Internet service has been down in the Middle East and India for a week now. Repair crews have finally reached two of the four locations where the cables were cut and cable outages continue from Europe to India. There are those in the Middle East who think it's a Western conspiracy but people in the Middle East never met a conspiracy that they didn't believe. The consensus seems to dictate that maritime traffic or bad weather is to blame. Coincidence or conspiracy, if you live in the Middle East or India, kindly refrain from downloading MP3s or movies please...
Repair crews will be able to determine how the cables were cut, until then, the global Internet cable cutting mystery remains just that. And how protected are our cables to and from the U.S.? Eric Schoonover, a senior analyst with TeleGeography says a similar Internet problem could not happen here. "We have all the content here. It's not going to be felt other than we won't get the BBC." "Most traffic between the U.S., Canada and Mexico is carried over land and there is a plentiful supply of undersea cables carrying traffic under the Atlantic and Pacific oceans", the good folks at TeleGeography assure us. Cable bypasses are being planned globally that will make the world wide Web more secure in the future...
Cable service in the Middle East and India isn't the only thing affected since last week. International phone service has been disrupted in affected areas too. No wonder I haven't spoken to Shawn in India this week...
10 Timeline Memories:
- 1869] Say Uncle: Harper's Weekly publishes the first picture of Uncle Sam with chin whiskers...
- 1933] From March to January: The 20th amendment moves the president, vice president and congressional terms to a new January starting date. They used to start in March...
- 1935] Pass 'Go' and collect $200: The board game of 'Monopoly' goes on sale for the first time. Seen here are two ghosts playing the game: http://youtube.com/watch?v=Fx1XMtdYp0I&feature=related ...
- 1939] Checking in: Vernon Presley (Elvises daddy) is released from prison after serving 8 months for 'altering' a check...
- 1959] Hola Presidente: Fidel Castro is interviewed by Edward R. Murrow on 'Person-To-Person' on CBS-TV...
- 1960] 'Happy Trails': 27-year old singer Jesse Belvin, his wife and driver, are all killed in an automobile accident in Los Angeles. Jesse's wife survived the crash but died several days later. I used to play this JB hit to close out my hops in Florida: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DMK3R8ALK8s ...1993] Tennis Hall of Famer and human rights advocate Arthur Ashe dies of complications of AIDS, contracted during a blood tranfusion. I used to live across the street from Arthur who was just 49 at the time of his death...1998] 51-year old Carl Wilson one of the founding members of the Beach Boys dies from complications of lung cancer with his family at his side...2007] Legendary singer Frankie Laine dies of heart failure at 93...
- 1978] Have a cigar Muriel: Muriel Humphrey, wife of the late Hubert H. Humphrey takes his office as Democratic Senator in Minnesota...
- 1987] Vote for me: Sonny Bono declares his candidacy for mayor of Palm Springs and will get elected to that office...2000] First lady Hillary Rodham Clinton launches her successful candidacy for the U.S. Senate from New York...
- 2003] Eye opening 20/20 interview: ABC-TV's '20/20' airs a British documentary on Michael Jackson in which the singer reveals he sometimes lets children sleep in his bed: http://youtube.com/watch?v=dTocf3aWlIA ...
- 2005] Super Bowl Sunday: The New England Patriots win their second consecutive SB and 3rd in 4 years with a 24-21 victory over the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl XXXIX. Ah the good old days...
Music Memories:
- 1943] Pre-Snooky: Frank Sinatra debuts as a vocalist on radio's "Your Hit Parade" ...
- 1977] Number One on this date: "Torn between Two Lovers" - Mary MacGregor...1987] "Open Your Heart" - Madonna, seen here on tour, decked out in bullet bra: http://youtube.com/watch?v=lpo5fi0MTGY ...
Commentary:
I was saddened to learn, via David Hinckley's New York Daily News column this morning that WQCD (101.9) is changing formats from smooth jazz CD101.9 to WRXP, "New York's Rock Experience". CD 101.9 was such a nice, mellow alternative to the rest of the New York radio band, I hate to see it go. Emmis made the change because Dan Halyburton, market manager for the group says smooth jazz "wasn't working financially." WRXP now takes on two other classic rockers in WAXQ and WXRK. Too bad...Remember Lt. Philip Gerard on 'The Fugitive'? The cop who hounded our hero, Richard Kimble (David Janssen) was played brilliantly by Barry Morse, who passed away at 89 in London after a brief illness...We also wish 'Happy Trails' to the Beatles guru, Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, who died of natural causes yesterday at the age of 91...
"Happy Birthday...happy birthday":
Rick Astley (42), Axl Rose (46), Natalie Cole (58) who sings with daddy: http://youtube.com/watch?v=53ith7bNN8w , Fabian Forte (65), Tom Brokaw (68), Mike Farrell (69), Mamie Van Doren (77), Rip Torn (77), Patrick Macnee (86) and Zsa Zsa Gabor (91)...
Timeline Countdown: 4 days until Red Sox pitchers & catchers report, all the other teams report in 8 days, 44 days until spring and 49 days until opening day...
