April 26th – Charles Richter

Anyone who lives where earthquakes occur more often than once a year knows this name.  The Richter scale to measure earthquakes was developed by Charles Richter in 1935.  It is interesting to note there is no upper limit on the scale, however, no earthquake has ever been measured higher than a 9.5 that happened in 1960 so many people assume the scale only goes to 10.  While everyone knows earthquakes occur around the Pacific Rim (California, Oregon, Washington, Alaska, Japan, etc.), the news has been filled lately with quakes near Chicago and Reno.  In addition, one of the biggest earthquakes in the US was centered in Missouri and felt all the way to Boston.  So it probably wouldn’t hurt to be prepared for an Earthquake wherever you might live.  In California, Earthquake kits sell quickly right after good sized quakes and the Red Cross has started selling nice Emergency Kits for everyone.  These kits are a good idea but certainly don’t need to cost 70 bucks or so when you can put one together yourself for less.  So Today’s list is the 10 best things to have in an Emergency Kit.  We’ll assume you already have a little backpack to keep it in and we’ll go from there.

1.  Water.  Enough drinking water for a couple of days.

2. Energy Bars.  To keep you moving.  High Protein.

3. Flashlight, and extra batteries -  you might want to see what you are stepping on at night.

4. Battery powered Radio (or a crank one) and some extra batteries).  Sometimes, this is the only way to find out what is going on.

5. Work Gloves – Heavy Duty, for working around broken glass.

6. First Aid Kit (pain killers, band aids, etc.) -  For obvious reasons.

7. Breathing Mask – Earthquakes and Tornado’s can both leave an incredible amount of dust in the air for sometime.

8. Jacket or small blanket -  It’s always good to be comfortable.

9. Duct Tape and Baling Wire -  can be used for just about anything, holding things together, propping stuff up.

10.  Tools - a good claw hammer, heavy duty screw driver, pliers and an adjustable wrench can come in handy.

There are dozens of websites that provide good earthquake preparedness information including the USGS and the Red Cross, check them out.  John James Audubon was born on this day as well, maybe next year will be a list of the 10 best places to bird watch, we’ll see.

 

April 25th – Happy Birthday, Meadowlark Lemon

To the great Meadowlark Lemon, best wishes on his birthday.  For the rest of us, the list of best winning streaks and how they compare to the various winning streaks claimed by the Harlem Globetrotters. With a winning streak of 8,829 wins in a row, they have set the standard for winning that is tough to imagine, let alone compare.  So today’s list will be the most consecutive wins in 10 different sports:

1.  NBA -  The Lakers enjoyed a streak of 33 games between 1971 and 1972.  I could not find the longest win streak in the WNBA, however, I did find a list of every dunk made in the league. 

2. NFL -  The Patriots of New England won 21 games in a row between 2003 and 2004.  They gave their own record a run this year, but we all know how that ended.

3. MLB -  Baseball can never be easy.  There is a 26 game win streak by the 1916 Giants, but there was a tie after 14 games.  In baseball ties do not count towards anything so its as if the game was never played.  For those who believe the tie invalidates the record and for those that live in Chicago,  they look to the 1880 Chicago White Stockings and the 1935 Chicago Cubs who both won 21 games in a row as the record. 

4. World Cup Soccer - FIFA -  In what appears to be the toughest sport to put together a win streak, Italy and Brazil share the record for the longest streak of winning the World Cup with 2.  Brazil also has the longest streak of games won during the tournament with 11.

5. NHL  -  The Pittsburgh Penguins won 17 games in a row to claim the longest streak in the NHL.

6. NCAA Basketball -  UCLA put together an 88 Game winning streak and on the woman’s side, UConn had a run of 70 games straight with wins.

7.  NCAA Football  – Oklahoma won 47 games in a row between 1953 and 1957

8.  Golf  -  The US has won the Ryder cup 7 times in a row on two different occasions.   Byron Nelson holds the record for the PGA consecutive wins with 11 and n the LPGA the record of 5 is shared by Annika Sorenstam and Nancy Lopez.

