One person one vote, or one dollar in taxes paid one vote??
I wonder about how every so often events occur in our world that have a common thread. Today is the day that news broke of the idea advanced by 82 year old venture capitalist Tom Perkins that only those who pay taxes should vote, and votes should be allocated on a taxes paid basis. Pay $100 in taxes and get 100 votes. Pay $1 million in taxes and get $1 million in votes. He's also claiming the 1% are under attack by the 99%.
I love watching reruns of older episodes of "Law & Order" on the various networks that air them. Tonight there was one on about a group of militia members who tried to rob an armored car and two people wound up dead. Their leader talked about them being at war with the government and vice versa.
Perkins is half-right. People are not happy about the growing inequality of income and wealth in the United States. But no one seems to be preaching about an armed insurrection whereby that wealth is redistributed by force. And he's guilty of perpetuating a myth. The myth that 40 some-odd percent of the U. S. pay no taxes.
It is a true statement, if you add a word. The truth is that 43% of the people pay no federal INCOME taxes. That doesn't mean they aren't being taxed on all sorts of things by the federal government. In fact, for Fiscal Year 2013 (which ran from 10/1/2012 through 9/30/2013), the amount of federal income tax collected represented less than one-half of the total tax revenue collected by Uncle Sam. Here are the numbers in the original budget proposal from the Obama administration (in billions of dollars):
Individual Income tax - $1,359
Corporate Income tax - $348
Social Security and other payroll taxes - $959
Excise tax - $88
Customs duties - $33
Estate and gift tax - $13
Misc - $21
Revenue from deposits/Federal Reserve - $80
A total of $2,902 billion in revenue and they managed to spend almost $1 trillion more than they took in. But the point is that the poor pay taxes. 18.4 cents on every gallon of gasoline they buy (plus whatever taxes their state adds on). $1.01 for every pack of cigarettes. Philip Morris estimates that taxes represent 56.6% of the price of a pack of cigarettes. There's a federal excise tax on one's local telephone bill.
So this rich guy is selling a bill of goods. We all pay taxes in one way or another. In fact, the percent of household income that goes to taxes of all types is lowest among the wealthiest, with the exception of the working poor who get refundable credits from the federal government. A middle class family of four earning $90,000 a year pays a much larger percentage of that income in total taxes than Mr. Perkins does. After all, that 6.2% Social Insecurity tax stops being collected when Tom Perkins wages hit a little more than $110,000. The family of four paid that amount on all of their income. Tom Perkins might make 300 times what that family makes, but he isn't buying 300 times as much gasoline or alcohol.
Do us all a favor, Mr. Perkins. Retire. Or run for office. Heck, I'd take a trip to wherever you were running and volunteer for whatever opponent you faced. You'd have fit right in with the court of Louis XVI, perhaps as Count De Money (De Monay, De Monay) considering how you want to treat "the people":
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sztf4hcGrB4
You show about as much regard for the common person as King Louis XVI did.
* * *
I did not know that Ellen Page is gay. I didn't care one way or the other. In this day and age, the fact that she felt pressured to keep that part of her life secret because of the Hollywood power structure is the problem.
Do you think that a large segment of the potential audience for the upcoming X-Men sequel/prequel is going to choose to boycott the film because Ellen Page is a lesbian? I don't buy that for one moment. Likewise any of the other films she's made.
As she mentioned in her remarks, her appearance, her attire and everything else is subjected to intense scrutiny. She wore sweatpants because they're comfortable and suddenly her femininity was in question.
Harvey Levin is a really smart guy. He knew that our society is largely populated by people who are dissatisfied enough with their own lives that they'd rather spend their free time examining the lives of the "beautiful people" or if you prefer, "the rich and famous." That's how TMZ became an empire. That's how the fame whores known as the Kardashians got to be multimillionaires.
Hell, the public is willing to look at almost anything on TV that will allow them to focus on what's outside rather than inside. Duck Dynasty. Here Comes Honey Boo Boo. The Real Housewives of...pick a city.
