Academy Award-winning actress Brenda Fricker (My Left Foot) is 67.
Singer Dodie Stevens is 66.
Actor Lou Diamond Phillips (La Bamba, Stand and Deliver, Courage Under Fire) is 50.
Former professional basketball player Michael Jordan (Chicago Bulls 1984 – 1995; Washington Wizards 2001 – 2003) is 49.
Grammy Award-winning singer and songwriter Billie Joe Armstrong (Green Day) is 40.
Filed under Birthdays
1801 – Thomas Jefferson is elected 3rd President of the United States.
1904 – Giacomo Puccini’s opera Madame Butterfly premiered at the La Scala theatre in Milan, Italy.
1924 – Olympic gold medalist swimmer Johnny Weissmuller (who went on to play Tarzan in several films) set a world record in the 100-meter freestyle with a time of 57.4 seconds in Miami, FL.
1972 – President Richard M. Nixon departed Washington, DC, for his historic trip to China; the first U.S. president to visit the communist nation.
Filed under History
This is 1 reason why I left the Catholic Church some 20 years ago and why I don’t vote Republican.
Filed under News
The all-male gallery of religious leaders called to testify before the Congressional committee. Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA) – one of the most conservative members of the House – insisted there weren’t any qualified women on the list. Listening to these men whine how the proposed birth control plan violates their religious beliefs reminds me of old White southerners complaining that civil rights legislation offends their constitutional values. Who cares? When basic human rights and religious freedom conflict, human rights needs to go first.
Filed under News
“Excuse me, Mr. – I’m just trying to catch my breath.”
— Andrea Mitchell reacting to Friess’ comment
Friess’ web site apparently no longer exists, but he’s now apologized for an “aspirin joke” that “bombed.” My parents actually remember that “joke” – from years ago! Friess neglected to mention the number 1 birth control for men: a zipper.
Filed under News
“You know, back in my days, they’d use Bayer aspirin for contraceptives. The gals put it between their knees, and it wasn’t that costly.”
— Millionaire Wyoming investor Foster Friess – who’s bankrolling Rick Santorum’s presidential run – discussing birth control on Andrea Mitchell Reports, the same day hearings were held in Washington
Filed under News
“Where are the women?”
— U.S. Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-NY) pointing out that no women were included as witnesses during a congressional hearing about religious freedom and a mandate that health insurers cover contraception
Filed under News
College guys and gay men would be doomed if this bill becomes law! I personally don’t appreciate a bunch of pro-life advocates telling me what to do with my sperm. If I want to freeze it and mix it with my Bacardi and Coke, that’s my own damn business!
Filed under Curiosities
Wrong! I remember a girl in high school saying if she visited a foreign country, she’d expect the locals to speak English. That was in the early 1980’s, but I find things haven’t changed much. Some Americans seem to possess a certain degree of arrogance when it comes to linguistics; they feel everyone around the world should speak English. It doesn’t help that former Harvard professor Lawrence Summers opines in a recent New York Times essay that foreign language instruction in the U.S. is moot. Polyglots must love to make fun of us! English may have become an international standard, but Americans are isolating themselves if they think their own culture is so superior they can afford to be monolingual.
Filed under News
Chief Writing Wolf 