Wm. "Gus" Moorhead 1929 - 2008

There are icons associated with any city or town I suppose, Versailles is not an exception. A few that I consider would be Roy Hunter, Forest Waters, Herman Jahnigen, Flo Pegee, Jim Tyson, Al Smith Sr., Sharlot Bovard, Ma' Curry, and surely many others. Mr. Moorhead as the school kids called him, never "Gus", will be added to this list. He had many short phrases he uttered often but the one that was most memorable in my mind was; "If the shoe fits wear it." Well Mr. Moorhead you are an icon of Versailles and the shoe fits. Versailles will miss you.

See and hear a tribute to Tyson Auditorium

Yep, Winter is here

It was 2 degrees this morning in Versailles.
Yesterday with the wind, the chill factor was well below zero. I often wonder why people live in such an uncomfortable location like this, I suppose it is where you were born and raised. I can't think of any other reason why you would want to touchier yourself with the hot summers and cold and snowy Winters. I lived near Monterey, Ca. for 2 years where the weather was just about perfect, but I could not wait to get home. I vacationed in the Caribbean each Winter while working with an average Winter temperature of 82. I just can't put my finger on the exact reason I live here, I just think it is home. Click click click of Dorothy's heals, "there's no place like home"

Click to see the Versailles Web Cam

Wright brothers Flight & Douglas DC-3 1st flight December 17th

Flight tests at Kitty Hawk
Upon returning to Kitty Hawk in 1903, the Wrights completed assembly of the Flyer while practicing on the 1902 Glider from the previous season. On December 14, 1903, they felt ready for their first attempt at powered flight. They tossed a coin to decide who would get the first chance at piloting, and Wilbur won the toss. However, he pulled up too sharply, stalled, and brought the Flyer back down with minor damage.

The repairs for the abortive first flight took three days, so that the Flyer was ready again on December 17. Since Wilbur had already had the first chance, Orville took his turn at the controls. His first flight lasted 12 seconds for a total distance of 120 feet (36.5 m) -- shorter than the wingspan of a Boeing 747.

Taking turns, the Wrights made four brief, low-altitude flights on that day. The flight paths that day were all essentially straight; turns were not attempted. Every flight of the aircraft on December 14 and 17 -- under very difficult conditions on the 17th -- ended in a bumpy and unintended "landing". The last, by Wilbur, after a flight of 59 seconds that covered 852 feet (260 m), broke the front elevator supports, which the Wrights hoped to repair for a possible four-mile (6 km) flight to Kitty Hawk village. Soon after, a heavy gust picked up the Flyer and tumbled it end over end, damaging it beyond any hope of quick repair. Read more

The Douglas DC-3 Dec. 17th 1935

The Douglas DC-3 is an American fixed-wing, propeller-driven aircraft whose speed and range revolutionized air transport in the 1930s and 1940s. Because of its lasting impact on the airline industry and World War II, it is generally regarded as one of the most significant transport aircraft ever made. Read more
from: Wikipedia

A call from Bagdad, Iraq

A few days ago I returned home to see my telephone answering machine blinking thus telling that someone had left a message. This not being uncommon as I get several messages when I'm away from home. I pressed the play button and what a surprise, The caller was from Bagdad, Iraq. It was a coworker of a few years ago when we both worked for the Indiana State Police. His name is Robert Garcia and his Army unit was activated and assigned to active duty in Iraq. He told me in the recorded message that he enjoyed seeing my photos of his home town and would try to send an email but it is difficult. He wished me the best of holiday greetings and said good bye.

I was grinning ear to ear after listening to that message. I had made at least one person serving our country a small bit happier. I had considered dropping (deleting) all my pages from the internet in the next year as it is very costly to maintain. But now the cost is worthwhile, That phone call made it worth the the cost many times over.
Click to hear the recorded message

Trans Siberian orchestra

Holiday Light Show from the Trans Siberian orchestra
Every year I get a request to post the link (URL) for this YouTube video. So here it is again.

"Air Raid, Pearl Harbor - This is no drill."

Aircraft and midget submarines of the Imperial Japanese Navy began a surprise attack on the U.S. under the command of Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto. Despite long-standing assertions that this attack could have been predicted and prevented by the United States Military, the U.S. forces at Pearl Harbor appeared to be utterly unprepared, and the attack effectively drew the United States into World War II. At 6:09 a.m. on December 7, the six Japanese carriers launched a first wave of 183 planes composed mainly of dive bombers, horizontal bombers and fighters.[4] The Japanese hit American ships and military installations at 7:55 a.m. The first wave attacked military airfields of Ford Island. At 8:30 a.m. a second wave of 180 Japanese planes, mostly torpedo bombers, attacked the fleet anchored in Pearl Harbor. The battleship ArizonaTemplate:WP Ships USS instances was hit with an armor piercing bomb which penetrated the forward ammunition compartment, blowing the ship apart and sinking it within seconds. Overall, nine ships of the U.S. fleet were sunk and twenty-one ships were severely damaged. Three of the twenty-one would be irreparable. The overall death toll reached 2,350, including 68 civilians, and 1,178 injured. Of the military personnel lost at Pearl Harbor, 1,177 were from the Arizona.The first shots fired were from the USS Ward on a midget submarine that had surfaced outside of Pearl Harbor, the USS Ward did successfully sink the midget sub at approximately 6:55, about an hour before the assault on Pearl Harbor.
Read more from wikipedia.org

Link to USS Arizona Memorial images

Audio file of speech (mp3 7.5 meg)


PEARL HARBOR
FRANKLIN D. ROOSEVELT'S
Speech to the U.S. Congress on December 8th, 1941 (as delivered)


Mr. Vice President, Mr. Speaker, Members of the Senate, of the House of Representatives:

Yesterday, December 7, 1941 - a date which will live in infamy - the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan.

The United States was at peace with that nation, and, at the solicitation of Japan, was still in conversation with its government and its Emperor looking toward the maintenance of peace in the Pacific.

Indeed, one hour after Japanese air squadrons had commenced bombing in the American island of Oahu, the Japanese ambassador to the United States and his colleague delivered to our Secretary of State a formal reply to a recent American message. While this reply stated that it seemed useless to continue the existing diplomatic negotiations, it contained no threat or hint of war or of armed attack.

It will be recorded that the distance of Hawaii from Japan makes it obvious that the attack was deliberately planned many days or even weeks ago. During the intervening time, the Japanese government has deliberately sought to deceive the United States by false statements and expressions of hope for continued peace.

