Archive for August 18th, 2008

August 18, 2008

Monday, August 18th, 2008
Really Good Quotes "A mind, once expanded by a new idea, never returns to its original dimensions." - Oliver Wendell Holmes
Submit Reader Comment Submit 15 Minutes of Fame Submit Image or Quote Submit to Best of RGQ Submit Tip of the Day Submit Limerick


Greetings, Quotaholics:

Have you been watching the Olympics?

My family hasn’t been in bed before midnight since they started. I just can’t really get into it this time though.

There was a time when I wouldn’t miss it for anything. Back in 1968, when live coverage was still new, I watched everything they broadcast. I was always most interested in the Winter Olympics, but in ‘68 I was glued to both the winter and summer games.

I remember so well watching as Jean-Claude Killy became only the second man to win gold in all three Alpine skiing events. Then in the summer games Mark Spitz won 7 gold medals in swimming.

But in 1980, when the world boycotted the Moscow games, I started to lose interest. I wanted to see amateur sports, without politics.

It’s ironic that there was controversy when Killy won his medals over the commercialism of the games. International Olympic Committee president Avery Brundage, frustrated by the ski industry’s pervasive advertising techniques, singled out the Alpine ski organizations and the skiers themselves, for being too lenient and compromising the concept of "amateur status."

Nowadays nobody even pretends that the games are amateur. The U.S.A basketball team is made up of NBA allstars, the tennis matches featured the same players as Wimbledon, and corporate logos are all over everything. This just doesn’t grab my attention like the amateur games did. I mean, I can watch professional sports any weekend. When the Olympics are held I want something different.

I have watched a few events of course. I watched Michael Phelps win his eighth gold medal. I watched the women’s marathon (I still don’t see how anyone can run that far!). Sunday I watched some of the fencing, cycling and rowing. But I won’t be watching any tennis or basketball.

I know the argument was that other countries allowed paid athletes to participate in the games and this put the U.S. at a disadvantage. That may be true, but I would rather see the U.S. pay amateurs instead of letting professionals participate. The way it stands now some kid who is really good at basketball has no chance of going to the Olympics unless the makes it to the NBA first.

Am I in the minority on this? Has anyone else lost interest in the games since professionals got involved? Do you think it’s right to have professional athletes compete?

And on a different topic, during the coverage of the cycling events I heard one of the commentators, Jim Lampley, remark that the U.K. team had been doing very well in cycling. He made some comment to the effect that the U.K. had done so well in cycling it’s too bad there’s not "snooker, darts, and a dog show" at the Olympics.

My first thought was that this remark would have created a firestorm if it hadn’t used white stereotypes directed at a predominately white team. Imagine the different reaction this comment would have gotten if Lampley had remarked that the U.S. track team would be doing much better if there were events such as drive-by shooting and car theft!

Did anyone else hear this? Does it sound racist to you? Can a comment be racist if it’s not directed at a minority group? Have any of you in the U.K. heard anything about this?

Going for gold,

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Today's Quotes


"Aim towards the Enemy." - Instruction printed on US Rocket Launcher

"When the pin is pulled, Mr. Grenade is not our friend." - U.S. Marine Corps


"Tracers work both ways." - U.S. Army Ordnance
Today's Chuckle

The Diner
[Thanks to Bonnie in Louisiana]

A old man stops by a cafe for breakfast. After paying the tab, he checks his pockets and leaves three pennies for a tip.

As he strides toward the door, his waitress muses, only half to herself, "You know, you can tell a lot about a man by the tip he leaves."

The old man turns around, curiosity getting the better of him. "Oh, really? Tell me, what does my tip say?"

"Well, this penny tells me you’re a thrifty man."

Barely able to conceal his pride, the man utters, "Hmm, true enough."

"And this penny, it tells me you’re a bachelor."

Surprised at her perception, he says, "Well, that’s true, too."

