April 30

I'm at a loss for new information today so I'll just post some interesting tidbits about this date...

April 30 is the 120th day of the year (121st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. There are 245 days remaining until the end of the year.

Events
313 - Roman emperor Licinius unifies the entire Eastern Roman Empire under his rule.
711 - Islamic conquest of Hispania: Moorish troops led by Tariq ibn-Ziyad land at Gibraltar to begin their invasion of the Iberian Peninsula (Al-Andalus).
1006 - Supernova SN 1006, the brightest supernova in recorded history, appears in the constellation Lupus.
1483 - Orbital calculations suggest that on this day Pluto moved inside Neptune's orbit until July 23, 1503.
1492 - Spain gives Christopher Columbus his commission of exploration.
1671 - Petar Zrinski, the Croatian Ban from the Zrinski family, is executed.
1789 - On the balcony of Federal Hall on Wall Street in New York City, George Washington takes the oath of office to become the first elected President of the United States.
1794 - The Battle of Boulou is fought, in which French forces defeated the Spanish under General Union.
1803 - Louisiana Purchase: The United States purchases the Louisiana Territory from France for $15 million, more than doubling – overnight – the size of the young nation.
1812 - The Territory of Orleans becomes the 18th U.S. state under the name Louisiana.
1838 - Nicaragua declares independence from the Central American Federation
1856 - Battle of Rivas, Nicaragua, against North American mercenaries.
1863 - Mexican forces attacked the French Foreign Legion in Hacienda Camarón, Mexico.
1871 - Camp Grant Massacre takes place in Arizona Territory.
1894 - Coxey's Army reaches Washington, D.C. to protest the unemployment caused by the Panic of 1893.
1900 - Hawaii becomes a territory of the United States, with Sanford B. Dole as governor.
1900 - Casey Jones dies in a train wreck in Vaughn, Mississippi, while trying to make up time on the Cannonball Express.
1904 - The Louisiana Purchase Exposition World's Fair opens in St. Louis, Missouri.
1920 - Peru becomes a signatory to the Buenos Aires copyright treaty.
1925 - Automaker Dodge Brothers, Inc is sold to Dillon, Read & Company for USD $146 million plus $50 million for charity.
1927 - The Federal Industrial Institute for Women, opens in Alderson, West Virginia, as the first women's federal prison in the United States.
1938 - The animated cartoon short Porky's Hare Hunt debuts in movie theaters, introducing Happy Rabbit.
1938 - The first televised FA Cup Final took place between Huddersfield Town and Preston North End
1939 - The 1939 New York World's Fair opens.
1939 - RCA owned NBC begins regularly scheduled television service from its New York station with the opening ceremonies of the 1939 New York World's Fair broadcast.
1939 - Franklin D. Roosevelt becomes the first President of the United States to appear on television during the World Fair's opening ceremonies broadcast.
1943 - World War II: Operation Mincemeat – The submarine HMS Seraph surfaces in the Mediterranean Sea off the coast of Spain to deposit a dead man planted with false invasion plans and dressed as a British military intelligence officer.
1945 - Adolf Hitler and Eva Braun commit suicide after being married for one day. Soviet soldiers raise the red flag over the Reichstag building.
1947 - In Nevada, the Boulder Dam is officially renamed Hoover Dam again.
1948 - In Bogotá, Colombia, the Organization of American States is established.
1973 - Watergate Scandal: President Richard Nixon announces that top White House aids H.R. Haldeman, John Ehrlichman, and others have resigned.
1975 - Fall of Saigon: Communist forces gain control of Saigon. The Vietnam War formally ends with the unconditional surrender of South Vietnamese president Duong Van Minh.
1980 - Accession of Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands.
1991 - A tropical cyclone hits Bangladesh killing an estimated 138,000 people.
1993 - The World Wide Web was born at CERN.
1995 - U.S. President Bill Clinton became the first U.S. President to visit Northern Ireland.
1999 - Cambodia joins the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) bringing the total members to 10.
2001 - The Mitchell Report on the Arab-Israeli conflict is published.
2002 - A referendum in Pakistan overwhelmingly approves the Presidency of Pervez Musharraf for another five years.