The attack yesterday on the Hawaiian Islands has caused severe damage to American naval and military forces. I regret to tell you that very many American lives have been lost. In addition, American ships have been reported torpedoed on the high seas between San Francisco and Honolulu.

Yesterday, the Japanese government also launched an attack against Malaya.

Last night, Japanese forces attacked Hong Kong.

Last night, Japanese forces attacked Guam.

Last night, Japanese forces attacked the Philippine Islands.

Last night, the Japanese attacked Wake Island.

This morning, the Japanese attacked Midway Island.

Japan has, therefore, undertaken a surprise offensive extending throughout the Pacific area. The facts of yesterday and today speak for themselves. The People of the United States have already formed their opinions and well understand the implications to the very life and safety of our nation.

As Commander-in-Chief of the Army and Navy, I have directed that all measures be taken for our defense.

But always will our whole nation remember the character of the onslaught against us.

No matter how long it may take us to overcome this premeditated invasion, the American people in their righteous might, will win through to absolute victory.

I believe that I interpret the will of the Congress and of the People when I assert that we will not only defend ourselves to the uttermost, but will make it very certain that this form of treachery shall never again endanger us.

Hostilities exist. There is no blinking at the fact that our people, our territory, and our interests are in grave danger.

With confidence in our armed forces - with the unbounding determination of our People - we will gain the inevitable triumph - so help us God.

I ask that the Congress declare that since the unprovoked and dastardly attack by Japan on Sunday, December 7, 1941 a state of War has existed between the United States and the Japanese empire.

Dec. 5th 1945 Flight 19 lost in Bermuda Triangle

Five Avengers are airborne at 1400 on a bright sunny day. The mission is a routine two-hour patrol from Fort Lauderdale, Fla. due east for 150 miles [241 km], north for 40 miles [64 km] and then return to base. All five pilots are highly experienced aviators and all of the aircraft have been carefully checked prior to takeoff. The weather over the route is reported to be excellent, a typical sunny Florida day. The flight proceeds.

At 1545 Fort Lauderdale tower receives a call from the flight but, instead of requesting landing instructions, the flight leader sounds confused and worried. "Cannot see land," he blurts. "We seem to be off course." "What is your position?" the tower asks.There are a few moments of silence. The tower personnel squint into the sunlight of the clear Florida afternoon. No sign of the flight.
"We cannot be sure where we are," the flight leader announces. "Repeat: Cannot see land."

Contact is lost with the flight for about 10 minutes and then it is resumed. But it is not the voice of the flight leader. Instead, voices of the crews are heard, sounding confused and disoriented, "more like a bunch of boy scouts lost in the woods than experienced airmen flying in clear weather." "We can't find west. Everything is wrong. We can't be sure of any direction. Everything looks strange, even the ocean." Another delay and then the tower operator learns to his surprise that the leader has handed over his command to another pilot for no apparent reason.

Twenty minutes later, the new leader calls the tower, his voice trembling and bordering on hysteria. "We can't tell where we are ... everything is ... can't make out anything. We think we may be about 225 miles [362 km] northeast of base ..." For a few moments the pilot rambles incoherently before uttering the last words ever heard from Flight 19: "It looks like we are entering white water ... We're completely lost."

Within minutes a Mariner flying boat, carrying rescue equipment, is on its way to Flight 19's last estimated position. Ten minutes after takeoff, the PBM checks in with the tower ... and is never heard from again. Coast Guard and Navy ships and aircraft comb the area for the six aircraft. They find a calm sea, clear skies, middling winds of up to 40 miles per hour [64 km/h] and nothing else. For five days almost 250,000 square miles [647,000 km²] of the Atlantic Ocean and Gulf are searched. Yet, not a flare is seen, not an oil slick, life raft or telltale piece of wreckage is ever found.

Finally, after an extensive Navy Board of Inquiry investigation is completed, the riddle remains intact. The Board's report is summed up in one terse statement: "We are not able to even make a good guess as to what happened."
Read the full story From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Here is another account of Flight 19

Three Steps to Help Reduce Your Risk of Identity theft

1. Practice safe shopping online.
Follow these three basic rules whenever you're online: never give out your personal information to unsolicited emails, only shop on sites you know you can trust, and make sure the site you're entering your information into is secure. You can tell a site is secure if there is a closed lock in the browser window, or the web address starts with "https:".

2. Remove unnecessary items from your wallet.
When you go out to purchase the items on your holiday shopping list, don't take everything with you. Lost and stolen wallets, checkbooks, and cards account for about 33% of all identity fraud. Only take the card or checkbook you'll need.

3. Check your statements as soon as you receive them.
Keep all of your receipts and as soon as you receive your monthly statement, reconcile it against them. If you find even the smallest discrepancy, notify your bank or credit card company immediately.

From:
http://www.lifelock.com/

too old to be a geek

I am getting too old to be a geek. Oh...I like getting a new computer or camera and playing with it and learning about it. I liked playing with my netrwork when I had to learn to use it to support it. I would like a new cell phone but can't decide which one to get. I am somewhere between a geek and a techno-phobe. I don't want a cell phone to use all the time. I like my landline...there is something comforting to me about being tethered to the wall and knowing I can hear the person I'm talking to all the time. But I carry one in the car for emergencies. I keep the TV on all the time just for background noise. I love to read but I'm resisting getting a Kindle. Because I love the feel of a magazine in my hands. Since my job requires that I be a geek or as I like to put it a "gu" not a full blown "guru" when it comes to computer software and hardware, I have to keep up with not give up on technology. And try not to kill the users I support when they ask questions that they should already know the answers to!

Thoughts taken from Emily Watson's Blog

Don't forget your passwords

I obtained a new pan and tilt camera that I started to install yesterday afternoon and then the nightmare started. I have 5 computers, 1 X-box, 1 music/video server, 6 cameras, 1 access point, 1 router, 1 security system DVR, 1 cable modem, and 3 network switchs. All work within and in conjunction with my home network. Most are pass worded to keep the hackers out. Most use the same password and username, so why could I not log into my router???? After trying every password I have used in the past I gave up after 2 hours. I reset the router with the famous push of the paper clip. The act erases all the critical settings that I had stored making everything work, and pouf there gone. But now at 3pm the next day I have reconfigured all the settings and plugged in all the numbers that makes it go. Please see my new camera and give it a test drive. Pan and tilt is for you to just look around my radio/computer room.
Best to use Internet Explorer (IE) but it will work with FireFox. (kinda)
Use Username guest
Use Password guest
http://98.226.84.179:1024/main.cgi?next_file=main2.htm

http://webcam.wb9otx.com/cam/broadband.htm
or
http://webcam.wb9otx.com/cam/
then click "Broadband"

A few people have stated that they can't find the link. You should clear the cache in your browser. Find out how.