9. NASCAR  – Sam Ard won 4 straight races in 1983 to establish the longest win streak in NASCAR history. 

10. Yachting -  While this is not a sport that garners a lot of attention, the winning streak America enjoyed over the years in The America’s Cup regatta is amazing.  While 25 wins in a row doesn’t sound that impressive compared to some of the runs the Globetrotters enjoyed, they were spread out over 152 years.  As far as the competitive nature of the sport, it was interesting to read about the first race, where 15 yachts raced around the Isle of Wright.  The Schooner America won by 20 minutes and as a result, the cup bears its name.  Queen Victoria asked who came in second and the answer was “There is no second, your majesty”.  Isn’t that why we love winning streaks?

Also on this day, the thimble was patented and cars were required to have license plates for the first time in 1901.  Other birthdays include Al Pacino and Ella Fitzgerald.

4/24 – Happy Birthday John Graunt

John Graunt was born in 19620 and published Natural and Political Observations Made upon the Bills of Mortality  which was one of the first really study in Demographics.  It contained a life table which was the forerunner of the acuity tables used by insurers today.  Today, we are going to look at some of the places you can get demographic information on the net….without spending a fortune.

1.  The best place for US information is the US Census Bureau.  They have a wealth of information and it doesn’t cost a fortune.  Best place for general information regarding populations, incomes, poverty, etc for people who would like to include this information in articles and reports.   In fact, most of the demographic information found on free websites comes from the Census Bureau.

2.  FreeDemographicsis a easy to use tool to get quick information without spending any cash.  They have simplified and broken down much of the Census information for faster look-up.

3.  Wikipedia is a occasionally a good source of demographics for areas outside the US

4.  The CIA is another good source of world wide demographics.  Not everything they do is secret.

5.  If you like Google Map, you’ll love the  AnalyGIS API that can be added to it.   Its interesting how you can pick a point on the map and it will tell you about the people that live within 1, 3, and 5 miles of that point.

6.  For Health Information checkout http://www.measuredhs.com/  This site has a lot to do with health surveys.

7. Zipskinny is a fun easy to use little tool for demographic information.

8.  Free Lunch is a nice place for those who don’t like to pay for their information.  However, it does take a bit more digging than some of the other sites.

9.  Cdyne provides a trial of their demographic services.  If you don’t need to look up a lot of information and can live with the 20 requests per day limit, this is a good source.

10.  For historical information, the Social Explorer is a good site.  On a limited basis this information goes back to 1790.

 

Many good choices for the list today.  The Soda Fountain was patented on this day and the IBM PC was introduced, both of which could have been great lists.

April 23rd – William Shakespeare and (semi)Modern Music

In honor of William Shakespeare’s Birthday today, I put together the 10 Best songs with Shakespearean references that I have heard and/or enjoy.  I was going to use I am Walrus by the Beatles, but decided a recording of Hamlet isn’t quite the same as including Shakespeare in the Lyrics, at least for this list.   I have listed the artist, the Song, and the Shakespearean work that is referenced.  Enjoy!

1. The Eagles – Get Over It – A Midsummer’s Night Dream

2. Rush – Limelight – As You Like It

3. Dire Straits – Romeo and Juliet (also covered by Inigo Girls)

4. Bon Jovi – Always – Romeo and Juliet

5. Elvis Costello – The Juliet Letters/Mystery Dance – Romeo and Juliet

6. Sting – Nothing like the Sun – Sonet 130

7. Blue Oyster Cult – The Reaper – Romeo and Juliet, plus various other works reference the Reaper

8. Sammy Hager – Rock n Roll Romeo – Romeo and Juliet

9. Nick Lowe – Cruel to be Kind – Hamlet

10. Lou Reed – Romeo had Juliette – Romeo and Juliet

Honorable Mention:

Spin Doctors – How Could You Want Him (When You Know You Could Have Me?)  – Hamlet

Deniece Williams – Let’s Hear it for the Boys (from Footloose) – Romeo and Juliet

Other choices today included movies as the first Vitascope projector was demonstrated in New York on this date in 1896.  Hank Aaron hit his 1st home run in 1954 and William Shakespeare shares his birthday with Shirley Temple and Lee Majors, both of which could have made interesting lists.  Please feel free to add a comment with your favorite song with a Shakespearean reference.

