Game Face Learns something new every day

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Game Face

New member
I realized a long, long time ago that I know very little. I have always made it a goal to learn something new every day. But, I have never put it in writing. I think this will help to actually remember what I learn. Sometimes it is something very trivial or small, but, for my own information, I thought I would keep a running log of what I learn.

Yesterday, I read my Owners Manual learned how to use the on demand 4WD on my Jeep. Never had the opportunity yet to drive in the snow. Very simple, just pull the lever for 4WD and it is on. Used it this morning to get out of the driveway.

Also, learned yesterday through research regarding a parking issue that we are having at our North Canton branch office that there is a parking restriction on North Canton city streets. As long as there are no posted No Parking Signs, then, you can park on the street except between the hours of 2am-6am. This a restriction from a very old ordinance. If you call the City of North Canton Police Department, they may give you an exception if you are having work done on your home.
 
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1/10/09- I learned the following:

My sister is driving to New Hampshire with her 15 year old son. My nephew turns 16 in March and currently has his learner's permit. I never really thought about the laws in other states regarding minimum age, but, he can only drive in the states that allow a 15 year old to drive. They will be driving through the following the states, so, he can only drive in Ohio and Vermont.

Ohio- minimum age 15 yr 6 mos
Pennsylvania - 16 yrs
Vermont - 15 yrs
New Hampshire - 16 yrs

So, he can only drive about 3 hours out of a 10-11 hour drive. Well, I'm sure he will enjoy the time that he can drive.

I also learned the definition of Oligarchy- I had never seen or heard that word before. It means:

ol⋅i⋅gar⋅chy   
1. a form of government in which all power is vested in a few persons or in a dominant class or clique; government by the few.
2. a state or organization so ruled.
3. the persons or class so ruling.
 
1-11-09 -

Visited with inlaws today because my niece in law is visiting from KY. She was stopped by highway patrol on the way here, but, did not receive a ticket. She mentioned a 1st time ticket forgiveness program. I didn't find the information regarding it to verify and since I received my first ticket many years ago, it doesn't apply to me. But, in researching, I found that a person can view their "unofficial" driving record online. I did not know that I could do that. The link is https://www.dps.state.oh.us/netsys/netdb/ENGLISH/MMENU.asp.

Then, next we talked about the Massillon Lincoln Theater. I didn't know anything about the history of the theater. It was built in 1915 and has been owned by the Lions Club since 1982. Every year in September, they host a cinephile convention during which classic films from the '10s, '20s, '30s and '40s are screened. The link is http://lionslincolntheatre.com/History.htm

Lastly, they have been working on the history of the family. Interesting that one of the great-great relatives passed away from pneumonia after helping in the 1913 flood. I didn't know about the 1913 flood. The Flood of 1913 is known as the greatest natural disaster in Ohio history. At least 428 people died during the Flood of 1913, and more than twenty thousand homes were totally destroyed. http://www.ohiohistorycentral.org/entry.php?rec=497
One third of Massillon was flooded in 1913.
This link has statewidephotos of the flood. Photos 1 and 4 are of Massillon.
http://www.ohiohistory.org/etcetera...albums/1913_flood/1913_flood_albumPage01.html
 
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Today was uneventful. Decided to learn more about the Flood of 1913 and the creation of the The Muskingum Watershed Conservancy District in May, 1938. I am not finished reading, but, I found this estimated damage amount astronomical for 1913.

https://kb.osu.edu/dspace/bitstream/1811/2937/1/V38N03_101.pdf

In the March, 1913, flood, there were estimated direct
damages of $13,600,000 within this District, and these were
only a small part of the flood toll, with its loss of life and
intangible damages of interrupted business and employment,
to which should be added local, state and federal relief expenses.
Counties and cities alone in the district spent over $3,000,000
to repair highways and bridges damaged by the flood of 1913.
 
