NOTE TO SELF: THERE ARE GOOD PEOPLE WITH GOOD SOULS IN THIS WORLD
A retired couple living in Nova Scotia, Canada decided, as many of us do, to play the lottery. Up for grabs was an $11.2 million dollar jackpot and as many of us also do, they dreamed of a win. The couple, Alan, a former welder, and Violet Large, are senior citizens who live simple lives with Violet afflicted with cancer and undergoing chemotherapy.
Last July they hit the jackpot in the Lotto 6/49 winning $11,255,272 to be exact, which in itself is something given the odds against winning anything, especially a huge amount like this. It's what the couple did following their win, which makes this story one-in-a-million. They gave away almost $11.2 million of their winnings to family members, local churches, fire departments, cemetaries, Red Cross and hospitals who obviously meant a lot to Violet, given her health issues.
Once word got out about their generosity, a producer with ITV television in London called The Canadian Press on Thursday looking to connect with the Larges, and the story drew a flood of comments from readers on the Daily Mail's website in the United Kingdom. Not surprising since everyone wants to hear about good news and good people doing good things.
"As I say you can't buy your health and you can't buy happiness but if you can help someone out that's what you want to do," Violet said.
I've always believed that when you reach out and share your blessings, they return to you in kind. Now didn't this story make you smile?
Thursday, November 4, 2010
Thursday, October 21, 2010
We're safe - end of world prediction cancelled
NOTE TO SELF: MAKE VACATION PLANS - WORLD IS SAFE
After reading doomsday scenarios - I'm big on these - it's a relief to read that the 2012 Mayan cataclysmic end-of-the-world scenario has been cancelled. At least according to a new textbook "Calendars and Years II: Astronomy and Time in the Ancient and Medieval World" (Oxbow Books, 2010). As much as this news is a relief, there is no correction or re-prediction of when the end will come.
According to the critique which I haven't read, the accepted conversions of dates from Mayan to the modern calendar could be off as much as 50 to 100 years. Good. Still time to place my bets in Vegas. Since the Mayan calendar ended in 2012, earthlings interpreted this as an omen or indication that our time was up on planet earth.
In an article published on the Live Science site: ( http://www.livescience.com/culture/mayan-apocalypse-miscalculated-calendar-101018.html) "the Mayan calendar was converted to today's Gregorian calendar using a calculation called the GMT constant, named for the last initials of three early Mayanist researchers. Much of the work emphasized dates recovered from colonial documents that were written in the Mayan language in the Latin alphabet, according to the chapter's author, Gerardo Aldana, University of California, Santa Barbara professor of Chicana and Chicano Studies."
Later, the GMT constant was bolstered by American linguist and anthropologist Floyd Lounsbury, who used data in the Dresden Codex Venus Table, a Mayan calendar and almanac that charts dates relative to the movements of Venus. There is a further explanation focusing on the rationale for reaching this conclusion in the Live Science piece.
Over the years and centuries, there have been numerous end-of-world predictions, obviously all of which have not panned out. The James Randi Educational Foundation, a non-profit organization, "aims to promote critical thinking by reaching out to the public and media with reliable information about paranormal and supernatural ideas so widespread in our society today." The Foundation offers a $1,000,000 prize to any person or persons who can demonstrate any psychic, supernatural or paranormal ability of any kind under mutually agreed upon scientific conditions. This prize money is held in a special account which cannot be accessed for any purpose other than the awarding of the prize.
The site features an impressive list of end-of-world prophecies that have failed over the centuries. For example:
- October 3, 1533, at Eight A.M. Mathematician and Bible student Michael Stifel (known as Stifelius) had calculated an exact date and time for Doomsday from scholarly perusal of the Book of Revelation. When they did not vaporize, the curiously ungrateful citizens of the German town of Lochau, where Stifel had announced the dreaded day, rewarded him with a thorough flogging. He also lost his ecclesiastical living as a result of his prophetic failure.
- 1665 With the Black Plague in full force, Quaker Solomon Eccles terrorized the citizens of London yet further with his declaration that the resident pestilence was merely the beginning of The End. He was arrested and jailed when the plague began to abate rather than increasing. Eccles fled to the West Indies upon his release from prison, whereupon he once again exercised his zeal for agitation by inciting the slaves there to revolt. The Crown fetched him back home as a troublemaker, and he died shortly thereafter.
- October 13, 1736 London was once again targeted for the "beginning of the end," this time by William Whiston. The Thames filled with waiting boatloads of citizens, but it didn't even rain. Another setback.
