Bottom of the News… Friday, May 21, 2010
Good morning my fellow Rotarians. This morning we have been able to secure an actual job application from a 75 year old senior citizen submitted to a Wal-Mart In California…
NAME: Kenneth Way (grumpy old man)
SEX: Not lately, still looking for the right woman.
DESIRED POSITION: Company president or VP. But seriously, whatever is available. If I was in a position to be picky, I would not be applying here in the first place, right?
DESIRED SALARY: $185,000 a year, plus stock options and a Michael Ovitz style severance package. It that’s not possible, make me an offer and we can haggle.
EDUCATION: Yes.
LAST POSTION HELD: Target, in Middle Management Hostility
PREVIOUS SALARY: A lot less than I’m worth!
MOST NOTABLE ACHIEVEMENT: My incredible collection of stolen pens and post-it notes.
REASON FOR LEAVING: My incredible collection of stolen pens and post-it notes.
HOURS AVAILABLE TO WORK: Any.
PREFERRED HOURS: 1:30 to 3:30, Monday, Tuesday and Thursday.
DO YOU HAVE ANY SPECIAL SKILLS?: I’m sure I do, but it sucks that I can’t remember what they are!
MAY WE CONTACT YOUR CURRENT EMPLOYER?: If I had one, would I be here?
DO YOU HAVE ANY PHYSICAL CONDITIONS THAT WOULD PROHIBIT YOU FROM LIFTING UP TO 50 POUNDS?: Of what?
DO YOU HAVE A CAR?: I think the more appropriate question here would be… “Do you have a car that runs?”
HAVE YOU RECEIVED ANY SPECIAL AWARDS OR RECOGNITION?: I may already be a winner of the Publisher’s Clearing House Sweepstakes, so they tell me.
DO YOU SMOKE?: On the job – oh no! On my breaks – you bet!
WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO BE DOING IN FIVE YEARS? Living in the Bahamas with a fabulouosly wealthy blonde supermodel who thinks I am the greates thing since sliced bread! Actually, I’d like to be doing that now.
NEAREST RELATIVE: 7 miles.
DO YOU CERTIFY THAT THE ABOVE IS TRUE AND COMPLETE TO THE BEST OF YOUR KNOWLEDGE?: Oh yes, absolutely!
And, as it turned out, Wal-mart hired Kenneth to be a greeter because they thought he was funny! And that is our Bottom of News for this Friday, May 21, 2010.
###
Thursday, May 20, 2010
Bottom of the News… Friday, April 9, 2010
Good morning my fellow Rotarians. This morning I want to ask you all a question… how many of you that don’t have HR people do the interviewing to hire people for your company? Okay, and I would guess that you most likely have some type of process that includes what questions you can and cannot ask right?
Well, according to our very own HR guru, Wil Meiers, it never hurts to have a few “creative” questions to make your interviews more interesting…
• What was your best MacGyver moment?
• How many tennis balls can you fill this room with?
• If you were a brick in a wall, which brick would you be and why?
• Are your parents disappointed with your career aspirations?
• Tell me how you would determine how many house painters there are in the United States.
• If I put you in a sealed room with a phone that had no dial tone, how would you fix it?
• If you could be any animal, what would you be and why?
• How many hair salons are there in Japan?
• How do you measure nine minutes using only a four-minute and one-minute hourglass?
• What is the probability of throwing 11 and over with 2 dice?
• Say you are dead. What do you think your eulogy would say about you?
• How many light bulbs are in this building?
• How would you sell me eggnog in Florida in the summer?
• If you saw someone steal a quarter, would you report it?
• And finally, should you be on the other side of this interview, what might your answers be?
And there you have it, oddball interview questions as the Bottom of the News on this Friday, April 9, 2010. ###
Good morning my fellow Rotarians. This morning I want to ask you all a question… how many of you that don’t have HR people do the interviewing to hire people for your company? Okay, and I would guess that you most likely have some type of process that includes what questions you can and cannot ask right?
Well, according to our very own HR guru, Wil Meiers, it never hurts to have a few “creative” questions to make your interviews more interesting…
• What was your best MacGyver moment?
• How many tennis balls can you fill this room with?
• If you were a brick in a wall, which brick would you be and why?
• Are your parents disappointed with your career aspirations?
• Tell me how you would determine how many house painters there are in the United States.
• If I put you in a sealed room with a phone that had no dial tone, how would you fix it?
• If you could be any animal, what would you be and why?
• How many hair salons are there in Japan?
• How do you measure nine minutes using only a four-minute and one-minute hourglass?
• What is the probability of throwing 11 and over with 2 dice?
• Say you are dead. What do you think your eulogy would say about you?
• How many light bulbs are in this building?
• How would you sell me eggnog in Florida in the summer?
• If you saw someone steal a quarter, would you report it?
• And finally, should you be on the other side of this interview, what might your answers be?
And there you have it, oddball interview questions as the Bottom of the News on this Friday, April 9, 2010. ###
Saturday, May 15, 2010
Bottom of the News… Friday, May 14, 2010
Good morning my fellow Rotarians. This morning we have three real news stories from around the world…
(San Francisco Chronicle) Several floors of a San Francisco office building were evacuated after a man walked into a law firm's office with a pipe with blinking lights strapped to his chest. He told everyone he had a bomb, and he "threatened to blow the place up," said Assistant District Attorney Andrew Clark. The "bomb" with blinky lights was eventually determined to be fake. Antonio Scardina, 44, told police he “snapped” when his life long dream was not realized earlier that day. Scardina was turned down as a contestant on the game show "The Price is Right."
(Monroe Monitor, WA) After an armored car was robbed in front of a bank in Monroe, Wash., police were reasonably confident they'd find the culprit who was described as wearing a yellow vest, safety goggles, a respirator mask, and a blue shirt. But when officers arrived on the scenes they found more than a dozen men dressed in exactly the same way. All responding to an ad on Craigslists for road workers, who were told to meet at the bank at that time wearing a "Yellow vest, safety goggles, a respirator mask ... and, if possible, a blue shirt.” The robber has still not been found.
(Nashville Tennessean) A driver of an SUV hit a fox near Dover, TN and decided to retrieve the animal because he wanted the bushy tail. He put the body of the fox in his back seat and continued toward home. Soon he heard noise in his back seat and realized the fox was still alive. The angry fox jumped toward the driver and as he tried to shield himself he lost control and rolled the vehicle. Police reported there were one injury and one fatality… The driver sustained minor injuries and the fox was now really dead. And… driver's name was Tommy Fox.
And there you have it that is our Bottom of News for this Friday, May 14, 2010.
###
Good morning my fellow Rotarians. This morning we have three real news stories from around the world…
(San Francisco Chronicle) Several floors of a San Francisco office building were evacuated after a man walked into a law firm's office with a pipe with blinking lights strapped to his chest. He told everyone he had a bomb, and he "threatened to blow the place up," said Assistant District Attorney Andrew Clark. The "bomb" with blinky lights was eventually determined to be fake. Antonio Scardina, 44, told police he “snapped” when his life long dream was not realized earlier that day. Scardina was turned down as a contestant on the game show "The Price is Right."
(Monroe Monitor, WA) After an armored car was robbed in front of a bank in Monroe, Wash., police were reasonably confident they'd find the culprit who was described as wearing a yellow vest, safety goggles, a respirator mask, and a blue shirt. But when officers arrived on the scenes they found more than a dozen men dressed in exactly the same way. All responding to an ad on Craigslists for road workers, who were told to meet at the bank at that time wearing a "Yellow vest, safety goggles, a respirator mask ... and, if possible, a blue shirt.” The robber has still not been found.
(Nashville Tennessean) A driver of an SUV hit a fox near Dover, TN and decided to retrieve the animal because he wanted the bushy tail. He put the body of the fox in his back seat and continued toward home. Soon he heard noise in his back seat and realized the fox was still alive. The angry fox jumped toward the driver and as he tried to shield himself he lost control and rolled the vehicle. Police reported there were one injury and one fatality… The driver sustained minor injuries and the fox was now really dead. And… driver's name was Tommy Fox.
And there you have it that is our Bottom of News for this Friday, May 14, 2010.
###
Friday, April 30, 2010
Bottom of the News… Friday, April 30, 2010
Good morning my fellow Rotarians. This morning’s news is the guys in the room, purely for entertainment value only, NOT to inspire you… (thanks brother Carpenter)
The Top 13 Reasons Why Some Men Have Dogs and Not Wives:
1. The later you are, the more excited your dog is to see you.
2. Dogs don't notice if you call them by another dog's name.
3. Dogs like it if you leave a lot of things on the floor.
4. Dogs agree that you have to raise your voice to get your point across.
5. You never have to wait for a dog; they are ready to go 24 hours a day.
6. Dogs find you amusing when you're drunk.
7. Dogs like to go hunting and fishing.
8. If a dog has babies, you can put an ad in the paper and give them away.
9. If a dog smells another dog on you, they don't get mad. They just think it's interesting.
10. Dogs like to ride in the back of a pickup truck.
11. A dog's parents never visit.
12. A dog will not wake you up at night to ask, "If I died, would you get another dog?"
13. If a dog leaves, they won't take half of your stuff.
And there you have it, why some men prefer dogs over wives. Hmmm, isn’t that interesting! That is our Bottom of News for this Friday, April 30, 2010.