[edit] Births
1245 - King Philip III of France (d. 1285)
1553 - Louise de Lorraine-Vaudémont, queen of France (d. 1601)
1623 - François de Laval, first bishop of New France (d. 1708)
1651 - Jean-Baptiste de la Salle, French educational reformer, Catholic saint (d. 1719)
1662 - Queen Mary II of England (d. 1694)
1664 - François Louis, Prince of Conti, French general (d. 1709)
1710 - Johann Kaspar Basselet von La Rosée, Bavarian general (d. 1795)
1721 - Roger Sherman, American statesman (d. 1793)
1723 - Mathurin Jacques Brisson, French naturalist (d. 1806)
1770 - David Thompson, Canadian explorer (d. 1857)
1777 - Carl Friedrich Gauss, German mathematician (d. 1855)
1803 - Albrecht Graf von Roon, Prime Minister of Prussia (d. 1879)
1812 - Kaspar Hauser, German mystery boy (d. 1833)
1829 - Ferdinand von Hochstetter, Austrian geologist (d. 1884)
1857 - Eugen Bleuler, Swiss psychiatrist (d. 1940)
1864 - Juhan Liiv, Estonian poet (d. 1913)
1865 - Max Nettlau, German anarchist (d. 1944)
1869 - Hans Poelzig, German architect (d. 1936)
1870 - Franz Lehár, Austrian composer (d. 1948)
1874 - Cyriel Verschaeve, Flemish clergyman (d. 1949)
1876 - Orso Mario Corbino, Italian physicist (d. 1937)
1877 - Alice B. Toklas, American companion of Gertrude Stein (d. 1967)
1883 - Jaroslav Hašek, Czech novelist (d. 1923)
1893 - Joachim von Ribbentrop, Nazi foreign minister (d. 1946)
1895 - Philippe Panneton, French Canadian physician, diplomat and writer (d. 1960)
1896 - Hans List, Austrian inventor (d. 1996)
1897 - Humberto Mauro, Brazillina director and screenwriter (d. 1983)
1901 - Simon Kuznets, Ukrainian-born economist, Nobel laureate (d. 1985)
1902 - Theodore Schultz, American economist, Nobel laureate (d. 1998)
1908 - Bjarni Benediktsson, Icelandic foreign and later prime minister (d. 1970)
1909 - Queen Juliana of the Netherlands (d. 2004)
1909 - F. E. McWilliam,Irish sculptor (d. 1992)
1916 - Claude Shannon, American engineer and mathematician (d. 2001)
1916 - Robert Shaw, American conductor (d. 1999)
1920 - Duncan Hamilton, British racing driver (d. 1994)
1923 - Percy Heath, American jazz musician (Modern Jazz Quartet) (d. 2005)
1923 - Al Lewis, American actor (d. 2006)
1925 - Corinne Calvet, French actress (d. 2001)
1925 - Johnny Horton, American musician (d. 1960)
1926 - Cloris Leachman, American actress
1928 - Hugh Hood, Canadian author (d. 2000)
1933 - Dickie Davies, British television presenter
1933 - Willie Nelson, American musician
1934 - Jerry Lordan, English composer and singer (d.1995)
1938 - Juraj Jakubisko, Slovak film director
1938 - Larry Niven, American author
1940 - Burt Young, American actor
1941 - Johnny Farina, American musician and composer (Santo & Johnny)
1943 - Frederick Chiluba, former Zambian president (1991-2001)
1943 - Bobby Vee, American singer
1944 - Jill Clayburgh, American actress
1945 - Annie Dillard, American writer
1945 - Michael Smith, American astronaut (d. 1986)
1946 - King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden
1946 - Don Schollander, American swimmer
1946 - Bill Plympton, American animator
1947 - Leslie Grantham, English actor
1947 - Finn Kalvik, Norwegian singer
1947 - Mats Odell, Swedish politician
1947 - Tom Køhlert, Brondby IF coach
1948 - Perry King, American actor
1949 - Phil Garner, baseball manager
1949 - António Guterres, Prime Minister of Portugal
1952 - Jacques Audiard, French film director
1954 - Jane Campion, New Zealand film director
1955 - Nicolas Hulot, French journalist
1956 - Jorge Chaminé, Portuguese baritone
1956 - Lars von Trier, Danish film director
1958 - Charles Berling, French actor, director and screenwriter
1959 - Paul Gross, Canadian actor, director, and writer
1959 - Stephen Harper, Prime Minister of Canada
1959 - W. Thomas Smith, Jr, American author and columnist
1960 - Kerry Healey, American politician
1961 - Isiah Thomas, American basketball player
1963 - Michael Waltrip, American race car driver
1964 - Ian Healy, Australian cricketer
1964 - Barrington Levy, Jamaican musician
1965 - Adrian Pasdar, American actor
1966 - Jeff Brown, Canadian ice hockey player
1969 - Paulo Jr., Brazilian musician (Sepultura)
1969 - Warren Defever, American musician, composer
1971 - John Boyne, Irish novelist
1971 - Darren Emerson, English DJ (Underworld)
1973 - Akon, American R&B Singer
1974 - Mikey Chan, Australian musician
1975 - Elliott Sadler, American race car driver
1975 - Mike Chat, American actor
1976 - Amanda Palmer, American musician (The Dresden Dolls)
1977 - Jeannie Haddaway, American politician
1979 - Gerardo Torrado, Mexican footballer
1981 - John O'Shea, Irish footballer
1981 - Emma Pierson, British actress
1982 - Lloyd Banks, American rapper
1982 - Kirsten Dunst, American actress
1982 - Cleo Higgins, British singer and actress
1982 - Andrew Seeley, Canadian actor and singer
1983 - Troy Williamson, American football player
1984 - Shawn Daivari, Persian-American professional wrestler and manager
1985 - Ashley Alexandra Dupré, American singer and call girl
1987 - Nikki Webster, Australian entertainer
1987 - Rohit Sharma, Indian Cricketer
1996 - Jaidyn Leskie, Missing/murdered Australian toddler

