The Preamble to the Constitution
Thursday, June 28, 2007
"Live Free or Die Hard" - My take
Wednesday, June 27, 2007
A story from the Oklahoma State University - Daily O'Collegian
Breanne Schmidt
Opinion Columnist
The First Amendment, 220, was born September 17, 1787, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It was fathered by James Madison and adopted by the American people as the part of the U.S. Constitution known as the Bill of Rights. The First Amendment protected the freedom of religion, speech, the press, the public’s right to peaceably assemble and citizens’ rights to petition the government. In many ways, it was what set America, “the home of the free,” apart from the rest of the world.
The First Amendment died on June 25, 2007, in the U.S. Supreme Court’s chambers in Washington, D.C.
The First Amendment first fell ill in 1969 at a high school in Des Moines, Iowa. Four years earlier, an anti-Vietnam War organization in Des Moines had its members wear black armbands as a means of peaceful protest. Students John and Mary Beth Tinker were among the supporters and decided to wear their armbands to school.
In a preventative measure, the school banned the armbands, threatening suspension for the noncompliant.
John and Mary Beth went to school, were suspended and later sued the school district.
The case was heard four years later by the Supreme Court, and won landmark victory in the name of students’ rights, according to http://www.landmarkcases.org.
The seemingly endangered First Amendment had what appeared to be a miraculous recovery.
Fast forward to 2002, when an 18-year-old Juneau, Alaska, high-school senior Joseph Frederick held up a 14-foot-long banner that read “Bong Hits 4 Jesus,” while standing on a public sidewalk near his high school as classes went to watch the running of the Winter Olympic torch.
Upon seeing the banner, the school’s principal, Deborah Morse, took it down and suspended Frederick. Frederick sued and the case went to the Supreme Court.
It was in the Supreme Court’s chambers Monday that the First Amendment was put out of its misery. I’d like to say it died a dignified death, but I can’t. Simply because it didn’t.
The Supreme Court ruled 6-3 that Morse’s actions were within her rights as an administrator protecting her students from Frederick’s so-called pro-drug message — even though there was no such intent behind the banner.
Frederick only meant to cause controversy, not actually promote anything illegal. And if he had made a banner with the intent to promote drug use, well, hopefully it would have made more sense than “Bong Hits 4 Jesus.”
Rest in peace, First Amendment. You will be sorely missed.
Perhaps I’m being overly dramatic with the whole thing, but I think the decision is very much a major step backward in the history of free speech and goes great lengths to undo the great good the Tinker case did for the First Amendment and for students.
I might feel the slightest bit better about this decision if more guidelines for interpretations were given. For example, does this extend to the college level? What qualifies as a negative image and merits censorship? Could it possibly give way to other issues, such as sex, sexual orientation and so on?
The Supreme Court’s decision also left holes in the issue.
If the school determines what is or is not offensive, how is fairness guaranteed? If we are to go by the schools’ decisions in both the Tinker and Frederick cases, I’m going to say it’s not. I’d also venture a guess that the Court is setting itself up for at least one repeat case.
But maybe that’s what needs to happen. Perhaps the Court will see the error of its ways.
The Court did try to prevent the complete eradication of students’ rights. A student is immune from punishment if the controversial statement is political in nature. But again, the school decides if it is a political message or just inappropriate. It’s still not entirely fair.
I know many people will read this decision and say, “So what? It doesn’t hurt a lot of people and doesn’t apply once you’re out of school.” To be completely cliché, it’s the principle of the entire ordeal that matters to everyone.
I’ll cite the old saying, “If you give an inch, they’ll take a mile.”
We’ve unfortunately given a good foot of our rights, and the Court has happily taken out another two or three.
Wake up, America. Your rights are being taken away from you. Not only that, they’re being taken, for your protection, by the people who gave you the rights in the first place — for your own protection. This is not OK, people.
The United States prides itself as a prime example of how democracy is supposed to function and is attempting to spread its form of democracy to less-than-cooperative countries across the globe. How dare we make claims of freedom and equality for all if we gradually strip our own citizens — even if just one — of their basic rights?
That would be severe hypocrisy, folks.
I shudder to think what the international community will think of this decision. It certainly sends the clear message that our system is flawed and ineffective and that the self-proclaimed superior Americans can’t handle these freedoms.
And if the best of the best can’t make the system work, who can?
So you see, ladies and gents, this is in no way about one high schooler trying to cause trouble. The ripple effect in this case could have devastating effects not only on our personal freedoms, but also on the United States’ international clout.
So pat yourself on the back, Supreme Court. You have successfully stripped the rights of and isolated an entire generation. And there are more where they came from.
According to constitutional amendments, the supreme law in this country, you must be 18 to enlist in the military and vote and 21 to consume alcohol. Nowhere is it mentioned that any citizen will be denied their First Amendment rights based on age and status of school enrollment. The Court upholding this decision is in itself unconstitutional.
I can find no solution to this problem now that the final decision has been handed down. Anyone else up for Shots 4 Injustice?