April 22nd – Happy Earth Day

Even if you subscribe to the George Carlin Theory of “The Planet’s Fine“, it certainly doesn’t hurt to do something nice for your home once in awhile and what better day to do that than on Earth Day.  Earth Day came about in 1970 as a result call for it by Gaylord Nelson, a Senator from Wisconsin.  It caught on reasonably well and today is celebrated in over 170countries.  It has completely overshadowed Arbor day, other than in Nebraska, where Arbor day originated.  Since most of us cannot afford to replace our cars with electric ones, nor is solar and wind powered energy cost effective for most of the middle class, there are things we can do to make the Earth a little better place.  The Ten Best Affordable Environmental tips of the day are: 

1. Recycle.  Take those bottles and cans to the recycling center.  Today is a great day to do it.
2. Pickup some trash.  There is plenty of it just sitting around.
3. Car Pool.  If you are heading to an activity that involves others, invite someone to share a ride with you.  Not only is it good for the earth, with rising gas prices its good for the wallet.
4. Plant a Garden.  Not so much for the oxygen plants produce, but because to get vegetables to market requires more than a few tractors and trucks.  All of which burn some sort of fuel. (Why Bother?  A great New York Times Magazine article)
5. Turn it off!  Keep lights, computers, and TVs off when not in use.
6. Ride a Bike.  Not only will the planet thank you, but your body probably could use the exercise as well.
7. Filter your tap water instead of drinking bottled water.  Much of the bottled water is merely filtered tap water anyway, why use up all the plastic for the water bottles?
8. Use e-mail instead of written memo’s to communicate with friends and family.
9. Subscribe on-line instead of in print.  If you don’t need the paper version, get your news on-line.
10. Keep your car tuned up.  Not only will it run cleaner, it will get better gas mileage as well.

While Earth Day made today’s list rather easy, it was sure tempting to do something related to Jack Nicholson’s, Aaron Spelling’s or Glen Campbell’s Birthday.  Also, The Oklahoma Land Rush started at noon today in 1889 and amazingly, 6 hours later, two cities of nearly 10,000 citizens each were formed, Oklahoma City and Guthrie.  Might be interesting to find out what other cities grew that fast, maybe next year.

April 21st, 1918 Red Baron Shot Down

Today is the day Snoopy dreamed about when the man known as the Red Baron, who shot down 80 allied planes (although it may have been closer to 100) was shot down in circumstances that probably will never truly be known.  In World War I the planes were relatively slow and they very rarely ventured deep into enemy lines so dogfights over the battlefield were common.  There are some who believe The Red Baron, Manfred von Richthofen, was shot down by ground fire, and others who believe he was shot in the air, but the single bullet put an end to the German Ace.  In honor of him we salute the Best Fighter Pilots of WWI were, as determined by their confirmed kills:

1. Manfred von Richthofen	80
2. Rene Fonck	75
3. Major Edward Mannock	73
4. Col. William A. Bishop	72
5. Major Raymond Collishaw	68
6. Oberl. Ernst Udet	62
7. Capt. James McCudden	58
8. Oberlt. Erich Löwenhardt	56
9. Capt. A. Beauchamp-Proctor	54
10. Capt. Donald McLaren	54

