Everybody Makes Mistakes

Oops! Trader mistakenly spends $251 million
Taiwan stock trader looking for a new job after accidental share purchases

Reuters Updated: 1:13 p.m. ET June 28, 2005

TAIPEI, Taiwan - A Taiwan stock trader mistakenly bought $251 million worth of shares with a mis-stroke of her computer, meaning her company is looking at a paper loss of more than $12 million and she is looking for a new job.

The trader with Fubon Securities made a typo while filling in a small order from Merrill Lynch on Monday, creating confusion when many small firms inexplicably surged past the 7 percent trading limit.

“Something like this is difficult to explain to superiors,” a Fubon executive said on Tuesday.

Fubon said that the trader was unfamiliar with new computer systems and would be fired.

“There is a paper loss of more than T$400 million,” said the executive.

“However, with a good outlook for stocks in the second half, there are no plans to sell the shares in the near term.”

 

Everybody makes mistakes, especially at work.  But I think I can safely say that noen of us have ever made a mistake that cost our company $12 million.  Our mistakes at work rarely go unnoticed, especially by our bosses, and the repercussions usually involve other people.  There's no such thing as a private mistake.  In fact, it's generally a co-worker or our boss that brings the mistake to our attention. But most of them turn out to be whoppers, that require our boss' help to fix.  Ouch.

Some might think it's hardcore that this girl lost her job for making this [costly] mistake, but hey - her company took a hit of $12 million as a result of her mistake. I guess I would have fired her, too.  But you'd think that the securities company would have trained her on the new computer system a little bit better before they turned her loose on dealing with millions of dollars.  I bet that company will start a new hire training program now. 

New Product Review

You're got to try the new Coca Cola Zero.  I thin it's the best tasting diet soft drink on the market.  It's only been on the store shelves a couple of weeks, so chances are you probably don't know about it yet.  As the name implies, it's a new zero-calorie cola.  For those doing the Atkins thing, Coca Cola Zero has zero carbs, and for those who are watching their fat grams, it has zero fat.  One thing it does have is taste. I think it darned near tastes like Coke.  There's no annoying after taste, and it's not bitter like some diet soft drinks. 

Coca Cola Zero's marketing campaign is aimed at young adults.  Dan Dillion, vice president Diet Portfolio, Coca Cola North America, says "Young people today do not want to compromise on flavor or calories and we think Coca Cola Zero's taste and personality will appeal to them."  The first commercial for Coca Cola Zero is a modern day version of the old school Coke commercial "I'd Like To Teach The World To Sing", which featured young adults of all races standing on a hilltop singing the catchy song.  The version for Coca Cola Zero is called "I'd Like To Teach The World To Chill." It's pretty catchy, too. 

One of my college alumni/faithful reader emailed me about Coca Cola Zero the other day, saying that he would never drink another Diet Rite again.  He also said that Coca Cola Zero is excellent when mixed with Crown Royal, or any other liquor that one would mix with cola.  He also said that his wife made an ice cream soda with Coca Cola Zero and some ice cream sweetened with Splenda.  I'm hoping that Coca Cola will come up with Fanta Zero or Barqs Zero.  How awesome would that be in a soda?

Currently, most of the grocery stores and convenience stores I've been to in the past couple of weeks are selling 20 ounce bottles of Coca Cola Zero two for a dollar.  That way you won't have to fork over more money to taste test a six-pack of the soft drink.  If you don't like it, you'll only be out a buck.  Coca Cola Zero gets the TWIT seal of approval. 

More News About The Whizzinator

Note: Some firewalls have blocked this post in TWIT for the past couple of days.  Your editor has made a revision, so hopefully everyone will be able to view it now.  I'm sure you'll be able to detect what word I had to edit. 

One of the first posts in TWIT last summer was about a man who was arrested for using The Whizzinator, a simulated peni$ and urine resevoir, while giving a urine sample in front of his probation officer.  In May, TWIT broke the story of an NFL player who had been caught with The Whizzinator in his luggage at an airport.  Airport security officials also found seven vials of dehydrated urine, which is used in conjunction with The Whizzinator.  The player, Onterrio Smith, running back for the Minnesota Vikings, has been suspended from the NFL for the 2005 season for violating the league's substance abuse policy.  Smith has to pay $380,000, his base salary for 2005, and will have to pay a portion of his signing bonus.  If I could talk to Onterrio, I would ask one question - was the joint or snort or pill worth it?

Now we have another celebrity tangled up with The Whizzinator.  Actor Tom Sizemore, who co-starred in "Saving Private Ryan" and "Blackhawk Down" could face up to three years in prison for violating his probation by using The Whizzinator in drug tests.  The actor pleaded guilty in October to a felony charge of possession of a controlled substance (methamphetamine) and was ordered to enroll in a drug program.  Sizemore is already free on bail pending appeal of a separate case - a 2003 domestic violence conviction involving ex-girlfriend Heidi Fleiss.  In interviews, the actor tells how he is clean, and has been for months.  Yet he still had to use The Whizzinator to pass his drug test? 

Well Done, Billy Graham

It was a very news-worthy weekend for TV watchers.  Along with the Wimbledon and U.S. Open coverage this weekend, we heard of yet more and more bombings and attacks against our troops in Iraq.  In between news about Serena Williams losing and Michael Campbell winning, and hearing about more of our troops being killed, the media reported some happy, yet bittersweet news: what could be Billy Graham's last crusade.

Billy Graham has preached the Gospel to a quarter of a billion people in 185 countries during his ministry that has spanned seven decades.  I would guess that probably many times that number of people have heard him preach through his televised crusades.  At 86, Graham has prostate cancer, suffers from symptons of Parkinsons', and has broken a hip and his pelvis; there are shunts in his brain to find hydrocephalus; and not too long ago he almost died on the operating table at the Mayo Clinic.  Yet God gave him the strength to deliver a few more sermons this weekend in New York City. 

Graham is the most influential Protestant evangelist of the modern age, and he has played a unique role in American life, a role that will most likely go unfilled once he ends his earthly ministry and goes home to be with God.  Billy Graham was like the late John Paul II - they both were blessed with the ability to profess an unwaivering faith while showing warmth, acceptance and love to the millions that heard their sermons. 

Graham started his ministry in 1949 at a crusade in Los Angeles.  He has ministered to every President from Harry S. Truman to George W. Bush.  At a weekend press conference before the New York City crusade, Graham told reporters that he was close to both the Clintons and the Bushes.  Graham spent the night at the White House on the eve of the Gulf War, praying for and with senior Bush, and just days after the 9/11 attacks, Graham came to the National Cathedral with junior Bush to grieve for the dead and comfort the survivors. 

As a young child, I vividly remember watching the Billy Graham crusades on TV with my grandparents.  They would have a massive choir made up of people from the city where the crusade was being held, and they would perform a couple of songs.  Then George Beverly Shea would sing, and if I was lucky, I would get to hear the great Ethel Waters sing my favorite hymn, and her signature song, "His Eye Is On The Sparrow."  After the music, Billy Graham would take his place behind the podium and deliver the sermon.  Even as a kid, I was impressed by him.  For one, he didn't have any notes on the podium, nor was he reading his sermon from cue cards or a promptor; he delivered the sermom from his heart and soul.  Another thing that impressed me was his concern and compassion.  Even though he was speaking before thousands with millions of others watching on TV, when you heard his sermons, he had the ability to make you think he was preaching only to you. 