Thankx,
bigmike
Check out http://answrtek.com my new business
Monday, June 18, 2007
"True" Friendship and None of that Sissy Crap
"True" Friendship and None of that Sissy Crap
Are you tired of those sissy "friendship" poems that always sound good,
But never actually come close to reality?
Well, here is a series of promises that actually speak of true friendship.
You will see no cutesy little smiley faces on this card- Just the stone cold truth of our great friendship.
1. When you are sad -- I will help you get drunk and plot revenge against the sorry bastard who made you sad.
2. When you are blue -- I will try to dislodge whatever is choking you.
3. When you smile -- I will know you finally got laid.
4. When you are scared -- I will rag on you about it every chance I get.
5. When you are worried -- I will tell you horrible stories about how much Worse it could be until you quit whining.
6. When you are confused -- I will use little words.
7. When you are sick -- Stay the hell away from me until you are well. Again. I don't want whatever you have.
8. When you fall -- I will point and laugh at your clumsy ass.
9. This is my oath.... I pledge it to the end. "Why?" you may ask;
"because you are my friend".
Friendship is like peeing your pants,
everyone can see it,
But only you can feel the true warmth.
Send this to 10 of your closest friends, Then get depressed because you can only think of 4.
Thankx,
bigmike
Check out http://answrtek.com my new business
I subjected myself to Wal mart once again
I think it is shameful the way your company thinks and acts in relation to customers. From what I see and experience, it seems like you do not want me to shop here, as frequently and from the way the cashier position staffing always goes, you do not want me to buy groceries or come during late night at all.
In the past, I had almost quit shopping at this store because of the sheer aggravation of the overhead microphones and the cranky sullen employees. Since you remodeled this unit, it is quieter and seems to be cleaner however; the service at the door, on the floor and from your supervisors is pathetic and truly substandard. It is insulting and borderline rude.
At the entry door tonight, there is an obviously grumpy older woman who is tired and does not want to be there. No greeting, just a big sigh and some rolled eyes. The supervisors (if you can call them that) are more interested in locking the doors and gossiping with the cashiers than they are in providing any real meaningful service. Your people on the floors have to be the least customer trained I have ever met. They literally avoid you and avoid eye contact at all costs.
Do not even bother to try to ask a question or you may get the response I did tonight, “Excuse me ma’am where is the automotive department now? “Same place it’s always been” she says without breaking stride, looking my way or even pointing the way and she just walks off. She just walks off? I am astounded.
I just do not get it.
You people spend big huge bucks to remodel the store, you are going to change the outfits on 1.3 million associates and the single only smile I saw once again tonight is the cashier. No joke, literally everyone else was either bitching or laughing. Do you really think this is going to solve the problem? Your cashier forced a smile, but she smiled. She forced a smile because the line at 10 pm was once again out of control and once again only two check lanes open. A 200,000 square foot building with 40 check lanes and only two are open. This is genius at work.
I cannot understand how you do not have the foresight to direct the labor at customers! The obvious stress in your employee’s faces is incredible. The angry faces on your customers should be a pretty major clue if you ask me.
Finally yet importantly, I am literally almost in the breezeway on my way out of the store and the woman locks the East doors right in front of me. You are going solve the problems in your units and act to stop shrink by doing what? Pissing customers off and getting the crowds down to where your barebones staff can handle it? How does this help security or the theft of goods when the only thing you have at the other end is some a senior citizen or no one at all?
Tonight I learned you have a staffing crunch and a hiring freeze. I also found out that nobody wants to pay to fix the cart machine. I dodged carts in the lot once again and I found out that even though the store is prettier and cleaner, it is just as ugly on the inside as it has always been.
I did not ask about any of these things, I experienced them first hand. Ask yourself, Is this how I want my customers treated? I will tell you this, from now on its Kroger for groceries, K-Mart for soft goods, Good Year for automotive and Home depot for household. It may cost a little bit more, but I will not have to put up with your rude staff. I say if you did not want it this way, it would not be this way.
Your executive team could fix many of these kinds of issues just by actually going into a store and being a consumer occasionally.
bigmike
Check out http://answrtek.com my new business
Saturday, June 9, 2007
Blog Update : http://bigmikerant.blogspot.com/
Thankx,
bigmike
Check out http://answrtek.com my new business
Thursday, June 7, 2007
Pop up Porn teacher gets new trial and its about damn time !
Bloggers have helped to force a fresh trial in a case which saw a teacher accused of letting pupils see porn.
I saw this story on the BBC News website and thought you all should see it.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/em/fr/-/2/hi/technology/6729905.stm
Its all about a substitute teacher (Julie Amero) who's computer in her substitute classroom (she had never been in before this one day or has been in since), went nuts and started popping up "PORN" windows and she didn't know how to stop it (and easily could have been you or me). She was proven at trial to be so unsophisticated with a computer she didn't really even know how to send an email and somehow was convicted anyway. The amazing thing is that the trail judge would not let her use a defense of "computer ineptitude" , and in reversing herself, she basically cites the reason as "judicial ineptitude", because they relied on a stupid cop who told them she had to have done it one purpose.