###
Good morning my fellow Rotarians. This morning’s news is the guys in the room, purely for entertainment value only, NOT to inspire you… (thanks brother Carpenter)
The Top 13 Reasons Why Some Men Have Dogs and Not Wives:
1. The later you are, the more excited your dog is to see you.
2. Dogs don't notice if you call them by another dog's name.
3. Dogs like it if you leave a lot of things on the floor.
4. Dogs agree that you have to raise your voice to get your point across.
5. You never have to wait for a dog; they are ready to go 24 hours a day.
6. Dogs find you amusing when you're drunk.
7. Dogs like to go hunting and fishing.
8. If a dog has babies, you can put an ad in the paper and give them away.
9. If a dog smells another dog on you, they don't get mad. They just think it's interesting.
10. Dogs like to ride in the back of a pickup truck.
11. A dog's parents never visit.
12. A dog will not wake you up at night to ask, "If I died, would you get another dog?"
13. If a dog leaves, they won't take half of your stuff.
And there you have it, why some men prefer dogs over wives. Hmmm, isn’t that interesting! That is our Bottom of News for this Friday, April 30, 2010.
###
Sunday, April 25, 2010
Bottom of the News… Friday, April 23, 2010
Good morning my fellow Rotarians. This morning I’d like to share with you events from this week in history as the bottom of our news…
On April 22, 1915… During WW I, for the first time, German forces shocked allied soldiers by using lethal chlorine gas as a weapon and it initially devastated the Allied line. Within a year the allies developed their own chemicals and more importantly, the French invented the first gas masks.
This week in 1918… The young 10-year old General Motors (GM) became the world's largest auto firm by acquiring Chevrolet Motor Company. GM founder Billy Durant, a carriage maker, grew GM rapidly through acquisitions of Buick Motor Company, Oldsmobile, Cadillac and Oakland Motor. By 1921 with GM struggling financially, GM was bought out by the DuPont family.
In 1945… Adolf Hitler finally admits the war is lost and that suicide would be his only recourse. A week later Italian dictator Bnito Mussolini was shot by his own fellow Italians as he attempted to flee the country to Switzerland.
In 1954… Senator Joseph McCarthy began hearings investigating the US Army for being ‘soft’ on communism. For the first time, senate hearings were televised and McCarthy spent most of that year attacking many groups accusing them for harboring communists. By December the Senate censored McCarthy and very quickly he became a hopeless alcoholic; three years later he died.
April 1968… In typical ‘60’s fashion a social controversial musical premiered on Broadway. The New York Times call it a “cultural upheaval” and a "tribal love-rock musical.” It was HAIR and they took the country by storm with their musical and the ‘60’s era-defining song "The Age of Aquarius."
This week 1972… J. Edgar Hoover dies after serving nearly 50 years as director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). Hoover was credited as the driving force in building and shaping the FBI to become one of the most powerful government agencies on the planet.
April 22, 1986… Boston Red Sox pitcher, Roger Clemens, becomes the first pitcher in Major League Baseball to strike out 20 batters in a nine-inning game. The game was against Seattle at Fenway Park. Ten years later, Clemens repeats the feat, the only player in baseball history to do that twice.
This week 2004… Pat Tillman, former NFL player, was killed by friendly fire while serving in Afghanistan. Tillman had decided in May of 2002 to give up his pro football career to enlist in the U.S. Army. He decided to fight for his country after the terrorist attacks of September 11. Tillman was 27. Yes, the good sometimes do die young, but I thank God every day for thousands of men and women like Pat Tillman who volunteer to defend and protect our country.
And there you have it, events this week in history, our News for this Friday, April 23, 2010. ###
Good morning my fellow Rotarians. This morning I’d like to share with you events from this week in history as the bottom of our news…
On April 22, 1915… During WW I, for the first time, German forces shocked allied soldiers by using lethal chlorine gas as a weapon and it initially devastated the Allied line. Within a year the allies developed their own chemicals and more importantly, the French invented the first gas masks.
This week in 1918… The young 10-year old General Motors (GM) became the world's largest auto firm by acquiring Chevrolet Motor Company. GM founder Billy Durant, a carriage maker, grew GM rapidly through acquisitions of Buick Motor Company, Oldsmobile, Cadillac and Oakland Motor. By 1921 with GM struggling financially, GM was bought out by the DuPont family.
In 1945… Adolf Hitler finally admits the war is lost and that suicide would be his only recourse. A week later Italian dictator Bnito Mussolini was shot by his own fellow Italians as he attempted to flee the country to Switzerland.
In 1954… Senator Joseph McCarthy began hearings investigating the US Army for being ‘soft’ on communism. For the first time, senate hearings were televised and McCarthy spent most of that year attacking many groups accusing them for harboring communists. By December the Senate censored McCarthy and very quickly he became a hopeless alcoholic; three years later he died.
April 1968… In typical ‘60’s fashion a social controversial musical premiered on Broadway. The New York Times call it a “cultural upheaval” and a "tribal love-rock musical.” It was HAIR and they took the country by storm with their musical and the ‘60’s era-defining song "The Age of Aquarius."
This week 1972… J. Edgar Hoover dies after serving nearly 50 years as director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). Hoover was credited as the driving force in building and shaping the FBI to become one of the most powerful government agencies on the planet.
April 22, 1986… Boston Red Sox pitcher, Roger Clemens, becomes the first pitcher in Major League Baseball to strike out 20 batters in a nine-inning game. The game was against Seattle at Fenway Park. Ten years later, Clemens repeats the feat, the only player in baseball history to do that twice.
This week 2004… Pat Tillman, former NFL player, was killed by friendly fire while serving in Afghanistan. Tillman had decided in May of 2002 to give up his pro football career to enlist in the U.S. Army. He decided to fight for his country after the terrorist attacks of September 11. Tillman was 27. Yes, the good sometimes do die young, but I thank God every day for thousands of men and women like Pat Tillman who volunteer to defend and protect our country.
And there you have it, events this week in history, our News for this Friday, April 23, 2010. ###
Thursday, April 01, 2010
Bottom of the News… Friday, April 2, 2010
Good morning my fellow Rotarians. Today our news features some of the strange, but yet true news that do not make the headlines…
London Times: Britain's biggest marijuana-importing operation was exposed in March following the conviction of its three managers. The operation earned over $300 million just in this past year, up nearly 40% over their previous year. The three partners apparently were unable to spend all of their earnings. Despite buying real estate, jewelry and expensive cars, a Scotland Yard inspector said they found "moldy" cash "rotting” away, hidden under floorboards when they searched their marijuana headquarters. Experts say increase in business might be an early sign of an improving economy.
Falmouth, MA: Police hired John Yarrington as an informant/drug dealer setting him up with $100 in marked bills to make a cocaine buy from another dealer. Yarrington did his job for police, completing the deal and then left the scene. However about 15 minutes later, before police had even left the scene of the first deal, Yarrington returned and attempted to buy more cocaine on his own. Police promptly arrested him along with the first dealer he set up as an informant.
Canada: Two-time convicted bank robber Mark Turner filed a lawsuit against the Canadian Parole Board in 2001 claiming they released him too early from prison in 1987. He claimed that the board should have kept him inside until that sentence ran out seven years later. Not long after getting out in ’87 Turner robbed another bank and claimed it was the board's fault, not his. He said if they would have kept him in prison, that by 1994, he would have been more mature and would not have robbed another bank. And for the parole board's error, he sued for payment of $1 million. Hmmm, where is the real robbery? Canada just finally settled this case for an undisclosed amount earlier this year.
London Daily Telegraph: The day before British army chef Liam Francis, 26, arrived at his base in Afghanistan, the Taliban shot down the helicopter bringing in food rations and Francis realized he had to make do with supplies on hand. All he had in his pantry were seasonings and hundreds of tins of Spam. For six weeks Francis prepared "sweet and sour Spam," "Spam fritters," "Spam carbonara," "Spam stroganoff" and "stir-fried Spam." He told the Daily Telegraph that he was proud of his work but admitted that "morale improved" with his unit when fresh food arrived. This puts a different slant on ‘war being hell…’
And there you have it, real but strange news as our Bottom of the News on this Friday, April 2, 2010. ###
Good morning my fellow Rotarians. Today our news features some of the strange, but yet true news that do not make the headlines…
London Times: Britain's biggest marijuana-importing operation was exposed in March following the conviction of its three managers. The operation earned over $300 million just in this past year, up nearly 40% over their previous year. The three partners apparently were unable to spend all of their earnings. Despite buying real estate, jewelry and expensive cars, a Scotland Yard inspector said they found "moldy" cash "rotting” away, hidden under floorboards when they searched their marijuana headquarters. Experts say increase in business might be an early sign of an improving economy.
Falmouth, MA: Police hired John Yarrington as an informant/drug dealer setting him up with $100 in marked bills to make a cocaine buy from another dealer. Yarrington did his job for police, completing the deal and then left the scene. However about 15 minutes later, before police had even left the scene of the first deal, Yarrington returned and attempted to buy more cocaine on his own. Police promptly arrested him along with the first dealer he set up as an informant.
Canada: Two-time convicted bank robber Mark Turner filed a lawsuit against the Canadian Parole Board in 2001 claiming they released him too early from prison in 1987. He claimed that the board should have kept him inside until that sentence ran out seven years later. Not long after getting out in ’87 Turner robbed another bank and claimed it was the board's fault, not his. He said if they would have kept him in prison, that by 1994, he would have been more mature and would not have robbed another bank. And for the parole board's error, he sued for payment of $1 million. Hmmm, where is the real robbery? Canada just finally settled this case for an undisclosed amount earlier this year.