The part of Hollywood that makes feature films has little interest in the truth, or the realities of our society. That's why the cast of any film doesn't really represent the public. I saw the "Robocop" remake today. It's set in Detroit, a city with a population that's over 80% African-American. That's not what the crowd shots looked like. As I've noted before in this forum, "Magic Mike" had a bachelorette party where every single woman was young, in shape and highly attractive. That might be accurate from time to time, but in an America where 35.7% (according to the Centers for Disease Control) are obese, it isn't the norm.
We're constantly barraged with the ideal of what we should look like by the media. By advertisers eager to sell products and take our money. Why should Ellen Page or any other actor have to do or be something they are not, when they are not working? If she wants to wear sweatpants, more power to her. If she's attracted to women, who cares? You don't have to be part of the LGBT community in order to understand they are entitled to the same treatment and equality as everyone else. The same rights, privileges and responsibilities. What some refer to as "special rights" for gays aren't special at all.
Maybe when Ellen Page is my age, actors won't have to hide their sexuality from their public. Maybe their public will care more about their craft and let them have private lives. Naw, that's too much to hope for.
* * *
Random Ponderings:
The latest attempt by a Hollywood "star" to raise money for a film product is Katherine Heigl's attempt to raise $150,000 to finish an indie film she's starring in. She's worth somewhere between $12 million and $18 million, earned $15 million alone in 2012 from a movie that bombed (One For the Money) and she can't just write the check herself? I'm fine with people who don't have the money to do a project using Indiegogo and the like to raise funds, but when the people involved in the project have the money, just write the damn check yourself. Or is it that they don't believe in the project enough to pump in their own money?
Every time I read an article by some "expert" about tax credits that includes a reference to the Credit for the Elderly and Disable, I have to laugh. In over two decades of preparing income tax returns, I've never seen anyone who qualified for it.
How funny is it that NBC set up a "secret" Starbucks in its compound at Sochi, open only to NBC employees?
Another body in an aircraft's wheel well. Do people really think they survive a flight from in there, without heat or oxygen? It isn't like after take-off they can clamber up onto the wing and knock on the door.
Good luck to Rashid Williams who gave up a comfortable life/job in order to chase his dream of playing in the NFL.
Just looked over a list of movies of the 80s that are going to be remade. There were 20 on the list only one or two of them are worth remaking. New ideas, please!
You think telling anyone that playing Candy Crush Saga on their cellphone is a major drain on its battery will make them stop? I didn't think so either.
Anna Kendrick was asked which trends need to go away and she said "hair, everyone should just shave their head." You first, Anna.
The AP reports more soldiers are being booted out of the Army for misconduct. No surprise there, these things go in cycles.
Texas wants to retry a man they've kept in prison for over three decades AFTER his conviction was overturned and a new trial ordered. That's ridiculous. Let him go.
After reading about the dog who ate the plate of chicken wings (and part of a football) at a Super Bowl party, I'm reminded of one of the major differences between cats and dogs. If you're going away for a week and you leave out a week's worth of dry food and water for a dog, the dry food will be gone in less than 24 hours and the water not too long after. If you do the same for a cat, there will be food and water left in the bowls when you get back in seven days.
* * *
February 15th in History:
590 – Khosrau II is crowned king of Persia.
1113 – Pope Paschal II issues a bill sanctioning the establishment of the Order of Hospitallers.
1493 – While on board the Niña, Christopher Columbus writes an open letter (widely distributed upon his return to Portugal) describing his discoveries and the unexpected items he came across in the New World.
1637 – Ferdinand III becomes Holy Roman Emperor.
1690 – Constantin Cantemir, Prince of Moldavia and the Holy Roman Empire sign a secret treaty in Sibiu, stipulating that Moldavia would support the actions led by the House of Habsburg against the Ottoman Empire.
1764 – The city of St. Louis, Missouri is established.
1798 – The Roman Republic is proclaimed after Louis Alexandre Berthier, a general of Napoleon, had invaded the city of Rome five days earlier
1804 – The Serbian revolution begins.
1835 – The first constitutional law in modern Serbia is adopted.
1862 – American Civil War: General Ulysses S. Grant attacks Fort Donelson, Tennessee.
1879 – Women's rights: American President Rutherford B. Hayes signs a bill allowing female attorneys to argue cases before the Supreme Court of the United States.