"And the third penny tells me that your father was also a bachelor."
Life Sentences

"Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement. Nothing can be done without hope and confidence." - Helen Keller

"A rock pile ceases to be a rock pile the moment a single man contemplates it, bearing within him the image of a cathedral." - Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, French writer-adventurer (1900-1944)
Image'n That

Ouch
[Thanks to Robert, an American original]

Imp-Revised News

E-Mail the Imp


The movie opens with a scene of a family; Mom and Pop, 12 or 13 year-old daughter (looking more like 20 in a hot skimpy outfit like Mommy), and the 9 or 10 year-old son who constantly harasses his sister. They’re driving at dusk through the desert and their car begins to overheat then the engine quits. They move off the shoulder of the road to a small rise and start a small campfire to fight the encroaching chill of evening. After a few minutes the daughter asks her Dad if the rocks on the desert floor seem to be closer than they were and Dad says it’s just an illusion due to the flickering firelight and the light from the moon. Then as the camera pans to the rocks, we see one move closer….

Yo’ Dude…it does happen! In, or at, or on, (and also around) Racetrack Playa, Death Valley in the South West USA, the real Rolling Stones exist! Actually they’re not rolling; they’re sliding or sailing, according to who is telling the story. I like to say that they’re just moving rocks. There’s a write-up in wikipedia about them that’s as good as any and a set of pictures at funcram that’s better than most.

There are a couple of "plausible" scientific explanations for this movement but no proof of any of them. Over several years there have been attempts to record video of the rocks in motion but no one has actually seen them move or even recorded them moving. All that observers have been able to do is record the length and direction of travel after the fact.

Wow! Living rocks or very hard skinned aliens or gravitational anomalies or, who knows? The rocks don’t move the same distance, or even the same distance allowing for differences in size/shape. They don’t all move at the same time, nor do they all move in the same direction. They’ve recorded rocks next to each other that moved in different directions during the same event, or only one moving. The rocks only move once every two to three years. The only thing that seems consistent is that the movements only appear to occur in the winter.

Observers have discounted the idea of a hoax since the area surrounding the rocks shows no disturbances and the largest rocks (one weighs over a quarter ton) could not be moved by hand.

Cue the theme from the Twilight Zone…the planet is alive!

The Bad Sied 
Most Embarrassing or Scary Moment


Speak Up!
Speak right up!

Patti's Parenthetical Past

On this day in history, August 18, 1920: The US Constitution is lengthened when the 19th Amendment is ratified. The amendment grants the vote to any citizen regardless of sex. It was the culmination of years of struggle. Back in 1755, Corsica was the first to grant women a say in their governance (it was rescinded when France annexed the region in 1769). In 1838, the Pitcairn Islands began the slow march towards equality. Not immediately taken up as a cause célèbre, it was decades before anyone else tried that stunt.

Some areas gave women a say in local government, but not national. Some gave widows or spinsters a vote, but not married women. In 1906, Finland was the first country to permit women to both vote and stand for election regardless of wealth, race, or social position. Slowly, more and more countries began to permit women a vote in some or all elections. Some states, even as early as colonial times , had recognized women as full adults and permitted them a voice in their rule. As more territories became states, women were granted a voice in at least local elections.

After 18 months of protests by the Silent Sentinel, President Woodrow Wilson announced his support of women’s suffrage on January 9, 1918. On January 10, the House of Representatives narrowly passed the amendment but the Senate refused to even debate the issue until October and then it failed to pass. The National Woman’s Party urged voters to oust the anti-suffrage Senators in the upcoming election and they did. On June 4, 1919 the amendment passed both houses (304-89 and 56-25). Illinois was the first to ratify it on June 10. It needed 36 votes to be added to the Constitution and Tennessee was that state, ratifying it on this date.



"The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex.

Congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation." – the Nineteenth Amendment of the US Constitution



"If the gods had intended for people to vote, they would have given us candidates." - Howard Zinn


"The single most impressive fact about the attempt by American women to obtain the right to vote is how long it took." - Alice Rossi
Kids' Weird Words, The Date from Hell, How I Met My Mate
Kirsten's Krazy Kaleidoscope

Email Kirsten

“Somewhere, something incredible is waiting to be known.”
~ Carl Sagan ~

Every now and then a gem arrives in my email inbox. I’m not talking about the regular gems that I always treasure - messages from my Mom, news from friends, photographs of loved ones, funny jokes and pictures. I’m referring to potentially life-changing emails from people I barely know. Emails that open up new worlds of possibility or information. The gem that I received today is all about ACE, or Alternative Cellular Energy.