It seems ironic - on a day when we read about Billy Graham preaching possibly for the last time, the Supreme Court tells us all that the Ten Commandments cannot be displayed in our courthouses.  Oh well.  You did all you could do, Rev. Graham.  I'm confidant that when you get to heaven you will hear the words "Well done, good and faithful servant."

Link Of The Week

Today's Link Of The Week is brought to you courtesy of my dear friend BLGMama.  She asked if I would post this in TWIT, and how can I refuse any requests by my faithful readers?

BLGMama is probably the world's greats Roy Orbison fan.  She knows as much about Roy Orbison as the Divas do about Tammy Wynette.  She also collects Roy Orbison memorabelia.  I promised her that the Divas would bring her back any Orbison merchandise we find on our trip to Graceland and Sun Records this fall.  BLGMama would like fo you, my faithful readers, to sign a petition being sent to the U.S. Postal Service to have a stamp made with Roy Orbison's picture on it.  I remember how cool it was back in the 80's when the USPS released a stamp with Patsy Cline's picture on it, and then a few years later, with Elvis.  It made it a tiny bit easier to send off a bill when you could put a stamp of the King on an envelope.  Please go to http://www.petitiononline.com/royvote/petition.html and sign the petition.  BLGMama thanks you, and I thank you.

Happy Birthday, Pac Man

TWIT would like to wish Pac Man a happy 25th birthday.  Boy, that makes me feel old.  It seems just like yesterday my high school friends and I were at Pizza Inn, wearing our Members Only jackets and Topsider deck shoes as we shoveled quarter after quarter into the Pac Man video game. 

Arguably the most influential video game in history (with Pong the only other real contender), Pac Man has made more than $100 million dollars one quarter at a time. He's spawned his own line of trading cards, lunch boxes, board games, breakfast cereals and been the inspiration for a Top 40 hit (Buckner & Garcia's "Pac Man Fever" hit number 9 on Billboard's charts in 1982).

Pac Man was born from an idea by Toru Iwatani. Iwatani, who was also responsible for the arcade classic Galaxian, was trying to come up with a game that looked like a cartoon. At a pizza parlor, he paused after eating his first slice of pizza and thought the remainder of the pie looked like a head with its mouth open. He imagined it racing through a maze, eating things -- and the phenomenon was born. Iwatani had originally wanted the game character to be an actual pizza, but this was at the birth of the video game industry and there were technological limitations. The game also underwent a name change.  It was originally called Puck Man.  I don't think I need to explain why they changed the name to Pac Man. 

We read about people camping out to be first in line when a new Play Station or X Box system comes out, and we hear about how many hundreds of thousands of Grand Theft Auto games are sold.  That's not really impressive compared to Pac Man.  Video game researchers estimate that Pac Man had been played over 10 billion times in the 20th century.  And in Japan, when the arcade game was first released, the country reported a major shortage of yen coins, because everybody was playing it. Now THAT'S impressive. 

The next time we play a game at Pogo.com or any other game site, or when we buy a game for our system at home, let's all give props to Pac Man.  Without that little yellow fellow, we probably would still be playing the old table tennis video game.  Wocka wocka wocka.

You Really Didn't Want That Scarf, Did You, Oprah?

If you've watched "Entertainment Tonight" this week, chances are you heard about Oprah Winfrey's disasterous shopping trip in Paris.  If you have no idea what I'm talking about, I'll give you a quick recap.  Oprah was denied entry into Hermes in Paris.  She tried to get into the exclusive boutique but they refused to let her in because she store had been "having trouble with North Africans lately."  Can you say "racial profiling", folks?  The ACLU would have a field day with that one.

Oprah didn't have her hair styled, so she probably didn't really look like her usual powerful self.  So I'm assuming that the store workers had no clue they had just turned away what Forbes magazine says is the richest and most powerful celebrity in the world. Granted, Oprah and her entourage should have gone to the store during its business hours; they went to the store fifteen minutes after it had closed.  But that is no excuse for what the store workers told Oprah.

I think it's a safe bet that Oprah won't be buying any Hermes items from now on.  A few months ago, she bought a dozen or so Hermes bags, just like the one that Martha Stewart carried during her trial.  A spokesperson for Oprah said that after this incident, she cancelled all orders she had placed with Hermes.  And I don't think she'll be raving about Hermes on her "Favorite Things" episode, either.  If I were her, I'd get in touch with MGM and make sure they edit out any references to a Hermes scarf in "Basic Instinct 2", coming to theaters later this year.  If you'll remember, in the original "Basic Instinct" Sharon Stone's character used a white Hermes scarf to tie one of her alleged victims to the bed post.

What Oprah really needs to do is simply buy the Hermes company. Just because she can.

It Was Bound To Happen

Giant popsicle melts, floods New York City park

Wed Jun 22, 7:04 PM ET

NEW YORK (AP) - An attempt to erect the world's largest popsicle in a New York City square ended with a scene straight out of a disaster film but much stickier.

The 25-foot tall, 17 1/2-ton treat of frozen Snapple unexpectedly quickly melted in the midday sun Tuesday, flooding Union Square in downtown Manhattan with pink fluid that sent pedestrians scurrying for higher ground.  Firefighters closed off several streets and used hoses to wash away the sugary goo as the giant Kiwi-Strawberry flavoured pop gushed liquid.  The leaking slush was slippery; some passers-by were reported to have slipped in the puddles, although the fire department reported no serious injuries.

Snapple had been trying to promote a new line of frozen treats by setting a record for the world's largest popsicle but called off the stunt before the ice-scraper was pulled fully upright by a construction crane.

Event officials said they were worried the 2 1/2-story pop was melting from the inside out and would collapse. "We planned for this...we just didn't expect for it to happen so fast," said Snapple spokeswoman Lauren Radcliffe.  She said the company would offer to compensate the city and the fire department for cleanup expenses.

Temperatures hit 82 degrees in New York on Tuesday, the first day of summer.

Organizers weren't sure why the pop melted so quickly. It was supposed to have been able to withstand the heat for some time. It had been made in Edison, N.J., and hauled to New York by freezer truck in the morning.

"My theory is that it was a combination of the heat...and it may not have been frozen all the way through," Radcliffe said.

She said the company is unlikely to make a second attempt to break the record, set by a 21-foot  pop in Holland in 1997.

With global warming, I knew something like this was bound to happen.  I'm just glad there were no serious injuries.

Things Are Even Ducky-er

My co-worker Wonder Woman is a grandma, again.  The Muscovy ducks that she wrote about last week had their babies this past weekend, and here are some of the first pictures of the newborns.  There are eight ducklings,  and they are just adorable.

Shake Your Groove Thing

I was flipping through the channels the other night, and paused for a few moments on CNN.  No, the news story wasn't about the Michael Jackson trial nor about Natalee Holloway; it was an interview with Shaira, the South American singing sensation.  Shakira is currently touring, promoting her new album "Fijacion Oral" ("Oral Fixation), her first album in Spanish since 1998.  If you haven't seen Shakira peform before, her stage show is quite, uh, energetic.  She gyrates like a middle eastern belly dancer.  No disrespect to The King, but Elvis' gyrations on the Ed Sullivan Show ain't got nothing on this girl. 