Essentially , the prosecutors "expert" witness, some cop in the area, threw a bunch of BullSh** at the jury and they believed him. The case was subject to strong criticism by many Bloggers, legal experts and security professionals. The computer security researchers carried out an unpaid forensic examination of the PC at the centre of the case and what they found led them to doubt the version of events put forward by the prosecution. This disparity led to Connecticut ordering new tests at a state forensics lab which backed the volunteers' findings and raised more questions about the reliability of the initial evidence. Local newspapers in Norwich, Connecticut, reported Judge Strackbein saying: "The jury may have relied, at least in part, on that faulty information." Ms Amero's supporters said the old PC lacked a firewall and security software which led many to suggest it had been taken over by Spyware programs that were showing the unwanted pop-ups. The defense lawyer for Ms Amero said that if the evidence found by its cadre of security researchers had been available at the initial trial, she would never have been accused of visiting pornographic sites.
The cop should be charged with perjury. They had the computer and didn't even scan it for Spyware, Adware or Malware or viruses or nothing else and did not even send it to the state crime lab for review. .
Finally the court in this case moves into the 1980's. What a bunch of numb nuts. Have none of these people used a computer lately?
This is what is called a "Rush to judgment", where the state and the prosecutors and the judge were basically looking for the first conviction of a new internet porn law aimed at protecting children.
Thank you Bloggers. You probably saved this woman from a 40 year prison sentence that never should have been prosecuted in the first place.
Tuesday, June 5, 2007
Just some random thoughts I saw.....Funny stuff man !!!!
What's the difference between a novel and a book?
How old are you before it can be said you died of old age?
If nobody buys a ticket to a movie do they still show it?
If you have a cold hot pocket, is it just a pocket?
If humans evolved from monkey's/apes, why are they still here?
Why doesn't glue stick to the inside of the bottle?
Do penguins have knees?
Why is it said that an alarm clock is going off when really its coming on?
How come people tell you not to stand in front of an emergency exit when if
there was an emergency surely you would run through it?
Why did Sally sell seashells on the seashore when you can just pick them up
anyway?
Why are both of Spongebob's parents round like sea sponges while he is
square like a kitchen sponge?
Does a two-humped camel store more water than a one-humped camel?
If you pamper a cow, do you get spoiled milk?
Why is it that if someone yells "duck" they are helping you, but if they
yell "chicken" they are insulting you?
If the FBI breaks your door down do they have to pay for it?
If you fart and burp at the same time, would it make a vacuum in your tummy?
Why do you put two cents in when its only a penny for your thoughts?
Can you cry underwater?
If an African elephant comes to America, is it an African-American elephant?
Why doesn't flavored gum turn your mouth that color?
Why do we sing "Rock a bye baby" to lull our little ones to sleep when the
song is about putting your baby in a tree and letting the wind crash the
cradle to the ground?
Why do we say we're head over heels when we're happy? Isn't that the way we
normally are?
If the Wicked Witch of the West melts in water... how did she ever bathe?
Why do sleeping pills have warning labels that state :'Caution: May Cause
Drowsiness?
Do nudists have pin-ups of people with clothes on?
If there's a wheelchair-bound comedian, is it still called "stand-up"?
When the French swear do they say pardon my English?
Do people who use sign language see little hands in their head when they
think about what somebody said, or do they hear the words in their head?
How did Walt Disney figure out how to make people pay to stand in lines all
day?
Why do people constantly return to the refrigerator with hopes that
something new to eat will have materialized?
Why is it that no matter what color bubble bath you use the bubbles are
always white?
Why does someone believe you when you say there are four billion stars, but
check when you say the paint is wet?
Why do they call someone "late" if they died early?
Why are the adjectives 'fast as' and 'slow as' often used in conjunction
with hell, is hell slow or fast?
If the serving size on a can of soda is one can, then why is the serving
size on the little can one can, too? Wouldn't the little cans be 2 cans?
Why is it when your sleeping it's called drool but when your awake its
called spit?
Why does every Abraham Lincoln impersonator sound the same, even though
there are no known audio recordings of the man?
How's come people tell you to stay a kid for as long as you can. Yet the
moment you do anything childish or immature they tell you to grow up.
Why does the Easter bunny carry eggs? Rabbits don't lay eggs.
If marbles are not made of marble, why are they called marbles?
Could you be a closet claustrophobic?
Could someone be addicted to counseling? If so, how would you treat them?
Where do all the daylight savings hours go?
How does Freddy Kruger wipe his butt?
What would happen if you found a four-leaf-clover under a ladder?
Why do people constantly return to the refrigerator with hopes that
something new to eat will have materialized?
Why does it say "shake well" on ketchup bottles, but not ketchup packets?
Is there ever a day that mattresses are not on sale?
If mirrors need light to work, what happens if you put night vision goggles
on in the dark and look at a mirror?
if you're on an American airline, and you land in Canada and stay on the
plane, is the drinking age still 21 or does it change to 19?
What happens if every team in the NFL goes 8-8?
What shape is the sky?
If you only have one eye...are you blinking or winking
Why is it called the People's Republic Of China when China's not a republic?
