Thursday, December 21, 2006

What's wrong with this picture???

The FBI released the final John Lennon files. They had argued for years that an unnamed foreign government (Kazakhstan??) secretly provided the information (undoubtedly through Borat) and that by releasing the documents it could lead to diplomatic, political or economic retaliation against the United States (would they seize all our Beatle records?)...

University historian Jon Wiener who fought to get possession of the secret files for 25 years and finally got them yesterday was quoted as saying: "today we can see that the national security claims that the FBI has been making for 25 years were absurd from the beginning". Speaking of absurd, it was on this date in 1970 when the tapes were rolling on John Lennon that President Richard M. Nixon had a meeting in the oval office with a famous singer to discuss fighting drugs in America. The famous singer? Elvis Presley...

Today's video link contains a song from "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" which had its premiere on December 21st, 1937. It's Snow White with a little help from some furry friends singing "Whistle While You Work": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HA7mV-5ZuVE

More Timeline Memories... [1620] Pilgrims aboard the Mayflower go ashore for the 1st time at present-day Plymouth (MA)... [1898] Scientists Pierre and Marie Curie discover the radioactive element radium. They would live the rest of their lives with a radiant glow... [1913] We're looking for a 9-letter word for a type of puzzle. The New York World found it and put it in their Sunday edition, publishing the 1st "crossword" puzzle... [1988] 270 are killed when a Pan Am Boeing 747 explodes over Lockerbie, Scotland. A terrorist attack is responsible for one of the worst air tragedies ever... "Happy Trails": 1945] General George S. Patton dies in Heidelberg, Germany of injuries suffered in a car accident. Patton was 60... Premiered on this date: 1937] "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs"... #1 on this date: 1952] "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus" - Little Jimmy Boyd...1980] "(Just Like) Starting Over" - John Lennon...1985] "Say You, Say Me" - Lionel Richie (from the movie "White Nights". The #5 single was "Separate Lives" - Phil Collins and Marilyn Martin, also from the movie)... Recorded on this date: 1955] "Jim Dandy" - LaVern Baker... Released on this date: 1967] "Their Satanic Majesties Request" (containing "Sympathy for the Devil") - Rolling Stones... Debuted on this date: 1968] Crosby, Stills and Nash perform together in public for the 1st time...1968] Janis Joplin makes her solo debut in Memphis... "Fly Me To The Moon": 1968] Apollo 8 is launched on a mission to the moon... The Final Curtain: 1969] Diana Ross makes her final TV appearance ("The Ed Sullivan Show") as a member of The Supremes singing "Someday We'll Be Together" (they will perform together live one more time)... Drug Czar: 1970] Elvis Presley and President Richard M. Nixon meet in the Oval Office to discuss fighting drugs in America... "Guilty as Charged": 1978] Police in Des Plaines (IL) arrest John Wayne Gacy Jr. and begin unearthing the remains of 33 men and boys that Gacy would be convicted of murdering (Gacy was executed by lethal injection in May, 1994)...1996] After 2 years of denials, House Speaker (eye of) Newt Gingrich admits violating House ethic rules (believe or not, he's being mentioned as a possible presidential candidate for 2008. It won't happen but (eye of) Newt is baaaack)... FDA approval: 1998] The 1st vaccine for Lyme Disease is approved... [To ensure accuracy of dates and content, multiple reference sources are used in each timeline]... Commentary... We've reached the Winter Solstice. Actually it will happen at 7:22pm (EST). Tonight will be the longest night of the year so I hope you have a good book because there is nothing worth watching on TV tonight. While our winter starts Lynn Phillips Brough a.k.a. my daughter will have it a lot better in New Zealand as summer begins there tonight. Enjoy your summer Lynn... "Happy Birthday...happy birthday": Kiefer Sutherland (40), Andy (who acts his last name) Dick (41), Ray Romano (49), Jane Kaczmarek (51), Chris Evert (52), Samuel L. Jackson (58), Carla Thomas (64), Jane Fonda (69), Phil Donahue (71) and Joe Paterno (80)... Timeline Countdown: Happy Chanukah (night 7), 4 days until Christmas, 10 days until 2007, 16 days until the NFL playoffs, 18 days until the BCS championship, 45 days until Super Bowl XLI and 56 days until pitchers and catchers... ...