I'm not entirely sure about this.
I know that Facebook, and other popular online entities, seem to be invading our privacy, doing so voluntarily (as are the users that they are doing it to, by the way).
But some of these things seemed just far fetched. Not impossible, but highly unlikely. Or, perhaps, someone misunderstood what was being said, and interpreted it to mean something far more sweeping than it actually is.
Specifically, this is the part that I had trouble believing:
Record audio, and take pictures and videos, at any time – Read that line again….RECORD audio…TAKE pictures….AT ANY TIME!! That means that the folks at Facebook can see through your lens on your phone whenever they want..they can listen to what you’re saying via your microphone if they choose to!!
It just seems a little far fetched, that they could actually essentially take over your phone and activate it, presumably without you knowing that they are doing so and turning it off on your own. That seems like a gross exaggeration.
At least, I hope it's an exaggeration!
That said, it's still good to take precautions, and to remain aware of dangers, since privacy is fast becoming a thing of the past these days.
So, here is the article warning about Facebook's latest intrusions into your privacy. Read, and decide for yourself:
Facebook Crosses The Line With New Facebook Messenger App by Nick Russo, August 7, 2014:
http://thebull.cbslocal.com/2014/08/07/facebook-crosses-the-line-with-new-facebook-messenger-app/
I did a little bit more research on this subject this morning, and found that, as I suspected, these claims were a mixture of partially true statements, and sweeping generalizations that went way too far towards fear-mongering. I understand the fears of privacy being compromised on the internet, and sympathize, since I share those same fears. But going too far with one's fears, to the point that it become irrational and relies on wild claims with no basis in truth, goes to the other extreme, and will prove counterproductive. Then, people will understand less, once these wild claims are proven false, because no one will know for sure just what to believe anymore. I almost wonder if some of these claims did not originate with those who stand to benefit from the internet's invasion of our collective, and individual, privacy?
Here is the Snopes piece that explains the mixture of truths and falsehoods in the previous article, and similar such articles, regarding Facebook and your privacy:
http://www.snopes.com/computer/facebook/messenger.asp
Friday, August 8, 2014
Who Is Closer to the Real Teachings of Jesus? Compare and Contrast
Hey, you don't even really have to actually click on the links and look extensively. Just look at the titles for each, and you definitely get the idea.
Both of these men are considered "Christian" leaders.
Yet, they have very different viewpoints from one another. In fact, you might be able to say that they are polar opposites!
In one case, a so-called Christian leader is essentially displaying his outright disgust with poor people, and essentially claiming that they can exercise their right to die.
In the other case, perhaps the most inspirational Pope that we have seen is saying the exact opposite, and is urging people to try and place their own selfish desires aside, in order to be better Christians.
Now, I know that one is a protestant, of some sect or another, and the other is the Catholic Pope in Rome. And yes, I am aware that they hold different sets of beliefs. Also, let me say this outright: I certainly am not as well versed in the Bible as either of these men are apt to be.
But I have read some parts of the Bible. Enough to know that a large part of the Jesus's teachings had to do with treating people as you would like to be treated yourself, and embracing and providing for the poor, like they are part of your family (which they are, as part of the human family).
I am not the most religious man in the world. As many people would say these days, I'm spiritual, but not religious.
Still, I admire this Pope. In fact, I have posted quite a few blog entries to the same effect. He seems to embody the best ideals and principles that Christianity has to offer, and he does so whether it is the politically practical thing for the Vatican or not (it usually is not).
But that other figure - Pastor John Hagee of Cornerstone Church (it's in Texas) is the embodiment of just how far some religions, and their followers and, unfortunately, their leaders, have strayed from the original message. I don't think this is unique to Christianity, because hatred seems to be rampant in Christianity, as well as Islam and Judaism.
Again, I am far from an expert on religion, but that does not mean that I am blind to what it is designed to do. Religion is supposed to help you in your efforts to be a better person.
Yet, far too often, it has been misused to justify people's personal prejudices and, yes, even hatreds. Pastor John Hagee seems like a perfect example of that, talking about the poor with such disgust and contempt, that it almost borders on hate speech.
And I know enough to know that if that is what passes for religion these days, I want absolutely nothing to do with it.
On the other hand, these is Pope Francis, who has been like a breath of fresh air for the Catholic Church. He seems to be reminding Christians of what the true original tenets of Christianity actually were, and what they require of us: namely, an effort to actually keep other people in mind, and be a better person.
Like with everything else, there are some aspects that are appealing and purer, and there are aspects that are rotten to the core. Both men here would surely consider themselves religious leaders. Yet, one man preaches hatred, and the words of his Holy Book are used to promote his hatred (sorry, but I'm calling a spade a spade here). The other man preaches love, and has studied a very similar Holy Book to the previous man. Both call themselves Christian, yet each teaches a very different kind of a faith!
Using many of the same names and doctrines, they both have a vision of this world, and what is wrong with this world, that they want to use their faith to fix.
But how different the approach!
And I still admittedly wonder sometimes which one truly represents what religion has come to mean in our world in this day and age!
Conservative ‘Christian’ Pastor Calls Unemployed People ‘Nasty’ Says They Should Be Allowed To Starve (VIDEO) by Stephen D. Foster, August 6, 2014:
http://www.addictinginfo.org/2014/08/06/conservative-christian-pastor-calls-unemployed-people-nasty-says-they-should-be-allowed-to-starve-video/
Pope Francis: 'Put The Needs Of The Poor Ahead Of Our Own' by Yasmine Hafiz of The Huffington Post, August 6, 2014:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/08/06/pope-francis-poor_n_5654732.html
Both of these men are considered "Christian" leaders.
Yet, they have very different viewpoints from one another. In fact, you might be able to say that they are polar opposites!