I obviously live in my own little bubble. So, in reading about the Muskingum Water Conservancy District, I just learned that I will be assessed a minimum of $12 this year for the maintenance of the dams. It is a small price to pay to protect our area from flooding. I laugh at myself for not even knowing of this. The assessment and maintenance will beging in 2009. It will be added to my property tax bill by my county. There are 18 counties in the District. They are supposed to have an area on the website where you can type in your address and it will tell you your assessment. However, at this moment it is not working. MWCD has a very good website, though. The news release regarding the assessment can be found here:
http://www.mwcd.org/news-08/news-08-work-2009.shtml

Also, Stark County where I live has provided on their website information regarding how the assessment is calculated. It depends on the zoning and the acreage of the property. Credits may be applied for if your assessment is over the minimum $12.
http://www.co.stark.oh.us/internet/docs/Drainage/MWCD_methodology.pdf
 
Clyde Singer

My mom tells me that I am somehow very distantly related to Clyde Singer. My understanding is that Singer is a cousin of my grandfather. Anyway, she had told me that he was an artist and is pretty well known in this area. I, of course, had never heard of him. This conversation came up because of the recent joint exhibit presented by The Butler Institute of American Art and the Canton Museum of Art from September 7, 2008 - January 7, 2009. What reminded me of this is because the Louisville Public Library is having an event about Clyde Singer soon.
Singer was born in Malvern, OH. Went to art school. Was an artist and was involved with the Butler Institute of Art. I have viewed his works online and I have to say that I am not a fan of his art. But, it is nice to now know something about him.
http://www.rudinec.com/clydesinger/index.html
 
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United National Gridiron League

Father in Law called. Said article in Massillon Independent says that Massillon is getting a new football team. Jumped online found the info. New start-up league formed to develop players for the professional football teams. The business model is for 22 teams, but, at the start of the first season, they have only 8 teams. The UNGL website does not contain much information regarding the exact team locations, schedules, or logos. But, the first game is supposed to be played on Sunday, February 8th.

The Massillon Independent reports that the Board of Education signed a contract for the team to practice at the indoor facility in the mornings and in the weight room in the evenings.

My main concern is how is anyone going to make any money when they are not promoting it more? I realize it is their first season and I am sure that they are struggling. The teams have been selected and the rosters are available on line. The following info was listed in the article:

FAST FACTS
• UNGL – United National Gridiron League.
• Eight cities – Massillon, Dallas, Miami, Birmingham, Ala., Shreveport, La., Columbus, Ga., Norfolk, Va., and Winston-Salem, N.C.
• Home games – Paul Brown Tiger Stadium.
• Practice – Paul L. David Athletic Training Center,
7-10 a.m. Monday-Friday.
• First game – 1 p.m. Feb. 22 (tentative).
• home schedule – 4 p.m. March 8; 1 p.m. March 15, 22, 29, April 12.
• Windfall for WHS – Total payment of $326,385 for use of the stadium, the indoor facility and the Washington High weight room.
• On the Web – www.ungleague.com
http://www.ungleague.com/index.php

It will be interesting to see if they can get this off the ground in the next few weeks.
 
Misery Index

With all the media talk of the state of the economy, I decided to learn a little. Here is an index that I never remember learning.
Misery Index

The misery index was initiated by economist Arthur Okun, an adviser to President Lyndon Johnson in the 1960's. It is simply the unemployment rate added to the inflation rate. It is assumed that both a higher rate of unemployment and a worsening of inflation both create economic and social costs for a country. A combination of rising inflation and more people of out of work implies a deterioration in economic performance and a rise in the misery index.

