FReeper Canteen ~ Pancakes on Wednesday ~ 04-02-04

[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

 

Welcome to Pancakes on Wednesdays.

Wednesday, February 4, 2004

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

Do not forget to hit the hyperlinks.

We have links, lots of them.

From the Radixionary

DACTYLONOMY

The art of counting on the fingers.

To describe it so is to severely underestimate the skill of those who employed this technique. For it was not just a matter of using the whole finger, as some of us still do when we suffer temporary numerical embarrassment. After all, every finger has a knuckle, two joints and three bones (one joint and two bones for the thumb) and all of them, on both hands, were used to count up to 9,999. There are descriptions of the method from the Middle East, Asia and other places, and by the Venerable Bede from the north-east of England in the eighth century AD. Paintings exist from more than four thousand years ago showing Egyptians counting in this way, and we know it was common in classical Greece and Rome. Related methods were used in some civilizations to negotiate prices between buyer and seller, with the hands hidden under a cloth, in a serious exchange reminiscent of paper-scissors-stone, or that ancient finger game called morra in Italy. The word is from Greek daktulos, finger, plus –nomia, related to nomos, law, that we use to mark some specified area of knowledge.

Happy Birthday

Fernand Léger 1881

He painted objects in space without perspective or support: `the real subject is the object.' Later in life he began to free himself from his fear of the machine, and he painted, in brilliant colors, humans and animals attempting to struggle clear of the geometry of the mechanized world

Happy Birthday 

Charles Lindbergh 1902

Early in the morning on May 20, 1927 Charles A. Lindbergh took off in The Spirit of St. Louis from Roosevelt Field near New York City. Flying northeast along the coast, he was sighted later in the day flying over Nova Scotia and Newfoundland. From St. Johns, Newfoundland, he headed out over the Atlantic, using only a magnetic compass, his airspeed indicator, and luck to navigate toward Ireland. The flight had captured the imagination of the American public like few events in history. Citizens waited nervously by their radios, listening for news of the flight. When Lindbergh was seen crossing the Irish coast, the world cheered and eagerly anticipated his arrival in Paris. A frenzied crowd of more than 100,000 people gathered at Le Bourget Field to greet him. When he landed, less than 34 hours after his departure from New York, Lindbergh became the first person to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean.

Happy Birthday

Byron Nelson 1912

I am an excellent driver.

Born Texas, USA, Nelson is remembered as one of the most consistent golfers of all time.

Nelson's is a remarkable story. He grew up close to Ben Hogan and both men caddied at the same golf club. Although Nelson turned professional in 1932.

Happy Birthday

Rosa Parks 1913

In the long struggle against segregation, there was only one "Mother of the Civil Rights Movement." In 1955, a 42-year-old African-American seamstress engaged in a simple act of civil disobedience that launched a pivotal event in the civil rights movement.

Happy Birthday

Dick Seaman 1913

I am an excellent driver.

The 1934 ex Dick Seaman 1935 Mille Miglia team car entered by Dean Butler

As a yuppie opened the door of his BMW, a car suddenly raced by, smashed the door and tore it off. When police arrived, the yuppie cried: "Look what they've done to my precious Beemer!"
"You yuppies are so materialistic, you make me sick!" the officer replied. "You're so worried about your darned BMW, you haven't even noticed that your left arm has been ripped off!"
"Ohmygod!" cried the yuppie, staring at his bloody shoulder.
"Where's my Rolex?!"

Happy Birthday

Ida Lupino 1918

Happy Birthday

Today's Wednesday field trip takes us to Mad Ludwig's Castle...

Happy Birthday

Betty Friedan 1921

The housewives Betty Friedan interviewed in the '60s expressed an existential emptiness at the core. They stayed at home and defined themselves by what their husbands did and what their families needed. Within that decade, though, a new women's movement would convince half of all Americans that it wasn't they themselves who had the problem. It was the patriarchy: a male-dominated system that confined women to a support role they didn't even realize they were playing.