In one case, a so-called Christian leader is essentially displaying his outright disgust with poor people, and essentially claiming that they can exercise their right to die.
In the other case, perhaps the most inspirational Pope that we have seen is saying the exact opposite, and is urging people to try and place their own selfish desires aside, in order to be better Christians.
Now, I know that one is a protestant, of some sect or another, and the other is the Catholic Pope in Rome. And yes, I am aware that they hold different sets of beliefs. Also, let me say this outright: I certainly am not as well versed in the Bible as either of these men are apt to be.
But I have read some parts of the Bible. Enough to know that a large part of the Jesus's teachings had to do with treating people as you would like to be treated yourself, and embracing and providing for the poor, like they are part of your family (which they are, as part of the human family).
I am not the most religious man in the world. As many people would say these days, I'm spiritual, but not religious.
Still, I admire this Pope. In fact, I have posted quite a few blog entries to the same effect. He seems to embody the best ideals and principles that Christianity has to offer, and he does so whether it is the politically practical thing for the Vatican or not (it usually is not).
But that other figure - Pastor John Hagee of Cornerstone Church (it's in Texas) is the embodiment of just how far some religions, and their followers and, unfortunately, their leaders, have strayed from the original message. I don't think this is unique to Christianity, because hatred seems to be rampant in Christianity, as well as Islam and Judaism.
Again, I am far from an expert on religion, but that does not mean that I am blind to what it is designed to do. Religion is supposed to help you in your efforts to be a better person.
Yet, far too often, it has been misused to justify people's personal prejudices and, yes, even hatreds. Pastor John Hagee seems like a perfect example of that, talking about the poor with such disgust and contempt, that it almost borders on hate speech.
And I know enough to know that if that is what passes for religion these days, I want absolutely nothing to do with it.
On the other hand, these is Pope Francis, who has been like a breath of fresh air for the Catholic Church. He seems to be reminding Christians of what the true original tenets of Christianity actually were, and what they require of us: namely, an effort to actually keep other people in mind, and be a better person.
Like with everything else, there are some aspects that are appealing and purer, and there are aspects that are rotten to the core. Both men here would surely consider themselves religious leaders. Yet, one man preaches hatred, and the words of his Holy Book are used to promote his hatred (sorry, but I'm calling a spade a spade here). The other man preaches love, and has studied a very similar Holy Book to the previous man. Both call themselves Christian, yet each teaches a very different kind of a faith!
Using many of the same names and doctrines, they both have a vision of this world, and what is wrong with this world, that they want to use their faith to fix.
But how different the approach!
And I still admittedly wonder sometimes which one truly represents what religion has come to mean in our world in this day and age!
Conservative ‘Christian’ Pastor Calls Unemployed People ‘Nasty’ Says They Should Be Allowed To Starve (VIDEO) by Stephen D. Foster, August 6, 2014:
http://www.addictinginfo.org/2014/08/06/conservative-christian-pastor-calls-unemployed-people-nasty-says-they-should-be-allowed-to-starve-video/
Pope Francis: 'Put The Needs Of The Poor Ahead Of Our Own' by Yasmine Hafiz of The Huffington Post, August 6, 2014:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/08/06/pope-francis-poor_n_5654732.html
On This Day in History - August 8 Nixon Resigns
Once again, it should be reiterated, that this does not pretend to be a very extensive history of what happened on this day (nor is it the most original - the links can be found down below). If you know something that I am missing, by all means, shoot me an email or leave a comment, and let me know!
Aug 8, 1974: Nixon resigns
In an evening televised address, President Richard M. Nixon announces his intention to become the first president in American history to resign. With impeachment proceedings underway against him for his involvement in the Watergate affair, Nixon was finally bowing to pressure from the public and Congress to leave the White House. "By taking this action," he said in a solemn address from the Oval Office, "I hope that I will have hastened the start of the process of healing which is so desperately needed in America."
Just before noon the next day, Nixon officially ended his term as the 37th president of the United States. Before departing with his family in a helicopter from the White House lawn, he smiled farewell and enigmatically raised his arms in a victory or peace salute. The helicopter door was then closed, and the Nixon family began their journey home to San Clemente, California. Minutes later, Vice President Gerald R. Ford was sworn in as the 38th president of the United States in the East Room of the White House. After taking the oath of office, President Ford spoke to the nation in a television address, declaring, "My fellow Americans, our long national nightmare is over." He later pardoned Nixon for any crimes he may have committed while in office, explaining that he wanted to end the national divisions created by the Watergate scandal.
On June 17, 1972, five men, including a salaried security coordinator for President Nixon's reelection committee, were arrested for breaking into and illegally wiretapping the Democratic National Committee headquarters in the Washington, D.C., Watergate complex. Soon after, two other former White House aides were implicated in the break-in, but the Nixon administration denied any involvement. Later that year, reporters Carl Bernstein and Bob Woodward of The Washington Post discovered a higher-echelon conspiracy surrounding the incident, and a political scandal of unprecedented magnitude erupted.
In May 1973, the Senate Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities, headed by Senator Sam Ervin of North Carolina, began televised proceedings on the rapidly escalating Watergate affair. One week later, Harvard law professor Archibald Cox was sworn in as special Watergate prosecutor. During the Senate hearings, former White House legal counsel John Dean testified that the Watergate break-in had been approved by former Attorney General John Mitchell with the knowledge of White House advisers John Ehrlichman and H.R. Haldeman, and that President Nixon had been aware of the cover-up. Meanwhile, Watergate prosecutor Cox and his staff began to uncover widespread evidence of political espionage by the Nixon reelection committee, illegal wiretapping of thousands of citizens by the administration, and contributions to the Republican Party in return for political favors.