As you all know, my son George has autism. There is a shroud of mystery surrounding this disorder. No-one knows what causes it or why its prevalence is increasing at such an alarming rate. There are plenty of theories, though. When George was first diagnosed, it seemed as if everywhere I turned, there was someone giving me yet another theory, yet another treatment method, or yet more information that conflicted with everything I had heard thus far. It was all very overwhelming. Now that I have a year of experience as an autism mom, I have figured out how to process and organise all of the information I receive. Instead of sources of confusion, I now regard each new theory as an avenue for information and a possibility to make the world better for my son and kids like him.

A theory currently under exploration - the one that I got the email about - is that autism is caused by viruses that are not recognised by the immune system (stealth-adapted viruses). The good news is that our bodies have a virus-defence system other than the immune system, which protects us from these viruses. The bad news - according to this theory - is that this system does not work as well as it should in people with autism. Think of a battery that is only half-charged. If this system - the Alternative Cellular Energy pathway - is activated, symptoms of autism can be alleviated.

The ACE pathways are jump-started by creating a flourescent reaction by placing special surgical towels on the skin for half an hour at a time. Each treatment is theorised to “last” for a period of about 90 days. The email I received was from someone whose son is part of a research study being conducted in the United States and Canada to explore this. Her son, she says, has started to show significant improvements less than a week after starting the study. There are still spaces open in the study, and I have been invited to register George.

I am excited about this new area of study. It is a concrete theory that makes sense, at least on the surface. And it is more than just a theory about the cause - it actually offers potential treatment methods, and even preventative measures. On the other hand, I cannot help being a bit dubious of something that makes the skin go flourescent. It seems like something straight out of The X-Files. I don’t want to ignore the possibility of being part of something that could help my son, but at the same time, I want to ensure that I don’t inadvertently hurt him. I’m seeking advice from everyone I can think of - my doctor, my chiropractor, professionals who are involved in the care of my son. I am going to call the doctor leading the study to ask him in-depth questions about the study, its safety and risks, any similar studies that have been done - whatever I can think of.

As I embark on this quest for information, I want to reach out to any readers who may have any knowledge of this subject. Whether you are part of the medical profession or not, I would really like to hear from you if you have any perspective on this.

Kaleidoscopically yours,
Kirsten
Tim's Tales

More of the Best of Tim


I had a pretty interesting weekend. I didn’t have much money, so I wasn’t planning on it being as good as it was, but then when walking by an ATM I noticed that the geomagnetic storm from the Sun was causing it to spit out loads of cash. I figured I would hold on to the $845,000 until Monday, but then I passed an "underwater sports car" dealership. There they had a brand spanking new, just invented, sports car for underwater. I *had* to drive it, and just happened to have the money on me, so I took the liberty of "investing" the money I just found in this car.

They call this invention the Gemini, and boy is it sweet. It can hold up to 3 people for as long as 3 days, and has a maximum depth of 150 feet, perfect for that weekend cruise under Lake Erie. Sure, it only has a top speed of about 5 miles per hour, but you’re underwater. It’s not like you’re in a hurry to get anywhere. The best part is that it’s a bright yellow, so you can sing Beatles songs and no one will laugh at you because they can’t hear you.

Another good thing about being underwater is there are no traffic laws. If you want to drive and talk on your cell phone, you can. No one will say anything, basically because no one else is driving underwater. You can stop to look at the sights without having to pull off the road. Want to take a nap? Go ahead, just make sure you engage the parking brake first.

Of course, it’s also good if you like to play pranks. I had a jolly good time getting hooked by fishermen. I would let them reel me in, knowing they thought they had caught their biggest fish ever. The looks on their faces when I surfaced and waved was priceless. They all showed me how much they appreciated my little joke by letting me know I was number one in their book. They seem to have their own little hand gestures, though. Instead of using their index finger like most of us would, they held up their middle finger, but I knew what they meant.

I did run into one little problem, though. Lake Erie has a problem with broken glass on its floor, which, not surprisingly, caused this underwater sports car to suffer a flat tire. That is when I realized the American Automobile Association hasn’t invented underwater tow trucks yet. It looks like the bank will have to wait to get their money back.

Tim a’Musing
Having a Ball with Yarns
Tip of the Day

Tenderize pot roast or stewing meat by using two cups of hot tea as a cooking liquid. - Peggy in Tonawanda, New York
Poet-Tree


My lines must be terrible.  I’m gonna keep trying, though.