1898 – The battleship USS Maine explodes and sinks in Havana harbor in Cuba, killing 274. This event leads the United States to declare war on Spain.
1901 – The association football club Alianza Lima is founded in Lima, Peru, under the name Sport Alianza.
1909 – The Flores Theater fire in Acapulco, Mexico kills 250.
1921 – Kingdom of Romania establishes its legation in Helsinki.
1923 – Greece becomes the last European country to adopt the Gregorian calendar.
1925 – 1925 serum run to Nome: The serum arrives in Nome, Alaska, with Balto being the lead dog of the last team.
1933 – In Miami, Florida, Giuseppe Zangara attempts to assassinate President-elect Franklin D. Roosevelt, but instead shoots Chicago mayor Anton J. Cermak, who dies of his wounds on March 6, 1933.
1942 – World War II: Fall of Singapore. Following an assault by Japanese forces, the British General Arthur Percival surrenders. About 80,000 Indian, United Kingdom and Australian soldiers become prisoners of war, the largest surrender of British-led military personnel in history.
1944 – World War II: The assault on Monte Cassino, Italy, begins.
1944 – World War II: The Narva Offensive begins.
1945 – World War II: Third day of bombing in Dresden.
1946 – ENIAC, the first electronic general-purpose computer, is formally dedicated at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia.
1949 – Gerald Lankester Harding and Roland de Vaux begin excavations at Cave 1 of the Qumran Caves, where they will eventually discover the first seven Dead Sea Scrolls.
1952 – King George VI is buried in St. George's Chapel at Windsor Castle.
1953 – Parliamentary elections held in Liechtenstein.
1954 – Canada and the United States agree to construct the Distant Early Warning Line, a system of radar stations in the far northern Arctic regions of Canada and Alaska.
1961 – Sabena Flight 548 crashes in Belgium, killing 73, including the entire United States figure skating team, several coaches and family members.
1965 – A new red-and-white maple leaf design is adopted as the flag of Canada, replacing the old Canadian Red Ensign banner.
1971 – The decimalisation of British coinage is completed on Decimal Day.
1972 – Sound recordings are granted U.S. federal copyright protection for the first time.
1972 – José María Velasco Ibarra, serving as President of Ecuador for the fifth time, is overthrown by the military for the fourth time.
1976 – The 1976 Constitution of Cuba is adopted by national referendum.
1979 – Don Dunstan resigns as Premier of South Australia, ending a decade of sweeping social liberalisation.
1982 – The drilling rig Ocean Ranger sinks during a storm off the coast of Newfoundland, killing 84 workers.
1989 – Soviet war in Afghanistan: The Soviet Union officially announces that all of its troops have left Afghanistan.
1991 – The Visegrád Agreement, establishing cooperation to move toward free-market systems, is signed by the leaders of Czechoslovakia, Hungary and Poland.
1996 – At the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in China, a Long March 3 rocket, carrying an Intelsat 708, crashes into a rural village after liftoff, killing many people.
1999 – Abdullah Öcalan, leader of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), is arrested in Kenya.
2000 – Indian Point II nuclear power plant in New York State vents a small amount of radioactive steam when a steam generator fails.
2001 – First draft of the complete human genome is published in Nature.
2003 – Protests against the Iraq war take place in over 600 cities worldwide. It is estimated that between 8 million to 30 million people participate, making this the largest peace demonstration in history.
Famous Folk Born on February 15th:
Ivan the Young of Russia
Piero the Unfortunate of Italy
Louis XV of France
Colonel William Stacy
Henry E. Steinway
Susan B. Anthony
Robert Fuchs
James Forrestal
Harold Arlen
Cesar Romero (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sU8mj9lid0s)
Hale Boggs
Mary Jane Croft
Jack Hanlon
Allan Arbus
Yelena Bonner
Harvey Korman (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SoM-ZC7uNnc)
James R. Schlesinger
Robert Hansen (saw a movie about his serial killing exploits "The Frozen Ground", decent film)
John Hadl
Brian Holland (as part of Holland-Dozier-Holland, this is just one of the many hits he wrote: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=joqjBAJx4ZA)
Marisa Berenson
Ron Cey (love "The Penguin" but he just never had blinding speed: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xx4g0W3X6EE)
Melissa Manchester (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R4Zz_UNFLmw)
Jane Seymour (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b1WT-Imiu3E)
Matt Groening
Chris Farley (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y8klYPnHhCU)
Renee O'Connor (she comes in at around the six minute mark: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IYT7IlwwLdY)
Today would have been the 40th birthday of Chris Farley. To honor him, "Tommy Boy" movie quotes:
Tommy: [Tommy comes back into the hotel room unexpectedly, catching Richard spying on a girl swimming topless in the pool with his pants unzipped. Richard immediately dives into bed] Richard, what were you doing?
