Coffee Klatch

Today is another interesting day in history. Not many birthdays, but interesting events in history.

Birthdays: Robinson Crusoe (1627, according to Daniel Defoe), William Wrigley, Jr. (”the gum guy”) (1861), Deborah Kerr (1921), Truman Capote (1924), Angie Dickinson (1931), Johnny Mathis (1935), Barry Williams (Greg on The Brady Bunch) (1954), Basia (1956), Fran Drescher (1957), Jenna Elfman (1971).

Events:
430 - Death of St. Jerome
1399 - Henry Bolingbroke crowned King of England as Henry IV
1452 - First book printed — The Gutenberg Bible
1630 - First execution in America — J. Billington hanged in Plymouth, MA
1791 - Premiere of Mozart’s Magic Flute in Vienna
1867 - Midway Islands formally declared a U.S. Territory
1868 - Queen Isabella of Spain deposed
1887 - Start of the Sherlock Holmes Adventure “The Five Orange Pips”
1927 - Babe Ruth hits record-setting 60th home run
1929 - First manned “rocket plane” flight (by Fritz von Opel)
1935 - Premiere of Gershwin’s Porgy & Bess in Boston
1935 - Radio Premiere of “The Adventures of Dick Tracy”
1947 - World Series televised for the first time
1954 - Julie Andres debuts on Broadway in “The Boy Friend”
1955 - James Dean killed in a car crash (aged 24)
1960 - Premiere of The Flintstones
1978 - Edgar Bergen died
1982 - Premiere 0f Cheers

No “national” holidays that I could find for today, so take the rest of the day to celebrate the end of September, which was:

• Classical Music Month
• Hispanic Heritage Month
• International Square Dancing Month
• National Courtesy Month
• National Piano Month
• Chicken Month
• Baby Safety Month
• Little League Month
• Better Breakfast Month
• Honey Month, and
• Self Improvement Month

Current music: In the Wake of the Wind, by David Arkenstone

I just found a website that lists everyone’s PIN numbers! Yes, they even had mine listed! Talk about a HUGE security risk!! Visit the site to see if they’ve got yours listed!

(And don’t even get me started on how PIN number is redundant, the ‘N’ standing for ‘number!’ I’ll talk about my personal PIN number all I want!)

Current music: Earthsongs, by Secret Garden

John G. Roberts, Jr. was just confirmed as the next Chief Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court by a vote in the U.S. Senate of 78-22. He needed 51 votes, a simple majority. Since he is only 50 years old (one of the youngest ever in this position), it’s very possible that he will be in this position for a long time. From what I’ve been able to pick up, I think that, regardless of his personal beliefs, he will actually be a supporter of the Constitution and will focus on interpreting laws, not making them.

The investiture consists of two swearing-in ceremonies. One, scheduled for today, is pledging to uphold the Constitution, and will probably be at the White House. The second one, pledging to fairly judge the rich and the poor, will probably be on Monday at the Supreme Court itself.

Best wishes, Chief Justice Roberts!

Current music: Fresh Aire III, by Mannheim Steamroller

It sure is a good feeling when you get a jump-start on your day. I got to work a little later than usual, but for some reason, I got my computer started, checked my email, filled the paper in the Reference printers, logged onto the Reference Desk workstation, checked email and voice mail there, walked the Ref. Dept. looking for books that were used after I left last night (we’re doing a usage study, so we track the books being used), got coffee brewing, read a friend’s blog about a cool “medieval” toilet seat, left a comment, and posted my first blog post… all by 8:00 (well, 8:05 now).

And I even did my Italian homework ahead of time (yesterday morning), so it’s already done. Now I just have to review our new vocabulary for Chapter 2, because we’ve got a “vocab game” again today. That involves dividing the class into 2 teams and writing things on the chalkboard. Fun times!

Current music: Simple Things, by Jim Brickman

Yes, it’s that time again. Time for some more personality tests. Below are my results with links to the quizzes, so you can see how YOU rate!

Your Brain’s Pattern

You have a tempered, reasonable way of thinking. You tend to take every new idea in, and meld it with your world view. For you, everything is always changing. Each moment is different. Your thinking process tends to be very natural - with no beginnings or endings.

You Should Learn Swedish

Fantastisk! You’re laid back about learning a language - and about life in general. Peaceful, beautiful Sweden is ideal for you… And you won’t even have to speak perfect Swedish to get around!

You Are 27 Years Old

Under 12: You are a kid at heart. You still have an optimistic life view - and you look at the world with awe. 13-19: You are a teenager at heart. You question authority and are still trying to find your place in this world. 20-29: You are a twentysomething at heart. You feel excited about what’s to come… love, work, and new experiences. 30-39: You are a thirtysomething at heart. You’ve had a taste of success and true love, but you want more! 40+: You are a mature adult. You’ve been through most of the ups and downs of life already. Now you get to sit back and relax.

Pepperoni Pizza

Robust and dominant. When you go for something, you go full force. You tend to take control of situations easily. And in return, you get a ton of respect.

You Should Try Whitewater Rafting

Get in some IV class rapids… And see if you can stay in the raft

Your Blog Should Be Yellow

You’re a cheerful, upbeat blogger who tends to make everyone laugh. You are a great storyteller, and the first to post the latest funny link. You’re also friendly and welcoming to everyone who comments on your blog.

Your Fortune Is

Life is like a sewer… what you get out of it depends on what you put into it.