I'm hardened with it comes to alot of things on tv and in the movies, and it usually takes something pretty strong to make me raise an eyebrow, but when CNN showed a clip from Shakira's new video, I was stunned.  She was gyrating all right. It looked to me like she was belly dancing while she was laying on the floor.  The guy on top of her looked like he was belly dancing, too. 

In the interview, she talked about her new album, and was proudly showing off a new addition to her repertoire of dance moves.  The new move: shaking her chest.  She said that she had already shaken everything else, and it was the only thing left for her to shake on stage.  Does this mean since she has now fulfilled her obligation to shake everything she could possibly shake, when this tour is over she'll just pack it all up and go back home to Colombia?

I did some quick research on Shakira and discovered a couple of things that really surprised me. Shakira has an IQ of over 140.  If my memory is correct, I think that's close to the "genius" category.  Shakira also speaks fluent Spanish and Arabic, and is currently working on her English. With things like that on her resume, I don't think Shakira would have a hard time starting another career if she wants. 

I've Paid My Debt To Society

An unfortunate incident happened the other night that has caused me to make a revision on my qualifications for head of the Kentucky Office of Homeland Security - I'm ashamed to admit that I got a parking ticket.  But it wasn't my fault, and I have witnesses to prove it. 

I went downtown after work to meet a friend who wanted to talk about a couple of big personal problems he was dealing with, and I parked in a spot with a parking meter.  I got there at 5:05, and met my friend in front of the restaurant, and he witnessed me putting three quarters in the parking meter.  In Louisville, you don't have to pay for the parking meter after 6:00 in the evening, so at 20 minutes per quarter, I was covered.  Imagine my surprise when I left the restaurant an hour and a half later and found the ticket on my windshield.  It was in a green envelope, conveniently pre-addressed so all the criminal had to do was enclose the check and add a stamp and their debt to society would be paid.  At first glance, we thought it was a coupon for something, given the bright green envelope that was on my car and a half dozen other cars.  It was a coupon all right - a coupon that cost me $15.  We couldn't believe it - I had actually put the money in the meter and saw the digital display say "60 minutes" yet the parking meter storm troopers said they gave me the ticket at 5:26. 

When I got home, I looked at the citation, and found a phone number and website where I could get information on appealing the ticket.  I went to the cite and printed out the form to send in, and once I started filling out the information, I said to hell with it.  If the appeal was denied, I would have to go downtown and appear before an "independent hearings officer" and plead my case to them.  That would mean I would have to take off from work, drive downtown (where I would run the risk of yet another parking ticket from the parking meter storm troopers, and make my friend take off from work as well, so he could be my witness.  It's just not worth the effort.  I know I am in the right, and sent a letter to the "Metro Parking Office" along with my check for $15.  The next time I go down to that restaurant, I am going to bring my digital camera and take a picture of the meter in case it happens again and I need proof.  This is just another case of The Man trying to keep us down. 

Happy Father's Day, Dad

Happy Father's Day, Dad.  And happy Father's Day to all of my faithful readers who are fathers. 

I've learned a lot from Dad during my 42 years - I've learned not to compromise my integrity for someone; he taught me that whatever a person does in life, whether good or bad, will come back around to them full circle; and he instilled in me the importance of regular tire rotations and oil changes.  I've received a lot from Dad, too.  Through the gene pool, I was blessed with the gift and love of music, and Dad helped me develop an appreciation for a well written song.  The greatest thing I received from my Dad is unconditional love.

Happy Father's Day, Dad.  I love you. 

Link Of The Week

I've neve been a huge Brad Pitt fan.  The first time I saw him in a movie was in "Thelma and Louise."  His character stole all of Thelma and Louise's money and caused them to rob a liquor store.  Unforunately, I held that against Brad Pitt.  After watching Diane Sawyer's interview with Brad last week, I've gotten over my grudge and kinda like him now.  Actually, I admire him.  I admire Brad Pitt for his work in Africa; he's made numerous trips there (at his own expense) and has seen first hand the effects of AIDS and poverty.  Brad Pitt has given money to the relief efforts, and he is part of One, the organization raising money and awareness about the millions of poverty- and AIDS-striken people in Africa.  To quote the press release, "The ONE Campaign seeks to give Americans a voice, to ring church bells and cell phones, on campuses and in coffee shops, for an historic pact to fight the global AIDS emergency and end extreme poverty. We believe that allocating an additional ONE percent of the U.S. budget toward providing basic needs like health, education, clean water and food, would transform the futures and hopes of an entire generation of the poorest countries."   Pitt, along with Bono, and other A-List celebrities have lent their time and talents to this effort.

One will be sponsering Live 8 concerts in a few weeks. The concerts are in conjunction with the G8 summit.  Eight world leaders, gathered in Scotland for the G8 summit, will be presented with a workable plan to double aid, drop the debt and make the trade laws fair. If these 8 men agree, then we will become the generation that made poverty history.

Most of us won't be able to attend the five Live 8 concerts, nor are we able to travel to Africa to help in person, but there's something we can all do.  Go to http://www.one.org and sign the petition that will be presented to our world leaders at the G8 summit, and take a minute to also sign the declaration.  You can also spend a few dollars at the site to help out the cause, and become a fashion trendsetter at the same time by buying some of the very cool white wristbands that are so trendy now.  They simply say "One." While we can't give millions like Pitt, his new girlfriend Angelina Jolie, Oprah Winfry and Bono, we can still do our part as one person.

Another Email Questionaire

1. How often do you get your hair cut? Every 5 weeks faithfully.  Side note: I've gone to the same hair stylist for 22 years. 
2. How often do you purge your space (get rid of old clothing, throw away old papers, etc.)? Huh?  Are you implying that people actually get rid of things?
3. At the beach or pool, do you coat yourself with sunblock every 20 minutes, or do you soak up the sun? I enjoy 30 minutes of unprotected sun, and then I coat myself from head to toe with SPF 30. 
4. How long do you usually spend in the shower or bathtub? I'm a bath person, and I spend 20 or so minutes soaking in the tub.  When I take a shower, I'm only in there about 5 minutes. 
5. When is the last time you had ice cream? Last night - homemade sugar-free strawberry ice cream. 
6. What is your dream job?  Contrary to what I've posted in TWIT, my ultimate dream job is to be a record producer.
7. If forced to choose, would you rather give up sugar or salt for one year?  Do you mean on the rim of my margarita glass?  I would give up  sugar.  I could manage for a year by using Splenda and giving up Little Debbies, but I couldn't handle going without salt in my food.
8. Do you filter your tap water before drinking it?  Wouldn't you if your drinking water came from the Ohio River?
9. How old were you when you went on your first date? Sweet 16.
10. What was the worst vacation you've taken?  A trip to Filthadelphia, I mean, Philadelphia, during Thanksgiving in the late 90's.  On my second day there, I was calling my travel agent to get me back home.