[edit] Deaths
65 - Lucan, Roman poet (b. 39)
1063 - Emperor Renzong of China (b. 1010)
1131 - Adjutor, Roman Catholic Saint
1341 - John III, Duke of Brittany (b. 1285)
1439 - Richard de Beauchamp, 13th Earl of Warwick, English military leader (b. 1382)
1524 - Pierre Terrail, seigneur de Bayard, French soldier (b. 1473)
1544 - Thomas Audley, 1st Baron Audley of Walden, Lord Chancellor of England
1555 - Pope Marcellus II (b. 1501)
1632 - King Sigismund I of Sweden (b. 1561)
1632 - Johan Tzerclaes, Count of Tilly, Bavarian general (b. 1559)
1642 - Dmitry Pozharsky, Russian prince (b. 1578)
1660 - Petrus Scriverius, Dutch writer (b. 1576)
1655 - Eustache Le Sueur, French painter (b. 1617)
1696 - Robert Plot, British naturalist (b. 1640)
1712 - Philipp van Limborch, Dutch Protestant theologian (b. 1633)
1736 - Johann Albert Fabricius, German classical scholar and bibliographer (b. 1668)
1758 - François d'Agincourt, French composer (b. 1684)
1792 - John Montagu, supposed inventor of the sandwich (b. 1718)
1795 - Jean-Jacques Barthélemy, French writer and numismatist (b. 1716)
1841 - Peter Andreas Heiberg, Danish author and philologist (b. 1758)
1847 - Archduke Charles of Austria, Austrian general (b. 1771)
1865 - Robert Fitzroy, English admiral and meteorologist (b. 1805)
1875 - Jean Frederic Waldeck, French explorer, lithographer, and cartographer (b. 1766)
1883 - Édouard Manet, French painter (b. 1832)
1900 - Casey Jones, American train engineer (b. 1863)
1903 - Emily Stowe, Canadian physician and suffragist (b.1831)
1936 - Alfred Edward Housman, English poet (b. 1859)
1943 - Otto Jespersen, Danish philologist (b. 1860)
1943 - Beatrice Webb, British economist (b. 1858)
1945 - Eva Braun, Adolf Hitler's new wife (suicide) (b. 1912)
1945 - Adolf Hitler, Austrian dictator of Nazi Germany (suicide) (b. 1889)
1956 - Alben W. Barkley, Vice President of the United States (b. 1877)
1970 - Inger Stevens, Swedish actress (b. 1934)
1973 - Václav Renč, Czech poet, dramatist and translator (b. 1911)
1974 - Agnes Moorehead, American actress (b. 1900)
1980 - Luis Muñoz Marín, Puerto Rican poet, journalist, and politician (b. 1898)
1982 - Lester Bangs, American music journalist, author, and musician (b. 1949)
1983 - George Balanchine, Russian-born dancer and choreographer (b. 1904)
1983 - Muddy Waters, American musician (b. 1915)
1985 - George Pravda, Czechoslovakian actor (b. 1918)
1989 - Yi, Bang-ja, Crown Princess of Korea (b. 1901)
1989 - Sergio Leone, Italian filmmaker (b. 1929)
1993 - Tommy Caton, English footballer (b. 1962)
1994 - Roland Ratzenberger, Austrian race car driver (b. 1960)
1994 - Richard Scarry, American author (b. 1919)
1995 - Maung Maung Kha, Prime minister of Burma (b. 1920)
1996 - David Opatoshu, American actor (b. 1918)
1998 - Nizar Qabbani, Syrian poet (b. 1926)
2002 - Charlotte von Mahlsdorf, founder of the Gründerzeit Museum in Berlin-Mahlsdorf. (b. 1928)
2003 - Peter 'Possum' Bourne, New Zealand race car driver (b. 1956)
2003 - Wim van Est, Dutch cyclist (b. 1923)
2003 - Mark Berger, University of Kentucky professor (b. 1955)
2005 - Ron Todd, TGWU General Secretary (1985 - 1992) (b. 1927)
2006 - Lawrence Patrick, Biomechanics Professor, crash test subject (b. n/a)
2007 - Grégory Lemarchal, French singer (b. 1983)
2007 - Kevin Mitchell, American football player (b. 1971)
2007 - Tom Poston, American actor (b. 1921)
2007 - Gordon Scott, American actor (b. 1927)
2007 - Zola Taylor, American singer (b. 1938)