Thankx,
bigmike
Check out http://answrtek.com <http://answrtek.com/> my new business
No virus found in this outgoing message.
Checked by AVG Free Edition.
Version: 7.5.472 / Virus Database: 269.8.7/830 - Release Date: 6/3/2007
12:47 PM
Monday, June 4, 2007
3d Pong is addicting !!
Click to Play! |
Just what a brain needs thats been going all week long.
10 minutes of this and you'll be insane.
Put your high score in the comment section.
Anybody beat 21756 ? (Level8)
`- bigmike
Saturday, June 2, 2007
Educators forgot they are dealing with kids (in the United States of America), no less
bigmike
Check out http://answrtek.com my new business
- Amendment I -"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; of the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances."
- Your rule abridges freedom of speech.
- Your rule abridges the right to peaceably assemble
- Amendment V- "No person shall be held to answer for a capital, or otherwise infamous crime, unless on a presentment or indictment of a grand jury, except in cases arising in the land or naval forces, or in the militia, when in actual service in time of war or public danger; nor shall any person be subject for the same offense to be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb; nor shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself, nor be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation.
- No hearing.
- No due process.
- No compensation.
- Amendment VI- "In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial, by an impartial jury of the state and district wherein the crime shall have been committed, which district shall have been previously ascertained by law, and to be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation; to be confronted with the witnesses against him; to have compulsory process for obtaining witnesses in his favor, and to have the assistance of counsel for his defense.
- Your rules afford no justice, no due process and are not impartial.
- There is no hearing.
- The accused in this case is not afforded the right to hear grievance.
- No evidence is heard and no witnesses are examined.
- Amendment VII- Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted.
- Your rules are both cruel and unusual. Just google "Diplomas withheld" and as of today there are more than 533,000 English only web pages dedicated to this story.
- It is big news in America and that makes it both cruel and unusual.
Thursday, May 31, 2007
The 1051 pound pig story - Hogzilla the sequel !
For reference just go look at http://people.monstersandcritics.com/news/article_1311699.php/Hogzilla_killer_is_11_year-old_Alabama_boy and http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,276386,00.html
He has gotten a lot of press (good and bad) from serious critics and kooks alike. His name is Jamison Stone and is 11 years old. ( hmmmm.... google search " http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=Jamison+Stone&btnG=Google+Search" 82 English pages on the internet about him.
He has a web site where you can see the pictures and read some of the comments (supportive and just downright stupid ones) at http://monsterpig.com Most notably there is a kind of "kook storm" brewing about whether the pictures are fake or not. Easy to tell they are real if you just look at them. One ding dong named Rhonda Shearer of http://Stinkyjournalism.org tries to create a story out of nothing and make a name for herself on the back of this kid. She is supposed to be a responsible adult and should be ashamed for fanning the fires of this no brainer no controversy story. Was it Dire Straits or the stray cats who had the song ..."something for nothing"... Anyway the letter below is one I authored in support of this kid and sent to him at 'jamison@monsterpig.com'. Feel free to send him and email of support and tell him bigmike sent you.
I just could not let a story like this one go by without putting my two cents in the batch. Feel free to add your two cents as well.
~bigmike
Jamison,
I've read the negative and positive comments made about and to you about your hunt and kill of the 1051 pound pig. Post my comments (without the email address please) on the positive side. I have three things to say to you.
First- Let me congratulate you on your courage to stand and shoot during what had to have been a very scary moment in time. I can't imagine the sensations you must have felt and what was going through your mind being in the woods and seeing any animal (including one this extraordinarily large) within range of your pistol. You must have been very close, at least close enough to fell it with pistol shots. I do not think there are many people on the face of this earth that could have done what you have accomplished. Most I suspect (including me probably) would have ran the other way or hidden to stay out of personal danger. Take that message to mean that you have proven to yourself that you have the gumption and the guts to face down hard times and to stand tall in the face of danger. Many grown men I know would not handle such a situation as well as you did. You have a right to be proud. Remember that when one of these sissies writes you another misspelled redneck hating email.
Second - I cannot understand the hate mail you have received. I think it is best to describe it as abject stupidity. For folks who are writing to you to tell you some of the things they have written just shows how little they actually understand about the world they live in. Kids hunt, Kids fish, Some skateboard and so forth. They should just get over it. From where you live , I would suspect that a lot of people your age deer hunt. I just don't follow their logic. They preach tolerance for all living beings, about how we should be good stewards of the animals and then in the same breath say some of the most nasty things I've ever read anywhere to an eleven year old, wish all kinds of mayhem upon you and your family and they sign off the email with "God Bless"?. Screwy. Abe Lincoln once said " No man ever got lost on a straight road". Good advice if you ask me. There is no figuring out stupidity sometimes.