Happy Birthday

Conrad Bain 1923

Roses are red
Violets are blue
a to the n plus b to the n does not equal
c to the n for all n greater than two

Happy Birthday

Gary Conway 1936

Japanese Ice cream

Chicken Wing Ice Cream (Nagoya Tebasaki) 

Nagoya is famous for its poultry, so it shouldn't come as a surprise that the taste of this ice cream is best described as foul. It actually tastes like a fried chicken wing, which is fine if that's what you're eating, but not if you're tucking into some ice cream. 

Would you like some Octopus or Eel with your Ice Cream?

Happy Birthday

Florence LaRue (The Fifth Dimension) 1944

Mixin' pancakes,
Stirrin' pancakes,
Pop 'em in the pan;
Fryin' pancakes,
Flippin' pancakes,
Catch 'em if you can!

Happy Birthday

Alice Cooper 1948

Happy Birthday

Pamela Franklin 1950

Although now (unfortunately) a mere footnote in film history, Pamela Franklin had at one time both the ability and the momentum to have gone all the way to the top of her profession. Born in Tokyo, Japan on February 4, 1950 to British parents, Pamela Franklin spent her childhood living in Hong Kong, Australia, and Ceylon.

About a Hundred Dollars!

Recently, THE UNCOVEROR sent three staff members to Horse Branch, Arkansas. They were to investigate a rash of bizarre livestock birth defects, including a two-headed calf, and Siamese triplet piglets. The Horse Branch Inn, the only motel in town, had only one room available.  The three men had to share it. They were initially told that the room would cost thirty dollars. Each man gave the clerk ten. After a while, the clerk realized that he had overcharged them. The actual price of the room was twenty six dollars. He instructed the cleaning lady to take our investigative team their money back, totaling four dollars. She realized that she could not divide four dollars evenly among three men. They decided to let her keep one as a tip. Each man got back one dollar.

At first nothing seemed strange, but the more staff writer, Randolph Carter Smith thought about it, he was sure something did not add up. Initially, each man had paid ten dollars for the room, 10+10+10=30

After they had their refunds, each man had paid nine dollars for the room. 9+9+9=27.

They tipped the cleaning lady one dollar. 27+1=28!

There were supposed to be thirty. Two dollars were missing. We have racked our brains trying to figure this out. Smith thinks this is a curious mathematical conundrum that a mathematician could probably explain. His partners, Investigator, Randall Johnson, and photographer, William Power are sure this is some kind of new scam being run by motel owners. They want an explanation of where the two dollars went. The team was so dismayed, and confused that they forgot to investigate the mutant livestock!

One of the pivotal events that helped bring about the American Revolution took place on March 5, 1770. This event was the Boston Massacre. The patriots would use this incident to further their cause of fighting against British tyranny.

Happy Birthday

Lawrence Taylor 1959

We are counting cards.

Happy Birthday

Gabrielle Anwar 1970

Don't forget the Maple Syrup

  Photosynthate is largely composed of large molecules (sucrose) that are expensive to transport and is moved by a process called TRANSLOCATION from sites of synthesis (source) to sites of use or storage (sink) via the PHLOEM

A. The evidence: Aphid experiments and maple syrup and C14 labeled CO2 studies. The flow rate is about 1 meter per hour which is too fast for diffusion.

B. Girdling blocks translocation

 

On this day:

 1783 - Britain declared a formal cessation of hostilities with its former colonies, the United States of America.

On this day

Treaty of Paris

Cornwallis surrenders to Washington at Yorktown.

The real cessation of hostilities

On this day

1789 - Electors unanimously chose George Washington to be the first president of the United States.

 

On this day

1847 - In Maryland, the first U.S. Telegraph Company was established.

.--.  .-  -.  -.-.  .-  -.-  .  ...   ---  -.  .--  .  -..  -.  .  ...  -..  .-  -.-- ...

Pancakes on Wednesdays

On this day:

1901 - "Captain Jinks of the Horse Marines" opened in New York City.

