Month: November 2013

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Our Daily Thread 11-6-13

Good Morning!

On this day in 1851 Charles Henry Dow was born. He was the founder of Dow Jones & Company.

In 1860 Abraham Lincoln was elected to be the sixteenth president of the United States.

In 1861 Jefferson Davis was elected as the president of the Confederacy in the U.S.

In 1869 the first official intercollegiate football game was played in New Brunswick, NJ.

In 1923 Jacob Schick was granted a patent for the electric shaver.

In 1952 the first hydrogen bomb was exploded at Eniwetok Atoll in the Pacific Ocean.

And in 1977, 39 people were killed when an earthen dam burst, sending a wall of water through the campus of Toccoa Falls Bible College in Georgia.

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Quote of the Day

“If you treat your wife like a thoroughbred, you’ll never end up with a nag.”

Zig Ziglar

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Today is John Philip Sousa’s birthday. Since I think these two groups of folks play it better than most, we’ll go with them.

First up, The United States Army Field Band playing “Stars and Stripes Forever.”

And then we have The United States Marine Band, with “The Liberty Bell.”

Today is also Kenny Marks’ birthday.

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Anyone have a QoD for us?

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Prayer Requests 11-6-13

Who has a request to share with us today?

And it’s Wednesday, so don’t forget The Gambia. 🙂

Psalm 80

¹Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel, thou that leadest Joseph like a flock; thou that dwellest between the cherubims, shine forth.

2 Before Ephraim and Benjamin and Manasseh stir up thy strength, and come and save us.

3 Turn us again, O God, and cause thy face to shine; and we shall be saved.

4 O Lord God of hosts, how long wilt thou be angry against the prayer of thy people?

5 Thou feedest them with the bread of tears; and givest them tears to drink in great measure.

6 Thou makest us a strife unto our neighbours: and our enemies laugh among themselves.

7 Turn us again, O God of hosts, and cause thy face to shine; and we shall be saved.

8 Thou hast brought a vine out of Egypt: thou hast cast out the heathen, and planted it.

9 Thou preparedst room before it, and didst cause it to take deep root, and it filled the land.

10 The hills were covered with the shadow of it, and the boughs thereof were like the goodly cedars.

11 She sent out her boughs unto the sea, and her branches unto the river.

12 Why hast thou then broken down her hedges, so that all they which pass by the way do pluck her?

13 The boar out of the wood doth waste it, and the wild beast of the field doth devour it.

14 Return, we beseech thee, O God of hosts: look down from heaven, and behold, and visit this vine;

15 And the vineyard which thy right hand hath planted, and the branch that thou madest strong for thyself.

16 It is burned with fire, it is cut down: they perish at the rebuke of thy countenance.

17 Let thy hand be upon the man of thy right hand, upon the son of man whom thou madest strong for thyself.

18 So will not we go back from thee: quicken us, and we will call upon thy name.

19 Turn us again, O Lord God of hosts, cause thy face to shine; and we shall be saved.

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News/Politics 11-6-13

What’s interesting in the news today?

First up, a preview of things to come? Let’s face it, our govt’s own literature and training manuals call them potential terrorists. Others are following their lead.

From FoxNews  “An Army veteran living in Georgia says she wants an apology from her daughter’s former school after being banned from the building for posting a photo of her concealed weapons permit to her Facebook page, WRDW.com reports.

Tanya Mount says she was approached by a police officer from the Richmond County Board of Education at McBean Elementary School and was warned that she was about to get a criminal trespass warning.”

“The officer told her that the principal at the school was “scared” of her and did not want her on the school property, she told the station.

“He asks: ‘Were you in the Army?,”‘ she said. “I said, yes. He’s like, ‘Do you have a concealed weapons permit?’ I said yes,” she told the station.

A phone call from FoxNews.com to Richmond County Board of Education was not immediately returned. WJBF.com asked Janina Dallas, the school’s principal, if the “no trespass order” was issued over the post, and Dallas responded: “Yes, it was.”

So school administrators are now stalking parents Facebook pages?

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We now know the feds intentionally ducked final security requirements for the ObamaCare website.

From CBSNews  “The health care website went down again Monday for an hour and a half, and no one is sure why. It’s being taken offline on purpose every night from 1 a.m. to 5 a.m. for repairs. Millions are still having trouble buying insurance on it, and it turns out that even when the website works, it may not be secure enough to protect privacy.

As HealthCare.gov was being developed, crucial tests to ensure the security and privacy of customer information fell behind schedule.

CBS News analysis found that the deadline for final security plans slipped three times from May 6 to July 16. Security assessments to be finished June 7 slid to August 16 and then August 23. The final, required top-to-bottom security tests never got done.

