8-16-14

     

Tucson Weather Today

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"Success is relative: It is what we can make of the mess we have made of things."
--T.S. Eliot

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Did You Know . . .?

A 21-year-old man was posing with a gun for a selfie to post on his Facebook page and was tragically killed when the gun accidentally went off.

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HISTORICAL EVENT

On this day in 1977 popular music icon Elvis Presley died in Memphis, TN. He was 42. The death of the "King of Rock and Roll" brought legions of mourning fans to Graceland, his mansion in Memphis. Doctors said he died of a heart attack, likely brought on by his addiction to prescription barbiturates. He was buried on the grounds of Graceland, which continues to attract fans and has been turned into a highly successful tourist attraction.

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WORD FOR TODAY

inculcate 
verb
1. to implant by repeated statement or admonition; teach persistently and earnestly; to inculcate virtue in the young.
2. to cause or influence (someone) to accept an idea or feeling
Synonyms
instill, ingrain

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CELEBRITY BIRTHDAYS

Kathie Lee Gifford

(born August 16, 1953)

Kathie Lee Gifford is an American television host, best known for her 15-year run (1985–2000) on the talk show Live! with Regis and Kathie Lee, which she co-hosted with Regis Philbin. On April 7, 2008, Gifford began co-hosting, the fourth hour of Today alongside Hoda Kotb.

Julie Newmar

(born August 16, 1933)

Julie Newmar is an American actress, dancer and singer. Known for a variety of stage, screen, and television roles, she is perhaps best known for playing Catwoman in the 1960s Batman television series.

Lesley Ann Warren

(born 16 August 1946)

Leslie Ann Warren is an American actress and singer. She is known for her roles in films such as The Happiest Millionaire, Victor Victoria, Clue, Burglar, Cop, Color of Night and Secretary. She has also had roles in popular TV shows such as Mission: Impossible, Desperate Housewives, Will & Grace, and In Plain Sight.

Madonna Louise Ciccone

(born August 16, 1958)

Madonna is an American singer, songwriter, dancer, actress, and businesswoman. She achieved popularity by pushing the boundaries of lyrical content in mainstream popular music and imagery in her music videos, which became a fixture on MTV. Madonna has sold more than 300 million records worldwide and is recognized as the best-selling female recording artist of all time by Guinness World Records.

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"The person who deserves most pity is a lonesome one on a rainy day who doesn't know how to read."
--Benjamin Franklin

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Spending Time Wtih Eva Again

    

Tucson Weather Today

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I am back out here in the country with Eva for the week. Well, till Thursday, anyway. I wonder what kind of mischief the two of us can find to get ourselves into.

You know, I have been accused (by readers of this blog) of seeing women as sex objects, probably because I so often post the female birthday photos either in the nude or arranged in sexually suggestive poses. Well, duh! I admit it; I do see women as sex objects. Good Grief! That's because I am a normal, healthy, heterosexual male. That doesn't mean that I am not able to simultaneously perceive superior women in any other pose, as a female who is accomplished in her chosen field, or as a deep-thinking, creative and worthwhile intellectual.

Jeez!

Let's look at Sandra Bullock. . .

 

Wow!

 

Yes, I see her as a sex object, a highly attractive female that any healthy heterosexual male human being would desire to have sex with. But I also see her as a tremendously talented actress (or am I suppose to say actor?) And, having watched and listened to her attentively while she was being interviewed by Charlie Rose, I believe she is an extremely intelligent woman.

Again, Jeez!

'Nuff said.

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Random Images

 

A Somewhat Startling Visual Encounter

 

Tucson, Arizona  March 24, 2014

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Did You Know . . .?

Abraham Lincoln patented a type of flat bottom boat that he used to transport goods down river. He is the only U.S. President to obtain a patent.

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HISTORICAL EVENT

On March 24, 1958, Elvis Presley was inducted, starting his day as the King of Rock and Roll, but ending it as a lowly buck private in the United States Army. Elvis would be granted leave in August to attend to his mother on her death bed. Gladys Presley passed away on August 16, 1958, and four weeks later, Elvis shipped out to Germany.