Red Hats, Red Ribbons

Wednesday was a red hat day in Louisville.  Sue Ellen Cooper, the founder of the infamous Red Hat Society, was in town at a local bookstore to sign copies of "Designer Scrapbooks The Red Hat Society Way."  One of the local tv channels had complete coverage of this big event on the 6:00 news Wednesday evening.  They reported that over 300 purple clad, red hatted women waited in line for hours to meet Ms. Cooper. 

The reporter went on to say that the Red Hat Society has 42,000 chapters in 32 countries, with over one million members.  I was surprised when they said that there are over 125 chapters in Louisville alone, giving our fair city the honor of being the city with most Red Hat groups in the nation.  That sure is a distinction to be proud of. 

Earlier in the same newscast, one of the news anchors briefly mentioned an item that apparently wasn't as newsworthy as the piece about the founder of the Red Hat Society being in Louisville.  In a short 30-second news item, they reported that the CDC announced that there are currently 1.1 million people in the U.S. that are HIV positive, and that almost one-third of them don't even know that they are infected.  If you compare the two stories, it's shocking, and even ironic, to find that in our country there are just about as Red Hat Society members as there are people infected with HIV.  The Red Hatters stand out in a crowd; those infected with HIV don't. 

Another ironic similarity between these two groups is the color red.  The Red Hat Society has a big red hat as it's symbol; a red ribbon is the symbol for AIDS awareness. If you wear either one of these items out in public, you'll probably get a few odd looks, as if to say "Why are you wearing that?" 

Just as you probably know a somebody's mother or grandmother that is a Red Hatter, most likely you don't know someone that is HIV positive.  It's a good thing that those that are HIV positive don't stand out in a crowd - I'm sure they would be shunned and ignored; just as society shuns them because they feel they deserved to get it as payback for being gay,  and as our government ignores them by cutting back on AIDS and HIV prevention programs.  The majority of the people in our country that are HIV positive are African American men, not gay men, as society would like to believe. 

True, there is no cure for AIDS, but we can all be aware and supportive. 

Congratulations Belle of Louisville

TWIT would like to congratulate the Belle of Louisville on being named the 2005 Steamship of the Year.  When I heard this prestigious news on WHAS 11 last night, the reporter also said that the Belle is the oldest steamship and paddlewheeler in operation, and was designated as a National Historic Landmark in 1989. 

She was built in 1914 and was originally named the Idlewild.  The Belle is unique for her longevity, and for the fact that she needs only five feet of water to float.  This has allowed her passageway on every navigable waterway in the country.

The Idlewild operated as a passenger ferry between Memphis, Tennessee and West Memphis, Arkansas. She also hauled cargo like cotton, lumber, and grain. During the 1920's the Idlewild took on a "tramp's" life. "Tramping" was the term used when steamboats traveled from town to town doing excursions from various points along a river. The Idlewild tramped the Ohio, Illinois, Mississippi and Missouri River systems.

The Idlewild arrived at Louisville in 1931. She ran trips that season between Fontaine Ferry amusement park near downtown Louisville and Rose Island, a resort about 14 miles upriver from Louisville. In 1934, the Idlewild returned to Louisville and operated a regular excursion schedule through World War Two. She did her duty like everyone else during the war. The Idlewild was outfitted with special equipment to push oil barges along the river. But she wasn't all work and no play. The steamboat also served as a floating USO nightclub for troops stationed at military bases along the Mississippi.

In 1947, the Idlewild was sold to J. Herod Gorsage, and her name was changed to the Avalon the following year. The name change had been the deathbed wish of the boat's master, Captain Ben Winters, whose career had started aboard a different steamboat called the Avalon.

A group of investors based in Cincinnati bought the Avalon in 1949. Over the next 13 years, she became the most widely traveled river steamer in the country. The Avalon pulled into ports all along the Mississippi, Missouri, St. Croix, Illinois, Kanawha, Ohio, and Cumberland rivers.

But by 1962, the Avalon was a sorry sight. In desperate need of major repairs and improvements, the boat was literally days away from the scrap yard when an auctioneer offered to put the doomed steamboat on the auction block. Her salvation came from Kentucky. At the auction, Jefferson County Judge/Executive Marlow Cook offered the highest bid. He bought the boat for $34,000 with county funds.

Along with her new life on the Louisville waterfront came a new name - the Belle of Louisville. Many hours went into repairing and restoring the boat. She needed a tremendous amount of time and attention before being suitable for passengers again.  On April 30, 1963, the Belle made her first cruise in a race against the Delta Queen steamboat. That race was the beginning of an unparalleled river tradition. The Belle and the Queen still square off every year on the Wednesday before the Derby in The Great Steamboat Race. 

I've had some great trips with friends and family on the Belle.  Two interesting trips stand out in my memory.  Both of them occurred in the month of June.  The first memorable trip was in the late 80's on a trip with other Baptist churches in the Louisville area.  It was early June, but it was unseasonably cold.  Yes, I used "cold" and not "cool."  During the evening, we were down on the lower deck of the Belle, huddled around the stinky boilers trying to keep warm.  My childhood friend and co-worker Shannon will vouch for how cold it was that night out on the water - she was with us by the boilers trying to warm up.   The second memorable trip was in the early 90's on a company outing.  A friend went with me, and got seasick on the Belle.  It wasn't like there were whitecap waves or anything - it was a normal day on the Ohio River, but he was as green as dollar bill for the entire trip.  Needless to say, he hasn't been on the Belle since, nor has he gone with me to any company parties. 

Oh Give Me A Home Where The Buffalo Roam

I'm not very adventurous when it comes to trying exotic foods; at restaurants, I usually stick with "the usual", much to the dismay of my dining companions who rag on me for always getting the same old thing.  Two years ago, I stepped out of my comfort zone and actually tried a new meat: buffalo.  I love it.  It's way leaner than beef, and has almost no cholesterol and no fat.  I tried the buffalo at a very cool place just 25 miles northeast of Louisville called [appropriately] Buffalo Crossing.  Buffalo Crossing is a 1000 acre working buffalo ranch with over 500 head of buffalo.  They have a restaurant that sells (yes, you guessed it) buffalo.  I was adventurous that day and got the buffalo burger and it almost melted in my mouth.  I was hooked. They also have buffalo burritos, meatloaf, roast, and steaks. 

A friend went there this weekend with her family, and they took some awesome pictures that they would like to share with you, my faithful readers.  My friend's daughter said that the buffalo chili cheese dip was awesome, by the way.  So without further ado, here's pictures of the buffalo farm and the petting zoo at Buffalo Crossing.

I Want This Job, Gov. Fletcher

I don't normally look at the help wanted ads in the newspaper, but yesterday as I was reading the Curious Journal, I read about a job opening and I'm going to apply for it.  I hope ZCO will not be offended because I'm looking elsewhere for another job, but I really think I could handle this gig. 

