July 25, 2012

Another day, another panel. Life is good! Super busy day yesterday with my son's birthday, my daughter about too be leaving for the east coast, & normal life stuff in general. The only thing that's concerning me right now is breathing. Yes, I said breathing. I've always been in great shape. Old & tired, but still in great shape as far as no medical issues, no medications, nothing. Well, this morning I'm sitting here at my PC & all of a sudden I feel as if I'm not getting any oxygen. I'm breathing, but the oxygen going into my lungs isn't being sent into my blood stream. It was scary. It only lasted about a minute, but any longer & I was debating calling 911 ... & I NEVER call 911. If I do, it better be a huge emergency. I still feel a little strange almost an hour later. Like a weight is on my chest & a little bit dizzy.

Concorde jet crashes (2000):

An Air France Concorde jet crashes upon takeoff in Paris on this day in 2000, killing everyone onboard as well as four people on the ground. The Concorde, the world's fastest commercial jet, had enjoyed an exemplary safety record up to that point, with no crashes in the plane's 31-year history.

Air France Flight 4590 left DeGaulle Airport for New York carrying nine crew members and 96 German tourists who were planning to take a cruise to Ecuador. Almost immediately after takeoff, however, the plane plunged to the ground near a hotel in Gonesse, France. A huge fireball erupted and all 105 people on the plane were killed immediately.

The Concorde fleet was grounded in the wake of this disaster while the cause was investigated. The Concorde, powered by four Rolls Royce turbojets, was able to cross the Atlantic Ocean in less than three-and-a-half hours, reaching speeds of 1,350 miles per hour, which is more than twice the speed of sound. The July 25 incident, though, was not related to the Concorde's engine construction or speed.

The investigation revealed that the plane that took off just prior to Flight 4590 had dropped a piece of metal onto the runway. When the Concorde jet ran over it, its tire was shredded and thrown into one of the engines and fuel tanks, causing a disabling fire.

Concorde jets went back into service in November 2001, but a series of minor problems prompted both Air France and British Airways to end Concorde service permanently in October 2003.

Dressy casual:

Men: Seasonal sport coat or blazer, slacks, open-collar shirt.

Women: Street-length dress, skirt & dressy top, or dressy pants outfit.

Even if you diet until you're the same weight you were when you were 21, your stomach will still stick out & your waist will still be thick. That's life.

Expendables:

Mercenary Barney Ross leads a ragtag band of hired guns charged with overthrowing a South American despot, a job no official military unit is willing to touch. But once on the ground, the team learns there's more to the mission than they were told.

Forte:

Something in which one excels : one's strong point.

The pitcher's forte is definitely his 100-mph fastball, although his curveball is also strong.

"Forte" derives from the sport of fencing. When English-speakers borrowed the word from French in the mid-17th century, it referred to the strongest part of a sword blade, between the middle & the hilt. It's therefore unsurprising that "forte" developed an extended metaphorical sense for a person's strong point. (Incidentally, "forte" has its counterpoint in the word "foible," meaning both the weakest part of a sword blade & a person's weak point.) There's some controversy over how to correctly pronounce "forte"; common choices in American English are "FOR-tay" & "for-TAY," but many usage commentators recommend rhyming it with "fort." None of these is technically true to the French, in which it would be written "le fort" & would sound more like "for." So take your pick, knowing that someone somewhere will dislike whichever variant you choose. All, however, are standard.

NASA releases the famous Face On Mars photo. (1976)

Pocket Express:

Pocket Express provides one-touch access to customized News, Sports, Weather, Travel, Movies and much more all in one spot, it’s the only info-app you’ll ever need.
And it’s FREE.
Some of the information you will have quick access to includes:
News: Worldwide breaking news and photos from the Associated Press (AP)
Sports: Scores, Standings and Schedules of your favorite football (NFL), baseball (MLB), basketball (NBA), hockey (NHL), and European football teams (English Premier, Scottish Premier, Bundesliga, La Liga, Ligue 1, Serie A, UEFA cup, Champions League)
Weather: Current, 48-hour and 7-day forecasts around the globe, plus radar and alerts for the U.S.
Finance: AP Finance News & Photos and Scott Burns Financial column
Entertainment: The latest Hollywood gossip with movie, TV and music news, and Dear Abby!
Travel: Flight status, schedules, currency conversion and more!
Horoscopes: Daily readings and celebrity birthdays!
Assist: 24/7 customer assistance

SysAdmin day! Buy your IT folks something nice. Or else they might tell your boss about that one email you sent.

There are 2 kinds of scared. 1 is when you're afraid something can really hurt you, & the other is fear that comes when you don't understand something. The 2nd is the kind of fear lots of people have when it comes to investing.

To avoid poison ivy/oak/sumac rash, know what the plants look like. They tend to be oval-shaped & have 3 leaves per stem.

What were the first names of baseball legends Dizzy and Daffy Dean?

Dizzy was Jay; Daffy was Paul. Together the brothers posted 49 wins for the St. Louis Cardinals in 1934. Dizzy had 30; Daffy, 19.

Which fish is the fastest, 2nd fastest, & 3rd fastest?

A. Barracuda

B. Sailfish

C. Shark

Which of these films were directed by John Hughes?

16 Candles, Pretty in Pink, She's Having a Baby, Ferris Bueller's Day Off, Christmas Vacation, Home Alone.

Which type of medal represents the highest, 2nd highest, & 3rd highest honor?

A. Silver Star

B. Medal of Honor

C. Distinguished Service Cross

BCA. The Medal of Honor is the nation's highest award. It's given by the president in the name of Congress.

Which U.S. interstate highway is the longest?

Wondering where your time goes? Create a time log, write down what you did each hour during a typical week. Review how you spent your time. Look for time in your day you may have wasted or gaps where you could get more done.