London Daily Telegraph: The day before British army chef Liam Francis, 26, arrived at his base in Afghanistan, the Taliban shot down the helicopter bringing in food rations and Francis realized he had to make do with supplies on hand. All he had in his pantry were seasonings and hundreds of tins of Spam. For six weeks Francis prepared "sweet and sour Spam," "Spam fritters," "Spam carbonara," "Spam stroganoff" and "stir-fried Spam." He told the Daily Telegraph that he was proud of his work but admitted that "morale improved" with his unit when fresh food arrived. This puts a different slant on ‘war being hell…’
And there you have it, real but strange news as our Bottom of the News on this Friday, April 2, 2010. ###
Friday, March 19, 2010
Bottom of the News… Friday, March 19, 2009 “11 Rules for Kids”
Good morning my fellow Rotarians. Just this last week it came out in the news that Bill Gates is now the #2 richest guy on the planet, now behind a telcom guy from Mexico. Gates still continues to be popular as a speaker at high school graduations. He shares 11 Rules every kid should know that they never hear in school. His speech talks about feel-good, politically correct teachings that sets up a concept of reality for kids that typically results in real world failure. Here are Gates 11 Rules…
Rule 1: Television is NOT real life. In real life people actually have to leave the coffee shop or the bar and go to jobs.
Rule 2: The world won't care about your self-esteem. The world will expect you to accomplish something BEFORE you feel good about yourself.
Rule 3: You will NOT make $60,000 a year right out of high school. You won't be a vice-president with your own assistant until you earn both.
Rule 4: If you think your teacher is tough, wait till you get a boss.
Rule 5: Flipping burgers is not beneath your dignity. Your grandparents had a different word for burger flipping: they called it opportunity.
Rule 6: If you mess up, it's not your parents' fault, so don't whine about your mistakes, learn from them.
Rule 7: Before you were born, your parents weren't as boring as they are now. They got that way from paying your bills, cleaning your clothes and listening to you talk about how cool you thought you were. So before you save the rain forest from the parasites of your parent's generation, try cleansing the critters living in the closet in your own room.
Rule 8: Your school may have done away with winners and losers, but life HAS NOT. In some schools, they have abolished failing grades and they'll give you as MANY TIMES as you want to get the right answer. This doesn't bear the slightest resemblance to ANYTHING in real life.
Rule 9: Life is not divided into semesters. You don't get summers off and very few employers are interested in helping you FIND YOURSELF. Do that on your own time.
Rule 10: Life is not fair - get used to it!
Rule 11: Be nice to nerds. Chances are you'll end up working for one!
There you go, 11 rules to share with your kids as our Bottom of the News Friday, March 19, 2010. ###
Good morning my fellow Rotarians. Just this last week it came out in the news that Bill Gates is now the #2 richest guy on the planet, now behind a telcom guy from Mexico. Gates still continues to be popular as a speaker at high school graduations. He shares 11 Rules every kid should know that they never hear in school. His speech talks about feel-good, politically correct teachings that sets up a concept of reality for kids that typically results in real world failure. Here are Gates 11 Rules…
Rule 1: Television is NOT real life. In real life people actually have to leave the coffee shop or the bar and go to jobs.
Rule 2: The world won't care about your self-esteem. The world will expect you to accomplish something BEFORE you feel good about yourself.
Rule 3: You will NOT make $60,000 a year right out of high school. You won't be a vice-president with your own assistant until you earn both.
Rule 4: If you think your teacher is tough, wait till you get a boss.
Rule 5: Flipping burgers is not beneath your dignity. Your grandparents had a different word for burger flipping: they called it opportunity.
Rule 6: If you mess up, it's not your parents' fault, so don't whine about your mistakes, learn from them.
Rule 7: Before you were born, your parents weren't as boring as they are now. They got that way from paying your bills, cleaning your clothes and listening to you talk about how cool you thought you were. So before you save the rain forest from the parasites of your parent's generation, try cleansing the critters living in the closet in your own room.
Rule 8: Your school may have done away with winners and losers, but life HAS NOT. In some schools, they have abolished failing grades and they'll give you as MANY TIMES as you want to get the right answer. This doesn't bear the slightest resemblance to ANYTHING in real life.
Rule 9: Life is not divided into semesters. You don't get summers off and very few employers are interested in helping you FIND YOURSELF. Do that on your own time.
Rule 10: Life is not fair - get used to it!
Rule 11: Be nice to nerds. Chances are you'll end up working for one!
There you go, 11 rules to share with your kids as our Bottom of the News Friday, March 19, 2010. ###
Thursday, March 11, 2010
Bottom of the News… Friday, March 12, 2010
Good morning my fellow Rotarians. It has been awhile since I have talked about historical events. So, on this day in history, March 12th…
1755 - The first steam engine was made in New Jersey.
1884 - Mississippi opened its first state-supported college for women called Mississippi Industrial Institute and College.
1889 - Almon B. Strowger filed a patent for his new invention, the telephone. Three years later Alexander Bell’s telephone was deemed much more reliable and Strowger’s patent was revoked.
1894 – In Vicksburg, Mississippi, Coca-Cola is sold in bottles for the first time.
1912 - The Girl Scouts we started by Juliette Gordon Low of Savannah, GA. Original name was Girl Guides, but quickly changed. Almost from the beginning, they made chocolate mint and peanut butter-filled cookies for their meetings. Those eventually served as the beginnings of their national fundraising campaigns.
1951 - The comic strip, "Dennis the Menace", appeared for the first time in 16 newspapers across the U.S.
1959 – Both the US House and the Senate voted approval for Hawaii to officially become a US state.
1974 – The "Wonder Woman" TV movie was shown on ABC, starring Cathy Lee Crosby.
And how about #1 songs on this day March 12th...
1959… Venus by Frankie Avalon
1967… Penny Lane by The Beatles
1975… My Eyes Adored You by Frankie Valli
1983… Billy Jean by Michael Jackson
And finally, on this day, 2002 – I incorporated my first business and signed the paperwork on a loan, the first SBA loan for a new bank called Cedar Rapids Bank & Trust.
And there you have it headlines from this day in history as the Bottom of the News on this Friday, March 12, 2010.
###
Good morning my fellow Rotarians. It has been awhile since I have talked about historical events. So, on this day in history, March 12th…
1755 - The first steam engine was made in New Jersey.
1884 - Mississippi opened its first state-supported college for women called Mississippi Industrial Institute and College.
1889 - Almon B. Strowger filed a patent for his new invention, the telephone. Three years later Alexander Bell’s telephone was deemed much more reliable and Strowger’s patent was revoked.
1894 – In Vicksburg, Mississippi, Coca-Cola is sold in bottles for the first time.
1912 - The Girl Scouts we started by Juliette Gordon Low of Savannah, GA. Original name was Girl Guides, but quickly changed. Almost from the beginning, they made chocolate mint and peanut butter-filled cookies for their meetings. Those eventually served as the beginnings of their national fundraising campaigns.
1951 - The comic strip, "Dennis the Menace", appeared for the first time in 16 newspapers across the U.S.
1959 – Both the US House and the Senate voted approval for Hawaii to officially become a US state.
1974 – The "Wonder Woman" TV movie was shown on ABC, starring Cathy Lee Crosby.
And how about #1 songs on this day March 12th...
1959… Venus by Frankie Avalon
1967… Penny Lane by The Beatles
1975… My Eyes Adored You by Frankie Valli
1983… Billy Jean by Michael Jackson
And finally, on this day, 2002 – I incorporated my first business and signed the paperwork on a loan, the first SBA loan for a new bank called Cedar Rapids Bank & Trust.
And there you have it headlines from this day in history as the Bottom of the News on this Friday, March 12, 2010.
###
Thursday, March 04, 2010
Bottom of the News… Friday, March 5, 2010
Good morning my fellow Rotarians. Today my thanks to brother Carpenter for his news contributions. He provided some very special “thoughts to think about” (from a Far Flung source) that may make you think, or then again maybe not. Okay, so here we go…
I think part of a best friend's job should be to immediately clear your computer history if you die.
Nothing is worse than that moment during an argument when you realize you're wrong.
There is great need for a sarcasm font.
How in the world are you supposed to fold a fitted sheet?
Was learning cursive really necessary?
MapQuest really needs to start their directions on #5. I'm pretty sure I know how to get out of my neighborhood.
Obituaries would be a lot more interesting if they told you how the person died.
Can we all just agree to ignore whatever comes after BluRay? I don't want to have to restart my collection...again.
I'm always slightly terrified when I exit out of Word and it asks me if I want to save any changes to my ten-page research paper that I swear I did not make any changes to.
"Do not machine wash or tumble dry" means I will never wash this -- ever...
I hate when I just miss a call by the last ring (Hello? Hello? Dang it!), but when I immediately call back, it rings nine times and goes to voicemail. What'd you do after I didn't answer? Drop the phone and run away?
I keep some people's phone numbers in my phone just so I know not to answer when they call.
I disagree with Kay Jewelers. I would bet on any given Friday or Saturday night that more kisses begin with Miller Lites than with Kay.
There you go, thoughts to think about. Hey, welcome to the weekend and this is the Bottom of the News on this Friday, March 5, 2010. ###
Good morning my fellow Rotarians. Today my thanks to brother Carpenter for his news contributions. He provided some very special “thoughts to think about” (from a Far Flung source) that may make you think, or then again maybe not. Okay, so here we go…
I think part of a best friend's job should be to immediately clear your computer history if you die.
Nothing is worse than that moment during an argument when you realize you're wrong.
There is great need for a sarcasm font.
How in the world are you supposed to fold a fitted sheet?