In July, the existence of what were to be called the Watergate tapes--official recordings of White House conversations between Nixon and his staff--was revealed during the Senate hearings. Cox subpoenaed these tapes, and after three months of delay President Nixon agreed to send summaries of the recordings. Cox rejected the summaries, and Nixon fired him. His successor as special prosecutor, Leon Jaworski, leveled indictments against several high-ranking administration officials, including Mitchell and Dean, who were duly convicted.
Public confidence in the president rapidly waned, and by the end of July 1974 the House Judiciary Committee had adopted three articles of impeachment against President Nixon: obstruction of justice, abuse of presidential powers, and hindrance of the impeachment process. On July 30, under coercion from the Supreme Court, Nixon finally released the Watergate tapes. On August 5, transcripts of the recordings were released, including a segment in which the president was heard instructing Haldeman to order the FBI to halt the Watergate investigation. Three days later, Nixon announced his resignation.
Today marks teh anniversary of Nixon resigning the presidency. That was the most memorable event in recent memory, a couple of months before I was born. The insurrection of Lyon took place on this date, during the days of the French Revolution.
Here's a more detailed look at events that transpired on this date throughout history:
70 - Tower of Antonia destroyed by Romans
870 - Kings Charles the Bare & Louis the German divide Lutherans
936 - German king Otto I the Great, crowned
1220 - Sweden is defeated by Estonian tribes in the Battle of Lihula.
1322 - Emperor Godaigo, makes Sojiji monastery. chief monastery of Soto Sect
1509 - The Emperor Krishnadeva Raya is crowned, marking the beginning of the regeneration of the Vijayanagara Empire.
1549 - France declares war on England
1567 - Duke of Alva's army enters Brussels Belgium
1570 - Peace of Saint-Germain-and-Laye, more freedom for huguenots
1579 - Cornerstone is laid for Tycho Brahe's Uraniborg observatory
1585 - Pope Sixtus excommunicates Hendrik van Navarra (Henri IV)
1585 - John Davis enters Cumberland Sound in search of the Northwest Passage.
1588 - Sea battle at Grevelingen: English fleet battles Spanish armada
1605 - The city of Oulu, Finland, is founded by Charles IX of Sweden.
1609 - Venetian senate examines Galileo Galilei's telescope
1619 - Duke Maximilian I & Emperor Ferdinand II signs Treaty of Munchen
1647 - The Irish Confederate Wars and Wars of the Three Kingdoms: Battle of Dungans Hill - English Parliamentary forces defeat Irish forces.
1673 - Dutch battle fleet of 23 ships demands surrender of NYC
1700 - Denmark & Sweden sign peace treaty
Astronomer & Physicist Galileo GalileiAstronomer & Physicist Galileo Galilei 1709 - 1st known ascent in hot-air balloon, Bartolomeu de Gusmao (indoors)
1758 - British troops occupy & plunder Cherbourg
1786 - Congress adopts silver dollar & decimal system of money
1786 - Jacques Balmat & Michel Paccard are 1st to climb to top of Mont Blanc
1788 - King Louis XVI calls French States & Generals together
1793 - The insurrection of Lyon occurs during the French Revolution.
1794 - Joseph Whidbey and George Vancouver lead an expedition to search for the Northwest Passage near Juneau, Alaska.
1796 - Boston African Society establishes with 44 members
1809 - 70 disciples of Gaon of Vilnus, arrive in Israel (Palestine)
1814 - Peace negotiations begin in Ghent, Belgium
1815 - Napoleon Bonaparte set sail for exile on St Helena
1816 - Bavarian joins Saint Alliance
1829 - French government of De Polignac forms
1831 - Battle of Hasselt - Dutch army drives out Belgian Army
1839 - Beta Theta Pi is founded in Oxford, Ohio.
French Emperor Napoleon BonaparteFrench Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte 1843 - Natal (in South Africa) is made a British colony
1844 - Brigham Young chosen Mormon Church head following Joseph Smith death
1853 - Russian fleet appears at Nagasaki Japan
1854 - Smith & Wesson patents metal bullet cartridges
1860 - Queen of Sandwich Islands (Hawaii) arrives in NYC
1863 - American Civil War: Tennessee's "military" Governor Andrew Johnson frees his personal slaves. During the early 20th century, the day was celebrated by blacks in Tennessee as a holiday.
1864 - Comet C/1864 N1 (Tempel) approaches within 0.0964 AUs of Earth
1864 - Red Cross forms in Geneva
1864 - Union troops/fleet occupy Fort Gaines, Alabama
1868 - Quake destroyes Arica Chile
1870 - Magic (US) defeats Cambria (England) in 2nd running of America's Cup
1870 - The Republic of Ploieşti, a failed Radical-Liberal rising against Domnitor Carol of Romania.
1876 - Dan O'Leacy completes 500 mile walk in 139h32m
1876 - Thomas Edison patents mimeograph
1882 - Snow falls on Lake Michigan
Inventor Thomas EdisonInventor Thomas Edison 1900 - 1st Davis Cup tennis competition, named after Dwight Filley Davis, began at Longwood Cricket Club in Mass, & won by US 2 days later
1902 - 2nd Davis Cup: USA beats British Isles in New York (3-2)
1903 - 3rd Davis Cup: British Isles beats USA in Boston (4-1)
1903 - In 11th an old black ball is put into play against Cleve, Tigers' Nap Lajoie protests ignored, he hurls ball out of park & forfeits game
1910 - The US Army installs the first tricycle landing gear on the Army's Wright Flyer.
1911 - The millionth patent is filed in the United States Patent Office by Francis Holton for a tubeless vehicle tire.
1911 - Public Law 62-5 sets the number of representatives in the United States House of Representatives at 435. The law would come into effect in 1913.
