OPEN FROM 9AM TIL 11PM SINCE 1837.
===========================================
A friend just told me about a very interesting web site, Clicker, a free Web site that aims to be the TV Guide for all full episodes available to watch on the Web. It searches over 1,200 sources, and currently indexes some 400,000 episodes from 7,000 shows. Its listings includes TV programs as well as "Webcasts," or shows that are native to the Internet and are of broadcast quality.   Clicker either plays the video on its site or links you to where this content is on,like NBC or Hulu.  For more TV than there actually is goto:
http://www.clicker.com/
===========================================

Now to the reasons to be happy this week
(or at least civil).
Here goes:

===========================================
You are not getting any holidays this week because it is late and I am tired and most of the seem to be random food days.  You are getting sayings.  The first part is a famous saying and the end of it is how a child has completed it.

===========================================
monday 30 november
***The Official NoButtonButton*************
***
***  Don't bite the hand that 
***
***  Looks dirty.
*******************************************
birthdays:
1466 – Andrea Doria, Italian naval leader - He was a successful naval commander (Admiral) and served until he was 89 years old.  That is thirty years older than me and I retired 3 years ago.  They named an Italian Luxury Ocean Liner after him and of all of Italy's ships, at the time, The Andrea Doria was the largest, fastest and safest.  It had a collision with the MS Stockholm and sank. Awkward.  Actually it showed the improvements in ship safety since the Titanic era.  Even though many of the lifeboats were rendered useless by the ships angle in the water, only 46 of the 1700 passengers and crew died.  Help was available very quickly.  Radios do work well in 1956 when this disaster took place.

Andrea Doria has also been the name of an Italian battleship (built in 1916 which served in both World Wars), an Italian Missile Cruiser (1964), an Italian Horizon class frigate (2007) and two US Navy ships.

1835 – Mark Twain AKA Samuel Clemens, author, newspaper man, world traveller, humorist and lecturer.  Halley's comet came the year of his birth and returned the year of his death.  My aunt married a Clemens (he was one of the good guys) and he was a very distant relation to Samuel.

1874 – Lucy Maud Montgomery, Canadian author.  She wrote a book that should be a benchmark if you want to be a wildly famous author.  "Anne of Green Gables" it sold 50 million copies.  It only takes 50,000 sales or so to get on the New York Times Best Seller List.  The book was followed by eight sequels and they take Anne from an eleven year old orphan to a married 53 year old woman.  The last book in the series was published this year.  It was completed but unpublished at the author's death (1942).  It was edited and 88 years after the 1921 "Rilla of Ingleside" joins the Anne Shirley chronicles.  "Rilla of Ingleside" is unique in that it is the only Canadian book about the First World War that is told from a woman's point of view, written by somebody that lived during the period.  Rilla is Anne's daughter. 

events:
1803 – In New Orleans,  Spanish representatives officially transfer Louisiana Territory to a French representative. Just 20 days later, France transfers the same land to the United States as the Louisiana Purchase.  Wow just twenty days.  Pardon me while I try to unboggle my mind.

1824 – Ground breaking for the First Welland Canal.

1829 – The First Welland Canal opens for a trial run, 5 years to the day from the ground breaking. The first full season of shipping is the next year, 1830.
The Welland Canal is a ship canal in Canada, that runs 27 miles from Lake Erie to Lake Ontario.  It is about 10 miles west of the Falls and consists channels and 8 locks that raise incoming traffic over 150 feet to the level of Lake Ere.  It is part of the St. Lawrence Seaway, the canal allows ships to by-pass Niagara Falls.  It has been rebuilt, widened, deepened, moved a few times and we currently use the 4th Welland Canal.  The land has been acquired and the designs drawn up for the 5th Canal which should be open before the retirement of the 4th Canal in 2030.  But who cares the world will end in 2012 anyhow.

There was reported to be a German plot to blow up the Canal, in 1916 (during WWI), but the indited diplomat was already back in Germany.  In 1932 the indictment against Franz von Papen was dropped when he became Chancellor of Germany.