There is a whole list of failed appocolyptic prognostications listed on the site, in alphabetical order that actually make interesting reading.
http://www.randi.org/encyclopedia/appendix3.html
The bottom line to all of this is in my humble opinion, people really don't want to know when the end of the world will be. I mean, even if any of the predictions were accurate, what can we humble human beings do about it? Build a bunker deep down in the earth's bowels and wait it out in hope that we will survive? Actually, there are companies that are in the business of doing just this - for a price of course.
http://homelandsecuritynewswire.com/end-world-shelter-company-selling-bunker-space
Meanwhile, I'll take my chances in Vegas - odds are that I will lose some money - and that's a sure thing.
After reading doomsday scenarios - I'm big on these - it's a relief to read that the 2012 Mayan cataclysmic end-of-the-world scenario has been cancelled. At least according to a new textbook "Calendars and Years II: Astronomy and Time in the Ancient and Medieval World" (Oxbow Books, 2010). As much as this news is a relief, there is no correction or re-prediction of when the end will come.
According to the critique which I haven't read, the accepted conversions of dates from Mayan to the modern calendar could be off as much as 50 to 100 years. Good. Still time to place my bets in Vegas. Since the Mayan calendar ended in 2012, earthlings interpreted this as an omen or indication that our time was up on planet earth.
In an article published on the Live Science site: ( http://www.livescience.com/culture/mayan-apocalypse-miscalculated-calendar-101018.html) "the Mayan calendar was converted to today's Gregorian calendar using a calculation called the GMT constant, named for the last initials of three early Mayanist researchers. Much of the work emphasized dates recovered from colonial documents that were written in the Mayan language in the Latin alphabet, according to the chapter's author, Gerardo Aldana, University of California, Santa Barbara professor of Chicana and Chicano Studies."
Later, the GMT constant was bolstered by American linguist and anthropologist Floyd Lounsbury, who used data in the Dresden Codex Venus Table, a Mayan calendar and almanac that charts dates relative to the movements of Venus. There is a further explanation focusing on the rationale for reaching this conclusion in the Live Science piece.
Over the years and centuries, there have been numerous end-of-world predictions, obviously all of which have not panned out. The James Randi Educational Foundation, a non-profit organization, "aims to promote critical thinking by reaching out to the public and media with reliable information about paranormal and supernatural ideas so widespread in our society today." The Foundation offers a $1,000,000 prize to any person or persons who can demonstrate any psychic, supernatural or paranormal ability of any kind under mutually agreed upon scientific conditions. This prize money is held in a special account which cannot be accessed for any purpose other than the awarding of the prize.
The site features an impressive list of end-of-world prophecies that have failed over the centuries. For example:
- October 3, 1533, at Eight A.M. Mathematician and Bible student Michael Stifel (known as Stifelius) had calculated an exact date and time for Doomsday from scholarly perusal of the Book of Revelation. When they did not vaporize, the curiously ungrateful citizens of the German town of Lochau, where Stifel had announced the dreaded day, rewarded him with a thorough flogging. He also lost his ecclesiastical living as a result of his prophetic failure.
- 1665 With the Black Plague in full force, Quaker Solomon Eccles terrorized the citizens of London yet further with his declaration that the resident pestilence was merely the beginning of The End. He was arrested and jailed when the plague began to abate rather than increasing. Eccles fled to the West Indies upon his release from prison, whereupon he once again exercised his zeal for agitation by inciting the slaves there to revolt. The Crown fetched him back home as a troublemaker, and he died shortly thereafter.
- October 13, 1736 London was once again targeted for the "beginning of the end," this time by William Whiston. The Thames filled with waiting boatloads of citizens, but it didn't even rain. Another setback.
There is a whole list of failed appocolyptic prognostications listed on the site, in alphabetical order that actually make interesting reading.
http://www.randi.org/encyclopedia/appendix3.html
The bottom line to all of this is in my humble opinion, people really don't want to know when the end of the world will be. I mean, even if any of the predictions were accurate, what can we humble human beings do about it? Build a bunker deep down in the earth's bowels and wait it out in hope that we will survive? Actually, there are companies that are in the business of doing just this - for a price of course.
http://homelandsecuritynewswire.com/end-world-shelter-company-selling-bunker-space
Meanwhile, I'll take my chances in Vegas - odds are that I will lose some money - and that's a sure thing.
