Happy 17th Anniversary To My Wife

Posted on March 30, 2014 by J.M. Wetherington Sr.

The year was 1997.

1997_650px

Bill Clinton began his second term as President of the United States.

Tony Blair is appointed Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.

IBM’s Deep Blue defeated Garry Kasparov in the last game of the rematch, the first time a computer beat a chess World Champion in a match.

Timothy McVeigh is convicted on 15 counts of murder and conspiracy for his role in the 1995 terrorist bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma and received a death penalty sentence.

The first book in the award winning Harry Potter series by J. K. Rowling is published.

NASA’s Pathfinder space probe lands on the surface of Mars.

Diana, Princess of Wales, dies in a car crash in a Paris tunnel.

Scotland voted to create its own Parliament after 290 years of union with England.

The domain “Google.com” is registered.

Hong Kong is returned to Chinese rule.

The Florida Marlins win Game 7 of the 1997 World Series against the Cleveland Indians 3-2 in 11 innings.

The Green Bay Packers won Super Bowl XXXI, defeating the New England Patriots 35 to 21 on January 26th in New Orleans’ Superdome.

The term “weblog” (later shortened to “blog”) is coined.

The late Elvis Presley’s manager, Colonel Tom Parker passes away, as do poet Allen Ginsberg, magician Harry Blackstone, Jr., French explorer Jacques Cousteau, American actors Robert Mitchum, Burgess Meredith, Chris Farley, Denver Pyle and James Stewart, American television reporter Charles Kuralt, Italian fashion designer Gianni Versace, United States Supreme Court Justice William J. Brennan, American comedian Red Skelton, professional wrestler Brian Pilman and American musician John Denver, among others.

And while celebrities such as Woody Allen and his adopted daughter Soon-Yi Previn were getting married, an obscure (to everyone but each other) man and woman in Orlando, Florida were married in the beautiful backyard garden of the bride’s parents, writing their own vows, choosing their own music and surrounded by family and friends.

Cindy and Jeff Wedding 1997

As I told my children shortly before the ceremony; outside of the days they were each born, THIS was the happiest day of my life.

It still is.

Happy 17th Anniversary Cindy! Thank you, so very much, for the 17 happiest years of my life.

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Star Trek- Which Version Is Your Favorite?

Posted on March 29, 2014 by J.M. Wetherington Sr.

Are you a Star Trek fan? If so, read on. If not, this post won’t interest you at all and you won’t hurt my feelings if you click on past to the next stop on your Internet journey.

Star Trek Original Series CrewWhen the original Star Trek TV series premiered in 1966, my 11-year old self was an instant fan! I was raised on “The Jetsons”, “Lost in Space” and countless science fiction movies. I was ready for a serious TV series about exploring “Space, the final frontier.” That Gene Roddenberry brought cultural and social issues into the storylines was a bonus. Kirk was a captain of action, Spock a man (OK, Vulcan) of intellect and McCoy a doctor of heart.

But three short years later, it was gone, the victim of network cancellation. I would not see its like again for several years, not until reruns began on TV stations across the country.

Star Trek TNG CrewWhen Star Trek: The Next Generation hit TV screens almost 20 years later, I was excited to see the franchise continuing. The first season was extremely disappointing, the second only marginally better and the third showed great promise. But it was the end of the third season, which concluded with the cliffhanger “Best of Both Worlds” that showed that ST:TNG had left the shadow of The Original Series and come into its own.

Star Trek DS9 crewI watched Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (simply called DS9, but for this post all franchise shows will be labelled Star Trek: whatever) when it premiered in 1993 (and throughout its 7 season run) because it had the history of Star Trek and not much more. I kept hoping for more, but it never happened.

Star Trek Voyager crewStar Trek: Voyager arrived in 1995 and though it had its ups and downs it was overall an enjoyable 7 seasons of space-faring fun in the, until that point, unexplored Delta Quadrant.

Star Trek Enterprise crewStar Trek: Enterprise was the next, and last, incarnation of the franchise and debuted in 2001. Unlike its predecessors, this version went back to a point in time BEFORE the Original Series to show the beginnings of the Federation. It only lasted 4 seasons.

