Remember?

Thought for the day;  Those who don't learn from the past are doomed to repeat it.

second grade school picture

Looking back, I was a pretty melodramatic kid. I took everything to heart, cried easily, thought in superlatives, and laughed quickly. (Come to think of it, I haven't changed all that much.)

Anyhow, I'd like to tell you a story about something that happened when I was in first grade. Sorry about using the later picture here, but my first grade pic is plastered (for eternity) in a montage my mother made years ago. Too bad, because I actually looked melodramatic in that picture. Very serious, and much more fitting for this post.

[ By the way, notice the pin I'm wearing? It was my treasured Davy Crockett pin. That, and a little green Heinz pickle were my favorites. Weird kid.]

Anyway, back to the story. It was December 7, just like today, and when I came home from school, I was still brooding about something my teacher had told my class that day. After dinner, the family took a ride to my grandmother's house, and while standing in the back of the old car with my cheek resting on the back of my mother's seat, I sighed deeply, and said, "Poor Paul." My mother, naturally, wanted to know what I was talking about. "Paul Harbor," I said very knowingly, with tears in my eyes. " Japan hit him on the head with a bomb today."

Okay, so gimme a break. I was only five years old.

The point is, even though we were only first graders, our teacher tried to tell us what the day meant, and every student in our elementary school stood with head bowed for a moment of silence that day. No matter how limited our understanding, we knew the day was important. We knew someone died. We understood the concept of bombs. And each year after that, as we were reminded by our teachers every December, and stood for that moment of silence, we better understood the significance of the day.

Early Sunday morning, seventy years ago today, Japanese bombers attacked Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, and destroyed most of our country's destroyers. Caught us unaware. Killed far too many of our sailors and soldiers. And precipitated our country's entrance into World War II.

Most of the survivors of that attack are no longer with us. Most World War II vets are gone. But we should never forget. Schoolchildren no longer stand for a moment of silence. They're no longer taught to remember, respect and appreciate the significance of days like Pearl Harbor Day and of the veterans who lost their lives that day. More's the pity.

So WE must remember. And WE should teach them.

 wrecked destroyers

                                                                             

plane in flames

U.S.S. Arizona in flames

In 1942, this poster, created by Allen Saalburg, was issued by the Office of War Information:

To mark the thirtieth anniversary, the following montage poster was issued:

                                     

                                    And along withe the poster, this poem by JO3 Jim Deken, USN:

                                                          In the darkest of moments

                                                          a nation is wounded,

                                                          rights herself

                                                          and pushes on.

                                                          Her wounds give her strength

                                                          and urge her on to victory.

                                                          Time passes,

                                                          the wound heals

                                                          but leaves a mark.

                                                          The mark is her reminder

                                                          of what has been and could be again.

                                                           She does not forget.

U.S.S. Arizona Memorial, Pearl Harbor

  [Except for that last picture, all the Pearl Harbor shots are courtesy of the National Archives.]

Interested in seeing some additional pictures, which evoke an uncanny you-are-there feeling? Please go here

to see an excellent collection of photographs compiled by the Boston Globe last year for the 69th anniversary of Pearl Harbor Day.

To complete today's history reminder, how about FDR's speech about the date that will live in infamy?

                  Until next time, take care of yourselves. And each other. And ...  if only for a moment ... please remember all the Pauls.

Smiling Through the Differences

Thought for the day:  A cloudy day is no match for a sunny disposition.  William Arthur Ward

I'm the product of a mixed marriage. Surprised? You shouldn't be. In today's world, there are a lot of people like me. (Confused.)

Oh, not really. I have my own mind, so I was never really pulled to the left, right, or straight ahead by my parents. They pretty much let me find my own path.

(Shhhhh) The mixed marriage secret of my past is ...

My mother was a longtime Democrat.

                                                                    And my father ...

registered as a Republican because he liked cowboys.

True story. He didn't bother voting until Ronald Reagan (the Cowboy!) ran for president.

So, as the product of a mixed political heritage, I'd like to poke a bit of fun at BOTH sides. Ready? Let's stick our tongues firmly in cheeks and take a light-hearted look at how each side celebrates Christmas, shall we?