There would be other huge changes in Elvis's life during his two years in the Army. He would meet a 14-year-old Priscilla Beaulieu while in Germany, and he would watch while a new crop of teen idols (The Beatles, etc.) took over the limelight on the U.S. pop scene.

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WORD FOR TODAY

heterosexual
adjective
1. Sexually oriented to persons of the opposite sex.
2. Of or relating to different sexes.
noun
A heterosexual person.

Heterosexuality is romantic attraction, sexual attraction or sexual behavior between persons of opposite sex or gender in the gender binary. As a sexual orientation, heterosexuality refers to "an enduring pattern of or disposition to experience sexual, affectionate, physical or romantic attractions to persons of the opposite sex"; it also refers to "a person's sense of identity based on those attractions, related behaviors, and membership in a community of others who share those attractions.". The term is usually applied to humans, but it is also observed in all mammals.
--Wikipedia

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CELEBRITY BIRTHDAYS

James Joseph "Jim" Parsons
(born March 24, 1973)

Jim Parsons is an American actor. He is best known for playing Sheldon Cooper on the CBS sitcom The Big Bang Theory, with his performance often cited as a significant reason for the program's success. On May 23, 2012, an article in The New York Times noted that Parsons is gay and had been in a relationship for the last ten years.

Kelly LeBrock
(born March 24, 1960)

Kelly LeBrock is an American-born English actress and model. Her acting debut was in The Woman in Red co-starring with comic actor Gene Wilder. She also starred in the films Weird Science, directed by John Hughes, and Hard to Kill, with Steven Seagal.

Terence Steven "Steve" McQueen
(Mar 24, 1930 - Nov 7, 1980)

Steve McQueen was an American actor. Called "The King of Cool", his "anti-hero" persona, developed at the height of the Vietnam War-era counterculture, made him a top box-office draw of the 1960s and 1970s. McQueen received an Academy Award nomination for his role in The Sand Pebbles. His other popular films include The Thomas Crown Affair, Bullitt, The Getaway, and Papillon, as well as the all-star ensemble films The Magnificent Seven, The Great Escape, and The Towering Inferno.

Lara Flynn Boyle
(born March 24, 1970)

Lara Flynn Boyle is an American actress. She is best known for her performances as Donna Hayward in Twin Peaks and Assistant District Attorney Helen Gamble in The Practice. She has also appeared in films such as Happiness and Men in Black II.

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A bunch of liberals wanted to outlaw men gazing at women because the gaze was said to objectify women. Sorry, liberals, it can't be helped among the heterosexual crowd.
--Rush Limbaugh

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The Coward In Winter

Winter officially began today, December 21, 2013 at 12:11 a.m. EST, marking the slow return of the sun making the days become longer for those north of the equator. The day itself is the darkest and shortest day of the year, when the sun reaches its southernmost point in the sky. On this day, the United States will receive only 9 hours and 32 minutes of daylight.

Why is Christmas tied to the Winter Solstice?

Long before there was a man called Jesus, the winter solstice was celebrated as a the return of the sun. In Scandinavia, the time would be marked by burning large logs -- believing that each spark from the fire would represent a new pig or calf in the new year. In Rome, early Romans observed Saturnalia, a holiday in honor of Saturn, the god of agriculture, and Juvenalia, a feast honoring the children of Rome.

The early Christian Church decided to "adopt" December 25 as the day to celebrate the birth of Christ in an effort to absorb pagan celebrations and popularize the holiday.


Note: How Jesus Got His Name is the title of an interesting piece I read yesterday.

Tucson Weather Today

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"A coward dies a thousand times before his death, but the valiant taste of death but once."
--William Shakespeare, Julius Caesar


"'The coward dies a thousand deaths, the brave but one...' (The man who first said that) was probably a coward.... He knew a great deal about cowards but nothing about the brave. The brave dies perhaps two thousand deaths if he's intelligent. He simply doesn't mention them."
--Ernest Hemingway, A Farewell to Arms


The concept of cowardice should probably be deprecated, because really what it boils down to is having a certain set of priorities and a certain level of risk averseness that cannot necessarily be objectively proven better or worse than someone else's.
--Essay: Courage and cowardice


I have nothing to say, at this time, regarding my personal thoughts on courage or cowardice. I was going to; had it pretty well prepared in my thoughts. But then I realized that to do so could be hurtful to close friends and especially to family members. Also, I do not feel that I am intelligent enough yet to offer a true and definitive opinion that makes much sense.