Thanksgiving Gathering

It's not just families that are getting together this Thanksgiving week. The three brightest objects in the night sky -- Venus, Jupiter and a crescent moon -- will crowd around each other for an unusual group shot. Starting Thanksgiving evening, Jupiter and Venus will begin moving closer so that by Sunday and Monday, they will appear 2 degrees apart, which is about a finger width held out at arm's length, said Alan MacRobert, senior editor at Sky and Telescope magazine. Then on Monday night, they will be joined by a crescent moon right next to them, he said. Look in the southwestern sky around twilight -- no telescope or binoculars needed. The show will even be visible in cities if it's a clear night. "It'll be a head-turner," MacRobert said. "This certainly is an unusual coincidence for the crescent moon to be right there in the days when they are going to be closest together."
Read More

Who hijacked a Boeing 727

D. B. Cooper is the name attributed to a man who hijacked a Boeing 727 aircraft in the United States on November 24, 1971, received US$200,000 in ransom, and parachuted from the plane. He was never apprehended. The name he used to board the plane was Dan Cooper, but through a later press miscommunication, he became known as "D. B. Cooper". Despite hundreds of leads through the years, no conclusive evidence has surfaced regarding Cooper's true identity or whereabouts, and the bulk of the money has never been recovered. Several theories offer competing explanations of what happened after his famed jump, which the FBI believes he did not survive.

The nature of Cooper's escape and the uncertainty of his fate continue to intrigue people. The Cooper case (code-named "Norjak" by the FBI) remains an unsolved mystery, and along with Malaysia Airlines Flight 653 is one of the world's few unsolved cases of aircraft hijacking.

The Cooper case has baffled government and.......... read the full story

John F. Kennedy assassination November 22, 1963

The assassination of John F. Kennedy, the thirty-fifth President of the United States, took place on Friday, November 22, 1963, in Dallas, Texas, USA at 12:30 p.m. CST (18:30 UTC). John F. Kennedy was fatally wounded by gunshots while riding with his wife Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy in a Presidential motorcade. The ten-month investigation of the Warren Commission of 1963–1964, the United States House Select Committee on Assassinations (HSCA) of 1976–1979, and other government investigations concluded that the President was assassinated by Lee Harvey Oswald. This conclusion was initially met with widespread support among the American public (1964–66), but polls conducted after the original 1966 Gallup poll show as much as 80% of the public hold beliefs contrary to these findings. The assassination is still the subject of widespread speculation and has spawned numerous conspiracy theories, though none of these theories has been proven. In 1979, the House Select Committee on Assassinations (HSCA) found both the original FBI investigation and the Warren Commission Report to be seriously flawed. The HSCA also concluded that there were at least four shots fired and that it was probable that a conspiracy existed. Later studies, including one by the National Academy of Sciences, have called into question the accuracy of the evidence used by the HSCA to support its finding of four shots. Read the full story from Wikipedia

Hijacked

On November 17, 2008, the U.S. Navy announced that the Sirius Star had been hijacked by Somali pirates. Lt. Nate Christensen, a spokesman for the U.S. Navy's 5th Fleet, said the pirates hijacked the very large crude carrier at about 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, November 15, while it was southbound, about 450 nautical miles (520 mi/830 km) southeast of the coast of Kenya — the farthest out to sea Somali pirates have struck. The attack also made Sirius Star the largest vessel ever to be hijacked.[6] It is estimated that for the pirates to reach the Sirius Star, they must have voyaged south for three to four days.

At the time of the attack, the ship was carrying a full load of 2 million barrels of crude oil — more than one-quarter of Saudi Arabia's daily oil production output, and worth at least US$100 million and was bound for the United States via the Cape of Good Hope. According to officials from Puntland, the pirates anchored Sirius Star at the Somali port of Harardhere, contrary to early reports from the United States Navy that the ship was anchored near Eyl..... Read the full story

Gettysburg Address November 19, 1863

The Gettysburg Address is a speech by U.S. President Abraham Lincoln and one of the most quoted speeches in United States history. It was delivered at the dedication of the Soldiers' National Cemetery in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, on the afternoon of Thursday, November 19, 1863, during the American Civil War, four and a half months after the Union armies defeated those of the Confederacy at the decisive Battle of Gettysburg.

Abraham Lincoln's carefully crafted address, secondary to other presentations that day, came to be regarded as one of the greatest speeches in American history. In just over two minutes, Lincoln invoked the principles of human equality espoused by the Declaration of Independence and redefined the Civil War as a struggle not merely for the Union, but as "a new birth of freedom" that would bring true equality to all of its citizens, and that would also create a unified nation in which states' rights were no longer dominant.

Beginning with the now-iconic phrase "Four score and seven years ago...", Lincoln referred to the events of the Civil War and described the ceremony at Gettysburg as an opportunity not only to consecrate the grounds of a cemetery, but also to dedicate the living to the struggle to ensure that "government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth".
The only confirmed photo of Abraham Lincoln at Gettysburg (seated), taken about noon, just after Lincoln arrived and some three hours before he spoke. To Lincoln's right is his bodyguard, Ward Hill Lamon.

Despite the speech's prominent place in the history and popular culture of the United States, the exact wording of the speech is disputed. The five known manuscripts of the Gettysburg Address differ in a number of details and also differ from contemporary newspaper reprints of the speech.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Download the Speech in MP3 format
http://www.fiftiesweb.com/usa/gettysburg-address-jc1.mp3

Support our troops

Support our troops and their families. Every Thanksgiving and religious holiday that you enjoy with family and friends, please remember that there are literally thousands of soldiers, sailors, marines and airmen far from home wishing they could be with their families. Thank God for our military and the sacrifices they make every day. Without them, our country would get it's ass kicked.

