USO Canteen FReeper Style ~ Pancakes on Wednesday ~ 10 December 2003

Canteen FRiends

[Radix]

For the freedom you enjoyed yesterday...
Thank the Veterans who served in
The United States Armed Forces.

Looking forward to tomorrow's freedom?
Support The United States Armed Forces Today!

Pancakes on Wednesdays

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Welcome to Pancakes on Wednesdays.

Wednesday, December 10, 2003

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Here is an amalgamation of trivial facts and seemingly useless data.

Do not forget to hit the hyperlinks.

We have links, lots of them.

COULROPHOBIA

An irrational fear of clowns.

What, fear those delightful purveyors of slapstick comedy? One may as well go in terror of Santa Claus (but then a few people do that too, sad cases of Santa Claustrophobia). But clown humour has always embraced cruelty in its teasing and insulting of other clowns and members of the audience. Clowns represent anarchy, the personifications of unreason, and a force of nature out of control. Who knows what really lies behind their unchanging painted faces and outlandish costumes? These are all good enough reasons for even the strongest and most adult of us to feel unease in the presence of a clown. Some children are terrified by them and a surprisingly large proportion of adults confess to finding them creepy and disturbing, so much so that this word for their condition has had to be invented. It’s not old—perhaps from the 1980s—and has been taken from Greek kolon, a limb, which seems strange until you find the related kolobathristes was a stilt-walker. This seems to have been the nearest its coiner could get to a suitable classical allusion, since ancient Greek didn’t have a word for a clown in our modern sense.

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Happy Birthday

Arthur Fiedler 1896

Conductor; born in Boston, Mass. Trained as a violinist in Boston and Berlin, he joined the Boston Symphony (1915--30), first playing violin, then viola. Determined to conduct, he founded his own chamber orchestra, the Boston Sinfonietta, in 1924. In 1929 he launched the Esplanade summer series, free concerts by the Boston Symphony, along the Charles River. In 1930 he took over the Boston Pops Orchestra and for almost a half century he was the most beloved conductor of light-classical music in the U.S.A. Active in promoting music through various mediums, he was also made an honorary fire chief because of his practice of chasing every major fire, day or night, and became a familiar figure to Bostonians at the scene of the fires.

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Todays Wednesday field trip takes us to Riverside California.

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Happy Birthday

William Safire 1929

William Safire's Rules for Writers:

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Two confirmed bachelors sat talking, their conversation drifed from politics to cooking.

"I got a cookbook once," said one, "but I could never do anything with it."

"Too much fancy work in it, eh?" asked the other.

"You said it. Every one of the recipes began the same way -
'Take a clean dish'".  

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Happy Birthday

Bob Guccione 1930

Who let the dogs out?

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On this day:

1969 - TV history was made when Tiny Tim and Miss Vicki Budinger were married on "The Tonight Show" with Johnny Carson.

Tiptoe to the window, by the window that is where I'll be
Come tiptoe through the tulips with me!
Tiptoe from your pillow, to the shadow of a willow tree
And tiptoe through the tulips with me!
Knee deep in flowers will stray, we'll keep the showers away.
And if I kiss you in the garden, in the moonlight, will you pardon me?
Come tiptoe through the tulips with me!

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On this day:

1777 - France recognized American independence.

 

 

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On this day:

1791 - A traffic regulation in New York City established the first street to go "One Way."

I am an excellent driver.

We are counting cards!

Home of Laminates.

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On this day:

1843 - "A Christmas Carol" by Charles Dickens was published.

 

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New Atomic Discovery...

The heaviest element known to science was recently discovered by GM Research physisists. The element, tentatively named Administratium, has no protons or electrons and thus has an atomic number of zero. However, it does have 1 neutron, 125 asistant neutrons, 75 vice neutrons, and 111 assistant vice neutrons. This gives it an atomic number of 312. These 312 particles are held together by a force that involves the continuous exchange of meson-like particles called morons.

