Motley Moose – Archive

Since 2008 – Progress Through Politics

The Daily F Bomb, Tuesday 4/2/13

Interrogatories

How good is your concentration; can you simply shut out unwanted distractions, or do they drive you to distraction?  How susceptible are you to the lure of shiny objects? What kind of shiny objects (it doesn’t really have to shine – it could be that new book you got in the mail) is your favorite? What is your favorite holiday and why?

The Twitter Emitter

On This Day

In 1900, Congress passed the Foraker Act, which allowed Puerto Rico limited self-rule.

In 1917, President Woodrow Wilson asked Congress to declare war against Germany, saying, “The world must be made safe for democracy.”

In 1930, Haile Selassie was proclaimed emperor of Ethiopia following the mysterious death of Empress Zewditu.

In 1973, the legal research service, LexisNexis, was launched.

In 1980, in an effort to boost the economy, President Carter signed the Crude Oil Windfall Profits Tax Act .

In 1982, Argentina seized the Falkland Islands from Britain.

In 2007, the Supreme Court, in a 5-4 ruling, decided that carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases count as air pollutants under the Clean Air Act.

Born on This Day

742 – Charlemagne, King of the Franks (d. 814)

1618 – Francesco Maria Grimaldi, Italian mathematician and physicist (d. 1663)

1648 – Cornelis Huysmans, Flemish painter (d. 1727)

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1805 – Hans Christian Andersen, Danish writer (d. 1875)

1810 – Kaspar Karsen, Dutch painter (d. 1896)

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1827 – William Holman Hunt, English painter (d. 1910)

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1840 – Émile Zola, French novelist and critic (d. 1902)

1875 – Walter Chrysler, American automobile pioneer (d. 1940)

1891 – Max Ernst, German painter (d. 1976)

1908 – Buddy Ebsen, American actor and dancer (d. 2003)

1914 – Alec Guinness, English actor (d. 2000)

1918 – Charles Wilbert White, African-American painter (d. 1979)

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1920 – Jack Webb, American actor, director, and producer (d. 1982)

1928 – Serge Gainsbourg, French singer, songwriter, actor and director (d. 1991)

1939 – Marvin Gaye, American singer (The Moonglows) (d. 1984)

1941 – Dr. Demento, American radio personality

1942 – Leon Russell, American pianist, guitarist and songwriter

1943 – Larry Coryell, American jazz guitarist (The Free Spirits and The Eleventh House)

1946 – Kurt Winter, Canadian guitarist (The Guess Who) (d. 1997)

1947 – Emmylou Harris, American singer

1947 – Camille Paglia, American writer

1949 – David Robinson, American drummer (The Modern Lovers, DMZ, and The Cars)

1952 – Leon Wilkeson, American bass player (Lynyrd Skynyrd) (d. 2001)

1961 – Keren Woodward, English singer (Bananarama)

1965 – Rodney King, American victim of police brutality (d. 2012)

1967 – Greg Camp, American singer, songwriter, and guitarist (Smash Mouth)

1977 – Michael Fassbender, Irish-German actor

1979 – Jesse Carmichael, American musician (Maroon 5)

Died on This Day

1590 – Jacopo Zucchi , Italian painter (b. 1541)

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1657 – Ferdinand III, Holy Roman Emperor (b. 1608)

1709 – Giovanni-Battista Gaulli “Il Baciccio”, Italian painter (b. 1639)

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1742 – James Douglas, Scottish physician and anatomist (b. 1675)

1751 – John Smybert, Scottish-American painter (b. 1688)

1872 – Samuel F. B. Morse, American painter and inventor of the telegraph (b. 1791)

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1881 – Johannes Tavenraat, Dutch landscape painter (b. 1809)

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1896 – Theodore Robinson, American painter (b. 1852)

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1901 – Claude Thomas Stanfield Moore, British painter (b. 1853)

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1922 – Hermann Rorschach, Swiss psychologist (b. 1884)

1966 – C. S. Forester, English author (b. 1899)

1972 – Gil Hodges, American baseball player and manager (b. 1924)

1974 – Georges Pompidou, French politician, President of France (b. 1911)

1987 – Buddy Rich, American jazz drummer and bandleader (b. 1917)

1994 – Betty Furness, American actress (b. 1916)

2003 – Edwin Starr, American singer (b. 1942)

2005 – Pope John Paul II (b. 1920)

2006 – Bernard Seigal, American musician, music critic and writer (Beat Farmers) (b. 1957)

Today is

National Peanut Butter and Jelly Day

International Children’s Book Day

Reconciliation Day

World Autism Awareness Day

National Love Your Produce Manager Day


24 comments

  1. blue jersey mom

    How good is your concentration; can you simply shut out unwanted distractions, or do they drive you to distraction? I can usually shut distractions out, but I do sit in the quiet car in the commuter trains. I hate hearing people shout into their cell phones.

