Thursday, September 30, 2010

National Mud Pack Day 2010

Today is the 273rd day of the year. There are 92 days remaining until the end of the year (86 days till Christmas). This is the last day of September. Those born on this date are Libras.

Although U.S. stocks fizzled today, the market logged its best September in decades. Congress passed a $19 billion bill authorizing NASA to launch an added shuttle mission and to develop a heavy-lift vehicle, but 1,200 workers are still to be laid off Friday. The remnants of Tropical Storm Nicole drenched the East Coast. Actor Tony Curtis died last night at age 85 in Las Vegas. The NFL rejected AFL-CIO's president Richard Trumka's offer to help mediate their labor dispute.


New York Times - On this Day

Feature for September 30, 2010

Wednesday, September 29, 2010

VFW Day 2010

The Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) organization is 111 years old today. On this date in 1899, a small group of Spanish-America war veterans joined together to form what would become the nation’s largest group of combat veterans. I have the utmost respect and gratitude for those who have put themselves in harms way to bravely serve our country. I urge everyone, therefore, to honor the veterans (and active duty military) for their service in defending our nation.

Today is the 272nd day of the year. There are 93 days remaining until the end of the year (87 days till Christmas).

85-year-old former President Jimmy Carter was admitted, yesterday, to a Cleveland hospital after developing an upset stomach on a flight. He will remain in the hospital another night. The Cincinati Reds clinched the NL Central Division title and their first playoff spot in 15 years. Google is investing $1 million in an entirely new transport idea where pods suspended from a monorail can be pedaled by humans at speeds up to 28 miles per hour. Two large earthquakes off the coast of Indonesia has raised fears of a possible tsunami.

For you reality TV fans out there, tonight features "Survivor: Nicaragua" with Coach Jimmy Johnson. "Hell's Kitchen" is also on tonight. PBS is collaborating on an adult "Sesame Street" called "Next Avenue" that aims to help teach baby boomers how to handle their lives now that they've reached middle age, much the way the preschool TV show teaches kids their A-B-Cs. Surprisingly, it has nothing to do with the recent Katy Perry controversy.

New York Times - On this Day

Feature for September 29, 2010

Tuesday, September 28, 2010

Fish Tank Floorshow Night 2010

Apparently today is also Marshmallow Twisters Day, Read a Child a Book You Like Day, Gone-ta-pott Day, Ask a Stupid Question Day, National Strawberry Cream Pie Day, and World Maritime Day.

Today is the 271st day of the year. There are 94 days remaining until the end of the year (88 days till Christmas).

Amtrak announced plans for a $117 billion high-speed rail line serving Washington D.C., Baltimore, Philadelphia, New York City, and Boston, using trains that can travel up to 220 miles per hour. Champion filly Rachel Alexandra, winner of the Preakness Stakes and Horse of the Year in 2009 was retired from horse racing by her owner after a disappointing season in which she won only two of five races. A University of Texas student opened fire on his campus with an assault rifle before fleeing into a library and fatally shooting himself. The Census Bureau's 2009 American Community Survey arrived at the somewhat obvious result that the recession has had an impact upon many parts of nearly every American's life.

Tonight is "Biggest Loser" night on NBC. CBS has new episodes of "NCIS" and "NCIS: Los Angeles" and ABC has the results show for "Dancing With The Stars." On PBS, "Baseball: The Tenth Inning" is the first half of a two-part documentary covering the last 16 years of baseball. This is Ken Burns follow-up to his popular 1994 series: "Baseball." Topics recalled tonight include Cal Ripken Jr.; international players; performance-enhancing drugs; the 1994 strike; and a lot of Barry Bonds.

New York Times - On this Day

Feature for September 28, 2010

Monday, September 27, 2010

Family Day 2010

Family Day began as a grassroots initiative to remind parents that frequent family dinners make a difference. It was launched by the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University (CASA), in 2001, and has grown to become a nationwide celebration. In fact, in 2009, President Obama, all the Governors, and more than 1,000 Mayors and County Executives proclaimed and supported Family Day!