Was learning cursive really necessary?
MapQuest really needs to start their directions on #5. I'm pretty sure I know how to get out of my neighborhood.
Obituaries would be a lot more interesting if they told you how the person died.
Can we all just agree to ignore whatever comes after BluRay? I don't want to have to restart my collection...again.
I'm always slightly terrified when I exit out of Word and it asks me if I want to save any changes to my ten-page research paper that I swear I did not make any changes to.
"Do not machine wash or tumble dry" means I will never wash this -- ever...
I hate when I just miss a call by the last ring (Hello? Hello? Dang it!), but when I immediately call back, it rings nine times and goes to voicemail. What'd you do after I didn't answer? Drop the phone and run away?
I keep some people's phone numbers in my phone just so I know not to answer when they call.
I disagree with Kay Jewelers. I would bet on any given Friday or Saturday night that more kisses begin with Miller Lites than with Kay.
There you go, thoughts to think about. Hey, welcome to the weekend and this is the Bottom of the News on this Friday, March 5, 2010. ###
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Bottom of the News… Friday, February 26, 2010
I thought I’d share a few recent Stella Award winners. These awards named after 81-year-old Stella Liebeck who spilled hot coffee on herself and successfully sued the McDonald's. Awards recognize the most outlandish lawsuits and verdicts in the U.S.
5th Place: Terrence Dickson, of Bristol, PA was leaving a house he had just burglarized by way of the garage. Unfortunately for Dickson, the automatic garage door opener malfunctioned and he could not get the garage door to open. Worse, he couldn't re-enter the house because the door connecting the garage to the house locked when Dickson pulled it shut. Forced to sit for eight days on a case of Pepsi and a large bag of dry dog food, he sued the homeowner's insurance company claiming undue mental Anguish. Amazingly, the jury said the insurance company must pay Dickson $500,000 for his anguish.
4th Place: Jerry Williams, of Little Rock, AK was awarded $14,500 plus medical expenses after being bitten on the butt by his next door neighbor's beagle - even though the beagle was on a chain in its owner's fenced yard. Williams did not get as much as he asked for because the jury believed the beagle might have been provoked at the time of the butt bite because Williams had climbed over the fence into the yard and repeatedly shot the dog with a pellet gun.
3rd Place: Amber Carson of Lancaster, PA was paid $113,500 by Philadelphia restaurant after she slipped on a spilled soft drink and broke her tailbone. The reason the soft drink was on the floor: Ms. Carson had thrown it at her boyfriend 30 seconds earlier during an argument. So much for being responsible for your own actions!
2nd Place: Kara Walton, of Claymont, DL sued the owner of a night club in a nearby city because she fell from the bathroom window to the floor, knocking out her two front teeth. Even though Ms. Walton was trying to sneak through the ladies room window to avoid paying the $3.50 cover charge, the jury said the night club had to pay her $12,000 plus dental expenses. Go figure.
1st Place: Mrs. Merv Grazinski, of Oklahoma City, OK was driving her new 32-foot Winnebago motor home from an OU football game. On the freeway she set the cruise control at 70 mph and left the driver's seat to make a sandwich. Not surprisingly, the motor home left the freeway, crashed and overturned. Also not surprisingly, Mrs. Grazinski sued Winnebago for not putting in the owner's manual that she couldn't actually leave the driver's seat while the cruise control was set. The Oklahoma jury awarded her $1.7 million PLUS a new motor home. Winnebago actually changed their manuals as a result of this suit, just in case Mrs. Grazinski has any relatives who might also buy a motor home.
Definitely outlandish and ridiculous! And this is the Bottom of the News on this Friday, February 27, 2010.
###
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Bottom of the News… Friday, February 19, 2010
Good morning my fellow Rotarians. Today I thought it would be good to hear a few tips of timeless wisdom from some kids. These sound like “been there, done that” type of advice…
“Never trust a dog to watch your food." Patrick, age 10
“When your dad is mad and asks you, "Do I look stupid?" Don't answer." Hannah, age 9
“Never tell your Mom her diet's not working." Michael, age 14
"Stay away from prunes." Randy, age 9
"Don't pull Dad's finger when he tells you to." Emily, age 10
"When your Mom is mad at Dad, don't let her brush your hair." Taylia, age 11
"Never let your three-year old brother in the same room as your school assignment." Traci, age 14
"A puppy always has bad breath--even after eating a Tic-Tac." Andrew, age 9
"Never hold a dust buster and a cat at the same time." Kyoyo, age 11
"You can't hide a piece of broccoli in a glass of milk." Amir, age 9
"Don't wear polka-dot underwear under white shorts." Kellie, age 11
"If you want a kitten, start out by asking for a horse." Naomi, age 15
"Felt-tip markers are not good to use as lipstick." Lauren, age 9
“Don't pick on you sister when she's holding a baseball bat." Joel, age 10
"When you get a bad grade in school, show it to your Mom when she's on the phone." Alyesha, age 13
"Never never ever try to baptize a cat!" Eileen, age 8
There you go, kids do say the darndest things as the Bottom of the News on this Friday, February 19, 2010. ###
Good morning my fellow Rotarians. Today I thought it would be good to hear a few tips of timeless wisdom from some kids. These sound like “been there, done that” type of advice…
“Never trust a dog to watch your food." Patrick, age 10
“When your dad is mad and asks you, "Do I look stupid?" Don't answer." Hannah, age 9
“Never tell your Mom her diet's not working." Michael, age 14
"Stay away from prunes." Randy, age 9
"Don't pull Dad's finger when he tells you to." Emily, age 10
"When your Mom is mad at Dad, don't let her brush your hair." Taylia, age 11
"Never let your three-year old brother in the same room as your school assignment." Traci, age 14
"A puppy always has bad breath--even after eating a Tic-Tac." Andrew, age 9
"Never hold a dust buster and a cat at the same time." Kyoyo, age 11
"You can't hide a piece of broccoli in a glass of milk." Amir, age 9
"Don't wear polka-dot underwear under white shorts." Kellie, age 11
"If you want a kitten, start out by asking for a horse." Naomi, age 15
"Felt-tip markers are not good to use as lipstick." Lauren, age 9
“Don't pick on you sister when she's holding a baseball bat." Joel, age 10
"When you get a bad grade in school, show it to your Mom when she's on the phone." Alyesha, age 13
"Never never ever try to baptize a cat!" Eileen, age 8
There you go, kids do say the darndest things as the Bottom of the News on this Friday, February 19, 2010. ###
Friday, February 05, 2010
Bottom of the News… Friday, February 5, 2010
Good morning my fellow Rotarians. Well the month of February is the LOVE Month and here are a few facts surrounding this special holiday that you may not be aware of…
What is origin of Valentines Day? An imprisoned St. Valentine died on Feb 14, 269 AD and legend says he had become friends with and had fallen in love with the jailer’s daughter. He signed his farewell note "From Your Valentine" and 230 years later, the Pope set aside the date to honor St. Valentine.
How has the tradition of cards continued? Until the mid 1800’s Valentine cards only came in the form of love notes from the man. Women NEVER sent notes to men! The tradition became westernized and then women got into the act. Until the mid 1900s all cards typically were homemade, had lace decorating and always a red heart. Today Valentine cards come in all forms.
How important is chocolate around V-Day? 1.1 billion boxes of chocolates will be sold throughout the U.S. with more than 58 million pounds of chocolate candy will be sold during Valentine's week alone. Consumers will purchase more than $345 million in chocolate candy during this week.
How many roses are sold on V-Day? 189 million stems of roses are sold in the U.S. just on Valentine's Day alone; 1.2 billion are sold the entire year.
Last year I gave the men some gift ideas for their special ladies and this year ladies I have some things that… GUYS would LOVE to get from YOU on V-Day!
Get-Out-of-Jail-Free Card… Hey, we all make mistakes. Every man needs unconditional amnesty once in a great while. Only allow for mild screw-ups, not major deals; it allows your guy to avoid your wrath.
Silence… Contrary to popular belief, married men quite often want to stay home and be alone. Do nights when he can rule the remote and eat chicken-fried bacon pizza. It can be a great recharger for his emotional batteries.
Less Makeup… A little eyeliner and lipstick are great. But unless you're a TV anchor, guys believe you don’t need much! Just ask your guy, I bet he thinks you're cute no matter what, right guys?
Binoculars… The best gift is unexpected, something he wouldn't buy for himself. Believe it or not, guys will remember the first time they were fascinated by binoculars as a little boy. (All boys are). They are waterproof, shockproof, and, most importantly, cool lookin'.
To be in a Rock Band… Whether he fronted a band in college or can't even play the kazoo, every guy secretly dreams of being a rock star, but it never happens; consider Guitar Hero or Beatles Rock Band.
There you have it, little known Valentine’s Day info as our Bottom of the News on this Friday, February 5, 2010. ###
Good morning my fellow Rotarians. Well the month of February is the LOVE Month and here are a few facts surrounding this special holiday that you may not be aware of…
What is origin of Valentines Day? An imprisoned St. Valentine died on Feb 14, 269 AD and legend says he had become friends with and had fallen in love with the jailer’s daughter. He signed his farewell note "From Your Valentine" and 230 years later, the Pope set aside the date to honor St. Valentine.
How has the tradition of cards continued? Until the mid 1800’s Valentine cards only came in the form of love notes from the man. Women NEVER sent notes to men! The tradition became westernized and then women got into the act. Until the mid 1900s all cards typically were homemade, had lace decorating and always a red heart. Today Valentine cards come in all forms.