The House Oversight Committee released an Obama administration memo that shows four days before the launch, the government took an unusual step. It granted itself a waiver to launch the website with “a level of uncertainty … deemed as a high (security) risk.”

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Here’s 6 million people who wouldn’t be happy to hear about their shortcuts possibly exposing their private info. 

From WeaselZippers  “BOMBSHELL: Contractor For Healthcare.gov Cited For Exposing Info Of Millions”

“One of the government contractors involved in building Healthcare.gov and now subsequently in charge of helping fix it QSSI or “Quality Software Services Inc” was cited in a June 2013 Inspector General’s Report.”

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Here’s another successful govt run vote buying program.

From TheWeeklyStandard  “In a continuing crackdown on the federal government’s Lifeline program, sometimes known as “Obama phones,” the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has revealed that fraud and abuse in the program exceeded two million subscribers. New rules were established after it became clear that subscribers and providers were taking advantage of the system:

The FCC’s Enforcement Bureau has worked aggressively to enforce these new rules since their adoption, taking actions worth over $15 million, in addition to today’s $32.6 million in proposed forfeitures. Numerous additional investigations are ongoing. Moreover, over 2 million duplicate subscriptions have been eliminated, and the FCC’s reforms are on track to save the Fund more $2 billion over three years.

The two million is up from a figure of 1.1 million in an FCC press release just a month ago.”

Like everything with this admin, the numbers once revised, are always worse.

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Our Daily Thread 11-5-13

Good Morning!

On this day in 1605 The “Gunpowder Plot” attempted by Guy Fawkes failed when he was captured before he could blow up the English Parliament.

In 1844 a grizzly bear underwent a successful cataract operation at the Zoological Garden in California.

In 1872 Susan B. Anthony was fined $100 for attempting to vote in the presidential election. She never paid the fine.

In 1935 the game “Monopoly” was introduced by Parker Brothers Company.

In 1940 President Franklin Roosevelt won an unprecedented third term in office.

And in 1959 the American Football League was formed.

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Quote of the Day

“That though thou seest it no great matter to be separated from Christ now, yet when the heavens shall be in a flaming fire, and the earth shall give up the dead that be in it, and Christ shall appear in infinite glory, admired of angels, blessed of saints, crowned of God, comforting his-elect, “Come, O, come, ye blessed;” then you shall think this separation something.”

Thomas Shepard

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Today is Jeff Deyo’s birthday.

It’s also Jay Weaver’s.

And it’s Bryan Adams’ too.

And last one, Roy Rogers’.

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Anyone have a Question of the Day?

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Prayer Requests 11-5-13

Anyone have a request or praise to share?

Psalm 79

¹O God, the heathen are come into thine inheritance; thy holy temple have they defiled; they have laid Jerusalem on heaps.

2 The dead bodies of thy servants have they given to be meat unto the fowls of the heaven, the flesh of thy saints unto the beasts of the earth.

3 Their blood have they shed like water round about Jerusalem; and there was none to bury them.

4 We are become a reproach to our neighbours, a scorn and derision to them that are round about us.

5 How long, Lord? wilt thou be angry for ever? shall thy jealousy burn like fire?

6 Pour out thy wrath upon the heathen that have not known thee, and upon the kingdoms that have not called upon thy name.

7 For they have devoured Jacob, and laid waste his dwelling place.

8 O remember not against us former iniquities: let thy tender mercies speedily prevent us: for we are brought very low.

9 Help us, O God of our salvation, for the glory of thy name: and deliver us, and purge away our sins, for thy name’s sake.

10 Wherefore should the heathen say, Where is their God? let him be known among the heathen in our sight by the revenging of the blood of thy servants which is shed.

11 Let the sighing of the prisoner come before thee; according to the greatness of thy power preserve thou those that are appointed to die;

12 And render unto our neighbours sevenfold into their bosom their reproach, wherewith they have reproached thee, O Lord.

13 So we thy people and sheep of thy pasture will give thee thanks for ever: we will shew forth thy praise to all generations.

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News/Politics 11-5-13

What’s interesting in the news today?

First up today, a trend that many parents like myself and my wife have noticed. I have my own theory, one which involves the overuse of steroids in chicken production. 

This one thinks it’s linked to one of the latest liberal cause du jour, childhood obesity. That theory doesn’t hold much water around here as obesity isn’t the problem.

Maybe it’s C, all of the above. Or D, none of them. Or even E, a combination.

From MSN/HealthyLiving  “U.S. girls are developing breasts at a younger age compared to years past, and obesity appears to explain a large share of the shift, a new study suggests.