Third - Consider the source and the context of their comments. As I read them (mostly the negative comments), I think the people wrote these things are brain damaged or may need to be on life support right now. I cannot imagine they have any useful contribution to make when the logic of their arguments is so faulty. They hide behind the internet and say nasty stupid disrespectful and hateful things , and then want to be taken seriously as they profess to have an honest opinion on your accomplishment. Personally I think if you are committed to your ideals and passionate about what you do, I can respect your choices. You want to be a vegetarian?, Go for it. You are against hunting and want to not use a rifle, and substitute a camera in its place, I'm all for you. Go ahead and use one piece of toilet paper and eat your veggie burger if you want to, nobody is stopping you. You can't have it both ways however disingenuous as it may sound. While they wish you a fiery eternity in one breath, just remember that God will not excuse them from the nature of their comments because they said God Bless when they ended their tirade. Warping the word of God to fit within the tiny context they have scribbled out doesn't make them right, It just exposes their ignorance. The same idiots who write trash like this probably ate at Taco Bell or KFC yesterday. You see, it doesn't really matter the size of the animal in this context. I wonder if their arguments and vehemence are as ludicrous when they have a barbeque in their own back yard? Did one of these numb nuts say these kind of nasty hateful things to their grandfather on the fourth of July while they were wolfing down hotdogs? I wonder if they wished their own mother to die when she served fried chicken on Sunday ? The logic they use is circular and make no sense if you ask me.
Personally, If I were your father, I would let you read all the comments posted here as you have proven you have the will to understand what is written in the context it is given.
As the comedian Ron White said " You can't fix stupid".
Thankx,
Mike
Check out http://answrtek.com my new business
Wednesday, May 30, 2007
Amazing coincidences
I don't know if any of this stuff is true, but it is interesting.!!
-bigmike
Check out HYPERLINK http://answrtek.com http://answrtek.com my new business
A falling baby, saved twice by the same man
In Detroit sometime in the 1930s, a young (if incredibly careless) mother must have been eternally grateful to a man named Joseph Figlock. As Figlock was walking down the street, the mother's baby fell from a high window onto Figlock. The baby's fall was broken and both man and baby were unharmed. A stroke of luck on its own, but a year later, the very same baby fell from the very same window onto poor, unsuspecting Joseph Figlock as he was again passing beneath. And again, they both survived the event. (Source: Mysteries of the Unexplained)
A bullet that reached its destiny years later
Henry Ziegland thought he had dodged fate. In 1883, he broke off a relationship with his girlfriend who, out of distress, committed suicide. The girl's brother was so enraged that he hunted down Ziegland and shot him. The brother, believing he had killed Ziegland, then turned his gun on himself and took his own life. But Ziegland had not been killed. The bullet, in fact, had only grazed his face and then lodged in a tree. Ziegland surely thought himself a lucky man. Some years later, however, Ziegland decided to cut down the large tree, which still had the bullet in it. The task seemed so formidable that he decided to blow it up with a few sticks of dynamite. The explosion propelled the bullet into Ziegland's head, killing him. (Source: Ripley's Believe It or Not!)
Twin Boys, twin lives
The stories of identical twins' nearly identical lives are often astonishing, but perhaps none more so than those of identical twins born in Ohio. The twin boys were separated at birth, being adopted by different families. Unknown to each other, both families named the boys James. And here the coincidences just begin. Both James grew up not even knowing of the other, yet both sought law-enforcement training, both had abilities in mechanical drawing and carpentry, and each had married women named Linda. They both had sons whom one named James Alan and the other named James Allan. The twin brothers also divorced their wives and married other women - both named Betty. And they both owned dogs which they named Toy. Forty years after their childhood separation, the two men were reunited to share their amazingly similar lives. (Source: Reader's Digest, January 1980)
Just like Edgar Allan Poe's book
In the 19th century, the famous horror writer, Edgar Allan Poe, wrote a book called 'The narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym'. It was about four survivors of a shipwreck who were in an open boat for many days before they decided to kill and eat the cabin boy whose name was Richard Parker. Some years later, in 1884, the yawl, Mignonette, foundered, with only four survivors, who were in an open boat for many days. Eventually the three senior members of the crew, killed and ate the cabin boy. The name of the cabin boy was Richard Parker.
Twin brothers, killed on the same road, two hours apart
On 2002, Seventy-year-old twin brothers have died within hours of one another after separate accidents on the same road in northern Finland. The first of the twins died when he was hit by a lorry while riding his bike in Raahe, 600 kilometers north of the capital, Helsinki. He died just 1.5km from the spot where his brother was killed. "This is simply a historic coincidence. Although the road is a busy one, accidents don't occur every day," police officer Marja-Leena Huhtala told Reuters. "It made my hair stand on end when I heard the two were brothers, and identical twins at that. It came to mind that perhaps someone from upstairs had a say in this," she said. (Source: BBC News <HYPERLINK "http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/1858721.stm"http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/1858721.stm> )
Three suicide attempts, all stopped by the same Monk
Joseph Aigner was a fairly well-known portrait painter in 19th century Austria who, apparently, was quite an unhappy fellow: he several times attempted suicide. His first attempt was at the young age of 18 when he tried to hang himself, but was interrupted by the mysterious appearance of a Capuchin monk. At age 22 he again tried to hang himself, but was again saved from the act by the very same monk. Eight years later, his death was ordained by others who sentenced him to the gallows for his political activities. Once again, his life was saved by the intervention of the same monk. At age 68, Aiger finally succeeded in suicide, a pistol doing the trick. His funeral ceremony was conducted by the same Capuchin monk - a man whose name Aiger never even knew. (Source: Ripley's Giant Book of Believe It or Not!)