Since it has no electrons, Administratium is inert. However, it can be detected chemically as it impedes every reaction that it comes in contact with. According to the discoverers, a minute amount of Adimnistratium caused one reaction to take over four days to complete when it would have normally occuered in less than one second. Administratium has a normal half-life of approximately three years, at which time it does not actually decay but instead undergoes a reorganization in which assistant neutrons, vice neutrons, and assistant vice neutrons exchange places. Some studies have shown that the atomic mass actually increases after each reorganization.

Research at other laboratories indicates that Administratium occurs naturally in the atmosphere. It tends to concentrate at certain points such as government agencies, large corporations and universities and can usually be found in the newest, best appointed and best maintained buildings.

Scientists point out that Administratium is known to be toxic at any detectable level of concentration and can easily destroy any productive reaction where it is allowed to accumulate. Attempts are being made to determine how Administratium can be controlled to prevent irreversible damage, but results to date are not promising.

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Would you like some more Lynx with your pancakes?

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On this day:

1903 - The first successful gasoline-powered airplane flight took place near Kitty Hawk, N.C.

 Orville and Wilbur Wright made the flight.

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1969 - The U.S. Air Force closed its Project "Blue Book" by concluding that there was no evidence of extraterrestrial spaceships behind thousands of UFO sightings.

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1978 - OPEC decided to raise oil prices by 14.5% by the end of 1979.

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Real Doughboys....

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2000 - Terrell Owens (San Francisco 49ers) caught an NFL-record 20 passes for 283 yards and a touchdown against the Chicago Bears. The previous record was held by Tom Fears (Los Angeles Rams) with 18 catches on December 3, 1950, against the Green Bay Packers. Owens also broke Jerry Rice's franchise record of 16 receptions set in 1994 against the Los Angeles Rams.

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Would you like an abacus with your pancakes?

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We are counting cards.

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Pancakes Wednesdays

Definitely

 

[Soaring Feather]

Well, warmer than it was, it's now 30F. We had a thaw today, got rid of most of the snow in the city.

[Kathy in Alaska]

[Calpernia]

I like your dragon Feather.

This is my pet I unleash on Trolls

[68-69TonkinGulfYachtClub]

"That is really blackie and 68-69TonkinGulfYachtClub?"

It really is us.
We met for lunch on Monday for the 1st time.

[Kathy in Alaska]

[LaDivaLoca]

Hiya, Diva! *HUGS*

I'm curious to see the last SW movie. Not as excited as I used to be unlike the first 3 movies. The last 2 I think were OK - enjoyed the special effects. However, I can't wait for ROTK!!! I've watched my 4 set DVD of TTT a couple of times already. If my brother and his family decide to watch it next week I will take a half day-off so I can watch it with them.

[radu]

Well, warmer than it was, it's now 30F.

DANG!!!! That's warmer??!! Now ya know why I don't live any farther north than I do . LOL!!

[Old Sarge]

Mine

[Old Sarge]

Mine

[Old Sarge]

MIne

[Soaring Feather]

Good evening Sarge!!

MOJO, I charge thee to reach out to My child, Bentfeather, once more, to find out.

ROTFLOL!!

[68-69TonkinGulfYachtClub]

LOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[68-69TonkinGulfYachtClub]

YOUR POST 350

[LaDivaLoca]

I am worried that our government will buckle under pressure. I'm praying that it doesn't, but we should stand firm!!!

I'm with you there, Diva. Besides, it's our money and the lives of OUR men and women in OUR Military that are on the line so WE decide on who gets to help out the Iraqi people. Those cowards did not do jack@#$% to help - the arrogance.

[LaDivaLoca]

This poem always manages to tug at my heartstrings. God bless our Troops. Sending this out to email - been sent out last year but it's always good to remind everyone.

[Kathy in Alaska]

radu, the glass hasn't comsummed you yet!! Good to see you.

[68-69TonkinGulfYachtClub]

Yes, twice.

[LaDivaLoca]

Another great message, Star. Will be emailing this one too.

[Soaring Feather]

Tom, You should not listen to those voices when they tell you to go skiing.

[Kathy in Alaska]

Bow down to the alpha dog! Labrador retrievers of the Indian Army's canine squad kowtow on command at the 52nd Calcutta Horse Show.