If ever I feel a pressing need to expound in print upon these traits I will do so in fictional form.

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Did You Know . . .?

When lightning strikes it can reach up to 54,000 degrees Fahrenheit.

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HISTORICAL EVENT

On this day in 1970, rock star Elvis Presley was greeted at the White House by President Richard M. Nixon. Presley's visit was not just a social call: He wanted to meet Nixon in order to offer his services in the government's war on drugs.

On December 31, Nixon wrote a thank-you note to Presley for the gift of a World War II-era Colt .45 pistol, and for visiting him at the White House. He said nothing about enlisting Presley's aid in the war on drugs, however.

Presley died from heart failure in 1977, which the coroner's report said was due to "undetermined causes."

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WORD FOR TODAY

craven
adjective
1.  cowardly; contemptibly timid.
2.  lacking even the rudiments of courage; abjectly fearful.
noun
a coward.

A craven man is no Superman or Spiderman, nor is he a firefighter or a soldier. A craven man is the opposite of those guys: he has not an ounce of courage.

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CELEBRITY BIRTHDAYS

Jane Fonda

(born December 21, 1937)

Jane Fonda is an American actress, writer, political activist, and fitness guru. She rose to fame in the 1960s with films such as Barbarella and Cat Ballou. She won two Academy Awards, an Emmy Award, three Golden Globes and received movie awards and nominations in more than 50 years as an actress.

After 15 years in retirement, she returned to film in 2005 with Monster-in-Law, followed by Georgia Rule two years later. She produced and starred in exercise videos released between 1982 and 1995, and again in 2010.

Kiefer William Frederick Dempsey George Rufus Sutherland

(born 21 December 1966)

Kiefer Sutherland is an actor, film producer, and film director. He is best known for his portrayal of Jack Bauer on the Fox series 24 for which he won an Emmy Award, a Golden Globe Award, two Screen Actors Guild Awards, and two Satellite Awards. He also starred as Martin Bohm in the Fox drama Touch.

Stand by Me was the first film Sutherland made in the United States. He played the neighborhood bully in this coming of age story about the search for a dead body. Sutherland has appeared in more than 70 films, most notably Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me, A Few Good Men, Flatliners, Young Guns, The Vanishing, The Three Musketeers, Eye for an Eye, Dark City, A Time To Kill, and The Sentinel.

Sutherland was born in London, the son of Donald Sutherland and Shirley Douglas, both of whom are successful Canadian actors.

Raymond Albert "Ray" Romano

(born December 21, 1957)

Ray Romano is an American actor, stand-up comedian, screenwriter and voice actor, best known for his roles on the sitcom Everybody Loves Raymond and voicing Manny in the Ice Age film series. He appeared in the TNT comedy-drama Men of a Certain Age.

Samuel Leroy Jackson

(born December 21, 1948)

Samuel L. Jackson is an American film and television actor and film producer. He had several small roles such as in the film Goodfellas before meeting his mentor, Morgan Freeman, and the director Spike Lee. After gaining critical acclaim for his role in Jungle Fever in 1991, he appeared in films such as Patriot Games, Amos & Andrew, True Romance and Jurassic Park. In 1994, he was cast as Jules Winnfield in Pulp Fiction.

Jackson has since appeared in over 100 films, including Die Hard with a Vengeance, The 51st State, Jackie Brown, Unbreakable, The Incredibles, Black Snake Moan, Shaft, Snakes on a Plane, Django Unchained, as well as the Star Wars prequel trilogy and small roles in Quentin Tarantino's Kill Bill Vol. 2 and Inglourious Basterds.