Researchers found that between 2004 and 2011, American girls typically started developing breasts around the age of 9. And those who were overweight or obese started sooner — usually when they were about 8 years old.”

“The findings, reported online Nov. 4 and in the December print issue of the journal Pediatrics, add to evidence that American children are hitting puberty earlier than in decades past. The rising tide of childhood obesity has been suspected as a major cause, but the new study gives more hard data to support the idea.

Biro said, however, that excess pounds do not seem to be the full explanation. And it’s possible that other factors — such as diet or chemicals in the environment — play a role.”

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It’s always interesting when different liberal ideals collide. 2 powerful lobbies in Democrat circles are going to be butting heads in their liberal Utopia, also known as Chicago.

From Chicago/CBSLocal  “With an expected vote on same-sex marriage in Springfield next week, African-American clergy members campaigning against the issue are threatening to unseat lawmakers who vote in favor, reports WBBM’s Mike Krauser.”

“Bishop Larry Trotter, of Sweet Holy Spirit Church in Chicago, is vowing that there will be consequences for those lawmakers who support same sex marriage.

“I think that they will feel the crunch.  I think that they cannot take for granted that they can come to the church; and get the church’s sanction, and votes, and signatures; and then go to Springfield, and don’t speak what the people want them to speak. And so now, if that’s how we have to be heard, we will be heard,” Trotter said.”

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So how’s the “call the hotline, or submit a paper application to bypass ObamaCare website problems” thingy workin’ out? Not well people, not well at all…..

From ABCNews  “A series of internal Obama administration memos obtained exclusively by ABC News reveal for the first time how dysfunction with HealthCare.gov has upended the entire Affordable Care Act enrollment process, including applications by paper and phone that officials have been pushing as more reliable alternatives.

While President Obama and other top aides have publicly reassured frustrated consumers that they can bypass the troubled website and apply by phone in as little as 25 minutes, those working most closely with the rollout acknowledged privately that even the nonelectronic avenues would be no more efficient or guaranteed, the documents show.

“The same portal is used to determine eligibility no matter how the application is submitted (paper, online),” reads a Center for Consumer Information and Insurance Oversight memo from Oct. 11.

“The paper applications allow people to feel like they are moving forward in the process and provides another option,” it says. “At the end of the day, we are all stuck in the same queue.”

DOH! 😦

Here’s the video.

Again, DOH!

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I’m having a hard time feeling bad for this guy, like most people I’m sure, but I feel for his son.

From YahooNews  “Little more than a week after millions of consumers received health care cancellation notices, lawmakers in both parties are pushing legislation to redeem President Barack Obama’s long-ago pledge that anyone liking their coverage will be allowed to keep it under the nation’s controversial new law.

The result is a stern new challenge for the White House as it struggles to fix website woes for the signup portal for those seeking to enroll under the law, and simultaneously copes with angry consumers who rightly or wrongly blame “Obamacare” for cancellation letters mailed by insurers.

Democratic officials said top administration aides got a close-up view of the cancellation controversy last week, when Sen. Joe Donnelly, D-Ind., said at a closed-door meeting of the party’s rank and file that his son had received notice his coverage was being terminated.

In response, these officials said White House Chief of Staff Denis McDonough referred to a speech Obama had made earlier in the week saying some of those losing coverage would qualify under Medicaid, some would receive federal subsidies for individual coverage, and others would have options in the so-called exchanges the law set up to allow individuals to shop for insurance. Donnelly’s office declined several requests for comment. The officials who described the incident did so on condition of anonymity, saying they were not authorized to discuss a private meeting.”

At least this kid can complain to one of the people who is actually responsible for it. And I hope he does. Often. Like every day.

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We’ve been hearing that the folks getting cancellation notices are only suffering because they have sucky plans. Pres. Obama says it will be about 5% of policyholders. This expert says it will be much, much worse than that. Try 68%.

From TheDailyCaller  “If Obamacare is fully implemented, 68 percent of Americans with private  health insurance will not be able to keep their plan, according to health care  economist Christopher Conover.

Conover is a research scholar in the Center for Health Policy &  Inequalities Research at Duke University and an adjunct scholar at the American  Enterprise Institute. In an interview with The Daily Caller, he laid out what he  estimates the consequences of Obamacare’s implementation will ultimately be.