[edit] Holidays and observances
Walpurgis Night - Celebrated in Germany, central, and western Europe
Scandinavia - The arrival of spring.
Sweden - Birthday of King Carl XVI Gustav, an official flag day.
The Netherlands - Queen's Day, the largest one-day holiday in the Netherlands.
Roman Empire - third day of the Floralia in honor of Flora.
Bealtaine Eve (From either Irish Bealtaine or Scottish Gaelic). Originally a Celtic Druid holiday.
Vietnam - Liberation Day.
Mexico - Children's Day.
Czech Republic and Slovakia - Carodejnice - witches' night
in the Roman Catholic Church:
Saint Adjutor
Saint Eutropius
Saint Maximus, 3rd century martyr
Saint Quirinus of Neuss
Saint Suitbert the Younger (d. 807)
Saint Pope Pius V

why we kiss

I read an article by Chip Walter in the Feb/Mar edition of Scientific American Mind entitled "Affairs of the Lips" and learned, amongst other things, the following little tidbits:

A kiss triggers a cascade of neural messages and chemicals that transmit tactile sensations, sexual excitement, feelings of closeness, motivation and even euphoria.

Kisses can convey important information about the status and future of a relationship. At the extreme, a bad first kiss can abruptly curtail a couple's future.

Kissing may have evlolved from primate mothers' pracice of chewing food for their young and then feeding them mouth-to-mouth. Some scientiest theorize that kissing is curcial to the evolutionary process of mate selection. A kiss may convey subconscious information about the genetic compatibility of a potential mate.

EASTER

As is tradition, the 80-year-old pope prayed for peace in troubled parts of the world, singling out Darfur in Sudan and Somalia, “the tormented Middle East, especially the Holy Land, Iraq, Lebanon.” He also mentioned Tibet, a sensitive issue for the Vatican, which is working to improve ties with China, amid unconfirmed reports of direct talks here last week between Chinese and Vatican officials.

“How often relations between individuals, between groups and between peoples are marked not by love but by selfishness, injustice, hatred and violence,” the pope said. “These are the scourges of humanity, open and festering in every corner of the planet, although they are often ignored and sometimes deliberately concealed; wounds that torture the souls and bodies of countless of our brothers and sisters.”

More about EASTER~~

Easter and the spring equinox:
Why we'll never see the holiday this early again in our lifetimes
Journal News Service; McClatchy-TribunePublished: Saturday, March 22, 2008
Ever wonder why Easter moves around from March to April? This year it's the earliest anyone alive today will ever experience it.

In an article published recently in the Niagara Falls Review, Rev. John James, an ordained minister of the United Church of Canada, explains it.

"Easter is always the first Sunday after the first full moon after the Spring Equinox (which is March 20). This dating of Easter is based on the lunar calendar that Hebrew people used to identify Passover, which is why Easter moves around on our calendar. Based on the above information, Easter can actually be one day earlier (March 22) but that is exceedingly rare.

"This year is the earliest Easter any of us will ever see the rest of our lives! And only the most elderly of our population have ever seen it this early (95 years old or above). And none of us has ever, or will ever, see it a day earlier! Here are the facts:

"The next time Easter will be this early (March 23) will be the year 2228 (220 years from now.). The last time, it was this early was 1913 (so if you're 95 or older, you are the only ones that were around for that!).

"The next it will be a day earlier, March 22, will be in the year 2285 (277 years from now). The last time it was on March 22 was 1818. So, no one alive today has or will ever see it any earlier than this year!"