Richard Hayden: Um, going over some documents.
Tommy: Well, where are they? Geez, I don't see them!
Richard Hayden: They're... in my briefcase.
Tommy: How can you be reading documents, when they're in you're briefcase? Hmm... that's a mystery!
Richard Hayden: [Rolls over to go to sleep] Ok then, let's hit it.
Tommy: Richard! Were you watching, "Spank-tra-vision?" Maybe you were watching a movie with that funny comedian! Oh, whats his name? Buddy... Whackett?
Richard Hayden: Ok, let's get some shut-eye.
Tommy: [Looks out the window] Say! That's a pretty girl down there!
Richard Hayden: Good for her.
Tommy: Gee, I wonder if she goes out with one of the Yankees!
Richard Hayden: Couldn't tell ya.
[Later that night]
Tommy: Big day tomorrow. Hope we can keep this momentum goin'.
Richard Hayden: Yup. That'd be good.
Tommy: Richard... Who's you're favorite little rascal? Alfalfa? Or is it Spanky?
[Giggles]
Tommy: Sinner.
#2
Michelle: Listen up, you little spazoids. I know where you live and I've seen where you sleep. I swear to everything holy that your mothers will cry when they see what I've done to you.
#3
Tommy: Did you hear I finally graduated?
Richard Hayden: Yeah, and just a shade under a decade too. All right.
Tommy: You know a lot of people go to college for seven years.
Richard Hayden: I know, they're called doctors.
#4
Mrs. Nelson: Honey? Look at this human bomb on the news.
Ted Nelson, Customer: Huh? Oh yeah, I buy brake pads off him. I thought we were watching cartoons.
I love watching reruns of older episodes of "Law & Order" on the various networks that air them. Tonight there was one on about a group of militia members who tried to rob an armored car and two people wound up dead. Their leader talked about them being at war with the government and vice versa.
Perkins is half-right. People are not happy about the growing inequality of income and wealth in the United States. But no one seems to be preaching about an armed insurrection whereby that wealth is redistributed by force. And he's guilty of perpetuating a myth. The myth that 40 some-odd percent of the U. S. pay no taxes.
It is a true statement, if you add a word. The truth is that 43% of the people pay no federal INCOME taxes. That doesn't mean they aren't being taxed on all sorts of things by the federal government. In fact, for Fiscal Year 2013 (which ran from 10/1/2012 through 9/30/2013), the amount of federal income tax collected represented less than one-half of the total tax revenue collected by Uncle Sam. Here are the numbers in the original budget proposal from the Obama administration (in billions of dollars):
Individual Income tax - $1,359
Corporate Income tax - $348
Social Security and other payroll taxes - $959
Excise tax - $88
Customs duties - $33
Estate and gift tax - $13
Misc - $21
Revenue from deposits/Federal Reserve - $80
A total of $2,902 billion in revenue and they managed to spend almost $1 trillion more than they took in. But the point is that the poor pay taxes. 18.4 cents on every gallon of gasoline they buy (plus whatever taxes their state adds on). $1.01 for every pack of cigarettes. Philip Morris estimates that taxes represent 56.6% of the price of a pack of cigarettes. There's a federal excise tax on one's local telephone bill.
So this rich guy is selling a bill of goods. We all pay taxes in one way or another. In fact, the percent of household income that goes to taxes of all types is lowest among the wealthiest, with the exception of the working poor who get refundable credits from the federal government. A middle class family of four earning $90,000 a year pays a much larger percentage of that income in total taxes than Mr. Perkins does. After all, that 6.2% Social Insecurity tax stops being collected when Tom Perkins wages hit a little more than $110,000. The family of four paid that amount on all of their income. Tom Perkins might make 300 times what that family makes, but he isn't buying 300 times as much gasoline or alcohol.