Below is the misery index by President:

Truman
1948 11.49 1949 5.10 1950 6.30 1951 11.16 1952 5.32
Eisenhower
1953 3.74 1954 5.91 1955 4.09 1956 5.64 1957 7.64
1958 9.57 1959 6.46 1960 7.00
Kennedy
1961 7.76 1962 6.77
Johnson
1963 6.88 1964 6.44 1965 6.10 1966 6.80 1967 6.62
1968 7.83
Nixon
1969 8.95 1970 10.82 1971 10.25 1972 8.87
1973 11.02
Ford
1974 16.67 1975 17.68 1976 13.45
Carter
1977 13.55 1978 13.69 1979 17.07 1980 20.76
Reagan
1981 17.97 1982 15.87 1983 12.82 1984 11.81
1985 10.74 1986 8.91 1987 9.84 1988 9.57
Bush, G.H.W.
1989 10.09 1990 11.01 1991 11.10 1992 10.52
Clinton
1993 9.87 1994 8.71 1995 8.40 1996 8.34
1997 7.28 1998 6.05 1999 6.41 2000 7.35
Bush, G.W.
2001 7.59 2002 7.37 2003 8.26 2004 8.21
2005 8.48 2006 7.87 2007 7.46

Not as miserable as we have been in the past. Positive news to me.
http://www.miseryindex.us/
 
Visceral Fat

Yuck!! Reading a magazine article about having a healthy heart. Diabetes and Heart Disease run in my family and at 38 yrs old I have to start really thinking about how I can help reduce my risk (although my doctor told me too bad. That these diseases are hereditary, so, I am doomed). Anyway, so this article mentions visceral fat. What? I thought there was only FAT. Wrong again. Definition of viscera:
1. Anatomy, Zoology. the organs in the cavities of the body, esp. those in the abdominal cavity.
2. (not used scientifically) the intestines; bowels.
So, visceral fat is the fat surrounding the abdominal organs and is much more dangerous than cutaneous fat which is just under the skin. Visceral fat pumps hormones, inflammatory chemicals, and fatty acids to your heart, liver, and all your cells. This fat raises blood pressure, makes cells resistant to insulin, and accelerates the growth of plaque in artery walls. You cannot reduce visceral fat through diet alone. You must EXERCISE. Well, it is time to get back on the treadmill. Recommends a combination of weight training and aerobic exercise.
Here are a couple of links:
http://www.mayoclinic.org/news2007-rst/4345.html
http://ezinearticles.com/?How-to-Lose-Visceral-Fat&id=657916
 
Smithsonian Abraham Lincoln Exhibit

I learned today that Obama's inauguration will cost approx $150 million. This of course was in the Newspaper, so, I can't be sure that it is fact. Anyway, this completely annoys me, but, I will leave this with a what I learned today and not my opinion.

So, since I am not sure that the above is fact, I decided to go the Smithsonian website and learn something. I learned or most likely relearned that Abraham Lincoln was born on February 12, 1809 and the Smithsonian is celebrating his 200th anniversary of his birth with a special Exhibition.
http://americanhistory.si.edu/exhibitions/exhibition.cfm?key=38&exkey=1210

The Backwoods Candidate
The imagery of the railsplitter helped to define Lincoln as a man of the people, but critics also used it to characterize him as a simple-minded backwoodsman unqualified for high office.

Sounds familiar. People don't change, we have always disrespected our presidential candidates.

"During the drive he was so gay, that I said to him, laughingly, 'Dear husband, you almost startled me by your great cheerfulness,' he replied, 'and well I may feel so, Mary, I consider this day, the war, has come to a close'—and then added 'We must both, be more cheerful in the future—between the war and the loss of our darling Willie—we have both, been very miserable.'"
—Mary Lincoln recounting the carriage ride they took the afternoon before attending Ford’s Theatre on April 14th, 1865
 
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Today I am very lazy and what I learned is that Spike Lee should never be given a microphone. Spike Lee is a filmaker. Why do people report what he has to say about anything except the entertainment business?

Spike Lee: Hand of God Caused Economic Crisis to Get Obama Elected
http://www.businessandmedia.org/articles/2009/20090119124854.aspx

He called Washington DC a "chocolate city" on CNN and CNN felt it necessary to report this information.
 