HOW MUCH DO YOU KNOW ABOUT THE SPRING EQUINOX?
1. ANOTHER TERM FOR THE SPRING EQUINOX IS WHAT?
A. Vern
B. Verna
C. Vernal
D. Vernalia

2. EASTER IS RELATED TO THE SPRING EQUINOX HOW?
A. It falls on the first Sunday following the equinox.
B. It falls on the second Sunday following the equinox.
C. It's always the first Sunday after the first full moon after the equinox.
D. It's always the first Sunday after the first new moon after the equinox.

3. WE WOULD HAVE NO SEASONS AT ALL IF IT WASN'T FOR...
A. The earth's tilt.
B. The equator.
C. The moon.
D. The ocean's tides.

4. THE SPRING EQUINOX ALSO MARKS THE START OF A NEW YEAR FOR WHAT?
A. The Baha'i
B. Astrology
C. The Persians
D. All of the above

5. TRUE OR FALSE: AS THE NORTHERN HEMISPHERE GEARS UP FOR SPRING, THE SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE IS PREPPING FOR AUTUMN.
A. True
B. False
- - -
ANSWERS:
1. C.
2. C.
3. A.
4. D.
5. A.
© The Edmonton Journal 2008

Holy Thursday

Stop and think about what tradition tells us happened on this day and you will be humbled. Whatever your custom or tradition, I hope you all are thanking Jesus in your own special way.

Little Known Customs

Some families have a practice of visiting the tabernacles of three or seven nearby churches after the Mass on this day as a sort of "mini-pilgrimage" (any nearby Catholic churches will do). Some families visit the churches directly after the evening Mass; others go home and wake up in the middle of the night to make the visits (though since churches are rarely open all night these days, this would be hard to do). The spirit of the visits to the churches is keeping vigil in the Garden of Gethsemani while Jesus prayed before His arrest. Matthew 26:36 "Then Jesus came with them into a country place which is called Gethsemani; and he said to his disciples: Sit you here, till I go yonder and pray.

"In Germany, Maundy Thursday is known as "Green Thursday" (Grundonnerstag), and the traditional foods are green vegetables and green salad, especially a spinach salad. In Latin countries, Jordan almonds ("confetti") are eaten today and also throughout Eastertide. Back when Kings and Queens of England were Catholic, they, too, would wash the feet of 12 subjects, seeing the footwashing rite also as an example of service and humility. They would also give money to the poor on this day, a practice is said to have begun with St. Augustine of Canterbury in A.D. 597, and performed by Kings since Edward II. Now the footwashing isn't done (it was given up in the 18th c.), but a special coin called "Maundy Money" is minted and given to the selected elderly of a representative town. On this day, one may gain a plenary indulgence, under the usual conditions, by reciting the Tantum Ergo (Down in Adoration Falling).

Happy St. Joseph Day!

Foster father of Jesus - a beautiful, gentle man who really should be celebrated. More information, click here.

William Wayne Justice

My latest person of intrigue. I ordered his biography recently but haven't begun to read it yet. I'm always been intrigued by civil right activists. I guess I can speak more on this subject after I finish the book, but until then, here is some information taken from and article entitled "Justice is Not Done" Texas Monthly, October 2006 Edition

What Justice, appointed to the bench by LBJ in 1968, was getting into was, in short, dragging the state into the modern world. The Athens-born judge did it most famously in 1971 by ordering East Texas schools that had been ignoring integration to obey the law. The good people of Tyler, where Justice was based and where he lived, were not pleased. After the decision forced local high school Robert E. Lee to jettison its Confederate band uniforms and rebel flags, the phone started ringing and the hate mail started coming. Bumper stickers were printed that read “Will Rogers never met Judge Justice.” Carpenters working on his house walked off the job when they found out who owned it, and his wife, Sue, was refused service by local beauticians. “Our social life dwindled,” the judge says in his easy drawl. “But you know, I’d taken an oath to defend and protect the Constitution, and I was going to do my best.”

Through the seventies and eighties, he would, among other things, force the state to both overhaul its prison system and offer bilingual education in its schools, acquiring a reputation among some as a champion of justice and among others as a judicial activist. After thirty years in Tyler, the Justices moved to Austin to be near their daughter, Ellen. Now the judge works out of his downtown office, surrounded by photos of his past, including autographed pictures of LBJ and Ralph Yarborough; his coffee cup says “WWJ: Populist.” When he’s not there, he’s driving to Del Rio once a month, where he has two hundred cases on the docket, or pumping iron at the Y for future battles.

