Fighting Back - chef uses giant spoon to fend off robber Unused Minutes - teenage girl goes berserk when dad takes cell phone The Taxman Stalleth 30-day delay for California tax refunds
On this day in history: January 29, 1919 - Prohibition begins, and with it the rise of organized crime.
Born on this day in history: January 29, 1918 - John Forsythe (1918- ) Actor. Born John Lincoln Freund, on January 29, 1918, in Penns Grove, New Jersey.The eldest son of Sam and Blanche Freund, John briefly attended the University of North Carolina before leaving academia to work as a baseball announcer for the Brooklyn Dodgers. Billed as John Forsythe, he appeared in regional plays before making his Broadway debut as Private Cootes in "Vickie" (1942). The following year, he moved to Hollywood, where he landed supporting roles in the action features "Northern Pursuit" and "Destination Tokyo." While struggling to find suitable film parts, Forsythe studied at the famed Actors Studio, graduating with the school's first commencement class in 1947.
Scripture of the Day: They cried to you and were saved; in you they trusted and were not disappointed. - Psalm 22:5
Video of the Day: Newstopia - iGun - submitted by Frank
Say, "Ahhhh!" Click to enlarge.
My first car was a red 1952 Jaguar XK120. I was 17 years old and a nascent rock star. I unceremoniously declined my mother's offer of her pristine red and white 1955 Chevrolet Bel Aire Sport Coupe. The Chevrolet had a high-performance 283cid engine, factory dual exhaust, and 4-barrel carburetor. She bought the car new, it was still like new, and she wanted a new 1960 Chevrolet Impala convertible. Today, the Chevy would fetch a vast sum at the Mecum Auto Auction. The Jaguar would garner greatly less enthusiasm there. In 1961, however, the Jaguar seemed the appropriate vehicle for me. It better suited my image—or, at least, what I imagined my image to be. Ah, the foolishness of youth!
On this day in history: January 29, 1919 - Prohibition begins, and with it the rise of organized crime.
Born on this day in history: January 29, 1885 - Huddie William Ledbetter (Leadbelly) (1885-1949) Musician, born near Morringsport, Louisiana, USA. A legendary singer and guitarist, he was raised near Shreveport, LA, worked on farms in Texas, and began performing in Dallas, TX as a protégé of Blind Lemon Jefferson in the 1910s. (Leadbelly got his nickname because of his deep bass voice.) In 1917 he was sentenced to prison on a murder conviction; eight years later he literally sang a plea of mercy to the Texas governor and was pardoned. In 1930 he was sentenced to 10 years for wounding a group of men with a knife, and in 1934 he composed a song for the Louisiana governor. With the intervention of the folklorists John and Alan Lomax, he won a reprieve in 1935. Over the next year, he travelled with John Lomax and recorded hundreds of songs that formed a cornerstone of the Library of Congress folklore archives. In 1938 he moved permanently to New York City where he recorded for Columbia Records and became a celebrated figure in literary and political circles. His best-known songs include "Irene, Good Night," "Rock Island Line," and "Midnight Special."
Scripture of the Day: Then I said to you, "Do not be terrified; do not be afraid of them. The LORD your God, who is going before you, will fight for you, as he did for you in Egypt, before your very eyes." - Deuteronomy 1:29-30
Video of the Day: Subaru DC Mountain Lab 1.5 - submitted by Frank
Here is a crop of an available-light photograph of my cat, Zeus, taken with my new Nikon D3 DSLR. This lens was a Nikkor 24-120mm at 120mm. Click to enlarge.
No frost today! It is not warmer today; it is drier, however, and there was no frost on Mr. Nitro's windshield this morning. The frost has a great psychological effect—making it seem much colder than it is. The lack of frost has the opposite effect.
Laura and I always vote using absentee ballots. I have completed my ballot, and Laura shall complete hers this evening. They shall go out in tomorrow's mail.
For dinner last evening, I grilled chicken breasts and steamed cauliflower. I dry-rubbed four large Tyson boneless, skinless chicken breasts with Tony Chachere's More Spice seasoning and ground black pepper. I sprayed the chicken breasts with olive oil Pam and placed (sprayed-side down) on the indoor grill. I covered the chicken breasts with a tent of aluminum foil. After ten minutes, I sprayed the tops of the chicken breasts and turned them. I repeated this procedure twice. I separated the florets from a head of cauliflower, placed in a covered casserole dish, and seasoned with Tony Chachere's More Spice seasoning. I placed two tablespoons of water in the bottom of the casserole dish and cooked the cauliflower on high for three minutes in the microwave. Laura declared it was the most delicious food that had emerged from the indoor grill to date. It was delightful. The two leftover chicken breasts shall be shredded and used to make burritos Thursday.
On this day in history: December 5, 1933 - Fourteen years of Prohibition end when Utah ratifies the 21st Amendment.