So if I rate the franchise offerings in order of what I liked best, it goes like this:

Star Trek: The Original Series and Star Trek: The Next Generation tie for first place.
Star Trek: Voyager in second place.
Star Trek: Enterprise in third place.
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine in last place.

The whole point of the preceding is what I read in this Washington Post blog which is headlined “These graphs prove Star Trek: The Next Generation is better than The Original Series.”

I too found episodes like “The City On the Edge of Forever” (by the legendary Harlan Ellison), the two-part season spanning “The Best of Both Worlds” and “The Inner Light” to be exceptional stories. But my agreement with the graphing ends with their placement of the various series in ranking. I might, MIGHT see that Next generation could be marginally better than the Original Series, but there’s no way I think DS9 is higher rated than Voyager or Enterprise.

What do you think?

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Cheating Death

Posted on March 29, 2014 by J.M. Wetherington Sr.

Cryo_surgeryExciting news on the medical front earlier this week when it was announced that the US Food and Drug Administration has given permission for a trial study that involves patients with fatal injuries who have no normal chance for resuscitation to be placed in a type of suspended animation to allow surgeons more time to find and correct those otherwise fatal injuries.

The website “I Fucking Love Science” has all the details of the study that will take place at the UPMC Presbyterian Hospital in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania.

Obviously, since the trial patients must meet the “newly dead” criteria, it will take a while to prepare comprehensive data on the results of the trial study. But this is a dramatic development that may possibly lead to people who would normally have no other way of surviving certain injuries a chance to cheat death and live otherwise normal lives.

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Animator Dad Turns Son’s Playtime Videos Into Action Hero Scenes

Posted on March 28, 2014 by J.M. Wetherington Sr.

I stumbled on this today and wanted to share it because it is just that cool! Here’s one of the videos, click on the link to see others.

It reminds me of something I did for my oldest grandson’s first Halloween years ago, though obviously without all the cool special effects this dad used on his production.

 

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Exploring Fort Christmas with Mikey and Heather

Posted on March 27, 2014 by J.M. Wetherington Sr.

This week is Spring Break in Florida and since our two oldest grandchildren, Mikey and Heather, were out of school we thought we’d give their mom a break one day and take them out of the house to explore historic Fort Christmas.

I think they both had a good time and learned a few things about local history, in addition to seeing how people lived almost 200 years ago. Here are some photos from the visit.

Grandma with Mikey and Heather in front of the Fort Christmas park entrance.

Grandma with Mikey and Heather in front of the Fort Christmas park entrance.

Granddad with Mikey and Heather in front of the Fort Christmas park entrance.

Granddad with Mikey and Heather in front of the Fort Christmas park entrance.

Mikey and Heather sitting on the steps of the first school lunchroom in the area.

Mikey and Heather sitting on the steps of the first school lunchroom in the area.

Close-up of Mikey and Heather on lunchroom steps.

Close-up of Mikey and Heather on lunchroom steps.

Grandma, Heather and Mikey inside the first lunchroom, exploring the old cooking appliances and utensils.

Grandma, Heather and Mikey inside the first lunchroom, exploring the old cooking appliances and utensils.

Touring the old one-room school.

Touring the old one-room school.

 

Mikey and Heather about to walk through the gates of Fort Christmas.

Mikey and Heather about to walk through the gates of Fort Christmas.

Grandma, Mikey and Heather examining some of the artifacts of life in the fort almost 200 years ago.

Grandma, Mikey and Heather examining some of the artifacts of life in the fort almost 200 years ago.

This was a strange anomaly. A pay phone right outside an old cracker cabin. Heather tries to call the past to let them know she's visiting.

This was a strange anomaly. A pay phone right outside an old cracker cabin. Heather tries to call the past to let them know she’s visiting.

According to both Mikey and Heather, this was the first time they had ever heard of outhouses. After getting a look inside, they were thankful for indoor plumbing.

According to both Mikey and Heather, this was the first time they had ever heard of outhouses. After getting a look inside, they were thankful for indoor plumbing.

 

This cracker house had opposing doors on each side of the house so air could flow through.