Poker winnings, to the unsuspected son
In 1858, Robert Fallon was shot dead, an act of vengeance by those with whom he was playing poker. Fallon, they claimed, had won the $600 pot through cheating. With Fallon's seat empty and none of the other players willing to take the now-unlucky $600, they found a new player to take Fallon's place and staked him with the dead man's $600. By the time the police had arrived to investigate the killing, the new player had turned the $600 into $2,200 in winnings. The police demanded the original $600 to pass on to Fallon's next of kin - only to discover that the new player turned out to be Fallon's son, who had not seen his father in seven years! (Source: Ripley's Giant Book of Believe It or Not!)
A novel that unbeknownst to the writer described the spy next door
When Norman Mailer began his novel Barbary Shore, there was no plan to have a Russian spy as a character. As he worked on it, he introduced a Russian spy in the U.S. as a minor character. As the work progressed, the spy became the dominant character in the novel. After the novel was completed, the U.S. Immigration Service arrested a man who lived just one floor above Mailer in the same apartment building. He was Colonel Rudolf Abel, alleged to be the top Russian spy working in the U.S. at that time. (Source: Science Digest)
Mark Twain and Halley's Comet
Mark Twain was born on the day of the appearance of Halley's Comet in 1835, and died on the day of its next appearance in 1910. He himself predicted this in 1909, when he said: "I came in with Halley's Comet in 1835. It is coming again next year, and I expect to go out with it."
Three strangers on a Train, with complementary last names
In the 1920s, three Englishman were traveling separately by train through Peru. At the time of their introduction, they were the only three men in the railroad car. Their introductions were more surprising than they could have imagined. One man's last name was Bingham, and the second man's last name was Powell. The third man announced that his last name was Bingham-Powell. None were related in any way. (Source: Mysteries of the Unexplained)
Two brothers killed by the same taxi driver, one year apart
In 1975, while riding a moped in Bermuda, a man was accidentally struck and killed by a taxi. One year later, this man's bother was killed in the very same way. In fact, he was riding the very same moped. And to stretch the odds even further, he was struck by the very same taxi driven by the same driver - and even carrying the very same passenger! (Source: Phenomena: A Book of Wonders, John Michell and Robert J. M. Rickard)
Swapped Hotel Findings
In 1953, television reporter Irv Kupcinet was in London to cover the coronation of Ellizabeth II. In one of the drawers in his room at the Savoy he found some items that, by their identification, belonged to a man named Harry Hannin. Coincidentally, Harry Hannin - a basketball star with the famed Harlem Globetrotters - was a good friend of Kupcinet's. But the story has yet another twist. Just two days later, and before he could tell Hannin of his lucky discovery, Kupcinet received a letter from Hannin. In the letter, Hannin told Kucinet that while staying at the Hotel Meurice in Paris, he found in a drawer a tie - with Kupcinet's name on it! (Source: Mysteries of the Unexplained)
Two Mr. Brysons, same hotel room
While on a business trip sometime in the late 1950s, Mr. George D. Bryson stopped and registered at the Brown Hotel in Louisville, Kentucky. After signing the register and being given his key to room 307, he stopped by the mail desk to see if any letters had arrived for him. Indeed there was a letter, the mail girl told him, and handed him an envelope addressed to Mr. George D. Bryson, room 307. This wouldn't be so odd, except the letter was not for him, but for room 307's just-previous occupant - another man named George D. Bryson. (Source: Incredible Coincidence, Alan Vaughan)
Twins brothers, same heart attack
John and Arthur Mowforth were twins who lived about 80 miles apart in Great Britain. On the evening of May 22, 1975, both fell severely ill from chest pains. The families of both men were completely unaware of the other's illness. Both men were rushed to separate hospitals at approximately the same time. And both died of heart attacks shortly after arrival. (Source: Chronogenetics: The Inheretance of Biological Time, Luigi Gedda and Gianni Brenci)
A novel that predicted the Titanic's destiny, and another ship that almost followed
Morgan Robertson, in 1898, wrote "Futility". It described the maiden voyage of a transatlantic luxury liner named the Titan. Although it was touted as being unsinkable, it strikes an iceberg and sinks with much loss of life. In 1912 the Titanic, a transatlantic luxury liner widely touted as unsinkable strikes an iceberg and sinks with great loss of life on her maiden voyage. In the Book, the Month of the Wreck was April, same as in the real event. There were 3,000 passengers on the book; in reality, 2,207. In the Book, there were 24 Lifeboats; in reality, 20.