Born on this day in history: December 5, 1935 - Little Richard (1035 - ) Musician, born in Macon, Georgia, USA. One of the early and most flamboyant stars of rock 'n' roll, he sang and played piano in church choirs and with gospel groups throughout his childhood, performing in medicine shows on the Southern vaudeville circuit. He made his recording debut with RCA in 1952 in Atlanta, and continued to record in a blues style for independent labels in Houston and New Orleans over the next four years. In 1956 he had a breakthrough single, "Tutti Frutti," which sold three million copies and established his basic style of histrionic singing and manic piano playing. Over the next three years he sold over 18 million records and appeared in several motion pictures, but in 1960 he became a minister in the Seventh Day Adventist church and renounced rock 'n' roll and his own homosexuality. He returned to rock in 1963, touring England with the Beatles and Rolling Stones, and he straddled the worlds of pop music and evangelism over the next 30 years. In 1986 he became an inaugural member of the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame. "Tutti Frutti" was named the official rock song of the state of Georgia in 1989.
Scripture of the Day: "Therefore Jesus said again, 'I tell you the truth, I am the gate for the sheep. I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. He will come in and go out, and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.'" (John 10:7, 9-10)
Video of the Day: Terry Fator, Part 3 of 5 - submitted by Frank
Recommended Site:Nikon Photographer - A free forum for all photographers (NOT just Nikon users!) and anyone interested in photography!
A Baby's Hug
We were the only family with children in the restaurant. I sat Erik in a high chair and noticed everyone was quietly sitting and talking. Suddenly, Erik squealed with glee and said, 'Hi.' He pounded his fat baby hands on the high chair tray. His eyes were crinkled in laughter and his mouth was bared in a toothless grin, as he wriggled and giggled with merriment.
I looked around and saw the source of his merriment. It was a man whose pants were baggy with a zipper at half-mast and his toes poked out of would-be shoes. His shirt was dirty and his hair was uncombed and unwashed. His whiskers were too short to be called a beard and his nose was so varicose it looked like a road map.
We were too far from him to smell, but I was sure he smelled. His hands waved and flapped on loose wrists. 'Hi there, baby; hi there, big boy. I see ya, buster,' the man said to Erik. My husband and I exchanged looks, 'What do we do?' Erik continued to laugh and answer, 'Hi.' Everyone in the restaurant noticed and looked at us and then at the man. The old geezer was creating a nuisance with my beautiful baby. Our meal came and the man began shouting from across the room, 'Do ya patty cake? Do you know peek-a-boo? Hey, look, he knows peek- a-boo.' Nobody thought the old man was cute. He was obviously drunk. My husband and I were embarrassed. We ate in silence; all except for Erik, who was running through his repertoire for the admiring skid-row bum, who in turn, reciprocated with his cute comments. We finally got through the meal and headed for the door. My husband went to pay the check and told me to meet him in the parking lot. The old man sat poised between me and the door. 'Lord, just let me out of here before he speaks to me or Erik,' I prayed. As I drew closer to the man, I turned my back trying to sidestep him and avoid any air he might be breathing. As I did, Erik leaned over my arm, reaching with both arms in a baby's 'pick-me-up' position. Before I could stop him, Erik had propelled himself from my arms to the man.
Suddenly a very old smelly man and a very young baby consummated their love and kinship. Erik in an act of total trust, love, and submission laid his tiny head upon the man's ragged shoulder. The man's eyes closed, and I saw tears hover beneath his lashes. His aged hands full of grime, pain, and hard labor, cradled my baby's bottom and stroked his back. No two beings have ever loved so deeply for so short a time.
I stood awestruck. The old man rocked and cradled Erik in his arms and his eyes opened and set squarely on mine. He said in a firm commanding voice, 'You take care of this baby.'
Somehow I managed, 'I will,' from a throat that contained a stone. He pried Erik from his chest, lovingly and longingly, as though he were in pain. I received my baby, and the man said, 'God bless you, ma'am, you've given me my Christmas gift.'
I said nothing more than a muttered thanks. With Erik in my arms, I ran for the car. My husband was wondering why I was crying and holding Erik so tightly, and why I was saying, 'My God, my God, forgive me.' I had just witnessed Christ's love shown through the innocence of a tiny child who saw no sin, who made no judgment; a child who saw a soul, and a mother who saw a suit of clothes. I was a Christian who was blind, holding a child who was not. I felt it was God asking, 'Are you willing to share your son for a moment?' when He shared His for all eternity.
The ragged old man, unwittingly, had reminded me, 'To enter the Kingdom of God , we must become as little children.'
Sometimes, it takes a child to remind us of what is really important. We must always remember who we are, where we came from and, most importantly, how we feel about others. The clothes on your back or the car that you drive or the house that you live in does not define you at all; it is how you treat your fellow man that identifies who you are.