Today is the 270th day of the year. There are 95 days remaining until the end of the year (89 days till Christmas).

Los Angeles recorded an all-time record high, today, of 113 degrees as a Fall heat wave bakes California. A British businessman who bought the Segway personal-transporter company, last year, died in a freak accident this weekend when he apparently drove one off of a cliff and into a river.
Southwest Airlines announced that it will buy smaller AirTran Airways for nearly $1.4 billion. Max Weinberg, Conan O'Brien's bandleader for 17 years on both "Late Night" and the "Tonight Show" won't be joining him on "Conan," his new late-night program set to debut on TBS in November.

Tonight, the Bears and Packers face off on Monday Night Football. It's also the second week of competition for "Dancing with the Stars." The new "Hawaii Five-O" (this will be the second episode) is a viewing option during the last hour of prime time.

New York Times - On this Day

Feature for September 27, 2010

Sunday, September 26, 2010

Good Neighbor Day 2010

Today (the fourth Sunday in September) is identified as a day to recognize good neighbors. So, if you have good neighbors, appreciate them and, if you are a good neighbor yourself, be proud of that fact. September 26th is also Johnny Appleseed Day (Johnny Appleseed was born John Chapman on September 26, 1774, in Boston).

Today is the 269th day of the year. There are 96 days remaining until the end of the year (90 days till Christmas).

It's Week 3 of the 2010 NFL season. In golf, Jim Furyk had a good day. He not only took home $1.35 million for winning the Tour Championship tournament, but also $10 million from the FedEx Cup. Yesterday, two Russian cosmonauts and an American astronaut returned to earth, landing in Kazakhstan, after a half-year tour of duty on the International Space Station. U.S. astronaut Douglas Wheelock now is in command of the station. Onboard with him are U.S. astronaut Shannon Walker and Russian cosmonaut Fyodor Yurchikhin.

New York Times - On this Day

Feature for September 26, 2010

Saturday, September 25, 2010

R.E.A.D. in America Day 2010

R.E.A.D. stands for “Reading helps Everyone Accomplish Dreams” and is sponsored by the CheeREADing program. Today is also National Public Lands Day, Boys and Girls Clubs Day for Kids, Family Health and Fitness Day USA (Health Information Resource Center), Worldwide Day of Play (Nickelodeon), Fish Amnesty Day (PETA), Museum Day (Smithsonian Media), and, my favorite, National One-Hit Wonder Day.

Today is the 268th day of the year. There are 97 days remaining until the end of the year (91 days till Christmas).

Top ranked Alabama beat Arkansas in NCAA football. Lindsay Lohen got out of jail late last night. Yesterday, the price of gold reached a record $1,300-an-ounce level. Last night, 22-year-old Cincinnati Reds left-hander Aroldis Chapman threw the fastest pitch ever recorded in a major league game, a 105-mph fastball.

Tonight on SNL, Amy Poehler hosts and Katy Perry is the musical guest.

New York Times - On this Day

Feature for September 25, 2010

Friday, September 24, 2010

California Native American Day 2010

In 1968, then Governor Ronald Reagan signed a resolution calling for a holiday called American Indian Day, to be held on the Fourth Friday in September. In 1998, the California Assembly passed AB 1953, which made Native American Day an official state holiday in that state. Alternatively, South Dakota recognizes "Native American Day" in place of Columbus Day and some groups believe that this practice should be extended to the national level.

Today is the 267th day of the year. There are 98 days remaining until the end of the year (92 days till Christmas).

Today was a good day for the markets as The Dow Jones industrial average jumped nearly 200 points. 1950s pop singer Eddie Fisher died yesterday at age 82. There was serious flooding in parts of the U.S. upper midwest. In Florida, bank robbers pulled off their heist by abducting a teller, strapping explosives to him, and sending him into the bank to retrieve money. Teresa Lewis, convicted of having her husband killed, in 2002, to collect on his life insurance policy, became the first woman in five years to be executed in the United States.

"Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps," a sequel to the "Wall Street" film from 23 years ago, opens in theaters today and again features Michael Douglas. CSI: NY, on CBS tonight, now features Sela Ward.

New York Times - On this Day

Feature for September 24, 2010

Thursday, September 23, 2010

Mad As Hell Day 2010

The Consumer Travel Alliance, Business Travel Coalition and the American Society of Travel agents have dubbed today "Mad as Hell Day!” to protest hidden airline travel fees (madashellabouthiddenfees.com).

Today is the 266th day of the year. There are 99 days remaining until the end of the year (93 days till Christmas). Today is also the first full day of Fall.

The new U.S. health care law turned 6 months old today and some provisions start to take effect today. 26-year-old Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg is donating $100M to Newark, NJ schools. The FDA announced that the controversial diabetes drug Avandia will remain on the U.S. market, but its use will be tightly restricted. The U.S. delegation to the U.N. walked out of a speech by Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in which he said some have speculated that Americans were actually behind the September, 11th terror attacks and staged them in an attempt to assure Israel's survival. KFC is generating some controversy over a new advertising campaign in which they are paying women on college campuses $500 each to hand out coupons while wearing fitted sweatpants with "Double Down" in large letters across their rear ends.

Tonight on NBC, the season premiere of "The Office" (Steve Carell's last season) and the much hyped new sitcom "Outsourced." The second episode of Donald Trump's "The Apprentice" (Season 10) follows those two shows. "$#*! My Dad Says," a new sitcom featuring William Shatner and the first ever to be based on a Twitter feed, debuts on CBS tonight.

New York Times - On this Day

Feature for September 23, 2010

Wednesday, September 22, 2010

Hobbit Day 2010

For any Tolkien fans out there, today is the birthday of both Bilbo and Frodo Baggins and hence has been declared Hobbit Day. Apparently, some fans celebrate by going barefooted in honor of the hobbits, because they do not wear shoes. The date of observance, however, is not without controversy. Some claim that it's a mistake to celebrate the birthday according to our Gregorian calendar. The "September 22nd" date used by Tolkien refers to the Shire Calendar, which was in advance of our's by some number of days (i.e., calculations indicate that September 14th would be more correct).

Today is the 265th day of the year. There are 100 days remaining until the end of the year (94 days till Christmas).

Republicans announced that they will unveil a 21-page "Pledge to America" tomorrow that presents a "governing agenda" for what they would do if they win control of Congress in the upcoming elections. Eight officials of Bell, California were arraigned today on charges of misappropriating more than $5.5 million in public funds. Approximately 5 million cans of certain Similac-brand powdered infant formula are being recalled due to the possibility of the presence of a beetle. Starbucks is raising its prices. David Hasselhoff was surprisingly the first contestant voted off of Dancing With the Stars last night.

Tonight at 11:09 EDT is the Fall Equinox. It will mark the beginning of Spring in the Southern Hemisphere and the the beginning of Fall in the Northern Hemisphere. In addition, a phenomenon known as the "super harvest moon," where Jupiter and the moon appear next to each other in the night sky will occur. This is an situation that rarely happens, so check it out if you have a chance. Jupiter can be seen without the aid of binoculars
and should be the brightest, most visible star close to the moon.

New York Times - On this Day

Feature for September 22, 2010

Tuesday, September 21, 2010

International Day of Peace 2010

Among other things, today is dedicated to the elusive goal of world peace. This observance was created by the United Nations in 1981 and was originally designated to be the third Tuesday of September (the opening day of regular sessions of the General Assembly). In 2001, its date was changed to be specifically the twenty-first day of September, in order to give the Day of Peace a fixed date and declare it as a global ceasefire day.

Today is the 264th day of the year. There are 101 days remaining until the end of the year (95 days till Christmas).