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"The world was full of cravens who pretended to be heroes."
--George R.R. Martin

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Down At The End Of Lonely Street

     

Tucson Weather Today

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I thought I'd be clever and slip a short short-story in here. But after I'd written it and revised it slightly, it still appeared amateurish and not very interesting. So I deleted it. Now there is no time to substitute something in its place.

So it goes . . .


Oh, by the way; I had a winning ticket in the Mega-Millions lottery this week. Had the Mega number: 39. I cashed it in yesterday morning.

A cool two bucks.

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TRIVIA

Peanuts are one of the ingredients of dynamite.

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HISTORICAL EVENT

On this day, August 16 in 1977, popular music icon Elvis Presley died in Memphis, Tennessee. He was 42. The death of the "King of Rock and Roll" brought legions of mourning fans to Graceland, his mansion in Memphis. Doctors said he died of a heart attack, likely brought on by his addiction to prescription barbiturates.

From 1956 through 1958, Elvis dominated the music charts and ushered in the age of rock and roll, opening doors for both white and black rock artists. During this period, he starred in four successful motion pictures, all of which featured his soundtracks: Love Me Tender (1956), Jailhouse Rock (1957), Loving You (1957), and King Creole (1958).

Presley was drafted into the U.S. Army and served an 18-month tour of duty in West Germany as a Jeep drive.  All five singles released during this period eventually became million-sellers. After his army hitch he made 27 films in the 1960s, including G.I. Blues (1960), Blue Hawaii (1961), Girls! Girls! Girls! (1962), Viva Las Vegas (1964), and Frankie and Johnny (1966).

In 1967, he married Priscilla Beaulieu, and the couple had a daughter, Lisa Marie, in 1968.

By the mid 1970s, Elvis was in declining physical and mental health. He divorced his wife in 1973 and developed a dangerous dependence on prescription drugs. He was also addicted to junk food and gained considerable weight. In the last two years of his life, he made erratic stage appearances and lived nearly as a recluse. On the afternoon of August 16, 1977, he was found unconscious in his Graceland mansion and rushed to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

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WORD FOR TODAY

insecurity
noun
-  lack of confidence or assurance; self-doubt
-  the quality or state of being insecure; instability

Insecurity is a feeling of general unease or nervousness that may be triggered by perceiving of oneself to be vulnerable or inferior in some way, or a sense of vulnerability or instability which threatens one's self-image or ego.

People who are insecure lack confidence in their own value, and one or more of their capabilities, lack trust in themselves or others, or has fears that a present positive state is temporary, and will let them down and cause them loss or distress by "going wrong" in the future. This is a common trait, which only differs in degree between people.

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CELEBRITY BIRTHDAYS

Madonna Louise Ciccone

(born August 16, 1958)

Madonna is an American singer-songwriter, actress, author, director, entrepreneur and philanthropist. She received generally positive reviews for her role in Desperately Seeking Susan (1985), though her later film appearances received mixed commentary. She received critical acclaim and a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in Motion Picture Musical or Comedy for Evita (1996).

Madonna has sold more than 300 million records worldwide and is recognized as the best-selling female recording artist of all time by Guinness World Records.

Timothy Tarquin Hutton

(born August 16, 1960)

Timothy Hutton is an American actor and director. He is the youngest actor to win the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, which he won at the age of 20 for his performance as Conrad Jarrett in Ordinary People (1980). Hutton has since appeared regularly in feature films and on television, with featured roles in Taps, The Falcon and the Snowman, and The Dark Half, among others.

Kathie Lee Gifford

(born August 16, 1953)

Kathie Lee Gifford  is an American television host, singer, songwriter and actress, best known for her 15-year run (1985–2000) on the talk show Live! with Regis and Kathie Lee, which she co-hosted with Regis Philbin. On April 7, 2008, Gifford began co-hosting the fourth hour of NBC's Today, alongside Hoda Kotb.

Kathie Lee was married to sportscaster Frank Gifford on October 18, 1986. They live in Greenwich, Connecticut, with their son and daughter, Cody Newton Gifford and Cassidy Erin Gifford. The couple shares the same birthday, August 16.