Saturday, October 9, 2010
People 50+ could be happier according to poll
NOTE TO SELF: LET A SMILE BE YOUR UMBRELLA
Never really gave it much thought but according to a British poll, Brits turn into grumps once they reach their 50th birthday. Actually, thinking further, many people are miseries earlier in life but that as they say, is another subject. The poll conducted by researchers from Glamorgan University surveyed the laughability of 2000 Britons. It would also be interesting to know what qualifies them as experts in this category and how much money the researchers received for conducting this study. British surveys do tend to cover interesting subjects. One wonders what the researchers are going to do with the results of survey. How do you convince those in the 50-plus age category to lighten up and laugh more?
The study claims that Brits laugh a lot less once they reach 52. Why 52 one asks or why not say...51...or 53. Furthermore, the researchers feel that the art of telling jokes is dying and good jokes are limited to one or two passable gags. Fourteen percent of people have never told a joke. Perhaps that's because some jokes go over like a lead balloon, as mine frequently do. There is nothing worse - IMHO - than telling a joke and nobody laughs, or you have to explain the joke. I mean, why be embarrassed!
Statistically, people laugh 300 times per day but only six times per day by the time they reach their teens. In other words, we take joy and find the world a happy place in which to live as children but learn otherwise once we reach adult-hood.
People in their 20's laugh a mere 4x per day but re-aquire a sense of humor when they have children. Once in their 30's, the average goes up to 5 laughs per day with almost 47% being people who have children. However, once we reach our 50's, our laughs decrease to 3x per day. Twice as many males turn into cranks than females when they reach their 50's. What is interesting is that being around children makes adults happier people.
So all of these stats leads one to wonder how they formed these conclusions. Did they interview people in the various age brackets and ask them to tell jokes and then rate the jokes, or ask them to keep a diary of the number of times per day they laughed, showed them comedies and gauged their reactions? There's no information on the criteria and also humor is subjective. What some people find funny, others find inane and stupid. Another thing to take into consideration is that this is a poll focusing on Brits. It would be interesting to know if polls have been done in other parts of the world and if the results are/were similar.
Basically and IMHO, this poll really can't be taken seriously and perhaps it's fitting given the subject matter being humor.
Never really gave it much thought but according to a British poll, Brits turn into grumps once they reach their 50th birthday. Actually, thinking further, many people are miseries earlier in life but that as they say, is another subject. The poll conducted by researchers from Glamorgan University surveyed the laughability of 2000 Britons. It would also be interesting to know what qualifies them as experts in this category and how much money the researchers received for conducting this study. British surveys do tend to cover interesting subjects. One wonders what the researchers are going to do with the results of survey. How do you convince those in the 50-plus age category to lighten up and laugh more?
The study claims that Brits laugh a lot less once they reach 52. Why 52 one asks or why not say...51...or 53. Furthermore, the researchers feel that the art of telling jokes is dying and good jokes are limited to one or two passable gags. Fourteen percent of people have never told a joke. Perhaps that's because some jokes go over like a lead balloon, as mine frequently do. There is nothing worse - IMHO - than telling a joke and nobody laughs, or you have to explain the joke. I mean, why be embarrassed!
Statistically, people laugh 300 times per day but only six times per day by the time they reach their teens. In other words, we take joy and find the world a happy place in which to live as children but learn otherwise once we reach adult-hood.
People in their 20's laugh a mere 4x per day but re-aquire a sense of humor when they have children. Once in their 30's, the average goes up to 5 laughs per day with almost 47% being people who have children. However, once we reach our 50's, our laughs decrease to 3x per day. Twice as many males turn into cranks than females when they reach their 50's. What is interesting is that being around children makes adults happier people.
So all of these stats leads one to wonder how they formed these conclusions. Did they interview people in the various age brackets and ask them to tell jokes and then rate the jokes, or ask them to keep a diary of the number of times per day they laughed, showed them comedies and gauged their reactions? There's no information on the criteria and also humor is subjective. What some people find funny, others find inane and stupid. Another thing to take into consideration is that this is a poll focusing on Brits. It would be interesting to know if polls have been done in other parts of the world and if the results are/were similar.
Basically and IMHO, this poll really can't be taken seriously and perhaps it's fitting given the subject matter being humor.