Do us all a favor, Mr. Perkins. Retire. Or run for office. Heck, I'd take a trip to wherever you were running and volunteer for whatever opponent you faced. You'd have fit right in with the court of Louis XVI, perhaps as Count De Money (De Monay, De Monay) considering how you want to treat "the people":
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sztf4hcGrB4
You show about as much regard for the common person as King Louis XVI did.
* * *
I did not know that Ellen Page is gay. I didn't care one way or the other. In this day and age, the fact that she felt pressured to keep that part of her life secret because of the Hollywood power structure is the problem.
Do you think that a large segment of the potential audience for the upcoming X-Men sequel/prequel is going to choose to boycott the film because Ellen Page is a lesbian? I don't buy that for one moment. Likewise any of the other films she's made.
As she mentioned in her remarks, her appearance, her attire and everything else is subjected to intense scrutiny. She wore sweatpants because they're comfortable and suddenly her femininity was in question.
Harvey Levin is a really smart guy. He knew that our society is largely populated by people who are dissatisfied enough with their own lives that they'd rather spend their free time examining the lives of the "beautiful people" or if you prefer, "the rich and famous." That's how TMZ became an empire. That's how the fame whores known as the Kardashians got to be multimillionaires.
Hell, the public is willing to look at almost anything on TV that will allow them to focus on what's outside rather than inside. Duck Dynasty. Here Comes Honey Boo Boo. The Real Housewives of...pick a city.
The part of Hollywood that makes feature films has little interest in the truth, or the realities of our society. That's why the cast of any film doesn't really represent the public. I saw the "Robocop" remake today. It's set in Detroit, a city with a population that's over 80% African-American. That's not what the crowd shots looked like. As I've noted before in this forum, "Magic Mike" had a bachelorette party where every single woman was young, in shape and highly attractive. That might be accurate from time to time, but in an America where 35.7% (according to the Centers for Disease Control) are obese, it isn't the norm.
We're constantly barraged with the ideal of what we should look like by the media. By advertisers eager to sell products and take our money. Why should Ellen Page or any other actor have to do or be something they are not, when they are not working? If she wants to wear sweatpants, more power to her. If she's attracted to women, who cares? You don't have to be part of the LGBT community in order to understand they are entitled to the same treatment and equality as everyone else. The same rights, privileges and responsibilities. What some refer to as "special rights" for gays aren't special at all.
Maybe when Ellen Page is my age, actors won't have to hide their sexuality from their public. Maybe their public will care more about their craft and let them have private lives. Naw, that's too much to hope for.
* * *
Random Ponderings:
The latest attempt by a Hollywood "star" to raise money for a film product is Katherine Heigl's attempt to raise $150,000 to finish an indie film she's starring in. She's worth somewhere between $12 million and $18 million, earned $15 million alone in 2012 from a movie that bombed (One For the Money) and she can't just write the check herself? I'm fine with people who don't have the money to do a project using Indiegogo and the like to raise funds, but when the people involved in the project have the money, just write the damn check yourself. Or is it that they don't believe in the project enough to pump in their own money?
Every time I read an article by some "expert" about tax credits that includes a reference to the Credit for the Elderly and Disable, I have to laugh. In over two decades of preparing income tax returns, I've never seen anyone who qualified for it.
How funny is it that NBC set up a "secret" Starbucks in its compound at Sochi, open only to NBC employees?
Another body in an aircraft's wheel well. Do people really think they survive a flight from in there, without heat or oxygen? It isn't like after take-off they can clamber up onto the wing and knock on the door.
Good luck to Rashid Williams who gave up a comfortable life/job in order to chase his dream of playing in the NFL.
Just looked over a list of movies of the 80s that are going to be remade. There were 20 on the list only one or two of them are worth remaking. New ideas, please!
You think telling anyone that playing Candy Crush Saga on their cellphone is a major drain on its battery will make them stop? I didn't think so either.
