Friday, June 29, 2007

Friday-Sunday, June 29-July 1, 2007

So you think your computer is fast eh???

I don't care if you use broadband, high-speed or supersonic speed, if you're living in these United States of America your computer in comparison with Japan, South Korea, France and even Canada is this sloooooooooooooooooooooow. France doesn't deserve to lead us in anything, no less computer speed. The median U.S. download speed (1.97 megabits per second) is a fraction of the speed in the countries mentioned. What takes you 2 hours to download takes them about 15 seconds and why are we lagging so far behind you might ask???

Speed matters on the Internet. Broadband speed is a function of network capacity. The more capacity you have, the more speed you can deliver. Speed allows more and better Internet applications like photo sharing and video streaming. Superfast speeds are imperative for critical applications such as telemedicine. Broadband is also essential to draw businesses and jobs. The Communications Workers of America just concluded a study of computer speed across America and in the words of CWA President Larry Cohen "People don't pay attention to the fact that the country that started the commercial Internet is falling woefully behind". The reason our computers are so slow? The FCC defines "high-speed" as 200 kilobits per second which was the benchmark that was adopted here more than a dozen years ago when most people were still using dial-up. 200 kilobits isn't even recognized as broadband in most countries today...

A report from the FCC will come some time this fall and you can only hope that we get faster and more competitive with the rest of the world. In the meantime, if you live in Rhode Island, Kansas, New Jersey, New York and Massachusetts you're ahead of the rest of the country. Those are our top 5 states in computer speed...

10 Timeline Memories:

1. 1652] Yeah, says who?: Massachusetts declares itself an independent commonwealth. 355 years later people in the Bay State are still independent...

2. 1916] Diamond Dust: The Chicago Cubs and Cincinnati Reds play a 9-inning game with just one baseball...1986] The Boston Red Sox trade Steve "Psycho" Lyons for Tom Seaver. One's a Hall of Famer, the other can only buy a ticket to get into the hallowed Hall...1990] For the 1st time in baseball history there are no-hitters in both leagues (and it hasn't happened since either) with Dave Stewart for Oakland and Fernando Valenzuela of the Dodgers pitching no-hitters...

3. 1925] A lightbulb goes off: Marvin Pipkin files for a patent for the frosted electric light bulb. This will result in the "soft" white light bulbs...

4. 1956] Wedding Bells: Marilyn Monroe and Arthur Miller say "I want to be loved by you" as they walk down the aisle. Sadly the marriage will end with a Mexican divorce in 1961...

5. 1967] Highway 90 tragedy: 34-year old blond bombshell Jayne Mansfield and 2 others are killed when their car goes into the back of a truck on U.S. highway 90 and here's news coverage of the tragedy: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LCw8o05uApk ...

6. 1972] Supreme Rule: The high court rules the death penalty could constitute "cruel and unusual punishment". Isn't that what it was intended for?...

7. 1995] What's up dock?: The shuttle Atlantis and the Russian space station Mir dock, forming the largest man-made satellite ever to orbit the earth...

8. 1996] SOLD! To the highest bidder: Superman's Action Comic #1 (1938) is auctioned at Sotheby's to Maryland businessman Steve Geppi for $61,900 and a pound of krypton...

9. 2002] A shaky hand on "the button": VP Dick Cheney is acting President for 2 hours as President Bush gets a routine colon screening...

10. 2002] "Happy Trails": Singer Rosemary Clooney dies at her Beverly Hills home at 74 following a long battle with lung cancer...2003] Legendary actress Katharine Hepburn dies of natural causes at 96...



Music Memory:



[To ensure accuracy of dates and content, multiple reference sources are used in each timeline]...



Commentary...

WFAN (660) celebrates its 20th anniversary on Sunday, July 1st with a "WFAN REUNION WEEKEND" Saturday and Sunday. Former hosts and anchors featured will be Howie Rose, Spencer Ross, Ian Eagle, Russ Salzberg, Jim Lampley, Bill Mazer and you-know-who: Don Imus (on tape). WFAN became the 1st All-Sports station in the nation when Suzyn Waldman opened the mic to a new format at 3 p.m. July 1, 1987, a Wednesday. WFAN has an average audience of 1.2 million listeners a week and is usually the top billing station in the country. Happy Anniversary WFAN...


"Happy Birthday...happy birthday":

Evelyn "Champagne" King (47), Colin ("Men At Work") Hay (54), Dan Dierdorf (58), former Congressman Fred ("The Love Boat") Gandy (59), Richard Lewis (60), Gary Busey (63) and Robert Evans (77)...


Timeline Countdown: 5 days until July 4th and 11 days until the All-Star game...

...


Saturday, June 30, 2007...