1934 – The steam locomotive The Flying Scotsman (No.4472) exceeds 100mph, a first for steam engines and earned a Land speed record for railed vehicles.  Oh the current record for a railed vehicle (unmanned) is 6,462 mph, or Mach 8.5.  The Flying Scotsman also did something that not many Steam engines have down, it operated on two continents.  In Britain and Australia.  It was moved to Australia to help celebrate their Bicentennial (1988).  It travelled more than 28,000 miles over Australian rails. It was a central attraction in the "AusSteam '88" festival.  On 8 August 1989 "The Flying Scotsman" set a record, travelling 442 miles non-stop (no water stops), the longest run by a steam locomotive ever recorded.

holidays:

===========================================
tuesday 1 december
***The Official NoButtonButton*************
***
***  Two's company, three's 
***
***  the Musketeers.
*******************************************
birthdays:
1761 – Marie Tussaud, French sculpture (Madame Tussauds).  She was born in France, Took Swiss citizenship and live the last half of her life in Britain.  Her father was killed at war before she was born and her mother moved to Switzerland to be a house keeper for Dr. Philippe Curtius.  Marie called him Uncle and he basically was her father.  He modeled body parts, in wax (for Medical teaching) and later did portraits.  He taught Marie his methods and she learned well.  Some of her wax figures still exist.  She moved to Britain after the French Revolution (she was arrested, had her head shaved and was on the way to the guillotine when she was reprieved).  She made death masks of some of the guillotine's victims including Marie Antoinette (eeewww just working with a head ick, ick, ick).  Her Museum is based in London but has branches around the world

1847 - Julia Ann Moore, the "Sweet Singer of Michigan", was an American poet, or more precisely, poetaster. She is famed for writing bad poetry.

Poetaster, is a contemptuous name applied to bad or inferior poets.  Early in her life she believed she was good, her first book of poetry sold well.  Later she came to realize that she a bad poet.  She gave a reading (backed by an orchestra) that was greeted by jeers and boos.  She ended the show by telling the audience: "You have come here and paid twenty-five cents to see a fool; I receive seventy-five dollars, and see a whole houseful of fools."  For that comment (and not her poetry) I respect her.  One of her poems follows.

The Great Chicago Fire

The great Chicago Fire, friends,
     Will never be forgot;
In the history of Chicago
     It will remain a darken spot.
It was a dreadful horrid sight
     To see that City in flames;
But no human aid could save it,
     For all skill was tried in vain.

-Julia Ann Moore

1869 – Eligiusz Niewiadomski, Polish assassin of Gabriel Narutowicz.  I am just imagining this happening today and having one of the talking heads on Fox news try to say those names.  They would probably skip the story because of the difficult pronunciation.

1923 – Morris, Belgian cartoonist (Lucky Luke).  Huh?  Lucky Luke is a wonderful comic/graphic novel about an old west cowboy and his horse.  Luke was the best shot and smartest 'white hat' around and his horse was the smartest horse ever.  I have only have one book, but it is quite good.  The English translations of the books are not common in the US.  Belgian has given us some really outstanding Cartoonist/Artists. 

events:
1640 – End of the Iberian Union: Portugal acclaims as King João IV of Portugal, thus ending a 60 year period of the union of the crowns of Portugal and Spain.  The empire included Florida, Mexico, Chile, Peru, Brazil, Cuba, Porta Rico, Haiti, Dominican Republic, the rest of the Caribbean Islands, the Philippines, Half of Italy, Sicily, Corsica, dozens of port cities along the coast of Africa, India, Saudi Arabia, China, Malaysia and Holland. It was a partner ship of equals that was ruined when Spain started to treat Portugal as just another province.  The Union could have extended the golden era of Spain for many years but greed destroyed it even as it killed the rest of Spain's Empire.  They took, never gave back and the first chance they had their foreign possessions revolted.

1918 – Transylvania unites with Romania, following the incorporation of Bessarabia (March 27) and Bukovina (November 28).  Why anybody would want Vampire/Horror Central is beyond me.

1919 – The ex-American, Lady Astor becomes first female member of the British Parliament to take her seat.  I always find it ironic that the first British Female Parliament member was an American.  She did not get along with Winston Churchill at all.  Their feud was intense and very public.  There are even famous quotes from their verbal duelling.

1960 – Paul McCartney and Pete Best are arrested then deported from Hamburg, Germany after accusations of attempted arson.

1969 – Vietnam War: The first draft lottery in the United States is held since WWII.  My number was 186, they were taking about 30 numbers a month and I was called in June 1970.

holidays:

===========================================
wednesday 2 december
***The Official NoButtonButton*************
***
*** An idle mind is
***
*** the best way to relax.
*******************************************
birthdays:
1738 - Richard Montgomery was an Irish-born soldier who served in the British Army. He later became a brigadier-general in the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War and he is most famous for leading the 1775 invasion of Canada.  I don't think Canada has ever invaded us but we have invaded them at least three times.