Top US Ace – Edward V. Rickenbacker  26

April 20th – National Parks

On this date in 1832 Congress set aside Hot Springs as a National Park, however, Title disputes kept the land from being used as such until 1877.  Yosemite was deeded to California for use as a preserved land, but later returned to the Federal Government to be run as a National Park.  This let Yellowstone, which was still a Territory emerge as our first operating National Park.  Since this time, other nations have followed are lead and now there are National Parks in many other countries and they have expanded the protection to include sites that are World’s Heritage Sites.  8 of our 58 National Parks are also World Heritage Sites.   Today’s list is the ten best attended National Parks in the US.  They are:

1.  Great Smokey Mountain National Park

 2. Grand Canyon National Park

3. Yosemite National Park - my favorite!

4. Yellowstone National Park

5. Olympic National Park

6.  Rocky Mountain National Park

7. Zion National Park

8. Grand Teton National Park

9. Cuyahoga Valley National Park

10. Acadia National Park

Interesting day in history in that Napoleon and Hitler both were born on this day and more recently, it was the day we all learned where Columbine High School is. 

April 19th Happy Birthday Kenneth Battelle

Very few barbers are able to achieve any kind of recognition so when a famous hair stylist has a birthday, I look at is as an opportunity to find out what the 10 Best Known Barbers of all time might be.  While Mr. Battelle is famous for his work with Marilyn Monroe and Jackie O there are a few others whose names you might recognize.

1.  Deliliah  -  Not sure what she did for a living but she is rather well known for lopping off Samson’s locks.

2. Vidal Sassoon - best known for his hair products and his worldwide chain.  However, he pioneered the wash and wear perm, and was rather a throwback in his short, low maintenance styles.

3.  Sweeny Todd  -  ok, this one might be fictional, but he is rather well known and for many, vengeance can be rather enjoyable.

4.  Perry Como -  started as a barber but made a little bit more money as a singer.

5.  Jon Peters - did hair for Barbra Streisand and she helped him get started as a Producer in Hollywood

6.  Christophe – Might not of ever heard of him if Clinton hadn’t needed a haircut on the runway at LAX.

7.  Kenneth Battelle -  created Jackie O’s famous looks and worked with Marilyn Monroe as well.  Life can’t be any better than that.

8.  Walid Muhammad Farhan Juwar al-Zubaydi -  Primarily famous for getting captured.  Was responsible for changing the appearance of the Al Queda members.

9.  Karl Nessler - invented the Hair Curler and the Perm.

10.  Milton Pitts - White House Barber for Nixon, Ford, Reagan and Bush.  I suppose in honor of yesterday’s column, I should mention the British equivalent George  Trumper   whose barbershop has been serving the last 6 Monarchs.

 It was a close call today, today marked the anniversary of the US leaving the Gold Standard, I was thinking of the ten best known gold rushes.   Maybe next year.  Other Birthday today include David Ricardo (economist) and Ole Evinrude (outboard motors), both might have made for interesting lists.

 

April 18th, 1775 – The British are Coming!

In 1775, William Dawes, Samuel Prescott and, more famously, Paul Revere made the Midnight Ride that was immortalized by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.   Granted, the British were already on the Colonies, the warning had more to do with the “regular” soldiers making a move and in what direction they were moving.  The riders let other riders know what was going on and word quickly spread, allowing the militia in Concord and Lexington time to assemble and get the war started.  After a little skirmish in 1812 we have not minded the British invading our country to much.  Some of my favorite invaders are:

1) The Beatles -  What more could I say than has already been said.  Their tour resulted in the term, British Invasion.

2)  Princess Di - Dazzled, charmed, and captivated us as well.

3) Rolling Stones - Cannot argue with their success or their far reaching influence in music

4) David Beckham - While I shed no tears when I miss a soccer (futball?  football?) game, I would not turn the station from Sportscenter if they had highlights of David Beckham. In addition, he brought along Victoria, sort of a like a package deal, how could we say no?

5) Monty Python - The only way they could have been better is if Benny Hill was a part of their troupe.  Thanks to them, I could never own a parrot.

6) Eric Clapton - Keeps getting better and better with every new direction he takes.

7) Pink Floyd -  Dark Side of the Moon alone gets them on this list.  Everything else is just a bonus.

