Thursday, June 16, 2011

Today in History...  The OJ Bronco Chase

Good morning!  Thought we would take a look at a few notable events that happened this week in history…

In 1884…  The first roller coaster in America opens at Coney Island, in Brooklyn, New York. Known as a switchback railway that traveled six miles per hour and cost a nickel to ride.  Today, the world’s fastest coaster is at Six Flags Great Adventure in Jackson, New Jersey and it travels at 128 mph.

In 1885…  The Statue of Liberty, a gift of friendship from the people of France to the people of the United States, arrived in New York City's harbor.  It was to commemorate the Franco-American alliance during the American Revolution.

In 1903…  Henry Ford and 12 stockholders in the Ford Motor Company met in Detroit to sign the official paperwork to create a new corporation.  Ford started seven years earlier in 1896, when he built his first gasoline-powered vehicle--which he called the Quadricycle.

In 1963…  Soviet Cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova becomes the first woman to travel into space. After 71 hours, she returned to earth, having spent more time in space than all U.S. astronauts combined to that date.  The first US woman was astronaut and physicist Sally Ride, who served as mission specialist on a flight of the space shuttle Challenger in 1983.

In 1972… the first group of Watergate burglars were arrested.  Five men are arrested for breaking into the Democratic National Committee headquarters at the Watergate, an office-hotel-apartment complex in Washington, D.C.

And finally, where were you today in 1994?  Maybe you recall the dramatic nine hour chase of the now infamous white Ford Bronco witnessed by millions on live television in LA.  That's right, it was former football star and actor O.J. Simpson being pursued by the LA police as he took them on a tour of the LA freeway system.  OJ finally gave it up that evening when police arrested and charged him with the June 12 double-murder of his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ronald L. Goldman.  18 months later a jury decided that he was NOT guilty! 

And there you have it, notable events today in history as our Bottom of our News on this June 17th, 2011!  ###

Friday, June 03, 2011

How's Your Coffee?
 
Good morning!  Here are a few strange news stories floating out there and my thanks to Brian Brown for his tip on these…       

Shangai: It’s a Big Pajama Party. According to a recent Reuters poll, wearing pajamas in public is one of the most irritating aspects of life in Shangai.  Apparently it is quite common.  When asked, residents cited it as the #1 most irritating practice in their city.  Other irritations included aggressive pets, unhelpful neighbors and spitting on the sidewalks.  The poll was sponsored by the Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences and the Shangai Women’s Federation.

Florida:  Man Plummets 50 Feet to Grab Missing $20. Mark Giorgio of Florida was counting his money while on a walk across a bridge over the Manatee River when a $20 bill slipped out of his hands and went over the rail. To get his $20 back, Mr. Giorgio jumped over the rail, falling 50 feet into the river below. He then swam about 100 yards to retrieve the bill. Giorgio, who was pulled from the water by a Florida Fish and Wildlife Officer, was quoted as saying, “Twenty bucks is a lot of money when you’re broke.” Mr. Giorgio declined treatment for cuts and bruises resulting from his fall.

New Jersey:  Doctor Accused of Stealing Cadaver Hand.  Dr. Ahmed Rashed, a recent grad from the University of Medicine of New Jersey, was charged with stealing a hand from a cadaver.  He gave it to an exotic dancer, Ms. Linda Kay, who was keeping the hand in a jar of formaldehyde in her bedroom, along with six human skulls. Friends of Ms. Kay told investigators that she had named the hand Freddy. Dr. Rashed, who pleaded not guilty to the charges, faces up to ten years in prison if convicted.

Ohio:  Man Sentenced in Coffee Urine Case. Finally, Mr. Thomas Shaheen was sentenced to six months in a jail work-release program after pleading guilty in Akron Municipal Court to pouring urine into his co-workers’ coffee. Mr. Shaheen, a former postal worker, is required to pay $1,200 to each of his eight victims to compensate them for emotional stress.  He also will pay $3,000 to a co-worker for “forcing” him to make a secret video of him committing the disgusting acts. Mr. Shaheen publicly apologized to  his co-workers after admitting he had spiked their coffee over a period of several months.

So, how’s your coffee this morning?  I can’t make this stuff up!  And that is the Bottom of our News on this June 3rd, 2011###