10 Timeline Memories:

  1. 1908] Diamond Dust: Cy Young pitches his 3rd no-hitter and at 41 becomes the oldest pitcher to do so. The Red Sox blank the Yankees 8-0...1962] The Dodgers' Sandy Koufax no hits the Mets 5-0 in Los Angeles. The future Hall of Famer picks up his 4th no-hitter which included a perfect game...

  2. 1921] Debuted on this date: The Radio Corporation of America (RCA) is formed...1936] "Gone With The Wind", written by Margaret Mitchell is published...

  3. 1952] Lighting the way: "The Guiding Light" moves from radio to TV...

  4. 1953] America's 'Dream Car": The 1st Corvette rolls off the Chevrolet assembly line in Flint, Michigan. The 3rd 'Vette' to roll off the line was sold in 2006 for a cool million...

  5. 1971] Old enough: The 26th Amendment to the Constitution lowers the minimum voting age to 18...

  6. 1975] Wedding Bells: Cher and Greg Allman rock down the aisle 4 days after she and Sonny are divorced. Cher and Greg will be wedded in bliss for all of 10-days. And they said it would never last - it didn't...

  7. 1982] The Devil you say: New Jersey fans pick the name 'Devils' (by ballot) for their new NHL franchise. Runner-up names: Meadowlanders and Americans. The Devils it is...

  8. 1994] Tonya un-plugged: The U.S. Figure Skating Association strips Tonya Harding of the national championship and bans her from the organization for life for an attack on rival Nancy Kerrigan. Remember?: http://youtube.com/watch?v=6T09XWRkq5M ...
  9. 1997] Hong Gone: The Union Jack is lowered for the last time over Hong Kong's Government House as Britain prepares to hand the colony back to China July 1st after 156 years of British rule...
  10. 2001] "Happy Trails": Legendary Nashville musician Chet Atkins is a victim of cancer at 77...

Music Memory:

"Happy Birthday...happy birthday":

Fantasia (Barrino) (23), Mike Tyson (41), Vincent D'Onofrio (48), Stanley Clarke (56), Ron Swoboda (63) and Lena Horne (90), here's a movie trailer featuring the great Miss Horne singing "Stormy Weather": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BegB-Sm1LqE ...

Timeline Countdown: 4 days until July 4th and 10 days until the All-Star game...

...

Sunday, July 1, 2007...

10 Timeline Memories:

  1. 1863] Not so civil: The Civil War 'Battle of Gettysburg' begins...
  2. 1934] Musical Commissions: The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) replaces the Federal Radio Commission (FRC) as the regulator of broadcasting in the U.S...
  3. 1941] Brought to you by: The Bullova Watch Company sponsors the 1st commercial in New York City...
  4. 1963] Zip It!: The U.S. Post Office introduces 5-digit ZIP codes. And now for the big question: What does ZIP stand for? The answer follows Timeline Countdown...
  5. 1979] The Walk-what?: The 70s version of the iPhone, the Walkman is introduced by SONY. Does anyone still have one???
  6. 1979] A Susan we can do without: The Susan B. Anthony Dollar coin is introduced. Whose brilliant idea was this???
  7. 1987] All sports, all the time: WFAN becomes the 1st All-Sports station in the nation. The Country format moves to WYNY...
  8. 1995] "Happy Trails": Wolfman Jack dies from a heart attack at 57 and here's a video tribute to the Wolfman: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bA2m7KYqG5s ...1996] 42 year-old Margaux Hemingway takes a fatal overdose one day before the anniversary of her grandfather's suicide in 1961...1997] Actor Robert Mitchum is a victim of lung cancer at 79...2000] Walter Matthau dies from cardiac arrest at 79...2004] Marlon Brando dies from respiratory failure at 80...2005] Singer Luther Vandross passes away in New York, two years after suffering a stroke. He was 54...
  9. 2004] Deter takes a dive: Derek Jeter dives headfirst into the Yankee Stadium stands to catch a foul ball and inspires the Yankees to a 5-4 victory over the Red Sox. Derek's father, an avid hockey fan, gave Derek the middle name "Sanderson" after Derek Sanderson (who was at my going-away party at one of the restaurants he owned in Boston)...
  10. 2005] Sandra's day is over: Justice Sandra Day O'Connor unexpectedly announces her retirement from the Supreme Court...

Music Memory:

  • 1956] You ain't nothing but a: Elvis Presley sings "Hound Dog" to? A hound dog, sitting on a pedestal on "The Steve Allen Show"...

"Happy Birthday...happy birthday":

Liv Tyler (30), Pamela Anderson (40), Dan Aykroyd (55), Deborah Harry (61) of Blondie: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tyYXa5_ycIc&mode=related&search= , Karen Black (65), Rod Gilbert (66), Wally Amos (71), Jamie Farr (73), Leslie Caron (76), Farley Granger (82) and Olivia DeHavilland (91)...

Timeline Countdown: 3 days until July 4th and 9 days until the All-Star game...

(the answer: ZIP stands for Zoning Improvement Plan)...

...

Posted by at