The position is for the head of the Kentucky Office of Homeland Security.  I read that the guy that held this position made over $121,000 last year.  I would gladly take a pay cut and do the job for half of that.  Even though I have no experience in the wonderful world of politics, I still think I'm very qualified for this position. I have an Associate's Degree, a Bachelor's Degree and a Master's Degree, all obtained through attending credited colleges and not purchased online.   Just in case Gov. Fletcher reads TWIT, here's some of my qualifications:

I have no skeletons in my closet.  Sure, I've done a few crazy things in my 42 years, but there's no major scandal that could be dug up by a political opponent or the media.  There are no scandalous photos of me in compromising situations floating around, just waiting to be posted on the internet.  The closest thing to a scandalous picture taken of me is one that my faithful readers have already seen posted in TWIT - the picture of me and female celebrity impersonator Frank Marino. 

I have no criminal record.  Other than one parking ticket and one speeding ticket, my record is clean.  No aggrivated assault charges, no drug possession charges, nothing.  No arrests, and not even any court appearances as a witness.  The only time I've been in a courtroom was when I had jury duty.  I'm the model upstanding citizen. 

I am prepared for an emergency.  This winter, after the snow and ice storm of Christmas Eve eve, I bought a snow blower.  And I hope to be purchasing a portable generator within the next few weeks, too.  I have all new batteries in my flashlights, radios, and the portable tv in the event of a power outage, and I have kerosene for our lamps.  I also have two cases of bottled water in the basement, so the donkeys, the 'rents and I will have plenty of drinking water in the case of an emergency.

I have a gun and I know how to use it.  I'm sure that as head of the Kentucky Office of Homeland Security, I would have to be on guard for terrorist attacks.  Not a problem.  My first appointment as head of this organization would be to hire the Andy Frain concert ushers as patrols for our state borders.  They don't let anyone that's not authorized get within 100 feet of the stage at a concert, so I know they wouldn't let any illegal aliens come in our state. 

Get Well Soon, Kelly Osbourne

If you've watched "Entertainment Tonight" or MTV in the past week, chances are you heard about Kelly Osbourne, 20 year old daughter of Ozzy Osbourne, being back in rehab.  Yes, "back" as in this is the second time she's been in rehab.  I don't know what makes me sadder -- that this is the second time the kid has been in rehab, or the fact that it was just a year ago when she was in rehab for the first time for an addiction to prescription narcotics.  The news stories say she's not in rehab for drug- or alcohol-related problems this time; this time she's in rehab for having a nervous breakdown over her weight.   Her mom Sharon said that Kelly "lost it and became hysterical" after an interview with a British tv station when they asked if her slim look in publicity photos were a result of creative image doctoring.  Ouch. 

I feel sorry for the poor kid.  As is having to deal with Ozzy Osbourne as your father isn't a big enough load to carry, the kid's had to deal with being addicted to Vicodin and Oxycontin.  And now the press is making an issue of her weight.  She also had to deal with her brother Jack's drug addiction, and her mother Sharon's bout with cancer.  She had all of this going on while she and her family were being filmed for their MTV reality show.

Don't be so hard on yourself, Kelly.  If the Prince of Darkness were my dad, I'd probably be hitting the Vic's hot and heavy, too.  You've been clean for over a year, and so has your brother and your dad, plus your mom is currently cancer-free. So just be happy and focus on that.  Screw what the British media thinks; TWIT thinks you look fine. 

Link Of The Week

In this day and time, you hear people saying "Google it."  It's become one of the trendy phrases these days.  In case you don't have a clue what they're talking about, they mean "go to www.google.com and enter what you're looking for.  Before Google was even invented, I had my own favorite place to search.  And it's still the first place I go when I want to look up something online.  It's http://www.askjeeves.com.  It doesn't bring up as many hits as Google, but I think it's more in depth.  And I get a kick out of the cartoon caricature of Jeeves the butler.  So go on - ask Jeeves.  You won't be disappointed. 

What's Your Sign?

While running errands this morning, I had the pleasure of travelling down one of the busiest roads in the county, Dixie Highway.  It's nothing but six lanes of pain in the ass.  Unfortunately, to get anywhere in the city you almost always have to get there via Dixie.  Traffic was the usual stop-and-go Saturday traffic with everybody else out running errands at the same time I was.  While travelling down Dixie and waiting in traffic, I noticed something odd - on almost every corner, someone was standing there with a big sign advertising something.  It wasn't your typical handwritten cardboard "will work for food" or the posterboard sign advertising a car wash  - these were about 6 feet tall, and brightly colored to catch your eye. 

Here's just a few of the businesses I saw being advertised on the street corners:   Buehler's Fresh Market going-out-of-business sale, C.C.'s Pizza to-go, Fashio Cent$ going-out-of-business sale, Sears Essentials, Little Caesar's Pizz, and Neil Huffman Volkswagon.  Let me sum this up - it seems that the current trend in advertising new stores, stores that are closing, and pizzas is to use big signs.  Let me also add that the sign holders were PATs.  Most of them had on shorts that were sagging down to their ankles, and were bopping and grooving to the music coming from their headphones. 

I'll give Little Caesar's credit - they were the first in our area to use the big signs for advertising.  In the early spring, I spotted the first PAT holding a Little Caesar's sign over by the park.  He looked as if he would rather have his eyes gouged out by flaming arrows than to stand there and hold a sign advertising a large pepparoni pizza for 5 bucks.  But the sign worked - on impulse, I pulled into Little Caesars and bought one.  It was about a 10 minute wait, because there were 8 people ahead of me doing the same thing.  So that's proof positive that the sign advertising is working.

Things Are Just Ducky

Today's journal entry is by my friend and co-worker Wonder Woman.  Here's the tale of the new members of her barnyard.

Well, this "flock" of Muskovy ducks showed up at our property about 4-5 months ago.  We began with a flock of about 6-7 at first.  We have 4 that have become "residents".  2 males and 2 females. One of the females laid 20 eggs in our barn a couple of months ago.  She sat on them for about 2 weeks but then some critter raided the nest one night and none of the eggs were left.  The other female decided to lay her eggs in a safer place.  She chose our dog house that sits close to the house.  Our dog has never used the dog house, but our cat used to love it.  The duck has been sitting on her eggs for a couple of weeks.  It usually takes about 30 days to hatch eggs so we're anxiously awaiting their arrival and keeping our fingers crossed. I decided that with the hot weather these ducks (which are not pond ducks) needed some water to play in so I got them a wading pool (much to the aggravation of my husband).  They really enjoy their new pool and look cleaner then they have ever looked!!!  Maybe I'll have photos of babies soon!!

Wonder Woman did some research, and here's what she found on the Muskovy ducks.

Originating from Brazil, Muscovies are the only domestic ducks that are not derived from Mallard stock. Wild Muscovies' coloration is black and white, but domestication has produced many different colors. These colors are; blue, blue and white, chocolate, chocolate and white, white, black, black and white, lavender, and calical. The males can grow to be quite large, weighing 10-15 lbs. Most of the females are 5-7 pounds but can reach up to 9 and sometimes 10 lbs. Their feet are equipped with strong sharp claws for grabbing tree branches and roosting. Muscovies are unique because of their bright red crest around their eyes and above the beak. They do not swim much because their oil glands are under developed compared to most ducks. Muscovy hens can set three times a year, and the egg clutches can vary from 8 to 21 eggs. The egg are incubated for 35 days.