1913 - Richard Corfields "Camel Corps" opens "Mad Mullah" in Burao Somalia
1914 - 3rd pole expedition Ernest Shackleton "Endurance"
1914 - French troops under Gen Bonneau occupy Mulhouse at Elzas
1914 - Montenegro declares war on Germany
1916 - A's set AL record with 19th consecutive loss on road
1918 - Canada/Australian/British breakthrough with 600 tanks at Amiens
1918 - 6 US soldiers are surrounded by Germans in France, Alvin York is given command & shoots 20 Germans & captures 132 more
1919 - Treaty of Rawalpindi, British recognize Afghanistan's independence
1920 - Tigers beat Yanks 1-0 in shortest AL game, 73 minutes
1922 - Italian general strike broken by fascist terror
1922 - Pirates set record of 46 hits in a doubleheader (against Phillies)
1924 - British-Russian trade agreement signed
1925 - 1st national march of Ku Klux Klan (200,000) in Washington, DC
1929 - 1st airship flight around Earth flying eastward begins
1929 - German airship Graf Zeppelin begins a round-the-world flight
1929 - Salem Oregon airport dedicated
1930 - St Louis Cards are 12 games back in NL, & go on to win pennant
1931 - Wash Senator Bob Burke no-hits Boston Red Sox, 5-0
1937 - Bonneville Dam on Columbia River begins producing power
1940 - 31 German aircrafts shot down over England
1940 - Battle of Britain began as Germany launches air attacks
1940 - The "Aufbau Ost" directive is signed by Wilhelm Keitel.
1941 - 20 divisions of Russian 6th/12th Army surrender at Oeman
1942 - "Monty" appointed commandant of British 8th Army at Alamein
1942 - 6 convicted Nazi saboteurs who landed in US executed in Wash DC
1942 - Dianthus sinks U-379
1942 - Russ anti-offensive of Voronezh under marshal Timosjenko
1943 - Common Chiefs of staff meet in Quebec
1943 - US amphibians land at St Agata on North coast of Sicily
1943 - Vegetables & fruit rationed in Holland
1944 - Canada/Polish troops occupy Cramesnil/Secqueville/Cintheaux/St-Aignan
1944 - US 15th Army corp occupies Le Mans
1945 - England & Aust Services draw 4th Victory Test
1945 - Pres Harry S Truman signs UN Charter
1945 - US, USSR, England & France sign Treaty of London
1945 - USSR declares war against Japan in WW II
1945 - USSR establishes a communist government in North Korea
1946 - India agrees to give Bhutan 32 sq miles
1946 - Dreyfuss family, owners of Pittsburgh Pirates since 1900, sells club to Frank McKinney & John Galbreath for $25 million
1946 - First flight of the Convair B-36.
1947 - Pakistan's National Flag is approved.
1948 - "Hold It!" opens at National Theater NYC for 46 performances
1949 - Bhutan, land of Dragon, becomes an independent monarchy
1950 - Florence Chadwick swims English Channel (13:23)
1950 - Babe Didrikson-Zaharias wins LPGA All-American Golf Open
1952 - Syngman Ree re-elected president of South-Korea
1953 - Russia's Georgi Malenkov reports possession of hydrogen bomb
1953 - US & South Korea initial a mutual security pact
1955 - Fidel Castro forms "July 26th Movement"
1955 - Geneva conference held to discuss peaceful uses of atomic energy
1956 - Fire & explosion kill 263 miners at Marcinelle, Belgium
1956 - WDIQ (now KMCT) TV channel 2 in Dozier, AL (PBS) begins
1957 - USSR offers Syria economic/military aid
1960 - "Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polkadot Bikini" hits #1
1960 - Ivory Coast declares independence
1960 - South Kasai secedes from the Congo.
1961 - Ham Tigercats (CFL) beat Buff Bills (NFL) 38-21 in Hamilton, Ontario
1961 - Verne Gagne beats Gene Kiniski in Minneapolis, to become NWA champ
1963 - Great Train Robbery in England, £2.6 million ($7.3 million)
1963 - Kingsmen release "Louie, Louie," radio stations label it obscene
1963 - LA Dodgers F Howard & B Skowron are 3rd to hit consecutive pinch HRs
1963 - Verne Gagne beats Fritz Von Erich in Amarillo, to become NWA champ
1964 - "110 in the Shade" closes at Broadhurst Theater NYC after 330 perfs
Dictator Fidel CastroDictator Fidel Castro 1964 - Dutch Opera forms in Amsterdam
1964 - Rolling Stones 1st Dutch concert
1965 - Marlene Hagge wins LPGA Milwaukee Golf Open
1965 - Singapore leaves Malaysian Federation
1966 - South Arican Broadcasting bans Beatles (Lennon's anti-Jesus remark)
1967 - Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore & Thailand meet to form Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN)
1968 - Jarry Park is approved by Mayor Jean Drapeau for interim use by Expos
1968 - Race riot in Miami Florida
1968 - Republican convention in Miami Beach nominates Nixon for pres
1969 - The Beatles decided on the album cover for their newest ferng, "Abbey Road", the last album that the band ever got together for. The now iconic album cover featured the lads crossing Abbey Road on a zebra stripe crossing, with a view of the street in the background. It was the first album cover by the Beatles that did not feature either the group or album name.
1970 - NY Yankees honor Casey Stengel, retiring his number 37 (BTG was there)
1971 - France performs nuclear test at Muruora Island
1971 - Jane Blalock wins LPGA Lady Pepsi Golf Open
1972 - NY Yanks sign 30-year lease to play in remodeled Yankee Stadium
1973 - VP Spiro T Agnew says reports he took kickbacks are "damned lies" from government contracts in Maryland. He vowed not to resign (Right!)