• Republicans say, "Merry Christmas!" Democrats say, "Happy Holidays!" 
• Republicans help the poor by sending $50 to the Salvation Army. Democrats help by giving $50, one buck at a time, to panhandlers on the street.
• Democrats get back at Republicans on their Christmas lists by giving them funky fruitcakes, which Republicans re-wrap and give to their in-laws.
• Democrats let their kids open all their gifts on Christmas Eve. Republicans make them wait until Christmas morning.
• When toasting the holidays, Republicans ask for eggnog or mulled wine. Democrats ask for a beer.
• In addition to shopping in stores, Republicans shop from a catalog. Democrats watch for "incredible buys" on late night television.
• Democrats do much of their shopping at Target and Walmart. So do Republicans, but they don't admit it.
• Republican parents have no problem buying toy guns for their kids. Democrats refuse to do so. That's why their kids pretend to shoot each other with dolls.
• Democrats spend hundreds of dollars and hours of work decorating the yard with outdoor lights and Christmas displays. Republicans drive around at night to look at other people's displays.
• Democrats' favorite Christmas movie is Miracle on 34th Street. Republicans' favorite is Die Hard.
• Democrats always take the price tag off expensive gifts before wrapping. Republicans also remove price tags from pricey gifts --- and re-position them to make sure they're seen.
• During this festive time of year, Democrats wear wide red ties and green sports jackets. Republicans wear them all year long.
• Most Republicans try enclosing indulgent, maudlin form letters about their perfect, over-achieving families in their Christmas cards. However, public ridicule from Democrats usually discourages them from doing it again.
• Democrats' favorite Christmas carol is Deck the Halls. Republicans' favorite carol is White Christmas.
• Republicans see nothing wrong with letting their kids play cowboys and Indians. The Democrats don't either, as long as the Indians win once in a while.
• Republicans first began thinking like Republicans when they stopped believing in Santa Claus. Democrats became Democrats because they never stopped believing in Santa Claus.
• Democrat men like to watch football while the women fix holiday meals. On this, Republicans are in full agreement.

Whichever side of the political teeter-totter suits you best, always keep your sense of humor, and your wits about you. In today's world, we all need both.

                         As for those uber-partisan politicians huddling on the extreme edges of that see-saw?

I wish they'd move a little closer, and learn to get along.

                                          Until next time, take care of yourselves. And each other.

Flying Squirrels and Three-Legged Frogs

Thought for the day:  Ain't too funny, but it sure is corn!  (Hee Haw line)

A lot of that stuff I said about Indiana in the last "stately" post goes double for Iowa. Not only is Iowa part of the corn belt, she's the undisputed queen, and produces more corn than any other state. So before we shine the light on any landmarks or laws, how about a brief commercial break to talk about ... what else? Corn.

First, for an unusual, but effective way to cut corn from the cob, try placing one end of the shucked ear into the center of a bundt pan to hold it steady. When you whack the kernels off, they'll plop right into the pan. Clever, huh? Now, here's a short video on a very simple, no muss, no fuss, way to cook your corn perfectly PLUS (big bonus) all that annoying silk slides off in one fell swoop. (I tried it, and it works GREAT!) And finally, to complete our corn trifecta, didja ever hear of cooler corn? As in going-on-a-picnic cooler, not cooler than Fonzie kinda cool. This works especially well when you're cooking for a crowd. Don't have a pot big enough to hold all that corn? No sweat. Place them into a clean cooler,  pour a couple kettles of boiling water over them, and close the lid. That's it. Now, go finish cooking the rest of the meal.

                                                              

Thirty minutes later, and presto! The corn is ready to eat, and get this ... it'll stay hot and ready-to-eat for a couple hours!

Commercial break's over. What else can we say about Iowa, other than it grows a lot of corn? Well, it's the only state that starts with two vowels. (Oh man, that's really reaching.) Although most people may think of Iowa as being land-locked, it's the only state of the original 48 whose east and west borders are 100% formed by water, the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers. Oh, and also, Iowa gets more tornadoes than any other state, a superlative I suspect they wouldn't mind ... shucking.

Okay, time to take a look around the state and see what we can find.

As immortalized in the book The Bridges of Madison County, Madison County has six covered bridges. Pictured is the oldest, Imes Bridge.

According to Ripley's Believe it or Not, Snake Alley, located in Burlington, is the most crooked street in the world.

Strawberry, anyone? The world's largest strawberry can be found in Strawberry Point, Iowa.

And the world's largest bullhead fish can be found in Crystal Lake, Iowa. (See, they're not ALL about corn. Fruit and fish, too!)

The Cedar Rapids Museum of Art contains the largest collection of  (native son)  Grant Woods artwork in the world.

And how about THIS museum? It's the National Balloon Museum, located in Indianola. No, they don't twist cute little balloon animals here; it's all about the hot air balloon, and the museum chronicles more than 300 years of ballooning history.

The annual three-day Nordic Festival, held in Decorah, celebrates the town's Scandinavian heritage.