Anna Kendrick was asked which trends need to go away and she said "hair, everyone should just shave their head." You first, Anna.
The AP reports more soldiers are being booted out of the Army for misconduct. No surprise there, these things go in cycles.
Texas wants to retry a man they've kept in prison for over three decades AFTER his conviction was overturned and a new trial ordered. That's ridiculous. Let him go.
After reading about the dog who ate the plate of chicken wings (and part of a football) at a Super Bowl party, I'm reminded of one of the major differences between cats and dogs. If you're going away for a week and you leave out a week's worth of dry food and water for a dog, the dry food will be gone in less than 24 hours and the water not too long after. If you do the same for a cat, there will be food and water left in the bowls when you get back in seven days.
* * *
February 15th in History:
590 – Khosrau II is crowned king of Persia.
1113 – Pope Paschal II issues a bill sanctioning the establishment of the Order of Hospitallers.
1493 – While on board the Niña, Christopher Columbus writes an open letter (widely distributed upon his return to Portugal) describing his discoveries and the unexpected items he came across in the New World.
1637 – Ferdinand III becomes Holy Roman Emperor.
1690 – Constantin Cantemir, Prince of Moldavia and the Holy Roman Empire sign a secret treaty in Sibiu, stipulating that Moldavia would support the actions led by the House of Habsburg against the Ottoman Empire.
1764 – The city of St. Louis, Missouri is established.
1798 – The Roman Republic is proclaimed after Louis Alexandre Berthier, a general of Napoleon, had invaded the city of Rome five days earlier
1804 – The Serbian revolution begins.
1835 – The first constitutional law in modern Serbia is adopted.
1862 – American Civil War: General Ulysses S. Grant attacks Fort Donelson, Tennessee.
1879 – Women's rights: American President Rutherford B. Hayes signs a bill allowing female attorneys to argue cases before the Supreme Court of the United States.
1898 – The battleship USS Maine explodes and sinks in Havana harbor in Cuba, killing 274. This event leads the United States to declare war on Spain.
1901 – The association football club Alianza Lima is founded in Lima, Peru, under the name Sport Alianza.
1909 – The Flores Theater fire in Acapulco, Mexico kills 250.
1921 – Kingdom of Romania establishes its legation in Helsinki.
1923 – Greece becomes the last European country to adopt the Gregorian calendar.
1925 – 1925 serum run to Nome: The serum arrives in Nome, Alaska, with Balto being the lead dog of the last team.
1933 – In Miami, Florida, Giuseppe Zangara attempts to assassinate President-elect Franklin D. Roosevelt, but instead shoots Chicago mayor Anton J. Cermak, who dies of his wounds on March 6, 1933.
1942 – World War II: Fall of Singapore. Following an assault by Japanese forces, the British General Arthur Percival surrenders. About 80,000 Indian, United Kingdom and Australian soldiers become prisoners of war, the largest surrender of British-led military personnel in history.
1944 – World War II: The assault on Monte Cassino, Italy, begins.
1944 – World War II: The Narva Offensive begins.
1945 – World War II: Third day of bombing in Dresden.
1946 – ENIAC, the first electronic general-purpose computer, is formally dedicated at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia.
1949 – Gerald Lankester Harding and Roland de Vaux begin excavations at Cave 1 of the Qumran Caves, where they will eventually discover the first seven Dead Sea Scrolls.
1952 – King George VI is buried in St. George's Chapel at Windsor Castle.
1953 – Parliamentary elections held in Liechtenstein.
1954 – Canada and the United States agree to construct the Distant Early Warning Line, a system of radar stations in the far northern Arctic regions of Canada and Alaska.
1961 – Sabena Flight 548 crashes in Belgium, killing 73, including the entire United States figure skating team, several coaches and family members.
1965 – A new red-and-white maple leaf design is adopted as the flag of Canada, replacing the old Canadian Red Ensign banner.
1971 – The decimalisation of British coinage is completed on Decimal Day.
1972 – Sound recordings are granted U.S. federal copyright protection for the first time.
1972 – José María Velasco Ibarra, serving as President of Ecuador for the fifth time, is overthrown by the military for the fourth time.
1976 – The 1976 Constitution of Cuba is adopted by national referendum.