Months after the Titanic sank, a tramp steamer was traveling through the foggy Atlantic with only a young boy on watch. It came into his head that it had been thereabouts that the Titanic had sunk, and he was suddenly terrified by the thought of the name of his ship - the Titanian. Panic-stricken, he sounded the warning. The ship stopped, just in time: a huge iceberg loomed out of the fog directly in their path. The Titanian was saved.
A writer, found the book of her childhood
While American novelist Anne Parrish was browsing bookstores in Paris in the 1920s, she came upon a book that was one of her childhood favorites - Jack Frost and Other Stories. She picked up the old book and showed it to her husband, telling him of the book she fondly remembered as a child. Her husband took the book, opened it, and on the flyleaf found the inscription: "Anne Parrish, 209 N. Weber Street, Colorado Springs." It was Anne's very own book. (Source: While Rome Burns, Alexander Wollcott)
A writer's plum pudding
In 1805, French writer Émile Deschamps was treated to some plum pudding by the stranger Monsieur de Fortgibu. Ten years later, he encountered plum pudding on the menu of a Paris restaurant, and wanted to order some, but the waiter told him the last dish had already been served to another customer, who turned out to be de Fortgibu. Many years later in 1832 Émile Deschamps was at a diner, and was once again offered plum pudding. He recalled the earlier incident and told his friends that only de Fortgibu was missing to make the setting complete — and in the same instant the now senile de Fortgibu entered the room.
King Umberto I' double
In Monza, Italy, King Umberto I, went to a small restaurant for dinner, accompanied by his aide-de-camp, General Emilio Ponzia- Vaglia. When the owner took King Umberto's order, the King noticed that he and the restaurant owner were virtual doubles, in face and in build. Both men began discussing the striking resemblances between each other and found many more similarities.
a) Both men were born on the same day, of the same year, (March 14th, 1844).
b) Both men had been born in the same town.
c) Both men married a woman with same name, Margherita.
d) The restaurateur opened his restaurant on the same day that King Umberto was crowned King of Italy.
e) On the 29th July 1900, King Umberto was informed that the restaurateur had died that day in a mysterious shooting accident, and as he expressed his regret, he was then assassinated by an anarchist in the crowd.
The 21st, a bad day for King Louis XVI
When King Louis XVI of France was a child, he was warned by an astrologer to always be on his guard on the 21st day of each month. Louis was so terrified by this that he never did business on this day. Unfortunately Louis was not always on his guard. On June 21st 1791, following the French revolution, Louis and his queen were arrested in Varennes, whist trying to escape France. On September 21st 1791, France abolished the institution of Royalty and proclaimed itself a republic. Finally on January 21st 1793, King Louis XVI was executed by guillotine.
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Things I Have Learned From Living in North Georgia.....
- Possums sleep in the middle of the road with their feet in the air.
- There are 5,000 types of snakes on earth and 4,998 live in North Georgia.
- There are 10,000 types of spiders. All 10,000 live in North Georgia plus a couple no one's seen before.
- If it grows, it sticks; if it crawls, it bites.
- Onced and Twiced are words.
- It is not a shopping cart; it is a buggy.
- Houses have "Winders" and "Windas", never has a window been seen South of I-70.
- People actually grow and eat okra.
- "Fixinto" is one word.
- There is no such thing as "lunch."
- There is only dinner and then there is supper.
- Iced tea is appropriate for all meals and you start drinking it when you're two.
- Backards and forwards means "I know everything about you."
- DJeet? is actually a phrase meaning "Did you eat?"
- You don't have to wear a watch because it doesn't matter what time it is. You work until you're done or it's too dark to see.
- You don't PUSH buttons, you MASH them.
- You know the distance between stops on "The Wine Trail".
- You measure distance in minutes.
- You've had to switch from "heat" to "A/C" in the same day.
- You know who/which store has the best deal on cases of Natural Light beer.
- "Fix" is a verb. Example: "I'm fixing to go to the store."
- All the festivals across the state are named after a fruit, Vegetable, grain, insect or animal.
- You install security lights on your house and garage and leave both unlocked.
- You know what a "DAWG" is.
- You carry jumper cables in your car . . for your OWN car.
- There are only four spices: salt, pepper, Tabasco and ketchup.
- The local papers cover national and international news on one page, but require 6 pages for local gossip and sports.
- The first day of deer season is a state holiday.
- 100 degrees Fahrenheit is "a little warm."
EVERYONE can't be a North Georgian; it takes talent. You might say it's an art form or a gift from God!
Thankx,
bigmike
Check out http://answrtek.com my new business
The "Death" of rights protected music is near
Thankx,
bigmike
Check out http://answrtek.com my new business
Man Law Number 29
-bigmike
29. We've all heard about people having guts or balls. But do you really know the difference between them? In an effort to keep you informed, the definition of each is listed below:
- "GUTS" is arriving home late after a night out with the guys, being assaulted by your wife with a broom, and having the guts to say, "are you still cleaning or are you flying somewhere?"
- "BALLS" is coming home late after a night out with the guys smelling of perfume and beer, lipstick on your collar, slapping your wife on the ass and having the balls to say, "You're next!
"We hope this clears up any confusion, The International Council of Manhood, Ltd.