A partial list of countries we have invaded or conducted military operations against.

Dominican Republic
Cuba
Philippines
Russia
China
Vietnam
Cambodia
North Korea
France
Belgium
Austria
Netherlands
Bolivia
Mexico
Canada
Tripoli
Japan
Italy
Morocco
Algeria
Libya
Iraq
Afghanistan
Columbia
Grenada
Iran
Laos
Yugoslavia

We do love our wars.

1898 - Indra Lal ("Laddie") Roy was the first and the only ace Pilot from the India.  He served in the WWI with the Royal Flying Corps and its successor, the Royal Air Force.  He Shot down 6 fighters and sent 5 others 'out of control'.  Two of those were shared victories.  His nephew Subroto Mukerjee was also a fighter pilot who later became the first Indian Chief of Air staff of the Indian Air Force.  Subroto has been called the "Father of the Indian Air Force".

1945 – Penelope Spheeris, American film director.  She has done a lot of stuff but currently is most famous for directing "Wayne's World" (1992) and "The Beverly Hillbillies" (1993).


events:
1409 – The University of Leipzig opens.  That is right they are 600 years old today.  600 uninterrupted years of teaching and research.  Wow.  30,000 students in 190 different programs in 14 different colleges.  A very few of its notable graduates are:

Tycho Brahe, Danish astronomer
Johann Wolfgang Goethe, German poet
Friedrich Nietzsche, German philosopher
Richard Wagner, German composer

1845 – Manifest Destiny: US President James K. Polk announces to Congress that the United States should aggressively expand into the West.  And boy howdy did we.  A year later we get Oregon, Idaho and Washington from Britain.  in 1948 we get Utah and Nevada. In 1850 California is a state.  By 1853 all of New Mexico and Arizona had been bought, battered or taken from Mexico.  The Pony Express starts in 1860, the telegraph goes through in 1861 and the Transcontinental railroad is completed in 1869.

1859 – Militant abolitionist leader John Brown is hanged for his October 16th raid on Harper's Ferry.  He was a militant abolitionist and believed slavery had to be ended by any means necessary.  The Harper's Ferry raid on a US arsenal was to steal weapons to arm slaves with.  He was captured by US Marines led by Robert E. Lee.  He was tried for treason against Virginia and executed.

Contrary to popular belief the song "John Brown's Body" does not refer to this John Brown but rather Sergeant John Brown of the Second Battalion, Boston Light Infantry Volunteer Militia.  The tune (which became "The Battle Hymn of the Republic") was originally called "Say, Brothers, Will You Meet Us".  As was common new words where often put to well known tunes.  This is why "The Star Spangled Banner" started life as an English drinking song. 

holidays:

===========================================
thursday 3 december
***The Official NoButtonButton*************
***
***  The pen is mightier than
***
***  the  pigs.
*******************************************
birthdays:
1755 – Gilbert Stuart, American painter.  Everyone has seen the unfinished portrait of George Washington.  The painting was commissioned but Gilbert did not have to turn it over until it was done, so he never finished it.  Instead he used it as a reference and he and his daughters made 130 copies of the unfinished portrait, which we sold and made a lot of money.  He painted 1000 portraits including the first 6 US Presidents, King George III of England and Louis the XVI of France.

1838 - Cleveland Abbe was a famous American meteorologist and advocate of time zones. While director of the Cincinnati Observatory in Cincinnati, Ohio, he developed a system of telegraphic weather reports, daily weather maps, and weather forecasts. Congress in 1870 established the U.S. Weather Bureau and inaugurated the use of daily weather forecasts. In recognition of his work, Abbe, who was often known as Old Probability for the reliability of his forecasts, was appointed the first head of the new service.

1949 – Mickey Thomas, American singer (Jefferson Starship).  He took Grace Slick's place when booze knocked her out of the band and when she recovered they shared the spot light.

1960 – Daryl Hannah, American actress, mermaid and possibly could have been John F. Kennedy Junior's wife.  They were tight.

events:
1775 – The USS Alfred became the first vessel to fly the Grand Union Flag (the precursor to the Stars and Stripes); the flag is hoisted by John Paul Jones.  It had 13 red and white stripes but where the stars are today there was the British Union Jack.  It was not the Union Jack of today which consists of the Cross of Saint Andrew, the Cross of Saint Patrick and the Cross of Saint George.  In 1775 only the Crosses of St Andrew and St George were on the flag.