    How susceptible are you to the lure of shiny objects? Very, very susceptible.

    What kind of shiny objects (it doesn’t really have to shine – it could be that new book you got in the mail) is your favorite? I do like jewelry, especially unique silver pieces. I love ceramics. I have pieces from all over the world. In addition, I inherited by great-grandmothers’ tea set, and I bought my own when I lived in the UK in the 70s.

    What is your favorite holiday and why? Christmas, just because. I love the tree, the decorations, the gifts, and Christmas dinner. I also like watching the fireworks on the 4th of July.

  2. DeniseVelez

    How good is your concentration; can you simply shut out unwanted distractions, or do they drive you to distraction? I can block out almost everything (except the damned roosters)

    How susceptible are you to the lure of shiny objects? What kind of shiny objects (it doesn’t really have to shine – it could be that new book you got in the mail) is your favorite? Not shiny but scented…rose bushes. I can’t resist buying more, especially when I read descriptions of the scent in the gardening catalogs I get in the mail.

    What is your favorite holiday and why? I had to think about that, and am still thinking…not sure I have one if you mean from the federal get off from work calendar list.



    Perhaps New Years Eve and Day…I like shouting happy New Year at midnight, sleepily watching the ball drop on TV, and eating a traditional meal of blackeyed peas and ham on New Years day.

     

  3. Jk2003

    How good is your concentration; can you simply shut out unwanted distractions, or do they drive you to distraction?  How susceptible are you to the lure of shiny objects? What kind of shiny objects (it doesn’t really have to shine – it could be that new book you got in the mail) is your favorite? What is your favorite holiday and why?

    Concentration:  very good

    Shiny objects:  not really

    What is your favorite:  I suppose it is yarn, I could spend hours just looking at and touching all the yarn in my little knitting shop.

    Favorite holiday:  thanksgiving, no religious overtone.  Just family, food, football and rest.  Love it.  When I was a kid my dad and uncles would take all the kids out to the Wichita mountains thanksgiving morning and we would hike and climb on these enormous boulders that make up the range.  So many happy memories out there.  I just took my daughter there two weeks ago when we visited Oklahoma.  She loved it too.

  4. Gee

    Nobody’s answering their phones today!

    How good is your concentration; can you simply shut out unwanted distractions, or do they drive you to distraction?  How susceptible are you to the lure of shiny objects? What kind of shiny objects (it doesn’t really have to shine – it could be that new book you got in the mail) is your favorite? What is your favorite holiday and why?

    My concentration’s pretty terrible.  I especially can’t tune out noise when I’m reading.

    Very susceptible.  Books and CDs.  I’m starting to repeat myself.  My shiny objects are books and CDs.

    Christmas, because of all the shiny objects.

  5. The sun is bright but the air is cold. I’ve been out and back already. Today I think I’ll start making a bunch of quilt blocks to make a new border for my medallion quilt.

    Answers:

    How good is your concentration?

    Usually pretty good. Last year it was blown all to hell.

    How susceptible are you to the lure of shiny objects?

    Not very.

    What is your favorite holiday and why?

    I’m not religious so holy days don’t mean much to me. I usually dread Christmas. Thanksgiving and Easter we always have with Jim’s family… So I’d say my favorite holiday is my birthday. One of the best things about it is Son’s birthday is 2 days before mine, so we have been able to celebrate together more often than not. A highlight was a couple of years ago, when he and I met at a Mexican restaurant for supper. And after supper we each had a shot of tequila. Going on… when I was growing up I didn’t love birthdays, as I was one of 5 kids and money was tight, so presents were not very thrilling. But when I met Jim he treated me to several special presents for my first birthday with him. By now, we don’t do much about presents again, as we both have everything we need/want and more. But I still know how much he loves me and that is a pretty huge gift all by itself.  

  6. anotherdemocrat

    How good is your concentration; can you simply shut out unwanted distractions, or do they drive you to distraction?  I actually think I concentrate better if I give my monkey mind something to play with. Usually I just play music in my head.

    How susceptible are you to the lure of shiny objects? shiny! (see, this is why I give my monkey mind things to do)

    What kind of shiny objects (it doesn’t really have to shine – it could be that new book you got in the mail) is your favorite? Books, purple things.

    What is your favorite holiday and why? Church-y holiday – Easter. Because I love Lent, and Holy Week, and Easter just caps all that off. My church is super-liberal but also very “high church”, and with a totally kick-ass choir, we do pagentry really well. And I like pagentry & ceremony, it gives me a sense of things being solid & staying the same. So little is solid & almost nothing stays the same, it is comforting for some things to do so.