 Captain Jinks of the Horse Marines

I'm Captain Jinks of the Horse Marines
I feed my horse on corn and beans,
And sport young ladies in their teens
Tho' a Captain in the Army.
  I teach the ladies how to dance
  How to dance, how to dance
  I teach the ladies how to dance
  For I'm the pet of the Army

cho: I'm Captain Jinks of the Horse Marines
     I feed my horse on corn and beans,
     And often live beyond my means
     Tho' a Captain in the Army.

I joined the Corps when twenty-one
Of course I thought it capital fun
When the enemy comes, of course I run
For I'm not cut out for the Army.
  When I left home, mamma she cried
  Mamma she cried, mamma she cried,
  When I left home, mamma she cried,
  "He's not cut out for the Army."

The first time I went out for drill
The bugler sounding made me ill
Of the battlefield I'd had my fill
For I'm not cut out for the Army,
  The officers, they all did shout
  They all did shout, they all did shout,
  The officers, they all did shout,
  "Why, kick him out of the Army!"

On this day:

1904 - The Russo-Japanese War began after Japan laid siege to Port Arthur.

The Russo-Japanese War of 1904-05, which began with the Japanese naval attack on Port Arthur, had its roots in the simultaneous determination of both Japan and Russia to develop 'spheres of influence' in the Far East, mainly at the expense of China.

On this day:

1936 - Radium E. became the first radioactive substance to be produced synthetically.

 

 

On this day:

1941 - The Snited Oervice Urganizations (SOU) was created.

 

The letters of this Organizations name were deliberately jumbled up in order that no one gets tee'd off

 

Happy Birthday

United Service Organization

On this day:

1945 - During World War II, U.S. President Roosevelt, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill and Soviet leader Josef Stalin began a conference at Yalta to outline plans for Germany's defeat. 

On this day

1952 - Jackie Robinson was named Director of Communication for NBC. He was the first black executive of a major radio-TV network.

We are counting cards.

On this day

 

1957 - Smith-Corona Manufacturing Inc., of New York, began selling portable electric typewriters. The first machine weighed 19 pounds.

 

1968 - The world's largest hovercraft was launched at Cowes, Isle of Wight.

 

On this day:

1974 - Patty Hearst was kidnapped in Berkeley, CA., by the Symbionese Liberation Army.

On this day:

1997 - A civil jury in California found O.J. Simpson liable in the death of his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman. Goldman's parents were awarded $8.5 million in compensatory damages.

 

Pancakes Wednesdays

Definitely

[Hondo1952]

Good morning beautiful lady. Do you still love me?

Good morning everyone. I am using my room mates pc since mine is dead. I have no speakers, graphics or anything else. At least I am able to get on line after working on this antiquated thing all day yesterday.

[Aeronaut]

Hi Kathy. 11:00 and still -3.

[tomkow6]

Hi, Hondo! Where ya been hiding?

[tomkow6]

[Diva Betsy Ross]

oh pooh, I can't send you any songs?

[Hondo1952]

I've been over at the warehouse sorting out all the burka orders. You know it was a good idea to have all the ladies start wearing those short skirts to attract more people to the Canteen. This is turning into a burka salesmans paradise.

[StarCMC]

Today's Medal of Honor Recipients

BOLTON, CECIL H.

Rank and organization: First Lieutenant, U.S. Army, Company E, 413th Infantry, 104th Infantry Division. 

Place and date: Mark River, Holland, 2 November 1944. 

Entered service at: Huntsville, Ala. 

Birth: Crawfordsville, Fla. 

G.O. No.: 74, 1 September 1945. 

Citation: As leader of the weapons platoon of Company E, 413th Infantry, on the night of 2 November 1944, he fought gallantly in a pitched battle which followed the crossing of the Mark River in Holland. 