This cracker house had opposing doors on each side of the house so air could flow through.

After spending about 2 hours exploring Fort Christmas, it was time to go get some lunch and then return Mikey and Heather home. One of the “perks” of being grandparents.

 

 

 

 

 

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Did You Know…?

Posted on March 27, 2014 by J.M. Wetherington Sr.

Mary Mallon, aka "Typhoid Mary"…that on this date in 1915, the woman known as “Typhoid Mary” was first put into quarantine in a cottage in the Bronx. Her name was Mary Mallon, and she worked as a cook in various wealthy households around New York City. Every household she worked in seemed to suffer an outbreak of typhoid fever. A doctor named George Soper noticed this strange pattern of outbreaks among the wealthy. He figured out they had all hired the same cook, finally tracked her down, and questioned her. She didn’t take it well; she swore at him, and threatened him with a long meat fork when he asked her to provide a stool sample. He finally called in the police and had her arrested.

They took urine and stool samples by force, and discovered that she was a healthy carrier of typhoid. Later, a new Health Commissioner released her on the condition that she would give up working as a cook, but once she was free, she changed her name and went back to cooking. Five years later, they finally tracked her down again on Long Island, and she was put in quarantine for the rest of her life.

She died of pneumonia in 1938.

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Throwback Thursday – 1957 or ‘58

Posted on March 27, 2014 by J.M. Wetherington Sr.

My mom passed away a little over 4 years ago. It wasn’t until about a year ago that I finally started looking through the photos that my brother and I got when we went through her belongings.

This is one I found and scanned and as you can see it’s much the worse for wear. I think I’m 2 ½ or 3 ½  years old, but I’m not absolutely sure.

Jeff and Mom 1957

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PillowFix

Posted on March 26, 2014 by J.M. Wetherington Sr.

PillowFix logoA friend of mine invented a pretty cool thing a few years back called “PillowFix” and when he recently shared with me the happy news that it will be appearing in the April edition of SkyMall (you know, the shopping magazine in the seatback of almost every major airline in the U.S.), it occurred to me that I’ve never mentioned it here, in spite of how much I have enjoyed using it.

PilowFix in SkyMall Magazine

The PillowFix product listing in SkyMall magazine.

I started using PillowFix about a year and a half ago, ordering one to try while I was on the road travelling from hotel to hotel because I’ve never enjoyed a good night’s sleep when my head was resting on hotel pillows. Here’s what I wrote in my written review for the one I bought from Amazon (and yes, I bought my own at full price and used it without telling my friend so I could give it an honest review):

I travel. A lot. In the past year I’ve been on the road approximately 320 days, which is a lot of hotels, hotel beds and hotel pillows.

My usual practice at bedtime is to mash the hotel pillows into some kind of configuration that, while not pretty to look at, is comfortable for my head. Unfortunately at some point in the night my movements cause this configuration to fall apart and I inevitably wake up with a stiff neck, sore shoulders, or both.

Still, when someone suggested I try PillowFix, I laughed. I really did not believe this product could help me sleep in comfort. But I decided to take the chance and I am glad I did. From the first night of using PillowFix I slept peacefully through the night and, best of all, awakened each morning without an aching neck or painful shoulders.

I highly recommend PillowFix for a good night’s sleep.

And if you watch my video review of PillowFix, you’ll hear a similar review but with the added benefit of getting to laugh at my onscreen performance, or lack thereof.

Now I always carry a deflated PillowFix in my carryon (it’s flat and easy to pack when not inflated) during all my trips, Cindy uses one and my mother-in-law uses one for her lower back when she is sitting. We all find it comfortable and convenient, and appreciate that it’s a quality product made in the USA. And best of all, it’s economical to purchase.

So, if you’re flying somewhere in the next three months and happen to see PillowFix in the SkyMall magazine, you can nudge your seatmate, point to the product listing and say, “I know a guy who is friends with the guy that invented PillowFix!”

 

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Use A Flowchart To Choose Your Religion

Posted on March 24, 2014 by J.M. Wetherington Sr.