Sunday, August 1, 2010
Dog receives communion - people outraged
NOTE TO SELF: SOME PEOPLE CAN BE SO UNCHARITABLE
So a man and his 5-year old pooch, Trapper, walk into an Anglican church in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, and the man wants communion. Nothing wrong with that - right? Think so? The priest welcomed the pair and when it was time for the human to receive communion, his dog followed him. The priest, Margaret Rea, didn't see anything wrong with giving both human and pooch communion, an act which is causing an uproar.
Rea said she had nothing to add to the apology she has already offered to her congregation.
"The incident is done, it's over and I have no more comment about it," she told AFP. "I am not going to discuss anything about it."
Thing is, presumably, the offense is giving a non-human communion. One wonders if the Higher Power finds it as equally offensive as some church members. The whole incident has made some people smile but one parishioner took it further and filed a complaint with the Toronto Diocese.
There's a nice photo of Trapper who is luckily oblivious over the stir he caused here:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20100728/wl_canada_afp/canadareligionanimaloffbeat_20100728141055
So a man and his 5-year old pooch, Trapper, walk into an Anglican church in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, and the man wants communion. Nothing wrong with that - right? Think so? The priest welcomed the pair and when it was time for the human to receive communion, his dog followed him. The priest, Margaret Rea, didn't see anything wrong with giving both human and pooch communion, an act which is causing an uproar.
Rea said she had nothing to add to the apology she has already offered to her congregation.
"The incident is done, it's over and I have no more comment about it," she told AFP. "I am not going to discuss anything about it."
Thing is, presumably, the offense is giving a non-human communion. One wonders if the Higher Power finds it as equally offensive as some church members. The whole incident has made some people smile but one parishioner took it further and filed a complaint with the Toronto Diocese.
There's a nice photo of Trapper who is luckily oblivious over the stir he caused here:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20100728/wl_canada_afp/canadareligionanimaloffbeat_20100728141055
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Censorship in the 21st century - and for a rock star no less!
NOTE TO MYSELF: WHY IN THE WORLD DID ABC CAVE IN BASED ON THE OPINION OF 1500COMPLAINING VIEWERS AND INSTITUTE CENSORSHIP POLICY
Seems that ABC decided to cancel controversial (to some) rocker, Adam Lambert, appearance on Good Morning America, on November 25th. Lambert, who is openly gay, performed on the American Musical Awards show and made what some perceive as obscene gestures while promoting his single release. Given the open-ness and language used in lyrics by rap singers with absolutely no intervention on the part TV networks, this move by ABC is unwarranted and IMHO, dummmmb. The AMA show in itself is very open and nobody blinks an eye when any of the performers push the limits - and they do that. In cancelling Lambert, CBS immediately grabbed him.
Silly, silly ABC!
BTW - ABC received 1500 complaint phone calls from viewers who found Lambert's actions distasteful. Perhaps the viewers should have just clicked to another network. The late Elvis Presley, who was featured waist-up during his early performances on TV, must be laughing it up, somewhere, however those were in the staid and proper 1950's/'60's. Times have changed and ABC should know better.
BTW - in cancelling Lambert, CBS immediately grabbed him guaranteeing the network a large viewing audience. Silly, silly ABC!
Seems that ABC decided to cancel controversial (to some) rocker, Adam Lambert, appearance on Good Morning America, on November 25th. Lambert, who is openly gay, performed on the American Musical Awards show and made what some perceive as obscene gestures while promoting his single release. Given the open-ness and language used in lyrics by rap singers with absolutely no intervention on the part TV networks, this move by ABC is unwarranted and IMHO, dummmmb. The AMA show in itself is very open and nobody blinks an eye when any of the performers push the limits - and they do that. In cancelling Lambert, CBS immediately grabbed him.
Silly, silly ABC!
BTW - ABC received 1500 complaint phone calls from viewers who found Lambert's actions distasteful. Perhaps the viewers should have just clicked to another network. The late Elvis Presley, who was featured waist-up during his early performances on TV, must be laughing it up, somewhere, however those were in the staid and proper 1950's/'60's. Times have changed and ABC should know better.
BTW - in cancelling Lambert, CBS immediately grabbed him guaranteeing the network a large viewing audience. Silly, silly ABC!
Thursday, May 14, 2009
"Slumdog Milliionaire" young star now homeless - makes you wonder
NOTE TO SELF: PASS ON RENTING "SLUM DOG MILLIONAIRE"
Let's say... you're a film company who travels to Mumbai, India, to shoot a film focusing upon and that takes place in the Mumbai slums.
Let's say... you come accross some children living in the slums that would be perfect for your film and a decision is made to use them. The word "use" being the key word here.