Looking back at a career of siding with underdogs, he says the decision he’s most proud of is one in 1978 requiring the state to allow the children of illegal immigrants to go to public school tuition-free, just like everyone else. “How many kids have gone to school because of that decision?” he asks. (Millions, easily.) The decision was upheld by the Supreme Court in 1982; indeed, most of Justice’s decisions have been upheld by higher courts. Now he’s getting ready for a new round in his fight to enforce his 1981 bilingual education ruling, which should hit his court sometime this year. With attitudes toward immigrants being what they are these days, it’s a safe bet that Justice will be hated again—and, again, for all the right reasons.

Florida Panhandle Roadtrip

Someday...

Day 1: Tyler to New Orleans (432 miles)

Day 2: New Orleans to Tallahasee (385 miles)

Day 3: Tallahasee to Apalochicola (78 miles)

Day 4: Apalachicola and Port St. Joe (62 miles)

Day 5: Rosemary Beach to Seaside (14 miles)

Day 6: Destin to Historic Pensacola Village (58 miles)

Know Thyself

Your Vital Info: 26 facts to know about yourself - and how to find them.

Your Allergies - the most common, quick and reliable analysis is a skin test. Your skin is pricked with drops of particular allergen extracts. If small, raised bumps develop, the test results are positive.

Your Genetic Vulnerabilities: If you have a family history of certain medical disorders such as heart disease, diabetes, osteoporosis and cancer, you have a higher-than-average risk of contracting those illnesses. Ask your older relatives if they can recall any pattern of diseases. Also, ask about your relatives' causes of death and obtain their official death certificates which can give clues to potentially fatal hereditary conditions. Go to www.cdc.gov/nchs/deaths.htm and click on the link for death certificates.

Your License-Plate Number: If your car is stolen or towed, you'll need the license number to report or reclaim it. If you find your license-plate number hard to memorize, try turning the letters and numbers into an acronym.

Your Credit Score: Go to myfico.com. A report from one of the three credit bureaus costs about $15. A score of 650 to 700 on the FICO (Fair Isaac Corporation) scale is the most commonly used credit score system and is considered above average. To remedy inaccuracies, call the customer service departments of the companies that have supplied the incorrect information.

Your Emergency Contact Numbers: In case of dead cell phone batteries, make a list of numbers you've memorized and those you haven't. Post copies on the fridge, by the pone and in your wallet or day planner.

Details of Your Will: If you die without a Will, a judge distributes your estate and delegates the care of minor children. As long as your instructions are fairly simple, you can prepare a Will yourself using a form @ http://www.legalzoom.com/ and http://www.nolo.com/. To be valid, the document must indicate who is making the Will, name the beneficiaries and what they will receive, and be signed by you and a least two witnesses. If you wish to leave more complex instructions, hire an attorney.

The Location of your Parents' Wills: Even if you're sure a Will exists and it can't be located, a judge will distribute the estate. Ask your parents where they keep their Wills.

Your Health Insurance Details: Read your benefits package noting the limits on types of coverage, providers and their locations, and any actions that must be taken immediately after an emergency to have treatment costs reimbursed.

Your Blood Pressure, Cholesterol and Glucose Levels: These stats are the key to preventing the biggest killer of Americans: heart disease. Schedule an annual physical and consult the American Heart Association's Doctor Visit Guide @ http://www.goredforwomen.com/.

Which Tax Form is for You: Whether you're single or married, of your household income is less that 100,000 and you have no major deductions, you can probably file the simplest form, the 1040EZ. The 1040A is appropriate for those in the same category who have kids or who want further tax credit options. Those with complicated taxes who wish to itemize deductions should file a 1040. If you have an accountant do your taxes, never mind...

If You Stand to Inherit Money from a Deceased Relative: If you don't claim it, the State does. Go to http://www.unclaimed.org/ for help in finding your state's site but this can only help you if you know the deceased relative's name.

Your Estimated Ideal Caloric Intake: a 2,000-calorie-a-day diet is not right for everybody. To compute take your weight, divide by 2.2 and multiply by 30. This is the amount of calories your body needs to function each day.

Your Clothing Measurements: Knowing these will increase your odds of the perfect fit, especially when ordering online. Ask a tailor to measure your neck, chest, bust, arm length, waist, heps and inseam and keep these numbers near the computer where you do any online ordering.

Your Blood Type: If you have been pregnant, donated blood, had surgery or received a blood transfusion, you have probably been typed. Contact the hospital or blood center for this information, or ask to be typed the next time you have blood work done.

