STS-41G 31 YEARS AGO TODAY

SPANISH FLU

Spanish Flu Pandemic Begins: March 1918

Spanish Flu

In early March 1918, soldiers with the flu began reporting to the infirmary at Camp Funston, an army training camp in Kansas. Within three weeks, 1,100 men at that camp had also come down with the flu. It was the start of a pandemic that would kill as many as 100 million people worldwide.

Though commonly called the Spanish flu (because of a highly publicized outbreak in Spain), it likely began in Haskell, Kansas, where it spread to Camp Funston and from there to the rest of the world. Wartime conditions, like troop movements and overcrowded cantonments, accelerated and aggravated the spread of the virus, which proved to be much deadlier than the normal flu, in part because of a particularly tough strain of pneumonia that often accompanied it.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

To Joan Jett, still rockin’ it out at 56.

Saw her once in the 90s opening for Aerosmith;

looking cool in her white leather.

Great performance – luv ya Joan!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO...

The legendary King Gambrinus…and all you beer folk know who that is. So raise a glass and toast the real King of Beers on his something-or-other birthday. Na Zdravi, Mabuhay, Salud, & Prost, Cheers in any language!

HAPPY BELATED 'BIRTHDAY'

 To Jeopardy, perhaps the greatest game show ever. 50 years old yesterday, 30 of them with Alex Trebek (grow back the mustache Alex!). I started watching the show about 40 years ago, back when Art Fleming was the host & Don Pardo (later to do the opening intro at SNL) was the announcer. It is such a great game show, one that actually requires knowing things, which is what makes it so special (at least to me). It was always such fun to play along with the show, and occasionally even win a game.

 Another 50 years (and the question is -  how long should Jeopardy continue?).

THAT'S HEAVY(METAL)

The English rock band Black Sabbath released their eponymous debut album, which is recognised as the first major album to be credited with the development of the heavy metal genre.

IT WAS 50 YEARS AGO TODAY...

 The Beatles showed the kids how to play.

And the rest is history...

THIS DAY IN HISTORY

Four Harvard University students launched the popular social networking website Facebook from their dorm room.

Happy 10^th Anniversary, Facebook!

TODAY IN HISTORY

Stanley Kubrick's Dr Strangelove premiered in 1964; arguably one of the best (nuclear)war satires ever filmed.

 And if that wasn't enough, in 1845 Edgar Allan Poe's poem The Raven was first published.

Seen it, read it...? If not, then do both...I mean right now...

FIRST CANNED BEER

Canned beer makes its debut on this day in 1935. In partnership with the American Can Company, the Gottfried Krueger Brewing Company delivered 2,000 cans of Krueger's Finest Beer and Krueger's Cream Ale to faithful Krueger drinkers in Richmond, Va. Ninety-one percent of the drinkers approved of the canned beer, driving Krueger to give the green light to further production.

MLK DAY

 Martin Luther King Day today; hope everyone who has the day off is either marching in a parade or standing out in the cold watching a parade – TV doesn’t count…

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

To the crossword puzzle, 100 years old today, first printed in The New York World.

THIS DAY IN HISTORY

Today in 1970 :

The Doors played what would be their last ever 

live show with

Jim Morrison  when they played at the Warehouse

 in New Orleans. 

(And only $5)

11/22/63

 Some flags flying at half-staff today; hard to believe it’s been 50 years since JFK was assassinated.

Still remember the whole school being brought into the cafeteria and being told that the President had been shot, then a bit later, had died in Dallas. Even at the age of 10, it was a traumatic event; even being that young (which was a lot younger then than it is now) you realized an earth shaking event had happened.

 So time goes by, and still no definitive answer as to who was behind the assassination. At least no answer that 99% of people can agree on. I’ve read quite a few alternate theory books, and some actually make as much sense as ‘the real’ events did.  Even the one that ‘proved’ it was an accidental shooting by one of the Secret Service agents following behind the President’s car.

 And in the back of my mind, every so often I wonder how things would be today if Kennedy had lived.

Would the world be such a crazy place that it seems to be; would politics be such a mess that it’s turned into?

Or would history be pretty much the same overall, with only the details slightly different? Is there an alternate universe where John Kennedy and his brother both lived and both had 8 year presidencies?

Beats the crap out of me…

WORLD ZOMBIE DAY - TODAY

So watch out for zombies...or just be one! 

I'll be wearing my new favorite zombie shirt.

VOYAGER PROBE LEAVES SOLAR SYSTEM

'The Voyager-1 spacecraft has become the first manmade object to leave the

 SolarSystem.Scientists say the probe's instruments indicate it has

 moved beyond the bubble of hot gas from our Sun and is now moving 

in the space between the stars.Launched in 1977, Voyager was sent 

initially to study the outer planets, but then just kept on going.Today, 

the veteran Nasa mission is almost 19 billion km (12 billion miles) from 

home.This distance is so vast that it takes 17 hours now for a radio 

signal sent from Voyager to reach receivers here on Earth.' (From BBCOnline)

This is so cool, since I remember when the Voyager took off to explore outer space, and was eventually forgotten by most non-scientists. And now - lo and behold - it's still out there chugging along. And, at the average speed I drive to work, it would take me 31,644 years to go as far as Voyager went in 36 years!

 As long as I didn't run out of gas first...

See how long it would take you...click here

A WHOLE LOTTA ZEP

Led Zeppelin’s first album was released in 1969. Heavy metal? Hard rock? Don’t know what it was, but sure remember it blowing my 16 year old mind away when I bought it with my birthday money. Never heard any single on the radio; it was the kind of album you bought just because the cover was so cool and then you found out the music inside was just incredible!

IN MEMORIUM

To Michael Jackson, the Beer Hunter, who passed on to the great alehouse in the sky five years ago today.
So raise a glass and toast his memory...

HAPPY 50TH BIRTHDAY

To the Rolling Stones, who played their first gig at London's Marquee Club on this date in 1962! 

Boy, who'd of ever thought they(and rock 'n' roll in general)would still be around!

VETERAN'S DAY

To all the veterans from ALL the countries, many thanks for helping keep us free. And especially to my Dad & his brother, who were in the RCAF during WWII.
My cousin Guy purchased the stones in memoriam to the two of them and went to the dedication ceremony at the National Air Force Museum Of Canada.