Robert Martin Culp

(August 16, 1930 - March 24, 2010)

Robert Culp was an American actor, scriptwriter, voice actor and director, widely known for his work in television. Culp earned an international reputation for his role as Kelly Robinson on I Spy (1965–1968), the espionage series in which he and co-star Bill Cosby played a pair of secret agents. Prior to that, he starred in the CBS western series, Trackdown as Texas Ranger Hoby Gilman from 1957-1959.

The 1980s brought him back to television; he starring as FBI Agent Bill Maxwell on The Greatest American Hero. He also had a recurring role as Warren Whelan on Everybody Loves Raymond. In all, Culp gave hundreds of performances in a career spanning more than 50 years.

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Truth is like the sun. You can shut it out for a time, but it ain't goin' away.
--Elvis Presley

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Gabrielle Giffords Tragedy

    
Tucson Weather Today

 

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On January 8, 2011, U.S. Representative Gabrielle Giffords and eighteen other people were shot during a public meeting held in a supermarket parking lot in Casas Adobes, near Tucson, Arizona. Six of those shot died, including Arizona District Court Chief Judge John Roll; Gabe Zimmerman, one of Rep. Giffords' staffers; and a nine-year-old girl, Christina-Taylor Green.

Giffords was taken to University Medical Center in critical condition, though she was still conscious. Within 38 minutes. Giffords underwent emergency surgery, and part of her skull was removed to prevent further brain damage caused by swelling. She was placed into a medically induced coma to allow her brain to rest.

On January 22, 2012, Giffords announced that she would resign from her congressional seat in order to concentrate on her recovery, but promised to return to public service in the future. She submitted her resignation on January 25 on the floor of the House in an emotional appearance; colleagues and the House leadership offered their tributes to her courage and strength.

MORE . . .

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WORD FOR TODAY

harmony [HAHR-muhn-ee]
Noun
-  The combination of simultaneously sounded musical notes to produce chords and chord progressions with a pleasing effect.
-  The study or composition of musical harmony.
Synonyms
concord - accord - unison - agreement - unity

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BORN ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY

 

Stephen Hawking

 

Born Jan. 8, 1942
Age: 70 years old

Stephen William Hawking is a British theoretical physicist, cosmologist, and author. Among his significant scientific works have been a collaboration with Roger Penrose on gravitational singularities theorems in the framework of general relativity, and the theoretical prediction that black holes emit radiation, often called Hawking radiation. Hawking was the first to set forth a cosmology explained by a union of the general theory of relativity and quantum mechanics. He is a vocal supporter of the many-worlds interpretation of quantum mechanics.

Elvis Presley

 

Born Jan. 8, 1935
Died Aug 16, 1977

Elvis Aaron Presley was an American singer and actor. A cultural icon, he is commonly known by the single name Elvis. One of the most popular musicians of the 20th century, he is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King".

Larry Storch

 

Born Jan. 8, 1923
Age: 89 years old

Lawrence Samuel "Larry" Storch is an American actor best known for his comic television roles, including voice-over work for cartoon shows, including Mr. Whoopee on Tennessee Tuxedo and His Tales, and his live-action role of the bumbling Corporal Randolph Agarn on F Troop.

Soupy Sales

 

Born Jan. 8, 1926
Died Oct 22, 2009

Soupy Sales was an American comedian, actor, radio-TV personality and host, and jazz aficionado. He was best known for his local and network children's television show, Lunch with Soupy Sales; a series of comedy sketches frequently ending with Sales receiving a pie in the face, which became his trademark.

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Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony.
--Mahatma Gandhi
    

    

"Ain't Nothing But A Hound Dog"

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I have mentioned many times in earlier blog entries that I was born in 1939, but did you know that there were a great many noteworthy events and subjects of great interest at that particular time in history? Well, it's true.