The film becomes a huge success beyond everyone's wildest dreams and is nominated for an Academy Award. As a perk and perhaps even a promotional gimmick, the child actors are brought to the awards show all dressed up as movie stars usually are. Once the hoopla is over the young actors are returned home and back to their former lives of subsisting from day-to-day, living in shacks. One day a celebrity and now a homeless person.
Young 10-year old "Slumdog Millionaire" star, Azharuddin Ismail, was asleep when awakened and told to leave his family's home as part of a demolition of dozens of Mumbai shanties. It was among 30 shacks razed by city workers. As if that wasn't bad enough and according to Azhar, he was hit by a police officer. For their part authorities are saying that his family will be given a new home elsewhere.
Although the film earned US $326 million in box office receipts, the lives of the Mumbai "actors" haven't benefited from their appearing in the film.
"Slumdog" filmmakers set up a trust, called Jai Ho, after the hit song from the film, to ensure the children get proper homes, a good education and a nest egg when they finish high school. They also donated $747,500 to a charity to help slum kids in Mumbai.
Given this recent setback, it would seem that Azhar needs some of that charity money right away to get a roof over his family's head. Thing is - will he get it.
Let's say... you're a film company who travels to Mumbai, India, to shoot a film focusing upon and that takes place in the Mumbai slums.
Let's say... you come accross some children living in the slums that would be perfect for your film and a decision is made to use them. The word "use" being the key word here.
The film becomes a huge success beyond everyone's wildest dreams and is nominated for an Academy Award. As a perk and perhaps even a promotional gimmick, the child actors are brought to the awards show all dressed up as movie stars usually are. Once the hoopla is over the young actors are returned home and back to their former lives of subsisting from day-to-day, living in shacks. One day a celebrity and now a homeless person.
Young 10-year old "Slumdog Millionaire" star, Azharuddin Ismail, was asleep when awakened and told to leave his family's home as part of a demolition of dozens of Mumbai shanties. It was among 30 shacks razed by city workers. As if that wasn't bad enough and according to Azhar, he was hit by a police officer. For their part authorities are saying that his family will be given a new home elsewhere.
Although the film earned US $326 million in box office receipts, the lives of the Mumbai "actors" haven't benefited from their appearing in the film.
"Slumdog" filmmakers set up a trust, called Jai Ho, after the hit song from the film, to ensure the children get proper homes, a good education and a nest egg when they finish high school. They also donated $747,500 to a charity to help slum kids in Mumbai.
Given this recent setback, it would seem that Azhar needs some of that charity money right away to get a roof over his family's head. Thing is - will he get it.
Monday, March 30, 2009
UK primary students urged to Twit, blog and Wiki instead of history lessons
NOTE TO SELF: WHAT ARE EDUCATORS THINKING?
The British education system is contemplating a change in its curriculum. This in itself is nothing earth-shattering but it's the subject that makes one wonder what are they thinking!
According to the Guardian newspaper, primary school students will be encouraged to learn how to blog, use Twitter and Wikipedia instead of history leassons.
The British education system is contemplating a change in its curriculum. This in itself is nothing earth-shattering but it's the subject that makes one wonder what are they thinking!
According to the Guardian newspaper, primary school students will be encouraged to learn how to blog, use Twitter and Wikipedia instead of history leassons.
Oh goodie! Yet another legimate reason this time, to allow and encourage students to surf the Net! What else!
Students will be required to know about blogging, podcasts, use Wikipedia (such a reliable information source!) which may or may not have the right information depending on the author, and Twitter(?) as their information sources for info. sources of communication.
Twitter? I use Twitter and it consists of a one line statement. Period. What's more - you have a limited amount of bytes in which to make your statement.
For example:"A cow when milked can give up to (insert correct number) gallons/litres per day. " Perhaps the students could be required to re-write the sentence using all the available Twitter bytes and in addition use it as a math exercise to calculate the amount of gallons/litres a cow will give. In addition students would then be required to Wiki as a means of finding background information about cows and/or milking processes.
The Guardian said the draft review requires primary school children to be familiar with blogging, podcasts, Wikipedia and Twitter as sources of information and forms of communication.
Uh-huh... Next thing you know - YouTube will become part of the curriculum as will texting. I mean - c'mon! Get back to your basic education, peeplz! There's nothing wrong with using the Net as an information tool but even to consider dropping a history course in favor of the Internet?
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