Next opening line…
The last time I heard from old Joe…

Hints:  Here’s a great new rhyming/composition tool.  http://www.writerhymes.com/
There’s also a great rhyming dictionary at http://www.rhymezone.com/
Limerick rules.  http://freespace.virgin.net/merrick.sheldon/limerickrules.htm 

Submit Opening Line
Submit Limerick

Finally I have some spare time
To drink some tequila with lime
But I just didn’t ‘thunk
that I’d get so damned drunk
and now I can’t earn nary a dime. - Cassandra in New York		 Finally I have some spare time!
Now, Bruce wants us all to make rhyme.
I thought and I thought,
But I came up with naught.
So, I’ll just drink my Bacardi and Lime! - Bonnie in Louisiana
Finally I have some spare time! …
to think up some words so fine.
lilting a melody
containing some comedy
and a double entendre with rhyme.
Lola :)  		 Finally I have some spare time! …
To savor the peace sublime.
Since the kids flew the nest
Now I could get some rest.
But for the corporate ladder I climb.
Lola

Reader Comments

Re: Curfew

I hope that the folks from the rich neighborhoods will start cruising the curfew neighborhoods to keep the cops busy. That might be the best way to spoil the process of getting people used to a new George the Second who has more power and less accountability than old King George III, the one who got George Washington so upset.

"As a result of the war, corporations have been enthroned and an era of corruption in high places will follow, and the money power of our country will endeavor to prolong its reign by working upon the prejudices of the people until all wealth is aggregated in a few hands and the Republic is destroyed." - Abraham Lincoln

Bob of the North, where Democracy is on the move again! Three Cheers for David Orchard.
[Bob, I’ve got bad news. The quote is misattributed. It was not one of Lincoln’s.]



Re: Maternity Wear

Sure she should put the "bump" back in the window. ( by the bye the Brits do spell it "offence") - Jack in San Antonio



In my copy of the Koran, I can only find one verse even remotely pertaining to the veiling (or whatever) of women and it reads something like this, "Women, cover your ornaments." (from my faulty memory.) As far as I can tell every possible permutation of those words is due to a regional, tribal, personal interpretation. But yes I agree, it has to do with modesty. Just like the sacred garments Mormon wear, only Muslims wear theirs on the outside and Mormons wear theirs underneath. Same difference. Has to do with modesty. - Grammie Sammie
[While I admit that my knowledge is limited, I can’t imagine that every woman wears an abayah or a burka voluntarily. I know there was video on ABC of men beating women for not being completely covered in Afghanistan under the Taliban. While surely some do wear it for their own personal modesty, I’m never going to believe that all do. The rest, whatever percentage that may be, are forced to wear it, and I still believe that it’s the male perspective of finding females erotic that drives it.

As before, I’m open to correction.]



Re: Reader Submission

Rob asked: "Okay, You guys like unanswerable questions — ponder this one and answer me this: Is it alright for an individual or group to press their view in an unrelated situation? Do made up ideas (all ideas/rights are made up by humans — there’s no such thing as an idea, existing free, in nature) trump all civil control?"

Maybe I’m missing his point, but China is hosting the Olympics. China is suppressing Tibetans. The common denominator is "China." What better venue to protest? Now being that it’s China and being aware of their zero-tolerance attitude, one might question the wisdom of the protestors - No matter how I felt about China suppressing Tibet, I’d hesitate to get involved myself, especially if I was in China.

However, I don’t see this as too different from some of our Hollywood movie stars speaking about their favorite "causes" at the Oscars. To me, that doesn’t make a whole lot of sense either.

I suppose protestors are just trying to get their message out to the largest population possible. - Noella



I read in a Women’s World Magazine: "A new tax bill allows homeowners to deduct the cost of Private Mortgage Insurance from their taxes, which could mean savings up to $500. If you pay PMI, make sure you get the deduction." - Margee

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Disclaimer- All quotes printed in this publication are believed to be accurately attributed, but no guarantees are made that some incorrectly attributed, or even outright false quotes won’t get in here from time to time.  I assure readers that I will do my best to weed out incorrect quotes, and will print a retraction as soon as I become aware of any errors.

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