1901 – US President Theodore Roosevelt delivers a 20,000-word speech to the House of Representatives asking the Congress to curb the power of trusts "within reasonable limits".  And they do which leads to the breakup of the Standard Oil Monopoly and one day would lead to the break up of the A.T.&T.

1917 – After nearly 20 years of planning and construction, the Quebec Bridge opens to traffic.  The Quebec Bridge is a riveted steel truss structure and is 3,239 feet long, 94 feet wide, and 340 feet high. Cantilever arms 580 feet long support a 640 foot central structure, for a total span of 1800 feet, the longest cantilever bridge span in the world. It is the easternmost (farthest downstream) crossing of the Saint Lawrence.

1967 – In Cape Town, South Africa, a transplant team headed by Christiaan Barnard carries out the first heart transplant on a human.  The heart worked but the patient died of double pneumonia eighteen days after the transplant (weakened immune system).  The person who is key in this is 24 year old Denise Ann Darvall.  Her and her mother were hit by a drunk driver and her mother was killed instantly.  Denise suffered massive head trauma and was only being kept alive by life support.  She provided the heart.  Her father gave the okay to harvest her heart and kidneys.  He is the hero in this.  When some one can reach beyond their own pain to help others, they are heroes in my book.

holidays:

===========================================
friday 4 december
***The Official NoButtonButton*************
***
*** Love all,
***
*** Trust me.
*******************************************
birthdays:
1912 – Pappy Boyington, US Marine pilot.  Leader of the famous Black Sheep Squadron.

1918 – Albert Francis Capone, son of Al Capone AKA Sonny.  In the book The Godfather, Vito Corleone's first born son, Sonny, is named after him. He went to high school in Miami with Desi Arnaz (you know Lucille Ball's husband).  Albert led a law abiding life, got married and had four daughters.  He lived to be 85.

1939 – Freddy "Boom Boom" Cannon, American musician.  With such great hits as "Tallahassie Lassie" (#6, 1959), "Way Down Yonder in New Orleans" (#3, 1959), and "Palisades Park" (#3, 1962). All three records sold over one million copies, attaining gold disc status.  In March 1960 Cannon's album, The Explosive Freddy Cannon, gave him the distinction of being the first rock and roll singer to have a #1 album in the UK, beating Elvis Presley.  In 1964, he signed a new recording contract with Warner Bros., which yielded such hits as "Action" (the theme song for television's "Where The Action Is" - basically it was music video show), "Abigail Beecher" (my history teacher - predating Van Halen's "Hot For the Teacher" by over 20 years).

1973 – Tyra Banks, American supermodel.  Tyra you are 36 now.  You are not funny or that cute, give it up girl.

1979 – Jeff Taylor, Canadian computer scientist.  He developed Monster.Com.  he is rolling in dough.  This guy advertises at the Super Bowl.  WOW

1981 – Courtney Cummz, American pornographic actress.  Once she worked at Applebee's.  She only needs to do an internship to get a college degree.  Instead she is a hard core (often anal) sex star who also directs porn films.  If she does not come down with something she has a good career ahead of her.  More and more of the big budget porn films are directed by women.  Are they still exploited when they direct?  Or are they the exploiters.  I have never seen one of her films and just gathered info from the web.  Believe me I would tell you if I saw her, she is very attractive.

events:
1619 – 38 colonists from Berkeley Parish in England disembark in Virginia and give thanks to God (this is considered by some to be the first Thanksgiving in the Americas).

1791 – The first edition of The Observer, the world's first Sunday newspaper, is published.

1867 – Former Minnesota farmer Oliver Hudson Kelley founds the Order of the Patrons of Husbandry (better known today as the Grange).

1872 – The crewless American ship Mary Celeste is found by the British brig Dei Gratia (the ship had been abandoned for 9 days but was only slightly damaged).  No one has ever found out what happened to the crew.  She had been at sea for a month and had over six months of food and water on board. Her cargo was virtually untouched and the personal belongings of passengers and crew were still in place, including valuables. The crew was never seen or heard from again; their disappearance is often cited as the greatest maritime mystery of all time.

1954 – The first Burger King is opened in Miami, Florida.

1971 – The Montreux Casino in Switzerland is set ablaze by someone wielding a flare gun during a Frank Zappa concert; the incident would be noted in the Deep Purple song "Smoke on the Water".

1998 – The Unity Module, the second module of the International Space Station, is launched.  Eleven years later the ISS is almost finished.  I believe there are only two modules left to send into orbit.  There have been people orbiting in space, 24/7 for almost 30 years.  Welcome to the future.

holidays:

===========================================

****joe722****