Nellie Bly

Elizabeth Jane Cochrane
Nellie Bly
Investigative Journalist

Born May 5, 1864, to Judge Michael Cochran and Mary Jane Kennedy Cochran, part of the large Cochran family of Apollo, Pennsylvania, Elizabeth Jane Cochrane revolutionized journalism for women. She is better known by her pen name, "Nellie Bly," which she adapted from the Stephen Foster song, "Nelly Bly." Daring and innovative, she gained world fame when she beat Jules Verne's fictional character Phileas Fogg's record for traveling around the world in 80 days by more than a week, departing on November 14, 1889 and returning to New York on January 25, 1890.
Read more at:

http://home.att.net/~gapehenry/NellieBly.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nellie_Bly

Veterans Day - the day after

It was a little cool and a brisk breeze was blowing, but even with a sprinkle of rain this did not prevent a record turnout to the programs that were hosted by South Ripley Senior & Elementary Schools. Being in the programs as a Flag bearer with the honor guard I was not able to take as many photos as I have in past years. I did take a few at the Veterans Monument on the square tho. Amy Linkel, Assistant Principal of the Elementary School was kind enough to share one that she captured and emailed to me. I have posted these photos to the web at:
http://picasaweb.google.com/jack.demaree/VeteransDay2008#
The Marine in two of the photos is PFC Everage, he has just completed his first phase of training and when training is completed he will be assigned to the White House. We may get a glimpse of him on TV, watch for him in the news. All and all it was a very warm reception brought forth by the people and students of our County of Ripley. Thank you from all Veterans.

Veterans Day - November 11

D-Day
Memorial








Photo by: Carl Taul

On the 11th hour of the 11th Day of the 11th month, the guns of World War I fell silent

Read more at:
http://www.military.com/veterans-day/history-of-veterans-day.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_D-Day_Memorial

South Ripley High School students will provide a Veterans breakfast on Tuesday, Nov. 11 at 8:15 a.m. with a program following at 9 a.m. At 10 a.m. South Ripley Elementary will hold a program. At 11 a.m. a memorial service will be held at the Ripley County Veterans Monument on the courthouse square, public invited.

South Pole - from the archive 1/8/2004

I have been interested in Antarctica for a long time and read about anything I can find on the subject. My interest came about quiet by accident in 1980. You see I am a Ham Radio Opperator and while dialing my receiver across the twenty meter band I heard the word Lawrenceburg. This is a town about twenty-five miles from where I live. To my surprise the call sign this fellow was using was KC4AAA, this told me he was located at the South Pole. When he signed off with the station he was in conversation with I called him, he answered and told me his name was Pat and his home town was Lawrenceburg, Indiana. This was the start of a friendship with his family and Pat. I would connect my radio to the telephone lines so Pat at the Pole could talk to his parents and other friends here in the states. Other people at the pole would want me to do a phone patch as it was called to their friends also. Pat and I had a schedule two times a week starting at midnight, if I remember correctly that was three in the afternoon at the pole, they were on the same time as Christchurch, New Zealand. Sometimes other stations on the Antarctic continent would call and want me to run phone patches for them after Pat and I were finished. I was leaving the house for work at four A.M. at that time so it was pretty hard on me not getting much sleep, but I loved doing it. I did this phone patching for the fellows at the Pole for two years. I could tell you some very interesting stories about things that took place in that two year period, two stick out in my mind very vivid. I received a call about three in the afternoon, I had just walked in my home from work. The voice on the phone was very low and I could tell from the tone something was wrong. The young lady in a very quivering voice ask if I was the one that talked to the South Pole, I told her yes. She said she had to get a message to her brother there and could I do it. I told her I thought I could but it depended on the radio propagation and the time of day. Sometimes it is not possible but I would try that night. I ask what is your brothers name and what do you want to tell him. She began to cry. I knew it was going to be bad news. After a time she finally said tell him Mom has died. She gave me the details to pass on. I told her I would do my best to get the message through to her brother and I would call her back when I delivered the message. That night at 11PM I started calling on our sched frequency as I thought they may just be listing early. At about 11:45 my time I heard, "WB9OTX this is KC4AAA go ahead". It was my friend Pat, I told him the name of the man and that I had very bad news for him from his sister. I wanted Pat to tell him but he said he would call him on the all-call (intercom) and have him speak over the radio to me. This was one of the worst moments in my life when Pat told me he was at the radio listening and for me to go ahead with the message. I told him about his Mother in the same words as his Sister had told it to me. I felt very bad about telling him this as I knew nothing could be done to get him out from the continent and back home. Nothing comes or goes from the Pole in the Winter-Over period except radio waves. I told him I could call his Sister and run a phone patch to her, but he said no. He told me to call her in the morning and tell her he had received the message and to be strong. I called his Sister the next morning and told her what he had said. She thanked me over and over again. I ask her how she got my telephone number, she said the National Science Foundation gave it to her. To this day I have no Idea how or why they had my name and phone number. Remember, "big brother is always listening".

One more story I remember that I want to tell, but I am out of time so it will have to wait till tonight or tomorrow.

To be continued ………….


More South Pole
After reading the last post and seeing the little typos and how long it was, I promise to keep this one shorter. The typos just go with this Blog, so get over it.

To continue on with story number two, I think it was the Winter of 82 at the Pole. This makes it June or July here since the seasons are reversed or opposite in the two hemispheres. On one of our scheds Pat told me they were going to have an air drop. This had never been attempted before because of the great distance and weather conditions the planes would encounter coming and returning from New Zealand. The planes would be a pair of C-130s with no skies, as there would be no landing and hopefully a round trip. The planes would have to be mid-air refueled coming to the Pole and returning to Christ Church New Zealand, so you see it was quite a complicated trip to organize. I think we talked about it for more than a month. The families of the men (and one woman) were contacted and told they could send one package. Each person at the Pole could make one request for anything in reason. Most wanted some type of food ranging from ice cream to kiwi fruit, did I say ice cream, yes he wanted chocolate flavor. Pat told me I could send a package also, so I sent some things about Ham Radio and a 5 X 7 photo of myself. I told him to hang it above the radio to keep the mice away and do you know it worked as there has never been a mouse in the radio room to this day. I hope it is still hanging there. The packages were to be sent to New Zealand for relay on the air drop. The day came and all the crew were lighting flairs (it is dark for about 3 months) to mark the drop zone and trying to call the planes that were coming. I was at my radio listing and could hear the Pole calling the planes and I could hear the planes call the Pole, but neither could contact each other. I called the Pole and told them I could hear both of them. The planes were on a frequency that I was not allowed on, but they were also listening on the Ham frequency so they could hear me. I transmitted in the Ham band and I listened on the military frequency, this is called operating split. It worked very well. I relayed the location and arrival times to the Pole. It worked great and I have to tell you I thought I was really something being able to relay the como for this big adventure. It all went off without a snag, there were a few things that took place when the planes made the drop, but I am sworn to secrecy, I can say they were pretty low to the ice when they kicked the freight out of the planes.(nuff said) To end this story and get the point across that I wanted to make. All the crew got sick about a week or two after the air drop. There are no germs as we call them at the Pole because it is just like the inside of your freezer here at home, its just too cold for them. All the packages and food were carrying loads of bacteria and viruses attached to them. All was brought inside the dome that is heated and spread to the crew. Almost all came down with a nasty cold or worse. No one thought of this, but that ended all future air drops. I always think of the story ‘War of the Worlds’ that is what killed the aliens that were from Mars you know. They could not tolerate the germs here on earth that we are all immune to.