How important is chocolate around V-Day? 1.1 billion boxes of chocolates will be sold throughout the U.S. with more than 58 million pounds of chocolate candy will be sold during Valentine's week alone. Consumers will purchase more than $345 million in chocolate candy during this week.
How many roses are sold on V-Day? 189 million stems of roses are sold in the U.S. just on Valentine's Day alone; 1.2 billion are sold the entire year.
Last year I gave the men some gift ideas for their special ladies and this year ladies I have some things that… GUYS would LOVE to get from YOU on V-Day!
Get-Out-of-Jail-Free Card… Hey, we all make mistakes. Every man needs unconditional amnesty once in a great while. Only allow for mild screw-ups, not major deals; it allows your guy to avoid your wrath.
Silence… Contrary to popular belief, married men quite often want to stay home and be alone. Do nights when he can rule the remote and eat chicken-fried bacon pizza. It can be a great recharger for his emotional batteries.
Less Makeup… A little eyeliner and lipstick are great. But unless you're a TV anchor, guys believe you don’t need much! Just ask your guy, I bet he thinks you're cute no matter what, right guys?
Binoculars… The best gift is unexpected, something he wouldn't buy for himself. Believe it or not, guys will remember the first time they were fascinated by binoculars as a little boy. (All boys are). They are waterproof, shockproof, and, most importantly, cool lookin'.
To be in a Rock Band… Whether he fronted a band in college or can't even play the kazoo, every guy secretly dreams of being a rock star, but it never happens; consider Guitar Hero or Beatles Rock Band.
There you have it, little known Valentine’s Day info as our Bottom of the News on this Friday, February 5, 2010. ###
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Bottom of the News… Friday, January 29, 2010
Good morning my fellow Rotarians. Today I am reporting on the annual Ig Nobel Prize Winners… The 19th 1st annual event recognized achievements that first make people LAUGH, then make them THINK!
PEACE PRIZE: Five professors from the forensic department at the University of Bern in Switzerland determined that it is more damaging to the skull to be smashed over the head with a full bottle of beer when compared to an empty bottle.
HEALTH CARE PRIZE. Four doctors from Duke University, MIT, Stanford University and INSEAD University in Singapore demonstrated that high-priced fake medicine is more effective than low-priced fake medicine.
LINGUISTICS PRIZE: Three linguists from the University of Barcelona showed that rats sometimes cannot tell the difference between a person speaking Japanese backwards and a person speaking Dutch backwards.
CHEMISTRY PRIZE: Three researchers from the University of Mexico were able to create diamonds from liquid — specifically from tequila.
MEDICINE PRIZE: Donald Unger, private investigator from Thousand Oaks, CA, determined that a possible cause of arthritis in the fingers can be caused by cracking your knuckles. Unger’s research included diligently cracking the knuckles of his left hand — but never cracking the knuckles of his right hand — every day for more than sixty (60) years.
PHYSICS PRIZE: Physics researchers from the University of Cincinnati, Harvard and the University of Texas, collaborated their research for four years and were able to determine analytically why pregnant women don't tip over.
VETERINARY MEDICINE PRIZE: Researchers from Newcastle University in the UK proved that cows who have names give more milk than cows that are nameless.
BIOLOGY PRIZE. Three researchers from the National Veterinarian Institute discovered that fleas that live on dogs can jump higher than the fleas that live on cats.
PUBLIC HEALTH PRIZE: Three women from Chicago won this award for inventing and getting a patent on a bra that, in an emergency, can be quickly converted into a pair of protective face masks, one for the bra wearer and one to be given to some needy bystander.
LITERATURE PRIZE: Ireland's police service won this award for writing and presenting more than 50 traffic tickets to the most frequent driving offender in the country — Prawo Jazdy — whose name in Polish means "Driving License".
There you have ‘em, the 2009 Ig Nobel Prize Winners. Our Bottom of the News on this Friday, January 29, 2010. ###
Friday, January 22, 2010
Bottom of the News… Friday, January 22, 2010
Good morning my fellow Rotarians. Today we are back in the news and our first story comes from Longview, CO…
Longview, CO: Police report that a 17-year-old in Longview was siphoning gas from a car when he decided to light a cigarette. The resulting flash fire interrupted the theft and left the unnamed teen with burns over 30 percent of his body. Fire department Lt. Jason Sanders summed it up this way: "The fumes from the gas and the cigarette decided to catch fire because they are just naturally attracted to each other.”
Saskatuwan, Canada: Alexander Rodriquez, 23, was arrested in Regina, Sask., Canada, for allegedly hanging around in the bakery section of a supermarket. Rodriguez was spotted opening cake boxes, touching them and then licking the frosting. When the store staff asked him what he was doing, Rodriquez responded by saying that he was... “checking for freshness. Of course, according to store manager, he said "There's a date on the box, but I'm guessing from the looks of Rodriguez, he hasn't had a date in his life.”
Auckland, NZ: Constable Cathy Druder was patrolling outer Aucland in New Zealand when she spotted two bicyclists. She stopped them because they were totally nude… "They were more shocked than I was,” said Druder. “They were trying to cover up their bits and pieces with their hands.” When she asked them why they were riding without clothes, the two "very fit" men in their 20s said "they wanted to experience total freedom." So Druder told them “The way you're heading, you're going to experience total confinement'." Druder gave them a warning and issued tickets for “failure to wear helmets” and sent them on their way.” (Hmmm… “bits and pieces” never heard it put that way!).
And finally, here are Top 10 REAL newspaper headlines from around the US in 2009:
- New Study of Obesity Looks for Larger Test Group
- British Union Finds Dwarfs in Short Supply
- Something Went Wrong in Jet Crash, Expert Says
- Survivor of Siamese Twins Joins Parents
- Drunk Gets Nine Months in Violin Case
- Man Struck by Lightning Faces Battery Charge
- Safety Experts Say School Bus Passengers Should Be Belted
- Iraqi Head Seeks Arms
- Plane Too Close to Ground, Crash Probe Told
- Sex Education Delayed, Teachers Request Training
There you have it, real news all the time that is our Bottom of the News on this Friday, January 22, 2010. ###
Friday, January 08, 2010
Bottom of the News… Friday, January 8, 2010
Good morning my fellow Rotarians and Happy New Year! I’ve made it a tradition of starting each Rotary News Year by sharing New Year’s resolutions with you. You did know that anything you do more than once qualifies as a tradition, right? Anyway… let’s start with the history of New Year’s resolutions…
It is said that this tradition of making New Year's Resolutions was started by early Babylonians. Their #1 resolution was to return borrowed farm equipment so they could begin the new year with a clean slate. Some believe that resolutions were once promises made to the Gods, in the hope that the Gods would grant them some favor in return, such as a good harvest. It was also believed that breaking a resolution brought bad luck on the individual hence one was advised to be careful while making New Year's Resolutions.
Today the most popular resolutions are about improving one’s health, looks, eating better and/or exercising more to lose weight. Other very popular, and the most often broken resolutions, are to quit smoking and drinking. The most common resolutions are dealing with better money management, saving more and reducing debt.
Half of Americans make resolutions each year and yet those promises seem to fade quickly. Typically, after one week 25% have dropped off, in one month 40% are gone and within 3 months, 70% of all resolutions are forgotten.
So, are you sick of making the same resolutions year after year that you never keep? Why not find some things that you can feel good about accomplishing? Things that aren’t hard to do! Here are some ideas to help you get started...
###
Good morning my fellow Rotarians and Happy New Year! I’ve made it a tradition of starting each Rotary News Year by sharing New Year’s resolutions with you. You did know that anything you do more than once qualifies as a tradition, right? Anyway… let’s start with the history of New Year’s resolutions…
It is said that this tradition of making New Year's Resolutions was started by early Babylonians. Their #1 resolution was to return borrowed farm equipment so they could begin the new year with a clean slate. Some believe that resolutions were once promises made to the Gods, in the hope that the Gods would grant them some favor in return, such as a good harvest. It was also believed that breaking a resolution brought bad luck on the individual hence one was advised to be careful while making New Year's Resolutions.
Today the most popular resolutions are about improving one’s health, looks, eating better and/or exercising more to lose weight. Other very popular, and the most often broken resolutions, are to quit smoking and drinking. The most common resolutions are dealing with better money management, saving more and reducing debt.
Half of Americans make resolutions each year and yet those promises seem to fade quickly. Typically, after one week 25% have dropped off, in one month 40% are gone and within 3 months, 70% of all resolutions are forgotten.
So, are you sick of making the same resolutions year after year that you never keep? Why not find some things that you can feel good about accomplishing? Things that aren’t hard to do! Here are some ideas to help you get started...
- Read less.
- Watch more TV.
- Spend more time at work.
- Don't jump off a cliff just because everyone else did.
- Stop bringing lunch from home, eat out more.
- Get into a whole NEW rut!
- Start being superstitious.
- Take a vacation to someplace important, like, to see the world’s largest ball of twine or the international SPAM museum.
- Gain weight, at least 30 pounds.
- Make it a personal goal to bring back disco.
- Stop exercising; it’s a waste of your time.
- Procrastinate more, starting tomorrow.
###
Friday, December 11, 2009
Bottom of the News… Friday, December 11, 2009
Good morning my fellow Rotarians, well, it has been a few weeks since I have reported to you. My thanks to brother Carpenter for ably filling in this past week. Of course was on an all time record snow day marathon with Kirkwood out for the past three days! Well tis the season and with lots of holiday news on the wires. Our first story comes from…
Tonawanda, New York… 'TIS THE SEASON: A man stopped by police headquarters to offer holiday greetings and deliver a Christmas wreath to the officers on duty. The guy seemed to be acting suspicious and so an officer called the store next door, where the wreath came from, and wouldn’t you know it, the man stole the wreath! When confronted, he admitted to the theft and was arrested, but begged for leniency claiming that it was “the thought that counted” during this Christmas season.