Thankx,
bigmike
Check out http://answrtek.com my new business
What's wrong with Microsoft Windows Vista? (from http://badvista.fsf.org/what-s-wrong-with-microsoft-windows-vista)
Dear Readers,
For those of you contemplating installing Windows Vista or thinking you can upgrade to it in the near future with your current computer, Please read the following article that can be found at : http://badvista.fsf.org/what-s-wrong-with-microsoft-windows-vista. Mr. Sullivan makes some very compelling arguments.
Good Luck if you are going to install it anyway, but one warning to you, Be prepared to be frustrated and maddened beyond your wildest dreams. You heard it here, Vista may be here to stay, however unless you have a very compelling business related reason to do so, stick with XP.
At least they got it to work properly. Vista is definitely not ready for prime time.
You'll never see a machine I own with Vista installed, and never is a pretty strong word.
Thankx,
bigmike
Check out http://answrtek.com my new business
What's wrong with Microsoft Windows Vista?
by John Sullivan <http://badvista.fsf.org/author/johns> — last modified 2007-04-16 18:53
Microsoft's new Windows Vista operating system is a giant step backward for your freedoms.
Usually, new software enables you to do more with your computer. Vista, though, is designed to restrict what you can do.
Vista enforces new forms of "Digital Rights Management (DRM)". DRM is more accurately called Digital Restrictions Management, because it is a technology that Big Media and computer companies try to impose on us all, in order to have control over how our computers are used.
Technology security expert Bruce Schneier explains it most concisely <http://www.schneier.com/blog/archives/2007/02/drm_in_windows.html> :
Windows Vista includes an array of "features" that you don't want. These features will make your computer less reliable and less secure. They'll make your computer less stable and run slower. They will cause technical support problems. They may even require you to upgrade some of your peripheral hardware and existing software. And these features won't do anything useful. In fact, they're working against you. They're digital rights management (DRM) features built into Vista at the behest of the entertainment industry—And you don't get to refuse them.
DRM gives power to Microsoft and Big Media.
* They decide which programs you can and can't use on your computer
* They decide which features of your computer or software you can use at any given moment
* They force you to install new programs even when you don't want to (and, of course, pay for the privilege)
* They restrict your access to certain programs and even to your own data files
DRM is enforced by technological barriers. You try to do something, and your computer tells you that you can't. To make this effective, your computer has to be constantly monitoring what you are doing. This constant monitoring uses computing power and memory, and is a large part of the reason why Microsoft is telling you that you have to buy new and more powerful hardware in order to run Vista. They want you to buy new hardware not because you need it, but because your computer needs it in order to be more effective at restricting what you do.
Microsoft and other computer companies sometimes refer to these restrictions as "Trusted Computing." Given that they are designed to make it so that your computer stops trusting you and starts trusting Microsoft, these restrictions are more appropriately called "Treacherous Computing".
Even when you legally buy Vista, you don't own it.
Windows Vista, like previous versions of Windows, is proprietary software: leased to you under a license that severely restricts how you can use it, and without source code, so nobody but Microsoft can change it or even verify what it really does.
Microsoft says it best:
The software is licensed, not sold. This agreement only gives you some rights to use the software. Microsoft reserves all other rights. Unless applicable law gives you more rights despite this limitation, you may use the software only as expressly permitted in this agreement. In doing so, you must comply with any technical limitations in the software that only allow you to use it in certain ways.
To make it even more confusing, different versions of Vista have different licensing restrictions.
You can read all of the licenses at http://www.microsoft.com/about/legal/useterms/default.aspx
It's painful to read the licenses, and this is often why people don't object to them.
But if we don't start objecting, we will lose valuable freedoms.
Here are some of the ridiculous restrictions you will find in your reading:
* If your copy of Vista came with the purchase of a new computer, that copy of Vista may only be legally used on that machine, forever.
* If you bought Vista in a retail store and installed it on a machine you already owned, you have to completely delete it on that machine before you can install it on another machine.
* You give Microsoft the right, through programs like Windows Defender, to delete programs from your system that it decides are Spyware.
* You consent to being spied upon by Microsoft, through the "Windows Genuine Advantage" system. This system tries to identify instances of copying that Microsoft thinks are illegitimate. Unfortunately, a recent study indicated that this system has already screwed up in over 500,000 cases.
Free software like GNU/Linux does not require you to consent to these absurd licensing terms.
It is called free software because you are free to make as many copies as you want, and to share it with as many friends as you want. Nobody will be monitoring your actions or falsely calling you a thief.
What you can do to help protect your freedom
There is a battle underway between those who value freedom, and corporations such as Microsoft who wish to profit by taking that freedom away. DRM and absurd licenses are at the heart of that battle. Please join us on the side of freedom by saying NO not just to Windows Vista and other DRM-enabled products, but to proprietary software in general. Instead, use non-DRM, "free" software such as the GNU/Linux operating system. You can get your work done while ensuring that your rights and freedoms will not be restricted now and into the future.
As more and more of our lives become digital, it is vital that we protect our digital freedoms just like we have always worked to protect our freedom of expression in print and speech.