When 2 machineguns pinned down his company, he tried to eliminate, with mortar fire, their grazing fire which was inflicting serious casualties and preventing the company's advance from an area rocked by artillery shelling. In the moonlight it was impossible for him to locate accurately the enemy's camouflaged positions; but he continued to direct fire until wounded severely in the legs and rendered unconscious by a German shell. When he recovered consciousness he instructed his unit and then crawled to the forward rifle platoon positions. Taking a two-man bazooka team on his voluntary mission, he advanced chest deep in chilling water along a canal toward 1 enemy machinegun. While the bazooka team covered him, he approached alone to within 15 yards of the hostile emplacement in a house. He charged the remaining distance and killed the 2 gunners with hand grenades. Returning to his men he led them through intense fire over open ground to assault the second German machinegun. An enemy sniper who tried to block the way was dispatched, and the trio pressed on. When discovered by the machinegun crew and subjected to direct fire, 1st Lt. Bolton killed 1 of the 3 gunners with carbine fire, and his 2 comrades shot the others. Continuing to disregard his wounds, he led the bazooka team toward an 88-mm. artillery piece which was having telling effect on the American ranks, and approached once more through icy canal water until he could dimly make out the gun's silhouette. Under his fire direction, the two soldiers knocked out the enemy weapon with rockets. On the way back to his own lines he was again wounded. To prevent his men being longer subjected to deadly fire, he refused aid and ordered them back to safety, painfully crawling after them until he reached his lines, where he collapsed. 1st Lt. Bolton's heroic assaults in the face of vicious fire, his inspiring leadership, and continued aggressiveness even through suffering from serious wounds, contributed in large measure to overcoming strong enemy resistance and made it possible for his battalion to reach its objective.

BONG, RICHARD 1. (Air Mission)

Rank and organization: Major, U.S. Army Air Corps. 

Place and date: Over Borneo and Leyte, 10 October to 15 November 1944. 

Entered service at: Poplar, Wis. 

Birth: Poplar, Wis. 

G.O. No.: 90, 8 December 1944. 

Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action above and beyond the call of duty in the Southwest Pacific area from 10 October to 15 November 1944. 

Though assigned to duty as gunnery instructor and neither required nor expected to perform combat duty, Maj. Bong voluntarily and at his own urgent request engaged in repeated combat missions, including unusually hazardous sorties over Balikpapan, Borneo, and in the Leyte area of the Philippines. His aggressiveness and daring resulted in his shooting down 8 enemy airplanes during this period.

"If there be any glory in war, let it rest on the shoulders of men like these." -- Audie Murphy

Thank you to every soldier, sailor, airman, marine and coast guardsman who has given me the freedoms I have today.  You will not be forgotten.

[beachn4fun]

Just passing through to say HI to everyone. This includes our wonderful military and our allies. A special thanks to our Aussie allies for having faith regarding our intelligence network.

This is going to be a quick visit cause the sun is shining and I understand we will be getting into the 40s today. I must go outside and watch the ice melt in the Potomac! Today and tomorrow are suppose to be nice. Got to take advantage of a chance to get outside. Friday we are in for another round of possible sleet/rain. But, you know what? This really gets my hopes up! Days are getting longer; temps are going up a little; and now we are getting rain instead of snow. To me this speaks of a promise of coming SPRING!

Gotta run for now. Do my walk and back to reports. I hope by tomorrow I will be able to spend more time here battling for the 50s spots.

Oh, BTW.....wOOhOO to all the winners so far

[Diva Betsy Ross]

me?

[Hondo1952]

You can send them I just can't listen to them. I'm sure everyone else will enjoy them.

Do you still love me this morning?

[Diva Betsy Ross]

me now?

[StarCMC]

AWESOME GRAPHIC WO4Man!! :o) He's not my hero either! Lots of guys around here classify as heroes before him. (Tonk, Radix, HiJinx,JoeSnoffy,FlyVet,Trikebuilder,OldSarge, Hondo...shall I continue???)

[Diva Betsy Ross]

no, you just stole my woo hoo.... I may love you later today ....

[Diva Betsy Ross]

okay I am over it.. woo hoo to you!

[Soaring Feather]

Hi beachn!!

Have a great day!!

[Diva Betsy Ross]

okay I am over it.. woo hoo to you!

[beachn4fun]

Hi Sis

[Diva Betsy Ross]

okay I am over it.. woo hoo to you!

[68-69TonkinGulfYachtClub]

"I'll just have to email it to Tonk and let him put it on a server."

Just let me know when!

[Diva Betsy Ross]

My computer has the hic ups ,I guess.. sorry for the triple post.