1974 - Pres Richard M Nixon announces he'll resign his office 12PM Aug 9
1976 - Chicago White Sox suit up in shorts
1977 - Maurine Stuart, ordained as Zen priest by Eido Tai Shimano Roshi
1977 - Texas Rangers turn their 1st triple play (vs A's)
1978 - Pioneer-Venus 2 with 5 atmospheric probes launched toward Venus
Iraqi President Saddam HusseinIraqi President Saddam Hussein 1979 - Iraqi president Saddam Hussein executes 22 political opponents
1980 - LBV Conference Center & Club Lake Villas open
1982 - 64th PGA Championship: Ray Floyd shoots a 272 at Southern Hills Tulsa
1982 - Sandra Palmer wins LPGA Boston Five Golf Classic
1983 - Brig Gen Efrain Rios Montt was deposed as president of Guatemela
1983 - Jury in KC, Mo, awards TV anchorwoman Christine Craft $500,000 in sex discrimination suit against KMBC-TV (later overturned)
1983 - Military coup in Guatemala, Pres Rios Montt flees
1984 - "Rink" closes at Martin Beck Theater NYC after 204 performances
1984 - Carl Lewis wins 3rd (200m) of 4 gold medals in Summer
1984 - Milwaukee 10-game losing streak ends
1985 - Baseball's new agreement permits 2 new NL teams in 1993
1985 - Japan launches Planet A, a probe to Halley's comet
1986 - Record 3 grandslams in a game-(Harrah-Tex, Sheets & Dwyer-Orioles)
1986 - Altaf Hussain's address at Nishtar Park Karachi, announcing the establishment of the MQM political movement.
1987 - Brewers' Rob Deer struck-out 5 times in a game
Olympic Sprinter and Long jumper Carl LewisOlympic Sprinter and Long jumper Carl Lewis 1987 - Lynne Cox became 1st to swim from US to Russia across Bering Strait
1987 - Pakistan all out 708 v England at The Oval, Botham 3-217
1988 - -11] Army in Rangoon shoots on students, 5-10,000 killed
1988 - 9th US Seniors Golf Open: Gary Player
1988 - Angola, Cuba & South Africa sign cease fire treaty
1988 - Discovery of most distant galaxy (15 * 10 ^ 12 light yrs) announced
1988 - Duchess of York gives birth to 6 lb 12 oz baby girl
1988 - Goose Gossage registers career save #300
1988 - Jennifer Levin's parents file $25M suit against Dorrian Red Hand Bar
1988 - Jose Canseco becomes 11th to get 30 HRs & 30 steals in a season
1988 - Matt Biondi swims US record 200m freestyle (1:47.72)
1988 - Minnesota Twins pull 2nd triple-play of year & beat Cleve 6-2
1988 - Renovated Central Park Zoo reopens after 4 years
1988 - Russian troops begin pull out of Afghanistan after 9 year war
1988 - Sec of State Shultz narrowly escapes assassin attempt in Bolivia
1988 - South Africa declares cease-fire in Angola
1988 - Temperature hits high of 88 on 8/8/88 in NYC
1988 - Cubs & Phillies attempt to play 1st night game ever at Wrigley Field but are rained out in 4th inning with Chicago leading, 3-1
1988 - The "8888 Uprising" occurs in Burma.
1989 - US space shuttle STS-28 launched
1990 - Balt Orioles pull their 10th triple play (1-6-3 vs Oakland)
1990 - Carlton Fisk ties Johnny Bench hitting 327 HRs as a catcher
1990 - Iraq annexes Kuwait as its 19th province
1990 - Pete Rose begins 5-ms prison term at Marion (IL) Federal prison camp
1991 - Billy Preston charged with exhibiting porno to a minor
1991 - Carlos Santana pleads no contest to marijuana possession charge
1991 - Gary Oldman, actor (State of Grace), arrested for drunk driving
1991 - Shite Moslems release British hostage John McCarthy
1991 - With two months left, White Sox set new home attendance (2,150,951)
1991 - The Warsaw radio mast, at one time the tallest construction ever built, collapses.
1992 - Lou Whitaker hits his 200th career HR
1993 - Dana Lofland wins McCall's LPGA Golf Classic Dormann at Stratton Mt
1993 - Tropical storm Bret ravages Venezuela, about 100 killed
1995 - Jeff King of Pirates is 16th NL player to HR twice in one inning
1997 - Mariners Randy Johnson strikes out 19 Chicago White Sox
2000 - Confederate submarine H.L. Hunley is raised to the surface after 136 years on the ocean floor.
2007 - An EF2 tornado touches down in Kings County and Richmond County, New York State, the most powerful tornado in New York to date and the first in Brooklyn since 1889.
2008 - Georgian invasion into South Ossetia. Begin of five-day war between Georgia and Russia.