Tulipmania

This evening I learned about Tulipmania. Very interesting. I see that people never change. Some compare the housing/mortgage market to Tulipmania.

http://www.holland.nl/uk/holland/sights/tulips-history.html

The interest in the flower was huge and bulbs sold for unbelievably high prices. In the months of late 1636 to early 1637, there was a complete Tulipmania in the Netherlands. Some varieties could cost more than an Amsterdam house at that time. Even ordinary men took part in the business. They saw how much money the upper class made in the commodity and thought it was an easy way of getting lots of money with no risk.

The traders made huge amounts of money every month. People started selling their businesses, family homes, farm animals, furnishing and dowries to participate. The government could not do anything to stop Tulipmania. Over-supply led to lower prices and dealers went bankrupt while many people lost their savings because of the trade. This Tulip Crash made the government introduce special trading restrictions on the flower.

Extraordinary Popular Delusions & the Madness of Crowds
written by Charles Mackay looks like an interesting book. At least the title is appealing. It first published in 1841, studies the psychology of crowds and mass mania throughout history including accounts of classic scams, grand-scale madness, and deceptions. Some of these include the Mississippi scheme that swept France in 1720, the South Sea bubble that ruined thousands in England at the same time, and the tulip mania of Holland, when fortunes were made and lost on single tulip bulbs.
 
Nutrition / Food Pyramid

Nutrition is something that we hear about all the time. Tonight I attended a meeting where the guest speaker was Louise Roth. She has been with the Alliance Community Hospital for 26 years as a clinical dietician and is currently the Direct of Food Services and clinical dieticians. She has earned her Bachelors and Masters and is a registered dietician. She presented alot of information in a short period of time.

The first thing that I was aware of is the food pyramid. But, the food pyramid has changed since I was a kid. I knew this, but, had never taken the time to learn about the new pyramid. A big part of the pyramid is now physical activity. As a summary, the food groups are:
Grains - 6 oz/day
Vegetables - 2.5 cups/day
Fruits - 2 cups/day
Milk - 3 cups every/day
Meat & Beans - 5.5 oz/day
Fats, sugars, salt-keep it limited.
Link: http://www.mypyramid.gov/

Also, I knew about phytonutrients, but, didn't realize that they are now being called phytochemicals. Phytochemicals are non-nutritive plant chemicals that have protective or disease preventive properties. There are more than thousand known phytochemicals. It is well-known that plant produce these chemicals to protect itself but recent research demonstrate that they can protect humans against diseases. Some of the well-known phytochemicals are lycopene in tomatoes, isoflavones in soy and flavanoids in fruits. They are not essential nutrients and are not required by the human body for sustaining life.
http://www.phytochemicals.info/
 
Guantanamo Bay

http://www.whitehouse.gov/the_press_office/ClosureOfGuantanamoDetentionFacilities/
The above link is the the order that Barack Obama signed today in regard to Guantanamo Bay detention centers. I put this link here for my future reference.

I didn't know alot about the history of Guantanamo Bay. It is the oldest US military base outside of the United States. The first U.S. presence on Guantánamo Bay was a Marine battalion that camped there on June 10 1898. Theodore Roosevelt signed an agreement with Cuba's new government, leasing the bay for 2,000 gold coins per year. The agreement was forced on the new Cuban government through the Platt Amendment, which gave the U.S. authority to interfere in Cuban affairs.

The Lease Agreement signed on February 16 1903, granted the U.S. "the right to use and occupy the waters adjacent to said areas of land and water… and generally to do any and all things necessary to fit the premises for use as coaling or naval stations only, and for no other purpose."

In 1991, the naval base's mission expanded as some 34,000 Haitian refugees passed through Guantanamo Bay. The refugees fled Haiti after a violent coup brought on by political and social upheaval in their country. The naval base received the Navy Unit Commendation and Joint Meritorious Unit Award for its effort.