  7. slksfca

    …sure isn’t what it once was. It helps if interest is also engaged, but still…

    Shiny objects have always fascinated me, whether old (antique pillboxes) or new (my Kindle Fire). As it turns out, both my examples are literally “shiny,” but that’s not a requirement. 🙂

    I used to love all holidays, but nowadays I think Thanksgiving is my favorite, for several reasons.

  8. princesspat

    concentration….very focused at times, elusive at others

    distractions…what distractions?

    shiny objects….call to me, especially old collectibles

    favorite holiday…..I’m an equal opportunity holiday overachiever. Lots of flowers and food for every occasion!

  9. mikidee

    How good is your concentration; can you simply shut out unwanted distractions, or do they drive you to distraction? One I get it locked in it’s pretty good. But if I’m not thoroughly engaged then it’s pretty bad.  

    How susceptible are you to the lure of shiny objects? The shiny objects of my imagination are crazy attractive to me; the shiny objects of real life not so much – usu. they’re just more stuff to dust.

    What kind of shiny objects (it doesn’t really have to shine – it could be that new book you got in the mail) is your favorite? OOOh – I like imagining having kitchen stuff and watercolors and a big, shiny spotting scope and new bedding and another pair of comfortable shoes and dangly earrings and and and and ….

    What is your favorite holiday and why? Xmas – ‘cus I can do the shiny parts (lights and the tree and the tschotskes and the music) without the family parts and not feel like the 2XNK-spinster I am.

  10. JG in MD

    How good is your concentration?   When I’m in the zone, I can shut out distractions. When I’m not, not. Especially sounds, like What is that tapping and where is it coming from?

    How susceptible are you to the lure of shiny objects? Ooohhh, shiny! … Wait, what?

    What kind of shiny objects? Cats, food, sunshine, birds, email, Twitter et al.

    What is your favorite holiday and why? Opening day of baseball season, for obvious reasons, mostly having to do with Davey Johnson, Bryce Harper, Adam LaRoche …

  11. Pam from Calif

    How good is your concentration; can you simply shut out unwanted distractions, or do they drive you to distraction? Usually can shut out distractions~ I have way too many irons in the fire, and all are important.  I feel like I have ADD

    How susceptible are you to the lure of shiny objects?  depends on the object

    What kind of shiny objects (it doesn’t really have to shine – it could be that new book you got in the mail) is your favorite? – do fabrics count as shiny objects?  I am banning myself from the quilt fabric stores until my projects are completed

    What is your favorite holiday and why? Christmas & Easter: Christmas~ the decorations, music, fun parties, etc. Easter~ the food, the Church music etc (Eastern/Greek Orthodox Easter is very late this year and we’ll celebrate on May 5).  

  12. cassandracarolina

    favorite holiday…..I’m an equal opportunity holiday overachiever. Lots of flowers and food for every occasion!

    Concentration? Difficult! I was doing okay until they invented that darn Internet! I do manage to get everything done, but with way too much flitting about mentally. I cannot concentrate if there’s television, talking, or music other than classical in the background.

    Shiny objects? Since Mr. Carolina and I committed to our financial plan and we’re on track to retire this year, I have mastered the fine art of looking at beautiful things and not buying them. I can look at a catalog of clothing, outdoor gear, fine art, decor items, shoes – whatever – and picture myself with the items I like the best, then consign the catalog to the recycle bin. I’ll occasionally splurge for something inexpensive in a little craft shop like this charming little avian companion seen here in his native Carolina habitat:

    Bluebird of Happiness.JPG

    but for the most part, I am delighted to direct any available $$ to the cassandracarolina retirement fund.

    Favorite holiday? Thanksgiving. Football, food, no gifts to buy, and a chance to enjoy an extra helping of gratitude for life’s many blessings. Added bonus: leftovers and no cooking for the next week or so. It’s well worth the clean-up!  

  13. Avilyn

    How good is your concentration; can you simply shut out unwanted distractions, or do they drive you to distraction?

    It depends on what I’m concentrating on.  If it’s something I don’t want to be doing, then anything and everything is a distraction.  If it’s something I really enjoy (reading a good book, playing an engrossing video game, etc.), then I wouldn’t notice a bomb going off next to me.

    How susceptible are you to the lure of shiny objects?  

    I have ADOS – Attention Deficit – Oooh, Shiny!

    What kind of shiny objects (it doesn’t really have to shine – it could be that new book you got in the mail) is your favorite?

    Favorite?  I love kitchen gadgets.  And books.  And jewelry.

    What is your favorite holiday and why?  Hmm.  Even though I don’t celebrate the religious part of it, I think I have to go with Christmas.  I really enjoy picking out the ‘perfect’ gift for someone and watching the look on their face when they open the package.  I love getting together with my husband’s family (and on a separate weekend, with mine).  I love the decorations and lights and trees, and it’s pretty much the only time of the year I don’t mind snow.

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