I hope you enjoyed reading this, as most people know little about the South Pole. I will tell you that things have changed with all the satellites and Internet. The crew at the Pole now can communicate just about as well as you and I do now from our homes here in the good ‘ol USA. But back 15 years ago and longer, the Ham Radio fellows sure provided a wonderful service to the stations in the Antarctic and I am very proud to be one of them.

THE END

"MP3 Fugitive" from my archive 1/4/04

I think this is the lady that was removed from the plane in France that was bound for Cincinnati. She was trying to conceal an MP3 player under her clothes. After a complete strip search of her floppy drives by the Home Land Security crew she was released. She will remain under investagation for copy right violations by the RIAA. One of the HLS personel was quoted, "from our records we knew she had an active Napster account, this was the tip off".
http://wb9otx.com/blog/archive/2004_01_04_archive

FM Broadcasting - Edwin Howard Armstrong

Nov. 6th 1935 – Before the Institute of Radio Engineers in New York, American electrical engineer and inventor Edwin Howard Armstrong presented his study on using frequency modulation for radio broadcasting.

Edwin Howard Armstrong (December 18, 1890 – January 31, 1954). Armstrong was the inventor of frequency modulation (FM) radio.

Edwin Howard Armstrong
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edwin_Howard_Armstrong

The Birthplace of FM Broadcasting, Alpine, N.J.
Armstrong Tower
http://www.fybush.com/sites/2005/site-050610.html

Under Barack Obama

She Won't Need To Worry About Paying For Her Gas And
Mortgage Under Barack Obama.

May God Help Us

and I mean this

Today is the Day "VOTE"

John McCain (born 1936) is the senior United States Senator from Arizona and presidential nominee of the Republican Party in the 2008 United States presidential election. During the Vietnam War, he nearly lost his life in the 1967 USS Forrestal fire. In October 1967, he was shot down and held as a prisoner of war until 1973, experiencing episodes of torture; his war wounds have left him with lifelong physical limitations. Elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1982, he served two terms, was elected to the U.S. Senate in 1986, and was re-elected in 1992, 1998, and 2004.





Barack Obama (born 1961) is the junior United States Senator from Illinois and presidential nominee of the Democratic Party in the 2008 United States presidential election. Obama is the first African American to be nominated for president by a major political party. Obama graduated from Columbia University and Harvard Law School, serving as the president of the Harvard Law Review. He served three terms in the Illinois Senate and taught constitutional law at the University of Chicago Law School. Obama delivered the keynote address at the 2004 Democratic National Convention and was elected to the Senate in November 2004.

Nov 2nd 1947 "Spruce Goose" first/last Flight

H-4 (HK-1) Hercules
After the first two uneventful taxi runs, four reporters left to file stories but the remaining press stayed for the final test run of the day. After picking up speed on the channel facing Cabrillo Beach near Long Beach, the Hercules lifted off, remaining airborne 70 feet off the water at a speed of 135 mph for around a mile At this altitude, the aircraft was still experiencing ground effect.

Hughes had answered his critics and the hearings ended, but the aircraft never flew again, and to this day it is not clear whether the aircraft was really airworthy. Hughes himself had his doubts. The aircraft was maintained in flying condition until Hughes' death in 1976.
Read more

Versailles Halloween Parade & Contest

Thursday night's Halloween contest and parade went very well. There were about 100 people in attendance for the event. I played 50 - 60 music over the PA for about 1 hour before it started with much complaint from the kids. The weather was very good with temperatures in the 60s. I took pictures of all the winners and will turn them into the newspaper this morning. I hope they print them. Here is a photo I took of the best of show. Isn't she cute ?

scam email I receive

Below is a typical scam email I receive almost weekly.
Don't fall for a scam like this one. Your bank account
will be drained if you give these people your banking
information. Most of these scams come from Liberia
Africa where the USA has no power to intervene if you
loose your money. By the way, almost all cruise ships
are register from Liberia (wonder why !)

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Dearest,

I am writing this mail to you with tears and sorrow from my heart.

My name is Monica Achia Dominic Dim Deng, 22yrs old, female and I held from Sudan. My father Lt. Gen Dominic Dim Deng and my mother including other top Military officers and top government officials had been on board when the plane crashed on Friday May 02, 2008.

You can read more about the crash through the below site:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7380412.stm

After the burial of my father, my uncle conspired and sold my father's properties to one Chin ease Expatriate and live nothing for me. One faithful morning, I opened my father's briefcase and found out the documents which he have deposited huge amount of money in one bank in Burkina Faso with my name as the next of kin. I traveled to Burkina Faso to withdraw the money so that I can start a better life and take care of myself. On my arrival, the Branch manager of the Bank whom I met in person told me that my father's instruction to the bank was the money be release to me only when I am married or present a trustee who will help me and invest the money overseas.

I am in search of an honest and reliable person who will help me and stand as my trustee so that I will present him to the Bank for transfer of the money to his bank account overseas. I have chosen to contact you after my prayers and I believe that you will not betray my trust. But rather take me as your own sister. Though you may wonder why I am so soon revealing myself to you without knowing you, well, I will say that my mind convinced me that you may be the true person to help me. More so, I will like to disclose much to you if you can help me to relocate to your country because my uncle have threaten to assassinate me. The amount is $10.4 Million and I have confirmed from the bank in Burkina Faso. You will also help me to place the money in a more profitable business venture in your Country.

However, you will help by recommending a nice University in your country so that I can complete my studies. It is my intention to compensate you with 10% of the total money for your services and the balance shall be my capital in your establishment. As soon as I receive your interest in helping me, I will put things into action immediately. In the light of the above, I shall appreciate an urgent message indicating your ability and willingness to handle this transaction sincerely. Please do keep this only to your self. I beg you not to disclose it till i come over because I am affraid of my weaked uncle who has threatened to kill me.

Sincerely yours,
Monica Dominic Dim Deng.

Become a better E-mail user

This information is intended not only to make you a neater "E-mailer" but one that is more considerate and more thoughtful... Your friends will be thankful.

Would you write your friends' phone numbers on the walls of public places? If you answer no, then why would you share their private E-mail addresses with a group of strangers, many of whom will CARELESSLY forward the same addresses to even more strangers? Don't do it! Instead, use the BCC feature of your E-mail program.