Here's one of my favorite tidbits about Iowa. The University of Okoboji. No, I'm not graduate of that school. In fact, in spite of all the stuff you can purchase for this school,  no one has ever graduated from there, because it doesn't actually exist. And never did. It's the fictitious creation of three brothers, who came up with the idea in the early '70s. A local radio station joined in on the joke, and started identifying itself as the campus station ... and still does. Iowans, who obviously have a great sense of humor,  plaster alumni decals on their cars, and the school name is used in connection with several annual fundraisers for charity. Ain't too funny, but it sure is ... (you know)


Time to check out some of Iowa's laws. (By the way, the words on the flag are Our liberties we prize and our rights we will maintain.)

• A man with a mustache may never kiss a woman in public. (How about goatees ... or goats?)
• One-armed piano players must perform for free. (Now, that's just mean.)
• Kisses may last for no more than five minutes. (Who's timing?)
• Ministers must obtain a permit to carry their liquor across state lines. (Gotta get their teetotaler friends to do it for them.) 
• In Cedar Rapids, it's illegal to read a person's palm. (So take notes on the back of your hand.)
• In Dubuque, hotels must have a water bucket and hitching post out front. (In case you're married to a real nag?)
• In Fort Madison, the fire department must practice firefighting for fifteen minutes before attending a fire. (Um, so they're in no real hurry? Like they're not on their way to a flipping fire???)
• The ice cream man and his truck are banned from Indianola. (A lactose intolerant mayor is NO excuse for such a cruel cruel law.)
• In Marshalltown, it's illegal for horses to eat fire hydrants. (A passel of pooches possibly petitioned for this one.)
• And in Ottumwa, a man may not wink at any woman he doesn't know. (But he CAN whistle, air smooch, and pinch her posterior?)

[Quick: Who can tell me which character on which long-running TV show hailed from Ottumwa, Iowa?]

Okay, boys and girls, it's that time again. Time for (ta-DA!)

The Weirdest News Stories of the Week

*** Just because a drunk with a concussion saw it doesn't mean it wasn't there. Everyone else in that New Jersey emergency room saw the squirrel, too. A flying squirrel. Repeatedly climbing eight feet up to reach a wall-mounted light fixture, so it could dive off and glide into the glass wall on the other side of the room. Over and over again. Not sure how many flights ol' Rocky made before firefighters grounded him with a well-placed blanket, (a wet one, perhaps?) but the poor little guy was probably in need of some post-landing emergency care, so he picked a pretty good place to take his test flights. Not the first time this has happened, either. This is the second flying squirrel to show up in that emergency room in the past two weeks. Looks like medical costs aren't the only thing soaring around there.

*** Nope, Santa Claus didn't pay an early visit to a home in Lubbock, Texas. That was just a 22-year-old man trying to drop in. On his own house. Through the chimney. You see, it was one o'clock in the morning and the poor schnook was locked out of his house. But why pay a locksmith, right? He decided to get into the house by using his own sharp wits.What can I say? Turns out, his wits couldn't cut butter. He came up with the brilliant idea of climbing down the chimney, while his wife and child waited outside. And waited. And waited. This fella didn't possess Santa's girth, but evidently, he didn't possess his magical abilities, either, because he got stuck in the chimney, and firemen had to hoist him out with a rope. Think they'll send him a bill for that wee hour rescue? (More than what the locksmith would've cost?) Tsk, tsk. I mean, what was that man thinking? He'll be lucky if he doesn't catch a nasty case of the flue.

*** What iconic structure do most people associate with Paris? Hint: It was built in 1889 by Gustave Eiffel. 'Nother hint: It's shown in the picture. Yeah, I know. You didn't need the hints ... or the picture ... to answer this question. But how about this one? What if the Eiffel Tower had a new look? Went green? According to a report in the newspaper Le Figaro, plans may be afoot to blanket France's signature structure ... with plants. Lots and lots of plants. Ginger, an engineering company specializing in ecological projects, wants to change the face of the tower by adding 600,000 plants and a state-of-the-art irrigation system to keep all that greenery green. Cost? Oh, just sixty-five million pounds, give or take. (A LOT of green!) Hmmm, if this story turns out to be true, the Eiffel Tower may indeed become the most ecologically correct structure in the world, but in light of global finances, it may also prove to be the most economically incorrect. (And about as pleasing as the thought of putting false eyelashes and rouge on the Mona Lisa.) French authorities, by the way, deny any plans to pursue this project.

*** Um, taste like chicken? An emphatic NO, says Ross Dance, a 32-year-old (former) customer of Britain's Nando's restaurant. His chicken sandwich most definitely did not taste like chicken. Why, you ask? Because his chicken wrap actually included a frog. A live frog. After swallowing one of the chewy that-ain't-chicken frog's legs, Dance investigated. No, he didn't croak when he discovered the four-inch frog (minus one leg) smiling back at him, but it's a sure bet he won't be hopping back to that restaurant any time in the near future.

                                   Remember ... time's fun when you're having flies!  Kermit the frog

                                      Until next time, take care of yourselves. And each other.