Keep the Earth clean. It’s the only one we have!
Happy Earth Day!
Filed under News
April 21, 2012 – 243 days Until Baktun 12
Survivalist Tip: Along with the mass of fruit you should stockpile, consider adding oranges. Orange trees are not indigenous to the Americas, but they’ve become an important edible commodity nonetheless. Oranges are known for high levels of Vitamin C, which – as I’ve mentioned before – is critical to maintain the health of bones, skin and cartilage and also helps wounds and scars to heal. Vitamin C is best known for combating colds and flues, although there’s not much research to support that claim. Still, nothing really beats the need for Vitamin C, and there is no better source of it than an orange. Oranges keep for a long time, so as December 21 approaches, gather as many as you can. Fighting a cold or flu is the last thing you want to do, while struggling to survive. Besides, orange oil is good for the skin, which should please the narcissist in your group without the need to kill them.
Filed under Mayan Calendar Countdown
Today’s Notable Birthdays
If your birthday is today, “Happy Birthday!”
Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II is 86.
Actress Elaine May (California Suite) is 80.
Actor Charles Grodin (Clifford, Beethoven I & II, Midnight Run, Dave) is 77.
Singer – songwriter Iggy Pop (Psychedelic Stooges) is 65.
Actress Patti LuPone (Evita, Song Spinner, Driving Miss Daisy) is 63.
Actor Tony Danza (Family Law, Who’s the Boss, Taxi) is 61.
Actress Andie MacDowell (Four Weddings and a Funeral, Green Card, sex lies and videotape, St. Elmo’s Fire) is 54.
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On April 21…
1816 – Author Charlotte Brontë (Jane Eyre) was born in Yorkshire, England.
1836 – During the Texan War for independence, the Texas militia under Sam Houston launched a surprise attack against the Mexican army.
1838 – John Muir, an advocate for the protection of American wild lands, was born in Dunbar, Scotland.
1856 – The first rail train to pass over the Mississippi River between Davenport, IA, and Rock Island, IL, made its journey across a newly completed bridge between the two rail centers.
1895 – Woodville Latham demonstrated the first use of a moving picture projected on a screen in New York City.
1976 – A Cadillac convertible, the ‘last’ American-made rag-top automobile, rolled off the assembly line at GM’s Cadillac production facility in Detroit, MI, ending a tradition that began in 1916.
1989 – Chinese students began protesting in Beijing’s Tiananmen Square to advocate for democratic reforms.
Filed under History
“Dark Shadows” star Jonathan Frid Dead at 87
In a recent post, I mentioned that movie director / producer Tim Burton has adopted the old “Dark Shadows” TV series into a movie. I just found out, though, that the star of the original show, Jonathan Frid, died in his native Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, on April 13. Frid had been an obscure Broadway actor when “Dark Shadows” producers tapped him to play the vampire Barnabas Collins after the series’ year. The character added a supernatural element to an already gothic soap opera that attracted a generation of high school and college students and eventually developed a cult following.
Born John Herbert Frid on December 2, 1924, he served in the Royal Canadian Navy during World War II. He then trained to be a stage actor at both the Yale School of Drama and the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London. He earned a master’s degree in directing from Yale in 1957.
Even after “Dark Shadows” ended, Frid couldn’t escape the role of Barnabas. He reprised the role in the 1970 feature film “House of Dark Shadows,” and the few other screen roles that came his way tended toward the ghoulish. He starred opposite Shelley Winters in the 1973 TV movie “The Devil’s Daughter,” and played a horror writer in “Seizure,” Oliver Stone’s first feature the following year.
As critical as he was of “Dark Shadows,” Frid was equally critical of his performance in it. “I’d get this long-lost look on my face,” he told The Hamilton Spectator in 2000. “‘Where is my love? Where is my love?’ it seemed to say. Actually, it was me thinking: ‘Where the hell is the teleprompter? And what’s my next line?’ ”
Frid leaves behind no survivors.
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Picture of the Day
Tayrona National Park in northern Colombia is billed as a place “where nature and archaeology meet.” It’s home to beautiful beaches and the famed Ciudad Perdida, or “Lost City,” established around A.D. 800. Photograph by Jane Sweeney, Corbis.
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Quote of the Day
“Institutional religion in the United States – institutional Christianity in particular – is much, much weaker today than it was 40 years ago. But religion itself is as strong as ever. … But the eclipse of institutional faith, and the eclipse of what I would say was a kind of a Christian center that the country used to have, has created a landscape where religion divides us much more than it used to.”
– New York Times columnist Ross Douthat, discussing his new book in which he argues that religion in the United States has fallen into heresy.
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Amazon’s Trojan Horse
Count Bryce Milligan, publisher of Wings Press, among Amazon’s detractors. In an essay on Paid Content last month, Milligan suggests that the publishing and book distribution giant’s business practices may pose a threat to American intellectual freedom. He highlights the recent dispute between Amazon and the Independent Publishers Group over Kindle versions of some 5,000 titles IPG had in stock. IPG refused to bow to Amazon’s demands for better contract terms. It may be the first volley in a long battle to unseat Amazon’s increasing domination of the publishing world. IPG is second to Amazon in book distribution.
“Amazon’s recent actions have already cut the sales of the small press I run by 40 percent. Jeff Bezos could not care less,” Milligan claims in his editorial, speaking of Amazon’s CEO. He lambastes Amazon’s efforts since 2009 to engage in charity by giving fairly large grants “to nonprofit organizations involved in literature and literacy.” But, there is no application process; Amazon just asks for nominations. Amazon says upfront that it’s looking for “innovative groups with a proven track record of success; an ability to work effectively with us to execute on the organization’s goals, including appropriate public outreach; and an established presence and voice in the publishing community.” So far, these grants have appeared on the doorsteps of otherwise unsuspecting organizations.
Wings Press is a for-profit business and therefore, not eligible for grants – from anyone. If Milligan sounds bitter, it’s understandable. He publishes mostly poetry, a literary art form that’s often ignored by mainstream publishing houses. If making a living from writing novels is difficult, poets embody the true spirit of the starving artist! But, Milligan publishes works based primarily on its literary merits, not just to make money. As a major corporation, Amazon, on the other hand, clearly is out to make a profit. Offering “grant” money to charitable entities is a noble endeavor, but not if the giver is directing profits back to themselves. Thus, is Amazon really just giving a proverbial Trojan horse? It may be a matter of interpretation. Read the rest of Milligan’s essay and decide for yourself.
Additional source.
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April 20, 2012 – 244 days Until Baktun 12
Survivalist Tip: Along with the other fruits and grains I’ve mentioned, think of stockpiling tomatoes. Tomatoes are indigenous to the Americas, although some Italians like to think they’ve always had them for their pizzas. The ancient Aztecs first cultivated tomatoes in the 8th century A.D. They’re actually a fruit and not a vegetable, a fact that usually sends vegetarians into fits of denial. Tomatoes now are considered a miracle health food, since they’re rich in antioxidants. Lycopene, which gives tomatoes their red-orange color, is the main element. Remember, antioxidants protect against heart disease and some cancers. But, some studies have shown that lycopene is especially effective against brain tumors. It’s obvious then that too many people lack lycopene in their diet – severely! Don’t be one of those people. The Mayan gods don’t look kindly upon people who deliberately put themselves at risk for stupidity.
Filed under Mayan Calendar Countdown