BCC means "Blind Carbon Copy". It is a way of addressing mail to more than one person so that everyone's address is not displayed for all to see. Every E-mail program (including the free, web-based E-mail services) allow you to address messages using BCC, in other words, to "BCC" one or more recipients. Some require that you provide at least ONE address in the TO: field. If this is the case, place YOUR OWN address in the TO: field and all your recipients' addresses in the BCC field.

WHY:

* Using BCC protects your recipients' E-mail addresses from being spread to strangers.
* Using BCC helps prevent SPAM (Unsolicited Commercial E-mail)
* When using BCC, messages will be easier on your readers because they will contain less text to look at. A "cleaner" message is easier to read.
* Messages will require less bandwidth and will download faster.
* Using BCC shows your consideration of others by not publishing hundreds of your friends' addresses to strangers and potentially, SPAMMERS or maybe even stalkers.

HOW:

* In most email clients, the BCC feature is very apparent and obvious. While in a new message in AOL's web mail, click BCC. In Gmail and Yahoo Mail!, click add BCC. In Hotmail, click Show Cc & Bcc.
* In Outlook and Outlook express, it's not so obvious but turning it on is a one-time event.
* To activate the BCC field in Outlook Express, create a new message and choose View, All Headers.
* To activate the BCC field in MS-Outlook, create a new message and choose View, BCC.
* Lotus Notes - the BCC field is right there. Nothing to "turn on", no hoops to jump through, just use it!

No customer service

Today is a Holiday in India !
This means there will be no customer service for anything.
So don't call.

WAR OF THE WORLDS

WAR OF THE WORLDS, OCTOBER 30, 1938, ORSON WELLES

The first two thirds of the 60-minute broadcast was presented as a series of simulated news bulletins, which suggested to many listeners that an actual Martian invasion was in progress. Compounding the issue was the fact that the Mercury Theatre on the Air was a 'sustaining show' (i.e., it ran without commercial breaks), thus adding to the dramatic effect. Although there were sensationalist accounts in the press about a supposed panic, careful research has shown that while thousands were frightened, there is no evidence that people fled their homes or otherwise took action. The news-bulletin format was decried as cruelly deceptive by some newspapers and public figures, leading to an outcry against the perpetrators of the broadcast, but the episode launched Welles to fame.
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You can hear this complete broadcast (52 Min.) at:
http://www.archive.org/details/WAROFTHEWORLDS2
The player is at the top right.
Everything you ever wanted to know about the broadcast is at WikipediA:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_War_of_the_Worlds_(radio)
This is a classic that I play every year, I love it!

Halloween at Versailles

Thursday October 30th, Starting at 7:00pm a parade and costume contest will begin at the Versailles town square. The contest and treats are sponsored by the Versailles American Legion Post. All welcome.

October 29, 1929 Wall Street Crash - will history repeat?

Three phrases - Black Thursday, Black Monday, and Black Tuesday - are used to describe this collapse of stock values. All three are appropriate, for the crash was not a one-day affair. The initial crash occurred on Black Thursday (October 24, 1929), but it was the catastrophic downturn of Black Monday and Tuesday (October 28 and October 29, 1929) that precipitated widespread panic and the onset of unprecedented and long-lasting consequences for the United States. The collapse continued for a month.

Economists and historians disagree as to what role the crash played in subsequent economic, social, and political events. The Economist writes, "Briefly, the Depression did not start with the stockmarket crash." In 1929, The Economist wrote, "Can a very serious Stock Exchange collapse produce a serious setback to industry when industrial production is for the most part in a healthy and balanced condition?" The crash in America came near the beginning of the Great Depression, a period of economic decline in the industrialized nations, and led to the institution of landmark financial reforms and new trading regulations.
Read More at:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wall_Street_Crash_of_1929

Golden Oldies

I was looking on YouTube for something from Teresa Brewer (one of my favorites) and while I found many videos from Teresa I found this video. It is from a Time Life commercial that I have seen on TV many times, but this video on YouTube has been edited to only include the songs. Great work from the guy that posted it. I think Time Life may make YouTube pull this off soon because of copyrights, So see / listen to it soon at;
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AXqgO63b59c&NR=1
If you like golden oldies you will love this one.

Our Star Spangled Banner

Last Sunday I was watching the NASCAR race and this guy that was unknown to me sang the National Anthem. Excuse my language but I just about through up. He was adding to the song like I had never heard before. A few months ago, in this Blog, I posted about a group named the Cactus Cuties. They sing our National Anthem the way it should be. I just felt like you should hear an oncore.

This is a video of the Cactus Cuties, very talented young ladies ranging in age from 8 to 13 singing The Star Spangled Banner. The performance was at the Texas Tech vs Texas basketball game January 20, 2008 in front of over 11,000 people. The Cuties are Andi, Baylee, Blaire, Madeline and Tatum.
See/hear it on YouTube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QKCVS57j284&NR=1

Madeline Powell, a member of the Cactus Cuties sings solo:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ZxN6CbACPM&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ol9LxY_LW0A&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cnLAukeHpSM&NR=1

Get off CNN

I don't watch much news on TV, but advice from a friend lead my wife and I to Fox news. That's ch. 360 on my Direct TV.(satellite) Get the other side of the story. I found CNN and Fox are 180 degrees apart. Tune in Fox News and I think you will be surprised.

P-51 Mustang's first maiden flight Oct 26th

The North American Aviation P-51 Mustang was an American long-range single-seat fighter aircraft that entered service with Allied air forces in the middle years of World War II.

The P-51 flew most of its wartime missions as a bomber escort in raids over Germany, helping ensure Allied air superiority from early 1944. It also saw limited service against the Japanese in the Pacific War. The Mustang began the Korean War as the United Nations' main fighter, but was relegated to a ground attack role when superseded by jet fighters early in the conflict. Nevertheless, it remained in service with some air forces until the early 1980s.

As well as being economical to produce, the Mustang was a fast, well-made, and highly durable aircraft. The definitive version, the P-51D, was powered by the Packard V-1650-7, a two-stage two-speed supercharged 12-cylinder Packard-built version of the legendary Rolls-Royce Merlin engine, and was armed with six .50 caliber (12.7 mm) Browning M2/AN machine guns, a version of the Browning adapted for use in combat aircraft.

