better at Texas:
Mystery solved!
On Saturday I went with my wife and twin eight-year-old daughters to Logan's Roadhouse.
On Monday I went to Texas Roadhouse with just my daughters.
Two days apart, easy comparison.
My favorite restaurant BY FAR between Logan's and Texas is. . .
TEXAS!
The girls actually ordered pretty much the same meal at both restaurants, steak tips. (Which we got for 99 cents at Texas on Monday, $2.99 on special Logan's.) The steak at Texas was far superior to the steak at Logan's. Far, Far!
Other things that were better at Texas:
- The rolls
- The butter
- The salad
- The mashed potatoes (way, way better)
- The price (Monday specials)
- The atmosphere
- The service
- The girls getting to line dance with the servers
Thing that was better at Logan's:
- They have baked apples, which are delicious
Texas wins, by a mile!
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