Your Superhero Profile

Your Superhero Name is The Wombat Dragon Your Superpower is Gadgets Your Weakness is Midgets Your Weapon is Your Invisible Blowgun Your Mode of Transportation is Giraffe

You are

Your Career Type: Investigative

You are precise, scientific, and intellectual. Your talents lie in understanding and solving math and science problems. You would make an excellent: Architect - Biologist - Chemist Dentist - Electrical Technician - Mathematician Medical Technician - Meteorologist - Pharmacist Physician - Surveyor - Veterinarian The worst career options for your are enterprising careers, like lawyer or real estate agent.

You Are Chinese Food

Exotic yet ordinary. People think they’ve had enough of you, but they’re back for more in an hour.

Your Animal Personality

Your Power Animal: Deer Animal You Were in a Past Life: Panda You are a fun-seeker - an adventurous, risk-taker. While you are spontaneous, you are not very rational.

How You Live Your Life

You seem to be straight forward, but you keep a lot inside. You’re laid back and chill, but sometimes you care too much about what others think. You prefer a variety of friends and tend to change friends quickly. You tend to dream big, but you worry that your dreams aren’t attainable.

You Are a Fruitcake!

You taste like nothing else in this world. And get ready, you’re about to get tossed!

You Are From Jupiter

You are exuberantly curious - and you love to explore newness. Enthusiastic and optimistic, you get a kick out of stimulating intellectual discussions. Foreign cultures and languages fascinate you. You love the outdoors, animals, and freedom. Chances are you tend to exaggerate, so try to keep a lid on that. If you do, you’ll continue to be known for your confidence, generosity, and sense of justice.

[tags]personality tests, blogthings[/tags]

CNet has produced lists of the Ten Best (and Ten Worst) Products of the last ten years! Interesting reading. See if you agree with them.

1. iPod (2001)
2. TiVo (1999)
3. Google (1996)
4. Napster (1999)
5. Firefox (2004)
6. PalmPilot (1996)
7. Motorola Startac (1996)
8. Apple iMac (1998)
9. Sony Digital Mavica MVC-HD5 (1997)
10. The Sims (2000)

Visit their webpage to see pictures and read descriptions of these products.

And now, the Bottom 10!

1. Microsoft Bob
2. CueCat
3. DigiScent iSmell
4. PocketMail
5. Furby
6. Windows ME
7. Xenote and the similar Sony E-marker
8. Flexplay
9. Audrey Web-surfing machine
10. VKB Bluetooth Virtual Keyboard

Again, visit CNet’s website for their descriptions (and reasoning) along with pictures of these products.

Current music: Heart of the Castle, by Kenny Kleinpeter

Some recent quotes from Jay Leno:

We had a huge rain storm here in Los Angeles yesterday. Lightening, thunder—it’s tough living in Beverly Hills when it rains. Nobody from FEMA shows up. You know, I think George Bush doesn’t care about rich, white people.

Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton has announced that she has decided to vote against the nomination of John Roberts for the Supreme Court. She said it was a matter of conscience. And when she explained this to Bill he said, “A matter of what?”

John Kerry said he was never clear about where John Roberts stood on the issues and for that reason he’s not voting for him. That’s the same reason Roberts didn’t vote for Kerry.

In an announcement today President Bush said all federal workers should travel less to save fuel. He decided on this in Texas, right before he flew to Colorado then back to Washington to prepare for tomorrow’s trip back to Texas.

Barbra Streisand told Diane Sawyer that we’re in a global warming crisis, and we can expect more and more intense storms, droughts and dust bowls. But before they act, weather experts say they’re still waiting to hear from Celine Dion.

Current music: The Myth of Red, by Sasha Lazard

Do you like to read? Maybe the classics, maybe Science Fiction or Fantasy books? Or even children’s bedtime stories? But you just don’t have the time any more? I’ve found the solution for you. It’s called Book-A-Minute! Produced by a site called RinkWorks, which also does all kinds of games, puzzles, and humor materials, the Book-A-Minute program gives you “ultra-condensed books” that take a minute or less to read.

Fans of the book may be offended, but that’s not their intention. Instead, they’ve tried to make humorous summaries of popular books. Just for the fun of it.

Example:

Get the idea? They’ve got TONS of books here. Overall, it’s a very funny site, as long as you don’t take yourself or your favorite books too seriously.

Just for kicks, here’s another:

To give you a taste of the bedtime ultra-condensed books, here’s Green Eggs And Ham:

For more of these, visit:
Book-A-Minute Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Book-A-Minute Classics
Book-A-Minute Bedtime

Enjoy! I’m off to Italian Class!

Don Adams, best known as the star of “Get Smart,” died yesterday at the age of 82. Mr. Adams broke his hip last year and has been in poor health ever since, finally succumbing to a lung infection Sunday.

While best known for his role in Get Smart, Don was also the voice of Inspector Gadget in the original cartoon series. Going further back, he was the voice of Comet, the reindeer coach in the famous “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” Christmas special, and also of Tennessee Tuxedo, which began back in 1963.

As a bit of trivia, he also had a special part in the movie version of Inspector Gadget: Brain the dog.

Now THIS is a true emergency! No sooner was Hurricane Rita over with than other serious emergenices arose!

But seriously, this hearkens back to something my high school Economics teacher taught us. In a real capitalistic society, value is relative. He told a story of how he’d been hiking in the Grand Canyon once and somebody there had a bottle of Jack Daniels, but no ice. Now in a “normal” situation, a shot of JD would be worth quite a bit more than an ice cube. But given the scarcity in the Grand Canyon of the commodity known as “ice,” its value had skyrocketed to be roughly equal to that of one shot of Jack Daniels. Scarcity dictates value, as both this story and the picture above illustrate.