After World War II and the Korean conflict, many Mustangs were converted for civilian use, especially air racing. The Mustang's reputation was such that, in the mid-1960s, Ford Motor Company's Designer John Najjar proposed the name for a new youth-oriented coupe after the fighter.
Read more

Security Update for Windows

With little warning, Microsoft released yesterday an unscheduled or "out-of-cycle" patch for a highly critical vulnerability that affects all versions of Windows. Security bulletin MS08-067 (patch 958644) was posted to warn of a remote-code attack that could spread wildly across the Internet.

Microsoft has posted several versions of the patch that apply to different operating systems:

• Windows 2000 with Service Pack 4 patch download
• Windows XP with Service Pack 2 or 3 patch download
• Windows XP 64-bit Edition patch download
• Windows Server 2003 with Service Pack 1 or 2 patch download
• Windows Server 2003 64-bit Edition patch download
• Windows Vista with or without Service Pack 1 patch download
• Windows Vista 64-bit Edition with or without Service Pack 1 patch download
• Windows Server 2008 32-bit Edition patch download
• Windows Server 2008 64-bit Edition patch download
Please take action to protect your computer and stop the spread of this virus.
If you do not know what operating system you have open the control panel then click on system, your OS will be listed there.
More information: Please read security bulletin MS08-067.

Oct 22, 1962 – Cuban Missile Crisis

U.S. President John F. Kennedy announced on television that Soviet nuclear weapons had been discovered in Cuba and that he had ordered a naval "quarantine" of the island nation.

Read more:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cuban_Missile_Crisis
Transcript of the speech:
http://www.famousquotes.me.uk/speeches/John_F_Kennedy/2.htm
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It was an intense week or so as I remember, Our family actually invented a plan of survival if the missals were launched. I was young but I remember the fear that loomed on all. If was a great day when President Kennedy gave the report that the crises had been resolved........ jack

Natalee Ann Holloway - disappeared

Natalee Ann Holloway (born October 21, 1986) is an American woman who disappeared on May 30, 2005, during a high school graduation trip to Aruba, a Caribbean country in the Kingdom of the Netherlands. An American student from Mountain Brook, Alabama, Holloway graduated from Mountain Brook High School on May 24, 2005, shortly before the trip. Her disappearance caused a media sensation in the United States.
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This is the most comprahensive report I have seen and all can be referenced for the reader to confirm. If you have about 20 minutes read the full article........jack

Sunday morning photos

I went up town today at noon to take some photos of the Fall trees in color, but they have not turned as of yet. Not to waste such a beautiful day I snapped a few photos at the grave yard and town square. The sky was cloudless and such a pretty blue. See what I took at:
http://picasaweb.google.com/jack.demaree/SundayMorningPhotos#
See all of my public photos at:
http://picasaweb.google.com/jack.demaree
I'll take the Fall colored leaves in a week or two.

Today was the first frost Oct. 19, 2008

Oct. 19, 2008 Versailles, In.

Chuck Yeager faster than sound Oct. 14, 1947

Charles Elwood "Chuck" Yeager (born February 13, 1923) was a brigadier general in the United States Air Force and a noted test pilot. On Oct. 14th, 1947, he became the first pilot (at age 24) to travel faster than sound in level flight and ascent. Originally retiring as a brigadier general, Yeager was promoted to major general on the Air Force's retired list 20 years later for his military achievements. - Click images for full size photo. Read the full story at:
http://www.medaloffreedom.com/ChuckYeager.htm

Why Do Leaves Change Color in the Fall?

It is approaching Fall and the leaves are just starting to change color and sadly fall soon. I knew it was because of the loss of glucose and chlorophyll, but I wanted to know more. My old friend Google lead me to a page that explains it in a simple way that anyone could understand. See the page:
http://www.sciencemadesimple.com/leaves.html

Herman Jahnigen 1918 - 2005 Interview

I have just posted a video to YouTube that contains an interview from Herman Jahnigen. Hermam tells of his experience after parachuting behind the lines in the Normandy D-day invasion. Herman was a very good friend of mine and a tough old bird but he would tear up when we talked about his war years. I know he left out a lot of the very bad things he experienced. This interview was conducted by Mr. Danny Jackson in 1994 and I thank him for the use of this short exert from the full video. The quality of the video is poor and is a copy of a copy in VHS format. I have edited it and changed it to DVD digital format. Although the quality is poor it is a precious archive preserved so many can see.
See part 1 of this video at:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YKxKtvwFqr8
See Part II at:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t3uwoxe_UYY

Versailles Legion, family, and friends celebrate the life of Mr. Jahnigen:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W19piKpcNBU

Herman Jahnigen 1918 - 2005

Ripley County's most decorated veteran. He was a member of the 508th Parachute Infantry of the 82nd Airborne Division and participated in the D-Day landing at Normandy. He also participated in the Battle of the Bulge and was wounded on June 9, 1944 in the European Theatre. Mr. Jahnigen's citations included the Purple Heart, Bronze Star, Silver Star, European Campaign Medal, Victory Medal, Good Conduct Medal, Distinguished Unit Citation, French Fourragere, Netherlands Citation, and the Normandy, Belgium, French, and American Defense Medals. On June 27, 1945 he received a battlefield commission promoting him to Lieutenant.

Columbus Day

Christopher Columbus was an Italian navigator, colonizer and explorer whose voyages across the Atlantic Ocean led to general European awareness of the American continents in the Western Hemisphere. Though not the first to reach the Americas from Afro-Eurasia — preceded some five hundred years by Leif Ericson, and perhaps by others — Columbus initiated widespread contact between Europeans and indigenous Americans. With his several hapless attempts at establishing a settlement on the island of Hispaniola, he personally initiated the process of Spanish colonization which foreshadowed general European colonization of the "New World." (The term "pre-Columbian" is usually used to refer to the peoples and cultures of the Americas before the arrival of Columbus and his European successors.)

The rest of the story

I am glad to see in print that Leif Ericson is credited as one of the first.
jack

Checks and money orders no longer allowed

What's changing with payments on eBay?
Beginning in late October 2008, checks and money orders will no longer be allowed as payment methods on eBay. All items appearing on eBay.com must be paid for using either:

* PayPal (funded by PayPal account balance, credit card, debit card, bank account, PayPal Pay Later, PayPal Buyer Credit or eBay gift certificate)
* Credit or debit card payment to a seller (through a seller's Internet merchant account)
* ProPay
* Payment upon pickup

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Paypal requirement is fascism at its best and a stab at monpolizing such as they can do- how can they outlaw MONEY- "Good for all debts public & private" now money is not valid, seems like the US Gov't & President Bush (he aint doing nothing for the next few months anyway) should get involved as this is not a free market economy & they are refusing to take US $$ which the US is printing up faster then they can run the presses. I think its like the song Tammy Wynette sang, "Divorce became final today" I've had it with all the fees and requirements forced on me by eBay........... I'm done !