Flowchart to choose your religion

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Yak & Yeti and Animal Kingdom

Posted on March 23, 2014 by J.M. Wetherington Sr.

What a wonderful time Cindy and I had with our good friends Kirk and Laura yesterday out at the Disney Animal Kingdom! CIndy and I had not been to Animal Kingdom in at least 4 ½ years, so it was nice to revisit one of our favorite Disney parks.

Yak & Yeti MenuWe arrived at the front gate around 11:40am and immediately headed to Asia for our noon lunch reservations at the Yak & Yeti restaurant. Well, Cindy, Laura and I headed for the restaurant. Kirk, good guy that he always is, took off to see if he could get us Fast Pass reservations for the Safari. Unfortunately, after going all the way to the Safari ride at the back of the park, he was told they moved the Fast Pass reservations up to the front of the park from where we had just come! So he hustled all the way back to the front, got the Fast Pass reservations and then came all the way back to the restaurant.

 

Cindy and I had never dined at Yak & Yeti before, but I think it’s a restaurant we would return to the next time we’re at Animal Kingdom. The four of us shared a Dim Sum Basket, and then Cindy and I shared a plate of Sweet and Sour Chicken with Brown Rice, while Kirk and Laura enjoyed Maple Tamarind Chicken with Coconut Rice and Crispy Mahi Mahi with Jasmine Rice, respectively.

Sweet and sour chickenI would say that, aside from Sweet and Sour Chicken I had in New York’s Chinatown twenty-something years ago with my brother, his wife and her brother, this was the best I have eaten in my life. The chicken was cooked perfectly and the sweet and sour glaze was just the right mixture and consistency. Not the icky sweet glop you get in your usual Chinese Buffet restaurant. For dessert, Kirk, Laura and I had the Mango pie while Cindy enjoyed some chocolate cake. The Mango pie was the driving force behind Kirk’s suggestion that we dine at Yak & Yeti’s and I could see why. Creamy, with almost the same texture as Key Lime pie, but with the sweet/tangy flavor of a ripe mango, on top of a shortbread cookie-style crust. As my dad used to say when he liked the taste of something, “It’ll make your tongue knock your teeth out trying to get some more of it.”

An hour and a half later we left Yak & Yeti to walk off our full stomachs. We passed the Everest Expedition ride and listened to people screaming as they came face to face with the Yeti on the ride’s tracks and plummeted down the rollercoaster’s steep incline.

Everest Expedition

A leisurely stroll through the Conservation Station area where you can view so many of the animals in their natural habitat was relaxing and enjoyable, even as the afternoon was beginning to warm up a bit. Cindy always loves seeing the meerkats and I like visiting my relatives in the gorilla area. Watching the fish, both from above and below ground, was fun too.

Fish

A view of the colorful fish from above.

Fish

And the fish through the glass viewing area below ground level.

 

We eventually ended up at DinoLand USA. I had not been on the Dinosaur ride since shortly after Animal Kingdom opened back in 1998 and we all thought it might be fun to travel back in time 65 million years.

Dinosaur

Friends

From left to right; Cindy, Laura and Kirk, as we prepare to board the Dinosaur Ride and travel to the past. Everyone’s all smiles NOW…

Dinosaur ride

Here’s a shot I grabbed of the photo they took of us as the ride ended. The best part of the ride was that I got to enjoy my lunch 3 more times. 🙂

 

We finished up with the Safari ride, which is always one of the most popular rides at Animal Kingdom. I have to say that I don’t recall seeing as many giraffes, elephants, and rhinos on our previous visits as we did on this safari ride. They were all over the place and the increase in visible animals greatly enhances this ride. I also took note that they have eliminated the “Big Red/Little Red” elephant poaching scenario on the ride, something Kirk and Laura said was done because it upset too many ride guests, especially younger children.

Safari Ride Selfies

This shot is courtesy of Laura who grabbed a “selfie” of the four of us on the Safari Ride. As you can see, I was surprised.

After the Safari ride it was getting late in the afternoon and time to say “Goodbye” to Disney’s Animal Kingdom. We had SUCH a good time with Kirk and Laura, as we always do. Thanks to them both for a great afternoon!

 

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