Your Skin Type: To determine which types of cleansers, moisturizers and makeup are best for your skin, you need to know whether it's dry, oily, combination or sensitive. There are tricks, like running your finger down your nose around noon (if you finger is greasy, you have oily skin, a dry finger means you have dry skin). But considering the cost of cosmetics, it's worth consulting a dermatologist to be sure.

*Eight things that are handy (or just fun) to know (answers will be personal):

three easy ways to beat a bad mood: because chocolate isn't always available - like when the cop is writing up your speeding ticket...

your never-fail lip color: So you can feel fabulous in a flash. (keep one in every bag)

your personality type: To make the most of who you are. (http://www.myersbriggs.org/)

your greatest strengths and weaknesses: for a fast answer to the inevitable job-interview question.

how to give good directions to your home: so the dinner you slaved over doesn't go cold.

what time you were born: to thank Mom at just the right minute each year. (and to get your precise astrological chart.)

your partner's shirt and pant size: because telling the male shop assistant, "he's about your size" won't make that birthday present fit.

the names of the trees in our yard: so you have a clever answer for all those visitors who ask.

your mother-in-law's favorite flower: you know why.

Complete Your Past

We all have things we wish we'd said, learned, done... These "regrets" often times distract us from the now and take energy away from what we could be giving to the present and future. Think right now of the areas of your life in which you feel "incomplete" and follow these steps:

Step 1: Make these lists:
-Things I want to start but haven't,
-Things I want to change but haven't,
-Things I want to stop but haven't,
-Things I start but haven't finished,
-Things I want to do but haven't done,
-Things I want to say but haven't said,
-Things I want to learn but haven't learned,
-Feelings I have but haven't expressed.

Step 2: Assign Completion Dates: Go back to your list and in the margin, assign a "completion" date to each thing on your list using these symbols:
N = NOW! As in, pick up the phone.
L = Later, but you have to say when, so put down a date. The date shouldn't make you feel too pressured but should't bee too far off, either.
C = Complete - able to declare them complete because you've decided to just let them go, or what you can do in an instant. For instance, "I want to tell myself I'm a really good pianist." Just do it, repeat as necessary and cross it off.
NTL = not in this lifetime! For example, you might put these letters next to "become a contestant on Survivor." There! This is my favorite list because you can chanel all your dreams and desires and let go of them in an instant. No more regrets! Cool.

Step 3: Cross things off and pat yourself on the back.

Stooge Therapy

We're all variations of Moe, Larry or Curly and our lives are often short subjects filled with cosmic slapstick. When Moe (your boss) hits Curly (your buddy) with a corporate board and then blindsides you when you try to make it all nice, you're living a Stooge moment. So why not determine which Stooge you are and better understand the problems you bring on yourself and how you can be a generally happier, more successful knucklehead.

Moe: explosive hot-heads who storm through life constantly infuriated by other people. "These men suffer from classic low frustration tolerance," says Allen Elkin, Ph.D., "This not only makes them difficult to work with, but also gives them high blood pressure, high cholesterol and a much greater risk of heart attack." In fact, Moes often end up seeking counseling to control their anger, usually after it costs them a job, a marriage or a couple of good pals.

Larry: A Larry doesn't have the nerve to be assertive so he protest by not doing something. Not securing the ladder on the triple-bunk bed or not mentioning that the coffee is actually rat poison. Consequently, Larrys are rarely promoted. If a Larry actually does work up the courage to ask for a raise, the Moe he works for will usually give him a meaningless title upgrade or say, "get outta here before I murder ya."

Curly: Curly had what's called an oral personality, and a particularly self-destructive one. Boisterous, attention-seeking men, especially those who are secretly ashamed of something, (like a beer gut or a bald head), often feel that they must perform in order to be liked. These guys always come in for counseling because they experience mood swings and addiction problems. It's what killed Curly and his modern-day version, Chris Farley. Curlys are almost always fat because they live to binge.

The Shemp Factor: Shemp, who was Moe and Curly's big brother, had the absolutely ideal Stooge personality type. He wasn't a moron like Curly or a slap dummy like Larry. He was the lovable Moe, who returned eye pokes, seduced women and occasionally told Moe to go service himself in 1940s terms. The one problem with being a Shemp though... you're a swell guy and nobody's whipping boy, but when you show up everyone just asks, "where's your crazy brother?"

Geraci, Ron: Men's Health, September, 1999, Which Stooge are You?

On life...

The Eightfold Year and the Stages of Life
1995, John Opsopaus
(revised version (c) 2000)

Life Stage I, Transition 1, Nominal Ages 1-7: Young Child (paidion): suppleness of body, quick change, shedding milk teeth (1X7)

Life Stage II, Transition 2, Nominal Age 8-14: Child (Pais): development of intelligence, learning, personality, puberty (2X7).