Foul Mood Thursday

I don't usually rant and rave too much in TWIT, but today, I need to rant and rave in a safe place - somewhere I can go off without being in danger of committing a felony.  I'm in a very foul mood today.  Actually, "foul" is putting it mildly; I'm downright mad.  I was 2 minutes late to work this morning, due to traffic being rerouted after a fatal wreck a mile from my house.  I hadn't even fully entered our cubicle, and was actually still in the doorway when a co-worker blindsided me and started grilling me about a particular pump model that was supposed to be built today.  By now, I was fully inside the cube, but I still hadn't even put my purse and bag down at my desk, much less had time to sit down in my chair and boot up my computer so I could give an answer. WTF?  I know I have a good memory, but I don't have all of the factory's schedules memorized.  I exercised much discipline and self-control; I wanted to put my hand up in their face a la Erica Kane, but instead said in a firm voice "At least let me turn my computer on."

I was in an exceptionally good mood before this happened. I was looking forward to the Bats game tonight, and was pumped up over my new healthy eating plan, and damned if this didn't put me in a bad mood.  (Side note: Last night was the first major hurdle I've cleared in my new healthy eating plan: I said "no" when I was offered Little Debbie zebra cakes. If I can say "no" to Little Debbies, then I shouldn't have any problems saying "no" to nachos at the ballgame tonight.)

I'm sure I'll snap out of this later today, but for now, I just want to be mad for awhile.

 

Addendum

I'm a firm believer that there is no such thing as coincidence.  You'll be happy to know that as of 12:30 p.m., I'm officially over my foul mood, thanks to my dear friend PhD.  She called and left a voicemail message for me while I was at lunch, and as soon as I heard it, I was over being mad.  It's not like she had anything to do with me being mad, but her message made me forget why I was mad in the first place.  (Side note to PhD: I still carry that article about lifelong friends that you tore out of the Good Housekeeping magazine over 15 years ago.  It's tucked awaysafely in the big executive planner book.)

You Got A Raw Deal, Max Baer

If you've watched TV the past few weeks, I'm sure you've seen the trailer for the new Russell Crowe boxing movie "Cinderella Man."  It's the story of boxer James Braddock's (portrayed by Crowe) rise during the Depression to win the World Heavyweight Championship.  The movie's climax shows Braddock's upset win over champion Max Baer.  Braddock made it through 15 rounds without getting knocked out by Baer's legendary right hand - considered by many boxing historians as one of the hardest single punches in boxing history.  Braddock's 15-round unanimous decision was the biggest upset in a heavyweight title bout in boxing history - a record that stood until Buster Douglas knocked out Mike Tyson in 1990. 

The critics say Braddock's portrayal in the movie was realistic, but Hollywood's attempt to turn Max Baer into the villan is where the film strays from reality.  The film portrays Baer as if he purposely killed two opponents, Frankie Campbell and Ernie Schaaf and then gloated about it afterwards.  But in reality, Baer didn't gloat, and was tormented the rest of his life by the fact that two men he fought died at his hands.  Campbell died as a result of a severe concussion after being knocked out by Baer in the fifth round.  Baer fought an exhibition match for Campbell's wife and raised over $10,000 for her.  Two years later, Baer fought Schaaf.  Baer knocked out Schaaf with two seconds left in the fight.  Schaaf was out cold for three minutes. He recovered but died six months later after being knocked out by Primo Carnera.  In the movie, Baer is blamed for his death. 

Baer's son is irate over his father's portrayal.  "The portrayl of my father in 'Cinderella Man' couldn't have been more wrong and inaccurate," he said.  "They turned a good-hearted, fun-loving, friendly and warm human being who hated boxing into Mr. T from 'Rocky III' ." In case you didn't know, Baer's son is Max Baer, Jr., better known as Jethro in "The Beverly Hillbillies."

After researching about Max Baer and reading the information about the movie, I was a bit disappointed when I found out that Ron Howard, our beloved little Opie, directed "CinderellaMan."  I think thewriters and he could have gotten the point across about Braddock's Cinderella story without making his opponent Baer the villain in this story. 

What can Brown do for you?

Citi notifies 3.9 million customers of lost data
Computer tapes with personal information lost in transit

 

MSNBC staff and news service reports
Updated: 6:54 p.m. ET June 6, 2005

NEW YORK - CitiFinancial, the consumer finance division of Citigroup Inc., said Monday it has begun notifying some 3.9 million U.S. customers that computer tapes containing their personal data had been lost.

New York-based Citigroup said the tapes were in a box shipped in May via UPS Inc. from a Citigroup facility in Weehawken, N.J. to an Experian credit bureau facility in Allen, Texas. Data on the tapes included account information, payment histories and Social Security numbers.

The data involved only information on consumers who had taken out loans with Citibank, such as personal loans or debt consolidation loans, according to the firm. Savings and checking account customers were not impacted, the firm said.

Most of the impacted consumers are current Citibank loan customers, but about 55,000 of the records on the tape involved consumers with closed accounts, a Citibank spokesman said. The firm said customers of its CitiFinancial Auto, CitiFinancial Mortgage or other Citigroup businesses were not impacted.

In a statement, Citigroup said that CitiFinancial “had no reason to believe that this information has been used inappropriately, nor has it received any reports of unauthorized activity.”

Norman Black, a spokesman for Atlanta-based UPS, confirmed that the tapes were missing.
“Despite an exhaustive search for this package, we’ve been unable to find it,” Black said.

Citigroup's announcement came just as the nation's top security experts gathered in Washington D.C. for an annual conference sponsored by research firm Gartner. Experts expressed surprise and dismay at the news.

"This is really inexcusable," said Gartner analyst Avivah Litan.  "This is security 101.  This shows just how out of control all this data is."

Account information is sent regularly by financial institutions to credit bureaus to keep consumer credit reports up to date. In the past, all firms sent such tapes to the credit bureaus, though now many firms send the information electronically. In an Internet-based seminar last month, Experian, the credit bureau to which the lost data was headed, specifically recommends electronic delivery.

Debby Hopkins, chief operations and technology officer for Citigroup, said that the tapes were produced “in a sophisticated mainframe data center environment” and would be difficult to decode without the right equipment and special software.

Hopkins said that most Citigroup units send data electronically in encrypted form and that CitiFinancial data will be sent that way starting in July.

Tumbleweed Communications Corp. performs such encrypted data transmissions for eight of the top 10 financial institutions, including Wells Fargo and Bank of America, according to CEO Jeff Smith. He said the CitiFinancial incident points out a bit of any irony — in this case, transmission over the Internet is more secure than old-fashioned means. Citigroup is not a customer, he said.

"If you send it encrypted directly, we're going to pull people and third parties out of the process. When you do that, you are less susceptible to fraud," Smith said. "It's also a lot cheaper than UPS."

As you know from previous posts, I'm a frequent eBay buyer.  Out of all of the items I've bought through eBay (118 to be exact) I've only had one item get lost in transit.  The seller shipped it by UPS, and we had a tracking number, but it never made it to Louisville.  From my years in customer service, and my stint in the traffic department, I know firsthand that some packages get lost.  Just like how clothes or books or cd's or tools get lost at home -- some things just get lost and there's no explanation for it. 