2012 - China announces that it plans to close 23 rare earth mines and up to 50 smelting companies
2012 - 16 people are killed from flooding from heavy rain in Manilla, Philippines
1356 - Edward "the Black Prince" began a raid north from Aquitaine. 1588 - The Spanish Armada was defeated by the English fleet ending an invasion attempt. 1815 - Napoleon Bonaparte set sail for St. Helena, in the South Atlantic. The remainder of his life was spent there in exile. 1844 - After the killing of Joseph Smith, Bringham Young was chosen to lead the Mormons. 1876 - Thomas Edison received a patent for the mimeograph. The mimeograph was a "method of preparing autographic stencils for printing." 1899 - The refrigerator was patented by A.T. Marshall. 1900 - In Boston, the first Davis Cup series began. The U.S. team defeated Great Britain three matches to zero. 1911 - The number of representatives in the U.S. House of Representatives was established at 435. There was one member of Congress for every 211,877 residents. 1940 - The German Luftwaffe began a series of daylight air raids on Great Britain. 1945 - The United Nations Charter was signed by U.S. President Truman. 1945 - During World War II, the Soviet Union declared war on Japan. 1950 - Whataburger opened its restaurant in Corpus Christi, TX. 1953 - The U.S. and South Korea initiated a mutual security pact. 1956 - Japan launched an oil tanker that was 780 feet long and weighed 84,730 tons. It was the largest oil tanker in the world. 1966 - Michael DeBakey became the first surgeon to install an artificial heart pump in a patient. 1974 - U.S. President Nixon announced that he would resign the following day. 1978 - The U.S. launched Pioneer Venus II, which carried scientific probes to study the atmosphere of Venus. 1988 - It was announced that a cease-fire between Iraq and Iran had begun. 1989 - The space shuttle Columbia took off from Cape Canaveral, FL. The trip was said to be a secret five-day military mission. 1990 - American forces began positioning in Saudia Arabia. 1991 - John McCarthy, a British TV producer was released by his Lebanese kidnappers. He had been held captive for more than five years. A rival group abducted Jerome Leyraud in retaliation and threatened to kill him if any more hostages were released. 1991 - The U.N. Security Council approved North and South Korea for membership. 1992 - The "Dream Team" clinched the gold medal at the Barcelona Summer Olympics. The U.S. basketball team beat Croatia 117-85. 1994 - The first road link between Israel and Jordan opened. 1994 - Representatives from China and Taiwan signed a cooperation agreement. 1995 - Saddam Hussein's two eldest daughters, their husbands, and several senior army officers defected. 1999 - Wade Boggs got his 3,000th hit of his major league baseball career. 2000 - The submarine H.L. Hunley was raised from ocean bottom after 136 years. The sub had been lost during an attack on the U.S.S. Housatonic in 1864. The Hunley was the first submarine in history to sink a warship.
1588 English forces attacked the Spanish Armada, permanently crippling Spain's "invincible" fleet. 1786 Dr. Michael-Gabriel Paccard and Jacques Balmat became the first to climb Mont Blanc. 1876 Thomas Edison patented the mimeograph machine. 1900 The first Davis Cup tennis tournament began at the Longwood Cricket Club in Brookline, Massachusetts. 1963 In "The Great Train Robbery," some 15 thieves robbed the Glasgow-to-London mail train, making off with more than $6 million in cash. 1969 Sharon Tate, wife of director Roman Polanski, and four others were murdered by members of Charles Manson's "family." 1974 President Nixon announced he would resign the following day as a result of the Watergate scandal. 2008 The Summer Olympic Games opened in Beijing, China.
The following links are to web sites that were used to complete this blog entry:
Thursday, August 7, 2014
America Finally "Fed Up" - Too Little, Too Late?
Just look at the title for this story. America is fed up!
Funny, but we had another president in the White House a few years ago with even more significantly lower approval ratings, and yet those poll numbers just kind of came and went, without news stories like this alleging that Americans were "fed up".
We should have been, because many of the problems that we are still facing today came from those times. And many of those problems were a direct cause of that president and his administration's policies. Specifically, it was getting us involved in two wars simultaneously, running up the national debt while providing huge tax breaks for the very wealthiest and most fortunate among us, including corporations. In such a climate, it was not surprising that corruption ran rampant, and this was a major reason for the economic collapse of 2008 during that previous president's administration.
Only now, Americans are noticing, according to stories such as this one. Stories such as this one come out pretty regularly.
Here's my question: why were they not paying attention when the problems were actually being created, and there might have been time to do something about it?
In 2001, when that other president took over, there was a $230 billion surplus!
Eight years later, when that other president finally left office, he left behind a $1.3 trillion deficit! And let's not remember just how big of a mess he left for us, as well. Banks that we were told were too big to fail has pretty much bankrupted the country! Yet, they continued the very same policies that got us into trouble to begin with, even while o many people had to adjust to a grim new reality, without homes, and without their old jobs.
Only now are people getting fed up, with the current president in power, one that, for all of my criticisms of him, tried (but did not succeed) in fixing the enormous problems that faced the country?
The underlying message is that America has it's itchy finger on the trigger, ready to get rid of those in power, which presumably means that in 2016, we will probably elect a sad parody of that irresponsible president that got us into all of that trouble to begin with!
And then, they will blame the next president for those problems, surely!
It's enough to make you want to scream, "Wake the hell up, people!!"
America's Fed Up: Obama Approval Rating Hits All-Time Low, Poll Shows by Mark Murray of NBC News:
http://www.nbcnews.com/politics/first-read/americas-fed-obama-approval-rating-hits-all-time-low-poll-n173271
Funny, but we had another president in the White House a few years ago with even more significantly lower approval ratings, and yet those poll numbers just kind of came and went, without news stories like this alleging that Americans were "fed up".
We should have been, because many of the problems that we are still facing today came from those times. And many of those problems were a direct cause of that president and his administration's policies. Specifically, it was getting us involved in two wars simultaneously, running up the national debt while providing huge tax breaks for the very wealthiest and most fortunate among us, including corporations. In such a climate, it was not surprising that corruption ran rampant, and this was a major reason for the economic collapse of 2008 during that previous president's administration.
Only now, Americans are noticing, according to stories such as this one. Stories such as this one come out pretty regularly.
Here's my question: why were they not paying attention when the problems were actually being created, and there might have been time to do something about it?
In 2001, when that other president took over, there was a $230 billion surplus!
Eight years later, when that other president finally left office, he left behind a $1.3 trillion deficit! And let's not remember just how big of a mess he left for us, as well. Banks that we were told were too big to fail has pretty much bankrupted the country! Yet, they continued the very same policies that got us into trouble to begin with, even while o many people had to adjust to a grim new reality, without homes, and without their old jobs.
Only now are people getting fed up, with the current president in power, one that, for all of my criticisms of him, tried (but did not succeed) in fixing the enormous problems that faced the country?