1979 – Don Dunstan resigns as Premier of South Australia, ending a decade of sweeping social liberalisation.
1982 – The drilling rig Ocean Ranger sinks during a storm off the coast of Newfoundland, killing 84 workers.
1989 – Soviet war in Afghanistan: The Soviet Union officially announces that all of its troops have left Afghanistan.
1991 – The Visegrád Agreement, establishing cooperation to move toward free-market systems, is signed by the leaders of Czechoslovakia, Hungary and Poland.
1996 – At the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in China, a Long March 3 rocket, carrying an Intelsat 708, crashes into a rural village after liftoff, killing many people.
1999 – Abdullah Öcalan, leader of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), is arrested in Kenya.
2000 – Indian Point II nuclear power plant in New York State vents a small amount of radioactive steam when a steam generator fails.
2001 – First draft of the complete human genome is published in Nature.
2003 – Protests against the Iraq war take place in over 600 cities worldwide. It is estimated that between 8 million to 30 million people participate, making this the largest peace demonstration in history.
Famous Folk Born on February 15th:
Ivan the Young of Russia
Piero the Unfortunate of Italy
Louis XV of France
Colonel William Stacy
Henry E. Steinway
Susan B. Anthony
Robert Fuchs
James Forrestal
Harold Arlen
Cesar Romero (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sU8mj9lid0s)
Hale Boggs
Mary Jane Croft
Jack Hanlon
Allan Arbus
Yelena Bonner
Harvey Korman (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SoM-ZC7uNnc)
James R. Schlesinger
Robert Hansen (saw a movie about his serial killing exploits "The Frozen Ground", decent film)
John Hadl
Brian Holland (as part of Holland-Dozier-Holland, this is just one of the many hits he wrote: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=joqjBAJx4ZA)
Marisa Berenson
Ron Cey (love "The Penguin" but he just never had blinding speed: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xx4g0W3X6EE)
Melissa Manchester (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R4Zz_UNFLmw)
Jane Seymour (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b1WT-Imiu3E)
Matt Groening
Chris Farley (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y8klYPnHhCU)
Renee O'Connor (she comes in at around the six minute mark: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IYT7IlwwLdY)
Today would have been the 40th birthday of Chris Farley. To honor him, "Tommy Boy" movie quotes:
Tommy: [Tommy comes back into the hotel room unexpectedly, catching Richard spying on a girl swimming topless in the pool with his pants unzipped. Richard immediately dives into bed] Richard, what were you doing?
Richard Hayden: Um, going over some documents.
Tommy: Well, where are they? Geez, I don't see them!
Richard Hayden: They're... in my briefcase.
Tommy: How can you be reading documents, when they're in you're briefcase? Hmm... that's a mystery!
Richard Hayden: [Rolls over to go to sleep] Ok then, let's hit it.
Tommy: Richard! Were you watching, "Spank-tra-vision?" Maybe you were watching a movie with that funny comedian! Oh, whats his name? Buddy... Whackett?
Richard Hayden: Ok, let's get some shut-eye.
Tommy: [Looks out the window] Say! That's a pretty girl down there!
Richard Hayden: Good for her.
Tommy: Gee, I wonder if she goes out with one of the Yankees!
Richard Hayden: Couldn't tell ya.
[Later that night]
Tommy: Big day tomorrow. Hope we can keep this momentum goin'.
Richard Hayden: Yup. That'd be good.
Tommy: Richard... Who's you're favorite little rascal? Alfalfa? Or is it Spanky?
[Giggles]
Tommy: Sinner.
#2
Michelle: Listen up, you little spazoids. I know where you live and I've seen where you sleep. I swear to everything holy that your mothers will cry when they see what I've done to you.
#3
Tommy: Did you hear I finally graduated?
Richard Hayden: Yeah, and just a shade under a decade too. All right.
Tommy: You know a lot of people go to college for seven years.
Richard Hayden: I know, they're called doctors.
#4
Mrs. Nelson: Honey? Look at this human bomb on the news.
Ted Nelson, Customer: Huh? Oh yeah, I buy brake pads off him. I thought we were watching cartoons.
posted by me at 7:52 PM
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