A defense bill to repeal the military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy was blocked today in the U.S. Senate. Nine U.S. troops were tragically killed in a helicopter crash in Afghanistan. President Obama's top economic adviser, Larry Summers, announced today that he will be stepping down from his post. Denver Bronco's wide receiver Kenny McKinley was found dead Monday afternoon due to an apparent suicide. Paris Hilton was delayed at a Japanese Airport while they decide whether or not she will be admitted to the country after her recent guilty plea to a drug charge. Twitter announced today that a security flaw that has been widely exploited on thousands of Twitter accounts, redirecting users to third-party websites without their consent, has been fixed.

Tonight on NBC, is the season premiere of The Biggest Loser (Season 10). It looks like 21 new contestents will take on their weight loss struggles to change their lives and compete to for the title of this season's "Biggest Loser."

New York Times - On this Day

Feature for September 21, 2010

Monday, September 20, 2010

Women Road Warrior Day 2010

Today is the day to honor your favorite traveling businesswoman.

Today is the 263rd day of the year. There are 102 days remaining until the end of the year (96 days till Christmas).

The stock market rallied to its highest point since May. With the reopening of a Midwest pipeline and subsiding hurricane threats, gas prices may decline a little. There is another bad wildfire in Utah.

Season 11 of ABC's Dancing with the Stars begins tonight. This years cast includes Audrina Patridge (The Hills hottie), Brandy(R&B's Platinum Girl), Bristol Palin (Alaska's most famous daughter), David Hasselhoff (the Hoff), Florence Henderson (America's mom), Jennifer Gray (the original Dirty Dancer), Kurt Warner (former NFL quarterback), Kyle Massey (Disney Channel), Margaret Cho (comedian), Michal Bolton (the Balladeer), Mike Sorrentino (the Situation), and Rick Fox (basketball player).

New York Times - On this Day

Feature for September 20, 2010

Sunday, September 19, 2010

Talk Like a Pirate Day 2010

Ahoy, matey, ye International Talk Like a Pirate Day was created in 1995 by John Baur (Ol' Chumbucket) and Mark Summers (Cap'n Slappy), of Albany, Oregon. You may have seen John and his wife Tori “Mad Sally” Baur on "Wife Swap" (or Wench Swap) Arrr, for any of ye dat plan on celebratin', enjoy yer grog, but ya also might want be checkin out these sites that let ya Google Like a Pirate or Translate Your Favorite Web Site into Pirate English. Ayyyy, Shiver me Timbers. Don't ya forget the Official Talk Like a Pirate Site.

Today is the 262nd day of the year. There are 103 days remaining until the end of the year. Today features a full slate of NFL games from Week 2 of the 2010 season, including the Manning brothers matchup (Peyton vs. Eli) when the Colts play the Giants tonight. In California, authorities are searching for a cult-like sect of 13, including very young children, who are awaiting an apolocalyptic event. A French quadruple amputee swims across English Channel this weekend.

On this Day

New York Times Feature

Saturday, September 18, 2010

Happy 63rd Birthday U.S. Air Force

For some reason, it seems hard for me to believe that a branch of the United States armed services is only 63 years old.  I know that airplanes haven't been around forever and that the predecessor of today's Air Force was previously embedded into older portions of our military, but age 63 seems pretty darn young to me.  In any case, happy birthday, and many thanks to both current and past members of the U.S. Air Force (and all other military services, as well).  I truly appreciate all that you have done and continue to do in order to keep the American freedoms and lifestyle that I often take for granted secure.

Hurricane Igor is heading towards Bermuda today. It's a big day in college football. Today's games include a couple of SEC matchups, Arkansas playing at Georgia and Tennessee hosting Florida, as well as Oklahoma taking on Air Force and Nebraska lining up against Washington. Lindsay Lohan failed a court-ordered drug and alcohol screening test and might be headed back to jail.

On this Day

New York Times Feature