“Bottom line: of the 189 million Americans with private health insurance  coverage, I estimate that if Obamacare is fully implemented, at least 129  million (68 percent) will not be able to keep their previous health care plan  either because they already have lost or will lose that coverage by the end of  2014,” he said in an email. ”But of these, ‘only’ the 18 to 50 million will  literally lose coverage, i.e., have their plans entirely taken away. This  includes 9.2-15.4 million in the non-group market and 9-35 million in the  employer-based market. The rest will retain their old plans but have to pay  higher rates for  Obamacare-mandated bells and whistles.”

Looks like somebody’s pants are on fire again.

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Our Daily Thread 11-4-13

Good Morning!

On this day in 1880 James and John Ritty patented the first cash register.

In 1924 Nellie T. Ross of Wyoming was elected America’s first woman governor so she could serve out the remaining term of her late husband, William B. Ross. 

In 1939 at the 40th National Automobile Show the first air-conditioned car was put on display.

In 1965 Lee Ann Roberts Breedlove became the first woman to exceed 300 mph when she went 308.5 mph.

And in 1979 Iranian militants seized the U.S. embassy in Tehran and took 63 Americans hostage (90 total hostages).

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Quote of the Day

“Everything is changing. People are taking their comedians seriously and the politicians as a joke.”

Will Rogers

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Today is Will Rogers’ birthday.

That’s some pretty fancy rope work. 🙂

It’s also Art Carney’s birthday.

And this guy was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame today in 1992.

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Anyone have a QoD?

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Prayer Requests 11-4-13

Who can we pray for today?

Psalm 78:1-7

¹Give ear, O my people, to my law: incline your ears to the words of my mouth.

2 I will open my mouth in a parable: I will utter dark sayings of old:

3 Which we have heard and known, and our fathers have told us.

4 We will not hide them from their children, shewing to the generation to come the praises of the Lord, and his strength, and his wonderful works that he hath done.

5 For he established a testimony in Jacob, and appointed a law in Israel, which he commanded our fathers, that they should make them known to their children:

6 That the generation to come might know them, even the children which should be born; who should arise and declare them to their children:

7 That they might set their hope in God, and not forget the works of God, but keep his commandments:

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News/Politics 11-4-13

What’s interesting in the news today?

Kirsten Powers has long been one of my favorite liberals. On a lot of issues, she get’s it. And now I have another reason to like her. 🙂

From ChristianityToday  “Just seven years ago, if someone had told me that I’d be writing for Christianity Today magazine about how I came to believe in God, I would have laughed out loud. If there was one thing in which I was completely secure, it was that I would never adhere to any religion—especially to evangelical Christianity, which I held in particular contempt.”

“I didn’t know what to do, so I spoke with writer Eric Metaxas, whom I had met through my boyfriend and who had talked with me quite a bit about God. “You need to be in a Bible study,” he said. “And Kathy Keller’s Bible study is the one you need to be in.” I didn’t like the sound of that, but I was desperate. My whole world was imploding. How was I going to tell my family or friends about what had happened? Nobody would understand. I didn’t understand. (It says a lot about the family in which I grew up that one of my most pressing concerns was that Christians would try to turn me into a Republican.)

I remember walking into the Bible study. I had a knot in my stomach. In my mind, only weirdos and zealots went to Bible studies. I don’t remember what was said that day. All I know is that when I left, everything had changed. I’ll never forget standing outside that apartment on the Upper East Side and saying to myself, “It’s true. It’s completely true.” The world looked entirely different, like a veil had been lifted off it. I had not an iota of doubt. I was filled with indescribable joy.

The horror of the prospect of being a devout Christian crept back in almost immediately. I spent the next few months doing my best to wrestle away from God. It was pointless. Everywhere I turned, there He was. Slowly there was less fear and more joy. The Hound of Heaven had pursued me and caught me—whether I liked it or not.”

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Well we already know that “If you like your insurance, you can keep it” turned out to be a lie. Looks like “If you like your Doctor, you can keep them” will be the next lie exposed.

From TheWallStJournal  “My grievance is not political; all my energies are directed to enjoying life and staying alive, and I have no time for politics. For almost seven years I have fought and survived stage-4 gallbladder cancer, with a five-year survival rate of less than 2% after diagnosis. I am a determined fighter and extremely lucky. But this luck may have just run out: My affordable, lifesaving medical insurance policy has been canceled effective Dec. 31.

My choice is to get coverage through the government health exchange and lose access to my cancer doctors, or pay much more for insurance outside the exchange (the quotes average 40% to 50% more) for the privilege of starting over with an unfamiliar insurance company and impaired benefits.”

“Before the Affordable Care Act, health-insurance policies could not be sold across state lines; now policies sold on the Affordable Care Act exchanges may not be offered across county lines.