Bethesda, Maryland… FA LA LA LA LA, LA LA LA FELONY: For six years, the United Methodist Church has sold Christmas trees from their parking lot to raise funds for a medical clinic in Tanzania. They open the day after Thanksgiving, but this year an "anonymous tipster" called police stating that it is illegal in Montgomery County to sell Christmas trees before December 5th. The county sheriff shut down the lot, but didn't charge the Pastor the normal $500 fine. The pastor of course was still outraged, calling the action “ludicrous" and demanding that the county change the law. County officials agreed to get right on it and set the initial hearing to review the law, for February 3rd.
Franksville, Wisconsin… JESUS ON A DONKEY: The bad economy is impacting live church nativity scenes; rented camels are too expensive for "wise men" to ride, costing $500-700 per day, including a handler and liability insurance. So, groups look for less expensive substitutes such as sheep, which run $25 a day or donkeys. "It goes up and down with the economy," said the owner of Jo-Don Farms. "Some groups cut camels and don’t know whether to pick sheep or donkeys. I just tell people… Hey think about, ‘what would Jesus do?’ Well, he would pick a donkey, so for $75 bucks I give them the Jesus deal and they think I’m a spiritual genius!”
Wellington, Florida… NO CRIB FOR HIS BED: The baby Jesus statue is stolen so often from nativity scenes in Wellington that Jesus is not outfitted with GPS tracking devices to expedite recovery. "Jesus is small and easy to steal, while the animals are too big.” said John Bonde, city administrator. Last year, an 18-year-old woman took Jesus and because of the GPS tracker police showed up at her door within an hour. She was originally charged with a felony, but she pleaded to the judge to allow her to join the Marines instead of doing jail time. The judge agreed and now she is telling people that she will be serving time and fighting for Jesus!
And there you have it, holiday hi-jinks in the Bottom of our News on this Friday, December 11, 2009! ###
Good morning my fellow Rotarians, well, it has been a few weeks since I have reported to you. My thanks to brother Carpenter for ably filling in this past week. Of course was on an all time record snow day marathon with Kirkwood out for the past three days! Well tis the season and with lots of holiday news on the wires. Our first story comes from…
Tonawanda, New York… 'TIS THE SEASON: A man stopped by police headquarters to offer holiday greetings and deliver a Christmas wreath to the officers on duty. The guy seemed to be acting suspicious and so an officer called the store next door, where the wreath came from, and wouldn’t you know it, the man stole the wreath! When confronted, he admitted to the theft and was arrested, but begged for leniency claiming that it was “the thought that counted” during this Christmas season.
Bethesda, Maryland… FA LA LA LA LA, LA LA LA FELONY: For six years, the United Methodist Church has sold Christmas trees from their parking lot to raise funds for a medical clinic in Tanzania. They open the day after Thanksgiving, but this year an "anonymous tipster" called police stating that it is illegal in Montgomery County to sell Christmas trees before December 5th. The county sheriff shut down the lot, but didn't charge the Pastor the normal $500 fine. The pastor of course was still outraged, calling the action “ludicrous" and demanding that the county change the law. County officials agreed to get right on it and set the initial hearing to review the law, for February 3rd.
Franksville, Wisconsin… JESUS ON A DONKEY: The bad economy is impacting live church nativity scenes; rented camels are too expensive for "wise men" to ride, costing $500-700 per day, including a handler and liability insurance. So, groups look for less expensive substitutes such as sheep, which run $25 a day or donkeys. "It goes up and down with the economy," said the owner of Jo-Don Farms. "Some groups cut camels and don’t know whether to pick sheep or donkeys. I just tell people… Hey think about, ‘what would Jesus do?’ Well, he would pick a donkey, so for $75 bucks I give them the Jesus deal and they think I’m a spiritual genius!”
Wellington, Florida… NO CRIB FOR HIS BED: The baby Jesus statue is stolen so often from nativity scenes in Wellington that Jesus is not outfitted with GPS tracking devices to expedite recovery. "Jesus is small and easy to steal, while the animals are too big.” said John Bonde, city administrator. Last year, an 18-year-old woman took Jesus and because of the GPS tracker police showed up at her door within an hour. She was originally charged with a felony, but she pleaded to the judge to allow her to join the Marines instead of doing jail time. The judge agreed and now she is telling people that she will be serving time and fighting for Jesus!
And there you have it, holiday hi-jinks in the Bottom of our News on this Friday, December 11, 2009! ###
Friday, November 13, 2009
Bottom of the News… Friday, November 13th, 2009
Good morning my fellow Rotarians. Today is your lucky day… Yes, it is Friday, the 13th. Whether you believe in good luck, bad luck or no luck at all, this date has some interesting history.
History
A Norse myth has their superstition originating from the Last Supper that says having thirteen people seated at a table (and Judas was the last guy invited) will result in the death of one of the diners, thus 13 is an unlucky number.
Another theory traces the event to the arrest of the legendary Knights Templar. This monastic military order was founded in Jerusalem in 1118 with a mission to protect Christian pilgrims during the Crusades. Over two centuries, the Knights Templar became extraordinarily powerful and wealthy. King Philip was threatened by this and was eager to acquire their wealth so he secretly ordered the mass arrest of all the Knights Templar in France on Friday, October 13, 1307 - Friday the 13th. This theory was made popular in the 2003 novel and subsequent movie The Da Vinci Code.
Social impact
According to the Stress Management Center and Phobia Institute, 17 to 21 million people in the US are affected by a fear of this day. Some people are so paralyzed by fear that they avoid their normal routines in doing business, taking flights or even getting out of bed. Economists estimate that $800 or $900 million is lost in business every Friday the 13th.
Rate of accidents
Most insurance reporting agencies, state that "fewer accidents and reports of fire and theft occur when the 13th of the month falls on a Friday than on other Fridays. People are preventatively more careful or just stay home. Statistically speaking, driving is slightly safer on Friday 13th in most countries.
Events & Movies tied in to Fridays the 13th
Some events are intentionally scheduled for Friday the 13th for dramatic effect. They include:
• Lemony Snicket’s 13th book A Series of Unfortunate Events was released on Friday, October 13, 2006.
• Four of the 12 films in the Friday the 13th series, were released on a Friday the 13th.
• The "Friday the 13th Storm" struck Buffalo, New York on Friday, October 13, 2006.
• The asteroid 2004 MN4 will make its close encounter on Friday, April 13, 2029.
Fear of the Number 13
Many high rise buildings lack a 13th floor.
Many airports skip the 13th gate.
Hospitals and hotels regularly have no room number 13.
Many cities do not have a 13th Street or a 13th Avenue
And finally, if you have 13 letters in your name, you will have the devil's luck . Jack the Ripper, Charles Manson, Jeffrey Dahmer, Theodore Bundy and Albert De Salvo all have 13 letters in their names.
And there you have it, Friday, the 13th… so make sure you don’t walk under a ladder, cross a black cat AND do NOT step on a crack as you leave Elmcrest today or you risk breaking your mother’s back! Yikes! And this is our Bottom of the News on this Friday, the 13th of November, 2009!
###
Good morning my fellow Rotarians. Today is your lucky day… Yes, it is Friday, the 13th. Whether you believe in good luck, bad luck or no luck at all, this date has some interesting history.
History
A Norse myth has their superstition originating from the Last Supper that says having thirteen people seated at a table (and Judas was the last guy invited) will result in the death of one of the diners, thus 13 is an unlucky number.
Another theory traces the event to the arrest of the legendary Knights Templar. This monastic military order was founded in Jerusalem in 1118 with a mission to protect Christian pilgrims during the Crusades. Over two centuries, the Knights Templar became extraordinarily powerful and wealthy. King Philip was threatened by this and was eager to acquire their wealth so he secretly ordered the mass arrest of all the Knights Templar in France on Friday, October 13, 1307 - Friday the 13th. This theory was made popular in the 2003 novel and subsequent movie The Da Vinci Code.
Social impact
According to the Stress Management Center and Phobia Institute, 17 to 21 million people in the US are affected by a fear of this day. Some people are so paralyzed by fear that they avoid their normal routines in doing business, taking flights or even getting out of bed. Economists estimate that $800 or $900 million is lost in business every Friday the 13th.
Rate of accidents
Most insurance reporting agencies, state that "fewer accidents and reports of fire and theft occur when the 13th of the month falls on a Friday than on other Fridays. People are preventatively more careful or just stay home. Statistically speaking, driving is slightly safer on Friday 13th in most countries.
Events & Movies tied in to Fridays the 13th
Some events are intentionally scheduled for Friday the 13th for dramatic effect. They include:
• Lemony Snicket’s 13th book A Series of Unfortunate Events was released on Friday, October 13, 2006.
• Four of the 12 films in the Friday the 13th series, were released on a Friday the 13th.
• The "Friday the 13th Storm" struck Buffalo, New York on Friday, October 13, 2006.
• The asteroid 2004 MN4 will make its close encounter on Friday, April 13, 2029.
Fear of the Number 13
Many high rise buildings lack a 13th floor.
Many airports skip the 13th gate.
Hospitals and hotels regularly have no room number 13.