The underlying message is that America has it's itchy finger on the trigger, ready to get rid of those in power, which presumably means that in 2016, we will probably elect a sad parody of that irresponsible president that got us into all of that trouble to begin with!
And then, they will blame the next president for those problems, surely!
It's enough to make you want to scream, "Wake the hell up, people!!"
America's Fed Up: Obama Approval Rating Hits All-Time Low, Poll Shows by Mark Murray of NBC News:
http://www.nbcnews.com/politics/first-read/americas-fed-obama-approval-rating-hits-all-time-low-poll-n173271
A Century of Lessons Since World War I
I should have published this several days ago. Almost a week, actually. On the first day of August in 1914, which meant that six days ago was the actual 100th anniversary day of when war broke out in Europe. The war began officially just four days after the assassination of the Archduke.
It was known as the "Great War", but the only thing "great" about it was the level of shock and horror that it brought about. One silver lining, perhaps, was that it also had some lessons to teach us.
But, many people have forgotten it over time. And we all know that saying, about people who do not know their history are condemned to repeat it, right?
It was known as the "Great War", but the only thing "great" about it was the level of shock and horror that it brought about. One silver lining, perhaps, was that it also had some lessons to teach us.
But, many people have forgotten it over time. And we all know that saying, about people who do not know their history are condemned to repeat it, right?
Yes, it has been fully one hundred years since the war that was supposed to "end all wars" shocked western civilization to it's core. The warring European nations (and all of western civilization, really), having largely benefited from a fairly peaceful and progressive nineteenth century that ushered in many changes on many fronts that, by and large, proved demonstrably beneficial to humankind, had believed themselves to have reached a level of civility where war was almost unnecessary, although everyone saw this huge conflict coming.
This was supposed to be the final conflict that would, once and for all, decide the fate of the world, and who would be the dominant power in that world, and particularly Europe.
It goes without saying that each side very much expected not only to win the war, but to do so decisively, quickly, and relatively easily. This was an era, remember, when men could still dream of performing heroic acts that helped their country tremendously towards winning glory on the battlefield and, ultimately, helping it to win the war.
So confident was each side that there were spontaneous celebrations that broke out in major cities in each country. There is an infamous picture of the one in Germany in which none other than Adolf Hitler is pictured smiling, who viewed this as a chance to finally be provided with his opportunity to do something for his country that really would stand out.
Nor was he alone in this thinking. The Germans expected clear cut victory, and expected it to happen quite quickly, as well. So did the French, British, and Russians, who were fighting against them. This was a conflict that, again, everyone knew was coming. There had reached a point of tensions where it would take relatively little to push the powers finally into war. No matter what side they were on, everyone expected the war to be fought, and won, well before Christmas of 1914.
There had been signs that maybe this war would not be so quick, glorious, and relatively painless, as it universally, and unrealistically, was expected to be. The war between the states on the other side of the ocean is considered by some to have been the first modern war, if you will. It was the first time that modern weaponry truly had been used, and it had been a very bloody conflict, with heavy casualties, and with more of a stalemate feel to it than many had expected. It was this gridlock that many of the European generals and leaders dismissed as the product of poor generals and an incompetent approach to war. It goes without saying that the European general and leaders all expected themselves to be far more competent and decisive in bringing ultimate victory to their side.
Of course, we all know that this did not happen.
Events happened quickly after the Archduke Ferdinand was assassinated, and Germany gave the nod to the Austro-Hungarian Empire to go ahead and avenge their loss. It did not take long for the war to begin.
Before long, however, both sides had dug deep trenches on eastern France, on the war front. And that meant that each side dug themselves in deep, mostly in defensive positions. The land separating the warring sides was known as "no man's land". Each side shelled the other relentlessly, and occasionally, each side mounted campaigns to break the deadlock, and to try and gain better positioning. Many of these campaigns were pointless, to try and win a small patch of land often not much bigger than several football fields. Yet, thousands of men were sacrificed for many of these campaigns.
Despite jubilant hopes and dreams of quick, efficient, and decisive victory that each side expected, the war became very much a stalemate. Far from a quick war, the war just dragged on and on and on. Worse yet, it did not take too long for the level of brutality and barbarity to escalate. In fact, while each country had expected the war to be quick, and for themselves to be victorious and to reap the spoils of victory, the only thing about this war that actually was quick and decisive was the level of brutality.
Of course, we all know about chemical warfare being used, and not just by the Germans. Indeed, this was a very different kind of war.
And remember, technology had improved, and it would play a factor in this war. But even this served to further erode any notions of humanity having reached some grandiose dreams of great civility. Medicine had advanced to such a point that medics were able to save the lives of many of the soldiers that had sustained very serious injuries during this war - injuries and conditions that would have proved fatal not long before.
But here's the thing: the means were still quite crude, and soldiers that were saved often had very visible scars from the war. Men were sent home with artificial arms, artificial legs, artificial jaws. These artificial body parts were not as subtle as they often are today, where you might never actually know that these body parts are fake. There was no disguising the ugly metal parts that were used to artificially reconstruct limbs or other body parts, including if part of a soldier's face was blown off. With injuries the likes of which had never been seen on so many living men before, the modern perceptions of the inevitability of the advance of civilization being automatically employed for the benefit of mankind began to seriously waver. With the conflict already dragging on far longer than almost anyone would have predicted before the war had broken out, seeing many of the returning soldiers coming back home in such a state, broken shells of the men that they had been beforehand, had an obvious impact on the home front. So much so, that we know of it, and know the impact that it had, to this day.