Tonight's Sky

YOUR GUIDE TO CONSTELLATIONS,
DEEP SKY OBJECTS, PLANETS, AND EVENTS

Grab a telescope, binoculars or just a lawn chair and head out to the backyard for a night of cosmic sightseeing. Our monthly stargazing guide keeps you informed about constellations, deep sky objects, planets, and events.
http://amazing-space.stsci.edu/tonights_sky/index.php

Time in Indiana

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Time in Indiana refers to the controversial time zone division of Indiana, and to the state's historical response to the innovation of daylight saving time. The official dividing line between Eastern Time and Central Time has, over time, progressively moved west, from the Indiana–Ohio border, to a position where it divided Indiana down the middle, to the Indiana–Illinois border as it is today.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Time_in_Indiana

I would just like to say, "It is 7 AM and pitch dark"...... jack

You really need to read this

Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008
commonly referred to as a bailout of the U.S. financial system, is legislation authorizing the United States Secretary of the Treasury to spend up to US$700 billion to purchase distressed assets, especially mortgage-backed securities, from the nation's banks. The Act was proposed by U.S. President George W. Bush and Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson during the liquidity crisis of September 20
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As Paul Harvey would say, "And now for the rest of the story"

NexusFile is a must have

NexusFile is a must have free program for the geek pro or the novice.
NexusFile is a program that can be your new fast and powerful file manager as a replacement of windows explorer. You can manage files/folders fast and easily that you couldn't do with a windows explorer. You can do almost everything with keyboard shortcut besides with mouse.
Read more about it here:
http://maaruthi.wordpress.com/2008/08/21/nexus-file-502-released/
Download it here:
http://xiles.net/download.php?file=NexusFile5Setup.exe

Pumpkin Show 08 videos now posted

I posted three videos after I returned home from the Parade. One from my Son Ty, One from my wife Betty, and of course, the worst one from me. The quality is not great, I may have screwed something up in the conversion process, but still you get the jest of the day's activity . See them at:
http://www.youtube.com/profile_videos?user=wbotx

Here are two other videos that were taken by my son Ty of the parade:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wkaaCyQMi3Y

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SA41ihME5CY

Pumpkin Show Versailles Indiana

Starts Wednesday Sept. 24th and ends Saturday Sept. 27th
I did a search but turned up little. I think the Lions Club should have a Web page noting events and times but they do not. I heard there is a dance at Tyson gym and I'm sure it is Saturday night. O'course the Versailles Legion will be hosting open house Friday night starting about 9:00. The parade will be Saturday beginning about 10 am. Look for me in my army class A uniform, that is if I can get the buttons to fasten. I'll be marching with the Legion Veterans.
I have a few photos of past years you may want to see. Find them at:
http://picasaweb.google.com/jack.demaree/PumpkinShow2006#
http://picasaweb.google.com/jack.demaree/PumpkinShow2004#
And from Ripley County's page:
http://www.ripleycounty.com/versailles/pumpkinshow.htm

The weather will be perfect, so come and enjoy this great event. I'll see you there .......... jack

ATTN: WOMEN OF A CERTAIN AGE!

We need your stories!

If you are 65 years plus and grew up in Versailles, or spent a lot of time there growing up, you know a lot of good tales of Versailles that haven't been told. Join me and some of your friends in making a permanent record of your stories for the historical society and or possibly a publication such as Alan Smith's, Tales of Versailles. This would be different, as it would be totally a woman's perspective, a woman's experience growing up in this town during the 30s, 40s, 50's until the present time. It might be called "Female Tales of Versailles." If you would like to participate, or want more information, please sign here and give me your phone number, address and/or e-mail address. I will contact you as soon as I get this information. Marlene Talbott-Green, Class of '51. (614) 846-8880, 36 W,Worthington, Ohio 43085, or email: MTGPHD@aol.com.

OnlineJournal

Online blogs? Now we just can’t seem to get enough of these online journals. Information that used to be private is now being shared with a worldwide audience. Penzu goes back to the basics by giving you an online journal that feels authentic and can be controlled in the way that you want.

Your thoughts are written down on a digital representation of notebook paper, which is very fitting. All you have to focus on is writing in your journal because Penzu will automatically save your work. Images can also be inserted to enhance your journal entries since text doesn’t always do the trick. Even though you may want to keep your Penzu journal private most of the time, there could be certain entries that you wouldn’t mind sharing with other people, and you can do this both transparently and anonymously.

Its free and safe, try it at:
http://www.penzu.com

The Pickett Video

I just set through 17 minuets of nostalgia from the 1960s and 70s. The video has been converted from 8mm to VHS Video tape, then to MPG digital. I will take the MPG and record it to DVD set top. I would love to post parts of it to YouTube so you could view it, but after the tong lashing I received from the Hooton family I will wait for the OK. I will try my best to get permission. I can give you a hint of what it contains such as views of Versailles, Madison, Osgood, and Aurora. One of the best parts is the Rapid Run Raft Race from Versailles Lake Dam to Friendship. Most of the Landmarks look very different from what you see today. Wish me luck !

I have just uploaded the video in two parts:
http://www.youtube.com/profile_videos?user=wbotx
Again Thanks goes out to the Pickett family for the use of this video.

AIG financial collapse - Perhaps the Beginning of the End -

American International Group, Inc. (AIG) is a major American insurance corporation based at the American International Building in New York City. The UK headquarters are located on Fenchurch Street in London, England, UK, Continental Europe operations are based in La Défense, Paris and its Asian HQ is in Hong Kong. According to the 2008 Forbes Global 2000 list, AIG was the 18th-largest company in the world. It became a component of the Dow Jones Industrial Average on April 8, 2004.

On September 16, 2008, the U.S. Federal Reserve Bank, to prevent financial collapse of the company, announced its plan to lend the insurer US$85 billion in exchange for warrants for a 79.9% equity stake and the right to suspend dividends to previously issued common and preferred stock. AIG announced the same day that its board accepted the terms of the Federal Reserve Bank's rescue package, including the equity transfer into public ownership, and that it is in the best interest of all parties.
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Wall Street will never be the same again as Lehman Brothers heads into bankruptcy Monday and Bank of America says it would buy Merrill Lynch & Co., another troubled financial firm.

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I do not have a great amount of savings, but from this point on I will handle it in a changed way from the past ................ jack