I'm sure that Fed Ex and the USPS are smirking over this, but they shouldn't gloat too much; pride cometh before the fall.  We've had letters and even a few checks get lost in the mail over the past few years, even so much that we won't mail anything from the mailbox at home just as a precaution.  I guess it's just a natural fact that things are going to get lost in transit.  But it's usually a piece of mail or something we've ordered from a catalog or shipped to a family member - you really don't hear too much about computer tapes containing personal information about 4 million people being lost. 

It sucks that it happened, and I'm sure UPS will get a lot of flack over the lost box, and will probably lose some customers, but once again we can put some of the blame on the media feeding frenzy about the lost box of tapes.  You didn't see the story of my lost package of Livestrong bracelets on CNN Headline News. 

This Week In Music History

This weekend I watched VH-1 for the first time in probably a year.  I don't think I missed much.  During the Top Twenty Countdown, they had a short piece on "This Week In Music History."  The year was 1997.  It kinda bothers me that they classify just eight years ago as being history. But that didn't bother me nearly as much as finding out what the number one album at that time was "Spice" by the Spice Girls.  The news blurb got worse when they said that the number one single this week in 1997 was "MMMBop" by Hanson.  Like it or not, we remember Spice Girls and Hanson.  And we can probably sing a few lines of their songs. 

I'd never heard of the Spice Girls until I saw them on a Saturday Night Live appearance in June of 1997.  The date sticks out in my mind not because they made such an impression with their musical skills, but because I remember watching that SNL episode with my cousin's two sons who were visiting us from California.  We drove the family crazy constantly saying "So tell me what you want, what you really really want." I did some checking, and found out that during their reign as Spice Girls, Ginger, Scary, Baby, Posh and Sporty sold over 33 million albums.  Like 'em or not, that's pretty impressive to me. I also read that the Spice Girls are making a comeback, sans Ginger Spice aka Geri Halliwell, who has gone onto a quasi-successful solo career. 

In case you've forgotten over the past 8 years, Hanson is a trio of brothers who burst into the pop scene in 1997.  The story goes that the brothers started singing around the dinner table at their home in Oklahoma, and went on to have a number one song with "MMMBop." (Note: for my faithful readers who are hip to this inside joke, no, the Hanson brothers were not in the military.)  The song was catchy, and during the summer of 1997 you couldn't turn on the radio without hearing it.  It was annoying but it made its way to the number one spot on the record charts that year.  I will give the Hanson brothers, Isaac, Zach, and Taylor, props.  They played their own instruments on their albums, and they actually did their own vocals, something Milli Vanilli and a host of others can't claim.  

Link Of The Week

I love shoes.  I'm almost ashamed to admit that I have four pairs of Doc Martens.  They are the most comfortable shoe I've ever worn.  Since I had my wreck and messed up my foot, I've been very picky about shoes.  I'll scrimp on some things but not when it comes to shoes. I walk alot at work, making many trips out through the factory every day, and my Docs are as comfortable as wearing an old pair of houseshoes. They give excellent support, and they last long, too.  In case you didn't know this, Doc Martens are the brand of shoes that the old school police officers wore on patrol back in the day.  You might be thinking "Yeah, that's great, Puddin.  But not everybody can afford shoes like that at $140 a pop."  Au contraire.  Thanks to our friends a few miles away at Zappos, any size budget can afford Doc Martens.  Or any of a ton of other awesome name brand expensive shoes.  Go to http://www.zappos.com and see for yourself.  I've bought two of my sets of Doc Martens from them, as well as other good shoes, at major discounts.  They have fast free shipping, and free shipping in case you need to return something to them. 

What have you got to lose?  Give Zappos a try, and tell them Puddin sent you.

So Much For National Doughnut Day

Today, I feel like a little kid on the afternoon of Christmas Day - is that all there is?  My co-workers and I were all excited over National Doughnut Day, and it was a total bust. Well, it wasn't a total bust - we did get doughnuts, but they weren't entirely free. 

The ad on the Krispy Kreme site said "come to participating Krispy Kreme retail stores on June 3rd and to express our appreciation for your support, we'll give you a free doughnut of your choice."  There was no fine print on the ad, and no visible stipulations.  During his lunch break, my co-worker Greg went to our local KK store, just minutes from work, to get his free doughnut.  Imagine his surprise when the clerk told him that he could only get a free doughnut with a purchase. In keeping with the spirit of National Doughnut Day,  he was kind enough to buy a dozen doughnuts for us at work. Then he asked for his free doughnut.  The clerk gave him a regular ol' glazed doughnut.  What about the "free doughnut of your choice?" he asked her.  The clerk said all he got was one free glazed.  He gladly accepted it nonetheless, but walked away from the 7th Street Krispy Kreme deflated.

This was the topic of conversation for the rest of the day at work.  Another co-worker said she was going to call one of the local tv stations and complain about this; the channel had advertised the free-doughnut-of-your-choice promotion on their morning news show. 

I guess I really have no cause to complain about this - I got my free doughnut of my choice yesterday (raspberry filled).  My co-worker Greg is the one that should be griping about this - he's the one that was victim of fradulent advertising.

One Of MY Favorite Days Of The Year

It was the third of June, another sleepy, dusty Delta day
I was out choppin' cotton and my brother was balin' hay
And at dinner time we stopped and walked back to the house to eat
And Mama hollered out the back door 'Y'all remember to wipe your feet'
And then she said 'I got some news this mornin' from Choctaw Ridge,"
"Today Billie Joe MacAllister jumped off the Tallahatchie Bridge"

And Papa said to Mama as he passed around the blackeyed peas,
'Well, Billie Joe never had a lick of sense, pass the biscuits, please."
"There's five more acres in the lower forty I've got to plow,'
And Mama said, 'It was a shame about Billie Joe, anyhow."
"Seems like nothin' ever comes to no good up on Choctaw Ridge,"
"And now Billie Joe MacAllister's jumped off the Tallahatchie Bridge'

And brother said he recollected when he and Tom and Billie Joe,
Put a frog down my back at the Carroll County picture show
And wasn't I talkin' to him after church last Sunday night?
'I'll have another piece of apple pie, you know it don't seem right,"
"I saw him at the sawmill yesterday on Choctaw Ridge,"
"And now you tell me Billie Joe's jumped off the Tallahatchie Bridge'

And Mama said to me 'Child, what's happened to your appetite?
I've been cookin' all morning and you haven't touched a single bite."
"That nice young preacher, Brother Taylor, dropped by today,
Said he'd be pleased to have dinner on Sunday, oh, by the way,
He said he saw a girl that looked a lot like you up on Choctaw Ridge,
And she and Billie Joe was throwing somethin' off the Tallahatchie Bridge"

A year has come 'n' gone since we heard the news 'bout Billie Joe,
And brother married Becky Thompson, they bought a store in Tupelo
There was a virus going 'round, Papa caught it and he died last Spring,
And now Mama doesn't seem to wanna do much of anything
And me, I spend a lot of time pickin' flowers up on Choctaw Ridge,
And drop them into the muddy water off the Tallahatchie Bridge.