What happened to the president’s promise, “You can keep your health plan”? Or to the promise that “You can keep your doctor”? Thanks to the law, I have been forced to give up a world-class health plan. The exchange would force me to give up a world-class physician.”

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The number of cancellations continues to grow.

From TheAP  “Now is when Americans start figuring out that President Barack Obama’s health care law goes beyond political talk, and really does affect them and people they know.

With a cranky federal website complicating access to new coverage and some consumers being notified their existing plans are going away, the potential for winners and losers is creating anxiety and confusion.”

“The Obama administration insists nobody will lose coverage as a result of cancellation notices going out to millions of people. At least 3.5 million Americans have been issued cancellations, but the exact number is unclear. Associated Press checks find that data is unavailable in a half the states.”

“Speaking in Boston’s historic Faneuil Hall this past week, Obama said the problem is limited to fewer than 5 percent of Americans “who’ve got cut-rate plans that don’t offer real financial protection in the event of a serious illness or an accident.”

But in a nation of more than 300 million, 5 percent is a big number – about 15 million people.”

It’s not Obama’s fault you picked a plan you liked. He’s saving you from your own bad decisions, right Barry? Sure it costs way more, but it’s for your own good. 🙄

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This is how the Obama admin treats whistleblowers. Character assassination and smears.

From TheDailyBeast  “The Benghazi whistleblower whose new book details massive security failures in the run-up to the September 11, 2012 attacks denies he wrote an incident report made public this week that undermines key details in his memoir.

The debate over the Obama administration’s actions before and after the attack on the U.S. mission was reignited following an Oct. 27 60 Minutes report featuring an interview with Morgan Jones, a pseudonym for a British security contractor who trained and advised the local Libyan guard force for the U.S. mission in Benghazi. Jones’s book, The Embassy House, was released two days later and contains a firsthand account of his time in Benghazi and his actions during the series of attacks that resulted in the death of four Americans, including U.S. Ambassador to Libya Chris Stevens.”

“In an interview Saturday with The Daily Beast, Davies said he did not write the incident report, nor had he ever seen it.

“I am just a little man against some big people here,” Davies said. “They can do things, make up things, anything they want, I wouldn’t stand a chance.” Davies said he did not know who leaked the report to the Post but said he suspected it was the State Department, an allegation that could not be independently corroborated. “It would not be difficult to do,” Davies said. “I knew I was going to come in for a lot of flack and you know mud slinging, so yeah I’d say it was them, but I can’t be sure.” 

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Here’s an interesting poll. 🙂

From PublicPolicyPolling  “PPP’s newest national survey finds that in the wake of the shutdown, Republican voters now view Ted Cruz as their party’s leader. 21% picked Cruz to 17% for Chris Christie, and 15% for John Boehner. Cruz finished well ahead of the other GOP Senators we tested- Rand Paul got 9%, John McCain 7%, and Mitch McConnell only 4%. Mitt Romney at 8% and Sarah Palin at 4% were the other people we tested.

Numbers PPP will release next week show Ted Cruz would be an exceedingly weak Presidential candidate in the general election. The good news for the GOP is that even if the party base sees Cruz as their leader Democrats and independents actually see Chris Christie, who has far broader approval, as the leader of the Republican Party these days. With Democrats Christie gets 23% to 17% for Boehner and only 10% for Cruz. And with independents Christie gets 25% to 17% for Cruz and 10% for Boehner. Even if Republicans themselves see Cruz as their leader, they’re better off with everyone else seeing it as Christie.”

Cruz is the conservative type candidate, Christie appeals to the same folks as McCain and Romney did. We were told they were more electable too. We know how that turned out. Maybe this time we shouldn’t let the RINO’s, Independents, and Dems chose the candidate. Just a thought….

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Our Daily Thread 11-2-13

Good Morning!

Welcome to the weekend! 🙂

On this day in 1783 U.S. Gen. George Washington gave his “Farewell Address to the Army” near Princeton, NJ. 

In 1867 “Harpers Bazaar” magazine was founded.

In 1895, in Chicago, IL, the first gasoline powered car contest took place in America.

In 1930 the DuPont Company announced the first synthetic rubber. It was named DuPrene.

In 1948 Harry S. Truman defeated Thomas E. Dewey for the U.S. presidency. The Chicago Tribune published an early edition that had the headline “DEWEY DEFEATS TRUMAN.” 

And in 1962 President Kennedy announced that the U.S.S.R. was dismantling the missile sites in Cuba.

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Quote of the Day

“I have never been lost, but I will admit to being confused for several weeks.”

Daniel Boone

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Today is Stephen Mark Pasch’s birthday.

It’s also Keith Emerson’s.

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Anyone have a QoD?