Keep in mind that both sides were aware of this, and both sides continued to try and inflict as much damage as possible on men from the other side. Why? Because a living soldier with serious wounds literally cost far more than a dead soldier, and inflicting such injuries would be very taxing to the other side. In other words, it was thought that the costs, monetarily and psychologically, would ultimately help drag the other side to defeat, and would help, in other words, to win the war. So, men continued to suffer injuries with shelling, with landmines, and with other modern weaponry.
Also, many of the men who fought in the trenches had to deal with the very serious psychological scars from relentless shelling and fighting. The trenches, which themselves were like physical scars on the landscape, had been places where life was far from flourishing. Men spent much of their lives in this barren landscape devoid of any signs of life, often in cold and gray weather, and with gas masks at the ready, that they would have to scramble to put on whenever there were chemical attacks from the other side.
Not surprisingly, this was the war that first saw what we now know as post traumatic stress disorder. It was known then as "shell shock". Broken men came home no longer capable of really anything, and with involuntary memories of the war. For that matter, people who saw this back home could hardly "forget" the war themselves. As these injuries escalated, and more and more men came home in such a broken and helpless state, the toll continued to mount.
Still, the war raged on. Each side was exhausted. Everyone wanted the war to end.
But no one wanted to lose the war, either. Everyone kind of understood the steep price that it would cost them. Everyone knew that the other side would make the losers pay through the nose.
So, the war continued, despite all of the warring nations being exhausted. The war just went on and on and on.
There were some strange, almost inexplicable stories of strange occurrences, as well, such as the famous "Christmas Truce" of 1914. It was an unofficial truce, to be sure. But it was a very real pause in the conflict, with each side singing Christmas songs, and the other side enjoying, and sometimes joining in. In some cases, soldiers from one side would walk over to the other side, bearing gifts in true Christmas spirit. Such humanity, in the face of excessive aggression and barbarity, were so striking, and left such an impression, that we remember these to this day!
Unfortunately, these were the exceptions, and not the norm. World War I was a brutal war of epic proportions, and it jolted Europe, and Western civilization more generally, from it's preconceived, grandiose dreams of being very civilized, to the point of basically being above the base excesses of war. With the bloodiest and ugliest war in history (soon to be replaced both in terms of brutality and numbers by the war that followed it, which is some ways was merely a rematch), few held any illusions of some greater humanity, or that this was truly "the war to end all wars".
Obviously, we know better now. At least that one lesson was learned: that the so-called "Great War" was most certainly not "the war to end all wars". Far from it, in fact.
There was a break in the war when a revolution (helped along by the Germans, in fact) broke out in Russia. Lenin took over, and the first thing that he did was pull Russia out of the war. Russia lost a lot of territory, but at least it could concentrate on other matters, and was no longer losing men and money in the war.
It seemed that this could help tilt the war in favor of the Germans. But not long after this, the United States entered the war, and the deadlock continued.
That was until revolution broke out in Germany itself. Exhausted and unable to continue on with the draining conflict, Germany was forced to surrender. The war ended officially at the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month of 1918.
A war like no other had ended. The bloodiest conflict that humanity had ever seen had exacted a toll unlike any other event in human history, and this was all man-made! Again, it bears repeating that this shook humanity out of it's belief that it was simply progressing and getting better, and that the excesses and inhumanity of the past were indeed relegated to the past.
Unfortunately, it also seems to have inadvertently given the green light to war pigs since, who have had little qualms in using whatever methods hey deemed necessary to bring the other side to it's knees. Whether we are talking about "blitzkrieg" that devastated much of Europe and earned most of Europe for Germany, or the Holocaust that followed on the heels of Germany's military successes, or the brutal Eastern War between the Soviets and the Germans that would prove to claim the dubious distinction as the bloodiest war in all of history, to the firebombings by the Allied powers that would literally destroy whole cities (and most of the people living in them) overnight, to the final explosions over Hiroshima and Nagasaki that would force Japan to surrender, war was far from over. Since then, we have had the Korean War, the war in Indochina, and the Vietnam War that followed (not the same conflict, or fought for the same reasons), the Algerian War for independence from France, the Six Day War, the Falklands War, the Iran-Iraq War, two wars in the Gulf, several wars in Afghanistan, all involving big powers of western civilization. For that matter, weapons from western powers have been used in almost every war seen outside of those conflicts that they were directly involved in. When we see one conflict after another breaking out in one African country after another, with continuous stories of savagery that can hardly be imagined, of women being raped and having their breasts cut off, of villagers being killed, and of young boys being recruited and made into soldiers for the war effort, we know all too well that it is with weapons from western civilization that these things are made possible.
If World War I did anything, it is that it stripped us of the illusion, an illusion that apparently quite a few subscribed to, that we had reached a level of greatness within our societies that we were finally above the excesses and inhumanity of war. Many had believed that we had progressed so far, with advances politically, technologically, medically, and in almost every other facet suggesting to people back then that the improvements would just keep on coming, almost uninterrupted. Remember, people's lives were changing radically, and the industrial revolution, which itself was not governed by any actual government, was seemingly improving the living conditions of people throughout Western Civilization. So, the belief was real that things were very much improving, and that they would continue to do so. That even the "Great War" would be quick and decisive, and then humanity would continue onward and upwards, ever improving.
World War I stripped us of this illusion. It figuratively brought us crashing back down to reality. It brought us face to face with the harsh reality that the greater the invention, and the greater the technological advances that were seen in our western civilization, the greater the chances that someone, somewhere, is going to employ that wonderful technology in order to do as much harm as humanly possible to others, whatever their motivation might be for so doing.
And that is a lesson that, unfortunately, we have never stopped learning since. That is a lesson that, apparently, our civilizations keeps seeing more and more lessons of ever since the "Great War".
This is the lasting legacy of World War I, the war that was supposed to "end all wars", but obviously did not. And it has been a century of lessons since, beginning with the outbreak of the "Great War", one hundred years ago.
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