On this day in history: August 28, 1968 - U.S. Ambassador to Guatemala John Gordon Mein is shot to death after guerrillas force his car off the road in Guatemala City. It is the first assassination of a U.S. Ambassador in the line of duty.
Born on this day in history: August 28, 1965 - Shania Twain (1965-) Born Eileen Edwards, in Windsor, Canada, country singer and songwriter Shania Twain was performing by age 10. In 1987, her mother and stepfather were killed in a car accident, leaving Twain to care for three younger siblings. In 1993, she went to Nashville and released "The Woman in Me" in 1995, which sold 12 million copies, becoming the bestselling country album by a female artist in history.
Scripture of the Day: And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. - Romans 8:28
Video of the Day: 40ft Robot Elephant - submitted by Danica
Obama and his pals. Click to enlarge.
Hot and windy! That is the forecast. It reached 110 degrees yesterday, although the fierce wind that plagued us during the early morning subsided by late morning. Hopefully, the wind will abate similarly today. It is currently 86 degrees at 7:14 AM! It is predicted to be 108 degrees today, 110 degrees tomorrow, and drop to a relatively cool 99 degrees on Saturday and a frosty 89 degrees on Sunday.
I had an interesting photographic assignment yesterday: I was commissioned to photograph fraternal twins. I am not nearly as adept at guessing age as the people who do this on the midway at carnivals, but I estimate these twins were six months of age. The mother commissioned the shoot in order to have photographs to submit to a baby contest—the top prize for which is $50,000. It shall be interesting to see how these twins fare against the competition.
Fighting Back - armed doctor chases off robber at restaurant How Ironic! - stolen credit card used to buy program to prevent identity theft They're Here! - mystery vibrations have Green Bay couple spinning
On this day in history: July 24, 1999 - Former Guns N' Roses guitarist "Slash" is arrested in West Hollywood for allegedly beating his girlfriend at the Le Parc Hotel five days prior.
Born on this day in history: July 24, 1970 - Jennifer Lopez (1970-) Born in the Bronx, New York, actress and pop singer Jennifer Lopez got her break in 1997 in Selena, making her the highest-paid Latina actress in history. Lopez's musical career also took off, and the 2001 J. Lo album debuted at No. 1. Lopez's romances have been widely publicized, including with rapper Sean "Puffy" Combs, actor Ben Affleck and current husband singer Marc Anthony.
Scripture of the Day: What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God -- through Jesus Christ our Lord! - Romans 7:24-25
Video of the Day: Western Spaghetti - submitted by Amber
Laura worked late yesterday. It was the only evening this week that she was not scheduled to work in the nursery or sing on the worship team during this week's David Woods crusade at Harvest Christian Center. Tonight, she will be working in the nursery, and Friday (the final evening of the crusade) she will be singing with the worship team. I decided that last evening would be a perfect time for a pre-birthday dinner! I grilled the remaining two Omaha Steaks filets mignons that were sent us by reader Chris. I also grilled two large white mushrooms and two white potatoes. I steamed and chilled a quantity of broccoli. We shred a bottle of 2001 Robert Mondavi Cabernet Sauvignon. It was a truly delightful meal.
Again today, the air quality is abysmal. The wildfires are under control, but they continue to smolder, and the wind drives the smoke into the city.
I have not yet removed the carcass of the dead Sony CRT TV from the wall mounting in my office. I have been enjoying Sirius satellite radio via the Internet. Since I have an account for Mr. Nitro, listening via the Internet is free. I listened to Jazz Café Tuesday and Blues yesterday. I am listening to Blues again today. Perhaps I shall go to Netflix and watch a movie. I am surviving well without a television. Who would have thought?
On this day in history: December 13, 1973 - The Reverend Jim Jones is arrested in a cruisy movie theater bathroom in Los Angeles. Unfortunately, Jones had the bad luck to hit on an undercover LAPD vice officer.
Born on this day in history: December 13, 1948 - Ted Nugent (1948-) Musician. Born December 13, 1948, in Detroit, Michigan. Although Nugent would take formal guitar lessons later in life, he was largely a self-taught musician who began playing at the age of six. At the age of 14, he formed his first band, the Lourds. On the strength of their 1964 performance at the Michigan State Fair, the Lourds were given the opportunity to open for the Beau Brummels and the Supremes. Later that year, Nugent moved to Chicago, where he fronted the band the Amboy Dukes. Upon his high school graduation, in 1967, Nugent returned to Detroit, where he began recruiting new members for the Amboy Dukes. Within three months, the band signed with Mainstream Records and released their self-titled debut album. The following year, they achieved national recognition with the single, "Journey to the Center of the Mind," which reached No. 8 on the pop charts. In the early 1970s, the Amboy Dukes continued to record while averaging more than 300 concert dates per year. With the aid of props, wardrobe, pyrotechnics, and live animals, their concerts approached operatic dimensions. Nugent’s popularity, coupled with his expanding stage presence, surpassed that of his fellow band members. The Amboy Dukes were soon renamed Ted Nugent and the Amboy Dukes. In 1975, Nugent had disassociated himself with the Amboy Dukes and decided to pursue a solo career. Now recording with the Epic Records label, he released his first solo album, Ted Nugent, featuring the hit singles "Strangle Hold" and "Hey Baby." In 1977, Nugent recorded his most successful album to date—"Cat Scratch Fever." Eventually selling more than three million copies, the LP included the now-classic rock anthems "Cat Scratch Fever," "Workin' Hard, Playin' Hard," and "Out of Control." In the early 1980s, Nugent’s popularity began to dwindle. He retreated from the spotlight for a few years before releasing two relatively successful albums, "Penetrator"(1984) and "Little Miss Dangerous" (1986).In 1989, he joined forces with rock veterans Tommy Shaw and Jack Blades to form the heavy metal band Damn Yankees. An avid hunter and political activist, Nugent’s outspoken commitments to gun ownership and right-wing politics took a toll on his success in the 1990s. In 1995, he resumed his solo career with the critically panned album "Spirit of the Wild," in which he expressed his deeply held political views and his unique relationship with nature and hunting. In the summer of 2000, Nugent opened 79 sold-out concerts on the KISS Farewell Tour. That same year, he published a book of essays titled "God, Guns and Rock-N-Roll." In addition to recording, Nugent currently serves on the boards of more than two dozen political and charitable associations, including the National Rifle Association and Mothers Against Drunk Driving.
Scripture of the Day: "When he had called together all the people's chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Christ was to be born. 'In Bethlehem in Judea,' they replied, 'for this is what the prophet has written:' "But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for out of you will come a ruler who will be the shepherd of my people Israel."'" (Matthew 2:4-6)
BRRR! Each weekday morning, I open the front door of our house and peer outside to determine the state of the weather, in order to better determine how to dress for the day. This morning, there was no wind, no rain, and it did not appear particularly cold. When I settled into Mr. Nitro and saw the frost on his windshield, however, I felt cold! When I started him and saw 32 degrees reported by his exterior temperature probe, I shivered!