Friday Funnies

Brenda O'Malley is home making dinner, as usual, when Tim Finnegan arrives at her door. "Brenda, may I come in?" he asks. "I've somethin' to tell ya". "Of course you can come in, you're always welcome, Tim. But where's my husband?" "That's what I'm here to be telling ya, Brenda." There was an accident down at the Guinness brewery..." "Oh, God no!" cries Brenda. "Please don't tell me." "I must, Brenda. Your husband Shamus is dead and gone. I'm sorry. Finally, she looked up at Tim. "How did it happen, Tim?" "It was terrible, Brenda. He fell into a vat of Guinness Stout and drowned." "Oh my dear Jesus! But you must tell me true, Tim. Did he at least go quickly?" "Well, Brenda... no. In fact, he got out three times to pee."

Congratulations Percy and Florence

TWIT would like to congratulate Percy and Florence Arrowsmith on their 80th wedding anniversary.  The happy couple live in London, England.  They were married on June 1, 1925 and celebrated their 80th anniversary on Wednesday.  The Guinness World Records said on Tuesday the couple held the title for the longest marriage and also for the oldest married couple’s aggregate age.

“I think we’re very blessed,” Florence, 100, told the BBC. “We still love one another, that’s the most important part.”  When asked for their secret, Florence said you must never be afraid to say “sorry.”  “You must never go to sleep bad friends,” she said, while Percy, 105, said his secret to marital bliss was just two words: “yes dear.”

The couple have three children, six grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren and are planning a party soon.  “I like sherry at lunch time and whiskey at night and I’m looking forward very much to my party,” Florence said.  I think Florence should drink anything she wants to at the anniversary party.  I really don't think any bartender is going to card her.

When you think about it, just think how many meals Florence has cooked and how many bags of garbage Percy has taken out in their 80 years of marriage.  Or how about how many lightbulbs they've changed in their house, and how many buttons Florence has sewn back on Percy's shirts. 
How awesome is this story?  Happy stories like this are few and very far between.  Yesterday, I read about the gruesome story of the Ohio boy who killed five family members and friends and then killed hisself - all on the day before his high school graduation.  After reading about Percy and Florence, there's still some hope left. 

Get Ready For National Doughnut Day

As a public service announcement, TWIT would like to inform you, my faithful readers, that tomorrow is National Doughnut Day.  In honor of this awesome holiday, Krispy Kreme will give a free doughnut to anyone that stops by one of their stores.  And not just a glazed doughnut, either - you can get one free doughnut of your choice. 

For Louisvillians, leave work a few minutes earlier tomorrow morning and stop by the Krispy Kreme either on 7th Street Road or on Bardstown Road and get your free doughnut.  While you're there, pick up a dozen glazed and bring them to work. You know they won't go to waste. 

C U L8R

I try to be hip and trendy; from reading about me in TWIT, you already know that I have to have the latest gadgets.  But there's one current craze that I just can't get into: texting.  It just takes too darned long.  Just to type in "hello" takes 13 key presses.  If you shorten that to "hi", that knocks it down but you still have to press the keys 5 times.  That's not counting what you have to press to bring up the text message screen and to find the person in your address book.  In less time that it would take me to do all of that plus wait for the message to be sent, received, and replied to, I can call that person and say "I just wanted to say hi and to see what's up."

I did some research and found that on the average day, more than two billion text messages are typed and sent.  That comes to about three quarters of a trillion messages a year.  That would probably equate hundred bizillion key presses.  Sure, the hardcore texters use abbreviations when they can, but it's still too much to deal with.  Telecom firms have realized that texting does in deed take too long, and some of the companies are going to help the texters out with new software to make text messaging easier.  One company has sold software to Nokia and Ericsson  that predicts what you want to type, based on the first key press and based on what you've texted before. This is similar to how Microsoft Word and Excel will recognize words typed in previously in a document, and will enter the words for you.  Researchers estimate this will cut the number of key presses by two-thirds.  Yeah, right. 

Samsung is trying to get rid of key presses altogether.  They have a new phone that converts voice to text.  You record pre-selected words so the phone can recognize your voice.  Then to send a message, you press a key and say the words.  Now, maybe I'm looking at this differently, but wasn't text messaging intended to be used in situations when you couldn't make or take a phone call - like in an important meeting or some other place where you had to turn off the ringer? And now Samsung is going to have to speak the text message? Once again, why not just call the person, since you'll have to be talking any way. 

The article I read also stated that the average Filipino sends 230 text messages a day.  Yes, a day.  If the cell phone users in the Philippines use Verizon Wireless like me, they're in a for a rude awakening when they get their phone bill. Verizon charges 10 cents to send a message, and 1 cent to receive a message.  If you want, you can pay an extra $10 a month for unlimited text message to and from other Verizon customers.  You'll also get 250 text messages to and from non-Verizon customers.  Let's hope the Filipinos are all on Verizon.

More Publicity For Kentucky

Fonda Film Banned From Ky. Theaters
May 17, 6:47 PM EST

The Associated Press

ELIZABETHTOWN, Ky -- The owner of two Kentucky theaters has refused to show the new Jane Fonda film "Monster-in-Law" because of the activist role the actress took during the Vietnam War.

Ike Boutwell, who trained pilots during the Vietnam War, displayed pictures of Fonda clapping with a North Vietnamese anti-aircraft crew in 1972 outside the Elizabethtown Movie Palace to show his disapproval. The marquee outside Showtime Cinemas in nearby Radcliff reads: "No Jane Fonda movie in this theater."

Both theaters are just a few miles from the Army post of Fort Knox, south of Louisville.

"I think when people do something, they need to be held responsible for their actions," Boutwell said. "When you give the enemy aid, it makes the war last longer."

Fonda has apologized for being photographed on a North Vietnamese anti-aircraft gun, but not for opposing the war.

"Monster-in-Law" raked in more than $23 million last weekend as the top-grossing movie across the country, according to Exhibitor Relations Co. Inc. and Nielsen EDI Inc. In the film, Fonda plays Jennifer Lopez's villainous prospective mother-in-law, trying to stop Lopez from marrying her son.

Sal Mancuso, an Elizabethtown resident, said he personally thanked Boutwell for not showing the film.

"I think Vietnam veterans appreciate this," said Mancuso, who fought in the Mekong Delta during the Vietnam war. "There is no defense for what she did."

Boutwell also banned previous Jane Fonda films, as well as Michael Moore's film, "Fahrenheit 9/11."

 

The last time Kentucky got national publicity (other than the Kentucky Derby) was last summer when our governor's plane flew into restricted air space over D.C. during Ronald Regan's funeral and was almost shot down.

I commend Ike Boutwell, the owner of the theaters, for taking a stand for his beliefs.  But from a business standpoint, I think he could have handled this differently and still not have compromised his integrity.  The old public relations saying goes "even bad publicity is still publicity" applies here.  Even my 71-year old parents, who haven't been to the movie theater in a dozen years, knew about this and asked me what was up with the new Jane Fonda and J-Lo movie.  My advice to Ike would have been to simply not show the movie, and not advertise that he wasn't showing the movie.  If movie goers go to a theater and see that "Monster-In-Law" is not listed on the marquee, they're going to to know that the theater isn't showing that movie.  And I'm sure they looked at the movie listings in the newspaper or online before they went, just to make sure the movie they want to see is playing there before they make the trek to the theater.