We spent $300 million dollars in the early part of this decade on Guantanamo.

http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/facility/guantanamo-bay.htm
 
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Lincoln Memorial University Railsplitters

Thanks to a fellow Yappian, I took the time to learn about the Lincoln Memorial University. http://www.lmunet.edu/about/mission.html. As the legend goes, in 1863 Lincoln suggested to General O. O. Howard, a Union Army officer, that when the Civil War ended he hoped General Howard would organize a great university for the people of this area. Howard eventually made it back to Tennessee and helped to start LMU. In commemoration of Lincoln's birthday, the institution was chartered by the State of Tennessee on February 12, 1897, as Lincoln Memorial University.

The campus boasts the Abraham Lincoln Library and Museum.
http://www.lmunet.edu/museum/index.html

Their athletic teams are named the Railsplitters. They are part of the SAC (South Atlantic Conference) of the NCAA.
http://lmurailsplitters.athleticsite.com/
 
Abu Ghrayb (Ghraib)/Baghdad's Central Prison

http://www.globalsecurity.org/intell/world/iraq/abu-ghurayb-prison.htm

Iraq will reopen Abu Ghraib in mid February. It will be renamed Baghdad's Central Prison. Abu Ghraib was a torture center under Saddam Hussein and has been closed since 2006. This is the prison where US military was accused of torturing prisoners. Reopening the prison will help ease the problem in Iraq of overcroweded prisons as the US military hands over about 15,000 detainees under a new security agreement.

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/jan/25/renamed-abu-ghraib-to-reopen/
 
William Lynn-Raytheon lobbyist-deputy defense secretary

http://www.raytheon.com/ourcompany/rtnwcm/groups/public/documents/content/bio_lynn.pdf

The Honorable William J. Lynn is senior vice president
of Government Operations and Strategy at Raytheon
Company. He was elected an officer of the company
in May 2005,
Lynn was involved with the DOD for some time.

Before entering the DoD in 1993, Lynn served for six
years on the staff of Senator Edward Kennedy as liaison
to the Senate Armed Services Committee.

He is required to sell his shares of Raytheon, but, is exempt from the lobbyist ban of involving himself in matters from when he was a lobbyist.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/politics/sns-ap-pentagon-nomination,0,2510464.story
 
Tasmanian Devil going extinct? Ted Turner doesn't want it to happen.

There must be something wrong with me because I thought it was the natural order of things for certain species to become extinct. The Tasmanian Devil has a contagious cancer of the face. This may cause extinction.

I remember the Tasmanian Devil as 'Taz' from Warner Brothers.

Warner Brothers, which owns Taz and Ted Turner who started the Cartoon Network are helping the Austrilian and Tasmanian governments bankroll the fight against the disease.

The European fox is thriving, and may become so dominant that the devil never comes back. Is that not the survival of the fittest?

http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/holnus/008200901250931.htm
 
Sectarianism

sec·tar·i·an (sěk-târ'ē-ən) Pronunciation Key
adj.
Of, relating to, or characteristic of a sect.
Adhering or confined to the dogmatic limits of a sect or denomination; partisan.
Narrow-minded; parochial.
n.
A member of a sect.
One characterized by bigoted adherence to a factional viewpoint.
sec·tar'i·an·ism n.

Al-Maliki, prime minister of Iraq, believes that secarianism is behind the destruction of the country. It seems the public has grown weary of the religious parties that have dominated politics since the fall of Saddam Hussein in 2003.

http://topics.nytimes.com/topics/reference/timestopics/people/m/nuri_kamal_al-maliki/index.html

http://www.globalpolicy.org/security/issues/iraq/sectarianindex.htm
 
Buffet Obesity

This is amusing to me... I can't believe that people do studies like this and act like the results are news...

In small Midwest towns, people who eat out often at buffets and cafeterias and who perceive their community to be unpleasant for physical activity are more likely to be obese.
From July to Sept 2005, 1,258 randomly selected adults in 12 rural communities completed telephone surveys about their food choices and physical activity.

This just cracked me up. This study from 2005 was published in my local paper today. Shocking news!!!!!!!!
 
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