8 ) James Bond -  Ian Flemings super-spy blows away our entire CIA, NSA, and Jack Ryan combined.  Although, with James Bond making the list two days in a row, I am worried you might think I am a James Bond fanatic.  I am merely a casual fan of the series but with him showing up on two consecutive lists, I will have to pick my topics better during the rest of the month to keep Mr Bond off them.

9) Sting/The Police - I have to admit, while they may not have been as groundbreaking as Dusty Springfield or The Kinks, their catchy music and layered melodies have always caught my ear.  Even though they were formed by an American, Sting dominates the band and they caught their big break in London, so we’ll count them here.

10) I gave a lot of consideration to Sir Elton for number 10, but in the end, his meddling in our politics offsets his good work in the area of Aids research.  While Naomi Campbell is hot, so is her temper, and her attitude.  Maybe JK Rowling?  She would be a good choice for number 10, but she may catch wind of it and sue me for not listing her ahead of the Beatles.  Rolls Royce had a spot on this list sewed up, until they were sold to a German Company. Virgin Records would be here, but they sold out to a US firm.  While I am a big fan of Coldplay, they are right behind my choice at number 10, Andrew Lloyd Weber or should I say, Baron Lloyd-Weber.  His overwhelming success on Broadway and in Hollywood makes his invasion enjoyable for most of us.

 

We miss you already,  Danny Federici, from the E Street Band.  For something completely different, I hope he gets a chance to jam with the Lawrence Welk’s Band  that he watched growing up.

Also on this day, we get a reminder that the 1906 earthquake in San Francisco occurred on this date with a little shake near Chicago.

April 17th, 1964 – Ford Mustang and Movies

Ford introduced the Mustang at the Worlds Fair in New York City on this date in history.  The car was on all 3 TV networks two days later and by September, it had made its way into its first movie, “Goldfinger” with Sean Connery.  Since then it has been one of the best recognized cars on the road today.  With an original sticker price of under$2400 its not uncommon to see these 1964 models in good shape, going for 10 to 15 times that today.  Ford was aggressive in its promotion of this car and its sleek look and understated power made it a favorite for filmmakers ever since.  As a result, today’s list is the Top Ten Movies with Ford Mustangs in them, at least of those I saw and as always, in my own opinion.

1)  Bullitt – Steve McQueen, the ultimate chase scene of all time.  While The French Connection might be a better movie, the Mustang was certainly more prominent in Bullitt.

1a)  The French Connection - Interestingly enough, Steve McQueen turned down a role in this movie.  And a good argument can be made as to which chase scene is better, while I like the lack of sound during the chase in the French Connection, I prefer McQueens a little bit more.

3)  The Bond Movies - Goldfinger, Thunderball, Diamonds are Forever, all featured Mustangs and the movies served to enhance the Mustangs image as a sexy choice in cars.

4)  Gone in Sixty Seconds - Both of them, although the 2000 version perhaps was a little more famous.  Who can ever forget Eleanor?

5)  Bull Durham  - While we didn’t get to see a lot of the car, it was as nice addition to a good movie.

6)  Back to the Future II-  Ok, maybe not the best movie, but certainly the best 2015 Mustang I’ve ever seen.

7)  Highlander - Not a lot of the mustang, but one of my favorite movies.

8)  The Lake House - A quirky movie that didn’t do real well but can grow on you. 

9)  Ladron que roba a ladron - Mustangs are not just the favorite of American Filmmakers.

10)  Disney Films -  Princess Diaries II and North Avenue Irregulars showed us that not all movies with Mustangs had to be action flicks.

For a complete list check out The Mustang Source and its complete list of movies sporting this American Classic. 

Also, on this day, MGM and the NFL were formed.  Fenway Park and Shea both opened on this date (in different years of course), and Rollings Stones released their first album.  I was tempted to list the 10 best games at Fenway or the 10 best songs by the Stones, but I am a bit partial to the Mustang.