For one thing, 1939 was the year when World War II began in Europe when Adolph Hitler's German army troops invaded Poland. Also, a Douglas DC-4 began passenger service between Chicago and New York carrying 40 passengers. A refrigerator cost $22.98 - A man's suit cost $13.95 - A washing machine cost $39.95 - A bicycle cost $28.95. And only 3% of Americans qualified to pay income tax

In 1955 I turned 16 and the Hot Songs were: Rock Around The Clock by Bill Haley and The Comets - Cherry Pink and Apple Blossom White by Perez Prado - Sincerely by The McGuire Sisters - Sixteen Tons by Tennessee Ernie Ford - Love Is A Many Splendored Thing by the Four Aces - Yellow Rose Of Texas by Mitch Miller - and The Ballad Of Davy Crockett by Bill Hayes.

In 1955 the popular movies were: Battle Cry with Van Heflin - Blackboard Jungle with Glenn Ford - Marty with Ernest Borgnine - and To Hell And Back with Audie Murphy. More than one person (teenage girls) at that time told me that I looked a lot like . . .

Audie Murphy

Who was I to dissuade a teenage girl?

Read all about Audie Murphy here

Also in 1955 (when I was 16) came the debut of . . .

THE MICKEY MOUSE CLUB

And speaking of girls . . . I was captivated from the beginning by . . .

Annette Funicello

And my awe of her lasted through the years, all throughout the later Beach Movies (I was always so jealous of Frankie Avalon.)

Annette as an adult

Here is a link to a Youtube video of the Mickey Mouse Club singing "Now it's time to say goodbye."

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My hometown back in the so called good ol' days.

Rensselaer, Indiana, mid-twentieth century

(Notice the old cars parked along the street)

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Two Words For Today

bathos
noun
1.
a. An abrupt, unintended transition in style from the exalted to the commonplace, producing a ludicrous effect.
b. An anticlimax.
2.
a. Insincere or grossly sentimental pathos.
b. Banality; triteness.
Synonyms:
sentimentality, gooeyness, lovey-doveyness, mawkishness, mush, mushiness, saccharinity, sappiness, sentimentalism, sloppiness, soppiness.


pathos
[pey-thos, -thohs, -thaws]
noun
1.
the quality or power in an actual life experience or in literature, music, speech, or other forms of expression, of evoking a feeling of pity or compassion.
2.
pity.
synonyms
desolation, emotion, feeling, passion, pitiableness, pitifulness

Pathos is a word that throughout my lifetime I have pronounced 'PAH - those' but now (at age 72) I find it should be pronounced 'PAY - thaws' -- Oh well, live and learn.

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BORN ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY

Edward Everett Horton

Born March 18, 1886
Died Sept. 29, 1970

Edward Everett Horton narrated 'Fractured Fairy Tales' on the Rocky and Bullwinkle show, and in a scene in Friz Freleng's cartoon Hare Trigger, Yosemite Sam (in his debut) calls himself "the meanest, toughest, rip-roarin'-est, Edward Everett Horton-est hombre what ever packed a six-shooter!"

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__________

I prefer the mystic clouds of nostalgia to the real thing, to be honest.
--Robert Wyatt

Long Live The Memory

Elvis Aaron Presley

January 8, 1935 - August 16, 1977

You are always on my mind

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And today is the birthday of:

Stephen William Hawking
8 January 1942 (age 70)

Stephen Hawking Website

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Ashes To Ashes . . .

Tucson Weather Today

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"for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return."

--Genesis 3:19

#

Famous Last Words

"It is finished."

#

I wonder how many ordinary citizens understand the duties of the 'whip' within a political party.

A whip is an official in a political party whose primary purpose is to ensure party discipline in a legislature. Whips are party enforcers, who typically offer inducements and threaten punishments for party members to ensure that they vote according to the official party policy. A whip's role is also to ensure that the elected representatives of their party are in attendance when important votes are taken.

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More Famous Last Words

Last Words of
Elvis Presley

Parting words as he left his
last press conference were:
"I hope I haven't bored you."

Hunter S. Thompson

Hunter S Thompson's suicide note proclaimed:

"No More Games. No More Bombs. No More Walking. No More Fun. No More Swimming. 67. That is 17 years past 50. 17 more than I needed or wanted. Boring. I am always bitchy. No Fun - for anybody. 67. You are getting Greedy. Act your old age. Relax - This won't hurt."

Todd Beamer

"Are you guys ready? Let's roll."

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