Many cities do not have a 13th Street or a 13th Avenue
And finally, if you have 13 letters in your name, you will have the devil's luck . Jack the Ripper, Charles Manson, Jeffrey Dahmer, Theodore Bundy and Albert De Salvo all have 13 letters in their names.
And there you have it, Friday, the 13th… so make sure you don’t walk under a ladder, cross a black cat AND do NOT step on a crack as you leave Elmcrest today or you risk breaking your mother’s back! Yikes! And this is our Bottom of the News on this Friday, the 13th of November, 2009!
###
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Bottom of the News… Friday, October 30, 2009
Good morning my fellow Rotarians. Today we have another candidate who will most likely share his vision and ideas for our city. And Ron, just so you know, I’m a Rotary Reporter and I don’t’ normally pick on our guests, BUT since we gave Brian Fagan some “valuable advice” we felt that “equal time” was in order so I have a few things for you to consider.
To begin a St. Petersburg, FL newspaper asked their readers for ideas on "How Would You Fix the Economy?" and “How Would You Reduce Government Expenses in Tough Times?” and here are the two top ideas.
1st Idea… Fixing the Economy
There are about 40 million people over 50 in the work force, so pay each of them $1 million severance pay to retire with the following stipulations:
1. They must quit their jobs. That will create 40 million job openings, unemployment is fixed and the cost the government is way less than the hundreds of billions for their ideas.
2. They each must buy NEW American cars. Forty million cars ordered, Auto Industry fixed.
3. They each must either buy a house/pay off their mortgage, Housing Crisis fixed.
How’s that for a simple solution, maybe a smaller version could work in Cedar Rapids?
2nd Idea… Reducing Expenses in Government
When a small business hits a downturn, they have to make cuts, typically by eliminating jobs. For remaining workers they typically are motivated to find ways to work smarter, faster, etc. or they risk losing their jobs as well. This is common sense in the business world – in order to remain profitable and in business you have to make sure your expenses don’t exceed your revenues.
Why not take the same approach in government at the federal level:
1. Reduce the House of Representatives from 435 members to 218.
2. Reduce to Senate 100 to 50 (one per State).
3. Savings = $150 million/year in salaries for congressmen and staff salaries.
4. And the biggest savings = $7.5 billion in pork barrel ear-marks per year!
The remaining representatives would hopefully be motivated to work smarter and to working together more for the good of our country or risk losing their jobs as well! A common sense approach learned from businesses and families; maybe this concept could work at the local level too?
Politics Quotes
Okay, and finally, Ron a few quotes to keep in mind as your next few days unfold…
-"Politics is perhaps the only profession for which no preparation is thought necessary." Robert Louis Stevenson
-"Politicians are wonderful people as long as they stay away from things they don't understand, such as working for a living." P. J. O’Rourke
-"Politics is not a bad profession. If you succeed there are many rewards, if you disgrace yourself you can always write a book." Ronald Reagan
And there you have it, political advice, for what it is worth, just for you Ron. This is the Bottom of the News on this Friday, October 30th, 2009! ###
Good morning my fellow Rotarians. Today we have another candidate who will most likely share his vision and ideas for our city. And Ron, just so you know, I’m a Rotary Reporter and I don’t’ normally pick on our guests, BUT since we gave Brian Fagan some “valuable advice” we felt that “equal time” was in order so I have a few things for you to consider.
To begin a St. Petersburg, FL newspaper asked their readers for ideas on "How Would You Fix the Economy?" and “How Would You Reduce Government Expenses in Tough Times?” and here are the two top ideas.
1st Idea… Fixing the Economy
There are about 40 million people over 50 in the work force, so pay each of them $1 million severance pay to retire with the following stipulations:
1. They must quit their jobs. That will create 40 million job openings, unemployment is fixed and the cost the government is way less than the hundreds of billions for their ideas.
2. They each must buy NEW American cars. Forty million cars ordered, Auto Industry fixed.
3. They each must either buy a house/pay off their mortgage, Housing Crisis fixed.
How’s that for a simple solution, maybe a smaller version could work in Cedar Rapids?
2nd Idea… Reducing Expenses in Government
When a small business hits a downturn, they have to make cuts, typically by eliminating jobs. For remaining workers they typically are motivated to find ways to work smarter, faster, etc. or they risk losing their jobs as well. This is common sense in the business world – in order to remain profitable and in business you have to make sure your expenses don’t exceed your revenues.
Why not take the same approach in government at the federal level:
1. Reduce the House of Representatives from 435 members to 218.
2. Reduce to Senate 100 to 50 (one per State).
3. Savings = $150 million/year in salaries for congressmen and staff salaries.
4. And the biggest savings = $7.5 billion in pork barrel ear-marks per year!
The remaining representatives would hopefully be motivated to work smarter and to working together more for the good of our country or risk losing their jobs as well! A common sense approach learned from businesses and families; maybe this concept could work at the local level too?
Politics Quotes
Okay, and finally, Ron a few quotes to keep in mind as your next few days unfold…
-"Politics is perhaps the only profession for which no preparation is thought necessary." Robert Louis Stevenson
-"Politicians are wonderful people as long as they stay away from things they don't understand, such as working for a living." P. J. O’Rourke
-"Politics is not a bad profession. If you succeed there are many rewards, if you disgrace yourself you can always write a book." Ronald Reagan
And there you have it, political advice, for what it is worth, just for you Ron. This is the Bottom of the News on this Friday, October 30th, 2009! ###
Friday, October 23, 2009
Bottom of the News… Friday, October 23, 2009
Good morning my fellow Rotarians. Today we are back in the news and our first story comes from Kentucky…
Kentucky: The Butler County, KY sheriff had a warrant out Joe Oros III who jumped bail on drunk driving was arrested in California. The Kentucky sheriff decided to drive to California pick up Oros himself and after making the 4,100 mile trip the prisoner insisted he was not wanted in Kentucky. "Yeah, yeah, every convict has a story," said the sheriff, dismissing the protest. Upon arriving back in Kentucky they discovered Oros was the victim of identity theft, and they had the wrong guy. Oros was flown back to California and he promptly filed a wrongful arrest suit against Butler County sheriff’s dept. Oros’ lawyer noted that a pre-faxed mug shot would have saved the sheriff a trip and his county a lot of money; a costly mistake for a mistaken identity. Meanwhile, Oros said he liked Kentucky so much that he is considering moving there. His attorney is working on a deal to make his move a part of his lawsuit settlement.
Washington DC: A report came out recently from Homeland Security regarding the results of a new program called "Operation Scheduled Departure." The Immigration and Customs agency launched the program in five cities with the hope that some of the estimated 13 million illegal immigrants would deport themselves. The agency targeted 457,000 illegals, all of whom had been ordered to leave the US over the past year, but had not done so. The program offered free passage back to their country and no arrests or prosecution. Early reports claimed positive responses during the initial 30-day pilot phase, which cost $180,000. However, buried in the back of the report were the real results showing that only eight people volunteered to be deported. Jim Hays, program director, said, "I don't consider the program a failure, we just didn’t give it enough time.” Sounds another great government program at work!
North Carolina: For their season opening football game against McNeese State, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill planned two stunt men to parachute into the stadium to deliver the game ball. Come game time, the officials kept scanning the sky and could not find the skydivers. It wasn’t until about 10 minutes later when UNC associate athletic director Rick Steinbacher got a phone call from the Duke AD screaming at him asking what kind of stunt he was trying to pull. As it turned out, the skydivers picked the wrong stadium and landed at Duke’s stadium eight miles away, where Duke had just started their game with James Madison University. "We thought it was hilarious,” said Steinbacher, but the Duke people apparently did not agree. “Oh well, maybe they will get over it in about five years, or maybe longer, maybe then it will be funny to them, maybe…"
And there you have it, real news all the time, the Bottom of the News on this Friday, October 23, 2009! ###
Good morning my fellow Rotarians. Today we are back in the news and our first story comes from Kentucky…
Kentucky: The Butler County, KY sheriff had a warrant out Joe Oros III who jumped bail on drunk driving was arrested in California. The Kentucky sheriff decided to drive to California pick up Oros himself and after making the 4,100 mile trip the prisoner insisted he was not wanted in Kentucky. "Yeah, yeah, every convict has a story," said the sheriff, dismissing the protest. Upon arriving back in Kentucky they discovered Oros was the victim of identity theft, and they had the wrong guy. Oros was flown back to California and he promptly filed a wrongful arrest suit against Butler County sheriff’s dept. Oros’ lawyer noted that a pre-faxed mug shot would have saved the sheriff a trip and his county a lot of money; a costly mistake for a mistaken identity. Meanwhile, Oros said he liked Kentucky so much that he is considering moving there. His attorney is working on a deal to make his move a part of his lawsuit settlement.
Washington DC: A report came out recently from Homeland Security regarding the results of a new program called "Operation Scheduled Departure." The Immigration and Customs agency launched the program in five cities with the hope that some of the estimated 13 million illegal immigrants would deport themselves. The agency targeted 457,000 illegals, all of whom had been ordered to leave the US over the past year, but had not done so. The program offered free passage back to their country and no arrests or prosecution. Early reports claimed positive responses during the initial 30-day pilot phase, which cost $180,000. However, buried in the back of the report were the real results showing that only eight people volunteered to be deported. Jim Hays, program director, said, "I don't consider the program a failure, we just didn’t give it enough time.” Sounds another great government program at work!
