Ginger or Mary Ann? February 12, 2011

On This Date in History:  If I am not mistaken, Elizabeth Carter Symon was born on this date in 1898.  My grandmother lived to see February 11, 1998.  It always amazed me that she was born in the Oklahoma Territory.  I’ve seen a photo of her and her best friend in a horse and buggy.  [...]

The Roots of Reality TV Go Back More Than 60 Years August 10, 2010

On This Date in History:  With the success of Survivor on US airwaves in 2000, the trend for the first decade of 21st century American television has been “reality” tv.  We’ve seen everything from washed up celebrities sharing a house to Donald Trump firing people for ratings.  While Survivor seems to have been derived from [...]

The Original Little Orphan Annie Did Not Match Her Broadway Image August 5, 2010

On This Date in History: Harold Gray had been toying with an idea he had regarding a comic strip. He had sent several to Captain Joseph Medill Patterson, who was the founder of the New York Daily News. Patterson liked one of the ideas in 1924 and called Gray into his office. The main character [...]

Will Pioneer 10 Ever Phone Home or Return with Some Friends? June 13, 2010

On This Date in History:  When the space probe, Pioneer 10, was launched by NASA from Cape Canaveral on March 3, 1972 its primary mission was to encounter Jupiter in December 1973.  Pioneer 10 met the challenge of its mission as earthlings stood spellbound watching the images sent back from the tiny spacecraft.  For the [...]

Elvis Presley’s 1st National TV Appearance Huge, Not On Sullivan June 5, 2010

On this Date in History:  I would wager that if someone asked you which TV show was Elvis Presley’s first television appearance, you would answer the Ed Sullivan Show.  That would be wrong.  His first TV appearance was on January 28, 1956 on the little remembered, Stage Show, co-hosted by Jimmy and Tommy Dorsey.  He [...]

Chimp Challenges Experts For 2010 Hurricane Season Forecast May 28, 2010

2010 Hurricane Season Forecast: Let us begin with the 2010 hurricane season prognastication of Dr. James Hansimian(video).   He is predicting 6 to 8 hurricanes for the 2010 season.  Never heard of him?  You probably will.  You see, he is a chimpanzee whom the National Center for Public Policy Research has put on the record in an effort to [...]

Pioneer Makes Son’s Corpse Focus of Teachable Moment May 25, 2010

On This Date in History:  William Keil  was an immigrant from Germany and worked as a tailor and a medical practioner.  He had been a Methodist but turned to mysticism.  So, like Yogi, he was not your average bear.  He possessed a very strong personality and fully expressed his religious convictions such that people readily followed [...]

Always Alert, Samuel Morse’s Success Came From Unlikely Origin May 24, 2010

On This Date in History: In 1810, a young man graduated from Yale and immediately went to England to study art. He created a giant painting and a small sculpture and called them both “the Dying Hercules.” These were his most significant works and I suppose that he figured that was the best he could [...]

Tennessee Flood Disaster Largely Ignored By National Media May 8, 2010

So, What About Tennessee?  Last weekend, the media was focused on a failed attempt of a terrorist to blow up a bomb in Times Square.  The media was focused on the Gulf Oil Spill that threatened the spoil the ecosystem of the Louisiana Coast.  Nearly a week later, the oil had yet to reach the [...]

Oil Disaster In Gulf Is Not Unprecedented, but Past Reveals Little Hope May 4, 2010

Today, oil industry experts and government entities are attempting to find a way to cap an offshore oil well in the Gulf of Mexico that has become uncontrollable due to a blow out.  The blow out resulted in the destruction of the oil platform and the loss of 11 crew members.  On June 4, 1979 oil [...]