Life Stage III, Transition 3, Nominal Age 15-21: Youth (meirakion/meirax): maturation, impulse toward love, full growth of body hair, maximum height (3X7).

Life Stage IV, Transition 4, Nominal Age 22-28: Young Adult (neiniskos/neanis): ambition, mastery & direction over actions, increase of strength, maximum physical strength (4x7).

Life Stage V, Transition 5, Nominal Age 29-49: Adult (aner/gune): full vigor, ready for marriage, striving for significance, improvement of insight & reason, perfect age (7x7), menopause, ripe in wisdom, maturity of reason.

Life Stage VI, Transition 6, Nominal Age 50-56: Elder (presbutes/presbutis): perfecting reason, judgment, foresight, moderation, honor, dignity, beginning of old age: perfection of reason & judgement (8x7).

Life Stave VII, Transition 7, Nominal Age 57-70: Old One (geron/graia) forebearance, gentleness, passions tamed, natural and of life, the decad (10x7).

Life Stage VIII, 71-The End (eskhate): uttermost, highest, best, last; an extremely one one (eskhatogeros); exercise of wisdom, honor, with no obligations.

Anxiety...

Here's a list of famous people who have suffered at one time or another from an anxiety disorder. I have a feeling there are many more...

Carly Simon, Aretha Franklin, Lani O'Grady, Michael English, Sir Laurence Olivier, Earl Campbell, Al Kasha, Emily Dickenson, Marty Ingels, Nicholas Cage, Roseanne, Michael Jackson, Naomi Judd, Susan Powter, John Madden, Leila Kenzle, Sissy Spacek, Willard Scott, Johnny Depp, Sally Field, Shecky Greene, Alanis Morisette, Burt Reynolds, Kim Basinger, Olivia Hussey, Oprah Winfrey, Tom Snyder, John Candy, Sam Shepard, Isaac Asimov, Charles Schultz, Dean Cain, Barbara Streisand, Anne Tyler, James Garner, Jim Eisenreich, Pete Harnisch, Courtney Love, Naomi Campbell, David Bowie, Niucola Tesla, Charlotte Bronte, Alfred Lord Tennyson, Sigmund Freud, John Stainbeck, W.B. Yeats, Sir Isaac Newton, Abraham Lincoln, Barbara Gordon, Robert Burns, Edvard Munch, John Stuart Mill, Deanna Carter, Howie Mandel.

Quotes from "Think"

If you are constantly being mistreated, you're cooperating with the treatment.

You cannot control without being controlled.

The angry people are those who are most afraid.

There is no way to know before experiencing.

The thing we run from is the thing we run to.

Consciously or unconsciously, you always get what you expect.

Whatever you are trying to avoid won't go away until you confront it.

Most of our lives are about providing something, either to ourselves or to someone else.

If you don't start, it's certain you won't arrive.

If people don't agree with you so what. If people agree with you, so what.

If you don't have what you want, you are not committed to it 100%.

Your enemy might become your friend, if you allow him to be who he is.

If you worry about what might be, and wonder wqhat might have been, you will ignore what is.

When you blame others, you give up your power to change.

Whatever you are willing to put up with, is exactly what you will have.

Your interpretation of what you see and hear is just that, your interpretation.

If you find a good solution and become attached to it, the solution may become your next problem.

When you really take a good look at your life, success is all you've ever had.

You are the cause of everything that happens to you. Be careful what you cause.

If you don't like the direction the river is flowing, don't jump in.

Feelings of inferiority and superiority are the same. The both come frrom fear.

After all is said and done, most is said and little is done.

The biggest risk in life is not risking.

Excuses are your lack of faith in your own power.

If you don't like the games people play, make up your own games.

If you have a college degree you can be absolutely sure of one thing... you have a college degree.

People concern themselves with being normal rather than natural.

Your ability to relax is in direct proportion to your ability to trust life.

Any system that takes responsibility away from people, dehumanizes them.

Most of the time we don't communicate, we just take turns talking.

If you have to be happy you will always be unhappy.

Whatyou are afraid to do is a clear indicator of the next thing you need to do.

Maturity consists of no longer being taken in by one's self.

Once you realize you have given your power away, you can make the decision to take it back.

Less effort creates more results.

If you have a constant need to help other people, notice how you must keep them helpless.

He who laughs, lasts.

You are the only teacher you will ever have.

If you don't know what direction to take, you haven't acknowledged where you are.