North Carolina: For their season opening football game against McNeese State, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill planned two stunt men to parachute into the stadium to deliver the game ball. Come game time, the officials kept scanning the sky and could not find the skydivers. It wasn’t until about 10 minutes later when UNC associate athletic director Rick Steinbacher got a phone call from the Duke AD screaming at him asking what kind of stunt he was trying to pull. As it turned out, the skydivers picked the wrong stadium and landed at Duke’s stadium eight miles away, where Duke had just started their game with James Madison University. "We thought it was hilarious,” said Steinbacher, but the Duke people apparently did not agree. “Oh well, maybe they will get over it in about five years, or maybe longer, maybe then it will be funny to them, maybe…"
And there you have it, real news all the time, the Bottom of the News on this Friday, October 23, 2009! ###
Friday, October 16, 2009
Bottom of the News… Friday, October 16, 2009
Good morning my fellow Rotarians. Today our speaker will most likely share his ideas and vision for our city and maybe even give us a glimpse of his leadership style.
As you know, this reporter does not make it a common practice to offer advice to our guests, BUT since expressing opinions seems to be a very popular thing during this political season, I thought it only appropriate to offer just a few quotes in regard to leadership. We begin with…
- Delegating work works, provided the one who is delegating works, as well. - Robert Half
- The leadership instinct you are born with is the backbone. You then must develop the funny bone and the wishbone that go with it. - Elaine Agather
- A leader is a dealer in hope. - Napoleon Bonaparte
- Leaders don't tell people HOW to do things, they tell them WHAT to do and let them surprise you with their results. – General George Patton
- The key to successful leadership today is influence, not position or authority. – Ken Blancard
- Inventories can be managed, but people must be led. – Ross Perot
- The best leader is the one who has sense enough to pick good men to do what needs to be done, and self-restraint to keep from meddling with them while they do it. - Teddy Roosevelt
- To be a leader, you have to make people want to follow you, and nobody wants to follow someone who doesn't know where he is going. – Joe Nameth
- Management is doing things right; leadership is doing the right things. - Peter F. Drucker
- Remember, perceptions become people’s reality, so the first responsibility of a leader is to define reality. - Max Depree
- If you think you are leader and turn around to see that no one is following you, then you are simply out for a walk. - John Maxwell
- Only one man in a thousand is a leader of men; the other 999 follow women. - Groucho Marx
And there you have it, pearls of wisdom on leadership, for our special guest (does that give you some help?) and for each of us. This is the Bottom of the News for Friday, October 16, 2009! ###
Thursday, October 01, 2009
Bottom of the News… Friday, October 2, 2009
Good morning everyone and welcome to the bottom of the news. Today I am going to share with you some “not so important THINGS that you really don’t need to know,” in other words useless info to impress family, friends and fellow workers…
###
Good morning everyone and welcome to the bottom of the news. Today I am going to share with you some “not so important THINGS that you really don’t need to know,” in other words useless info to impress family, friends and fellow workers…
- The strongest muscle in the body is your toungue.
- Only one person in 2 billion will live to be 116 years old.
- Mel Blanc (the voice of Bugs Bunny) was allergic to carrots.
- The winter of 1932 was so cold that Niagra Falls froze completely solid.
- There is no Betty Rubble in Flintstone's chewable vitamins.
- Banging your head against the wall uses 150 calories per hour.
- Right handed people live on average, nine years longer than left handed people.
- Polar bears are left handed.
- A cockroach will live nine days without its head before it starves to death.
- the shortes war in history was between Zanzibar and England in 1896; Zanzibar surrended after 38 minutes.
- Donald Duck was originally banned in Finland because he doesn't wear pants.
- Stewardesses is the longest word typed with only the left hand.
- More people are killed by donkeys annually than are killed in airplane crashes.
###
Friday, September 25, 2009
Bottom of the News… Friday, September 25, 2009
Good morning my fellow Rotarians. Today for our news I want to speak to the parents of teenagers. How many have teenagers? So, here is a question… have you read some of their writings lately, like for English, language arts or some other writing class? Well, you may be in for a surprise because the age of the computer, internet, email, Facebook, text messaging and more has changed the way our kids communicate and specifically how they write.
Here are some examples by teenagers, as collected by HS English teachers…
- She had a deep, throaty, genuine laugh, like that sound a dog makes just before he hurls.
- Her vocabulary was as bad as, like, whatever.
- The little boat gently drifted across the pond exactly the way a bowling ball wouldn’t.
- Her hair glistened in the rain like a nose hair after a sneeze.
- The hailstones leaped from the pavement, just like maggots being fried in hot grease.
- The young fighter had a hungry look, the kind you get from not eating for a while.
- The ballerina rose gracefully extending one slender leg behind her, like a dog at a fire hydrant.
- It was an American tradition, like fathers chasing kids around the house with power tools.
- He fell for her like his heart was a mob informant, and she was the
- He was deeply in love. When she spoke, he thought he heard bells, as if she were a garbage truck backing up.
- McBride fell 12 stories, hitting the pavement like a Hefty bag filled with vegetable soup.
Those are classics! And there you have it modern day examples of writings from our teenagers. They are the Bottom of the News on this Friday, September 25th, 2009! ###
Thursday, September 10, 2009
Bottom of the News… Friday, September 11, 2009
Good morning my fellow Rotarians. Today, the 8th anniversary of 911, is not a typical bottom of the news day. For many it was a day when their world hit rock bottom. For others it was an event that created a reawaking in America.
It’s hard to believe how quickly the time has passed -- it seems like yesterday -- since we heard those first unbelievable reports that a plane, then another plane, had crashed into both of the World Trade Center towers. For a generation of young people who were not around when President Kennedy was assassinated or when Neil Armstrong walked on the moon, or when the Challenger exploded… events remembered forever. That 911 day in New York City, Washington, D.C., and a field in Pennsylvania -- are pivotal. Their impact will never be forgotten.
So, where were you about two hours from now on Tuesday, Sept 11th? What was your first reaction? What about the people around you?
For me I was in Galena, IL just starting a training meeting with my Midwest directors. While grabbing some breakfast on the run from the lobby I saw a glimpse of a news story about a plane crash somewhere, but kept moving. 15 minutes later my admin called and asked if I had heard about plane crashes around the World Trade towers and my first reaction was “are you kidding?” 5 minutes later she calls back to tell me that in making her regular calls to several of our east coast offices she could not get thru because all phone circuits were overloaded. Something bigger seemed to be unfolding.
The final straw was when one of our directors got a cell phone call from her sister in Manhattan to let her know she was okay. She was frantic and said the US was under attack and that is was chaos in NY City. Upon sharing that news with the 20 people in our group, our meeting was over. We all found a TV and stood in shock as we watched. It was surreal and unbelievable. I soon gathered our group together, prayed with them and then sent them home to be with their families. I am sure you can replay that morning for yourself as well.
911 is an unforgettable moment in history AND should be a reminder to never take our freedom and liberty and some much more for granted. We must be always ready to protect and defend our country and our fellow man. I consider it a duty and responsibility.
Todd Beamer believed this while being held hostage on United Airlines Flight 93. He didn’t stand by, he lived his life ready and that’s how he died taking on three terrorist hijackers, along with his fellow passengers, crashing into a Pennsylvania field.
Todd’s final words were… “Are you guys ready, let’s roll!” Those words will be remembered as those of a husband, a father, a leader, a hero and a true American patriot. September 11, 2001, may we never forget AND may we always be ready. And this is the news on this day, 911, 2009.
###
Good morning my fellow Rotarians. Today, the 8th anniversary of 911, is not a typical bottom of the news day. For many it was a day when their world hit rock bottom. For others it was an event that created a reawaking in America.
It’s hard to believe how quickly the time has passed -- it seems like yesterday -- since we heard those first unbelievable reports that a plane, then another plane, had crashed into both of the World Trade Center towers. For a generation of young people who were not around when President Kennedy was assassinated or when Neil Armstrong walked on the moon, or when the Challenger exploded… events remembered forever. That 911 day in New York City, Washington, D.C., and a field in Pennsylvania -- are pivotal. Their impact will never be forgotten. So, where were you about two hours from now on Tuesday, Sept 11th? What was your first reaction? What about the people around you?
For me I was in Galena, IL just starting a training meeting with my Midwest directors. While grabbing some breakfast on the run from the lobby I saw a glimpse of a news story about a plane crash somewhere, but kept moving. 15 minutes later my admin called and asked if I had heard about plane crashes around the World Trade towers and my first reaction was “are you kidding?” 5 minutes later she calls back to tell me that in making her regular calls to several of our east coast offices she could not get thru because all phone circuits were overloaded. Something bigger seemed to be unfolding.
The final straw was when one of our directors got a cell phone call from her sister in Manhattan to let her know she was okay. She was frantic and said the US was under attack and that is was chaos in NY City. Upon sharing that news with the 20 people in our group, our meeting was over. We all found a TV and stood in shock as we watched. It was surreal and unbelievable. I soon gathered our group together, prayed with them and then sent them home to be with their families. I am sure you can replay that morning for yourself as well.
911 is an unforgettable moment in history AND should be a reminder to never take our freedom and liberty and some much more for granted. We must be always ready to protect and defend our country and our fellow man. I consider it a duty and responsibility.
Todd Beamer believed this while being held hostage on United Airlines Flight 93. He didn’t stand by, he lived his life ready and that’s how he died taking on three terrorist hijackers, along with his fellow passengers, crashing into a Pennsylvania field.
Todd’s final words were… “Are you guys ready, let’s roll!” Those words will be remembered as those of a husband, a father, a leader, a hero and a true American patriot. September 11, 2001, may we never forget AND may we always be ready. And this is the news on this day, 911, 2009.
###
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