Millvina Dean born February 2, 1912 has died May 31, 2009 at age 97. She passed away quietly at the private nursing home near Ashurst in the southern English county of Hampshire, England where had resided these last few years. Three years ago she was forced into the nursing facility after a fall left her with a broken hip.
Millvina's last years were sadly marked by financial hardships. Like so many, she had out lived her money, but not all her resources. After her injury, she was forced to put many of her life's treasures up for auction in 2008, raising the equivalent of $53,900.00 not alot by today's standards.
One of the items Dean sold was a hundred year old suitcase filled with clothing donated to her, her mother and her brother when they arrived in New York City in the spring of 1912. Other items include rare prints and compensation letters send to her mother.
Their origianl plans had been to leave the UK and move to Kansas and open a tobacconist shop.
However with the passing of her father, the family returned to South Hampton.
Who is Millvina Dean and why am I writing about her? Some times events in our lives are so large, they help define our identity and in Millvina Deans case this is certainly true.
Millvina Dean was the youngest passenger on RMS Titanic and the last survivor to pass on. With the death of Dean, the last living link to Titanic passes with her. Lillian Asplund who died in May of 2006 at age 99 was the last U.S. Titanic survivor and now there are none.
Sunday, May 31, 2009
A Mid Major Team in The Rose Bowl?
Could an upstart mid major team play in the Grand Daddy of them all, The Rose Bowl? Stranger things have happened, who would have thought Buster Douglas, 90 days out of alcohol treatment would knock out Heavy Weight Champ Mike Tyson, but he did.
So is it possible that a Utah, Boise State or other mid major team can access the crown jewel of bowl games, The Rose Bowl? According to an article in the Idaho Statesman, a journalistic wonder, by Brian Murphy, there might be change in the winds.
News released divulging the terms of the new contract with ESPN that begins at the conclusion of the 2010 regular season indicate things are changing in Pasadena.
Starting as early as the 2011 Rose Bowl a mid major invasion of this storied bowl game is possible. It can happen if A. The Rose Bowl loses either the Big 10 or PAC 10 conference champion to the national title game and B. a mid major is BCS Bowl eligible. Which means following the 2010 season a mid major could grace the hallowed grounds of Pasadena's Rose Bowl.
It is easy to imagine either Ohio State or the USC Trojans making it to the NC game and a qualified mid major playing either the PAC 10 or Big 10 conference champion New Years Day 2011.
This is one time where the BCS got things right. All the BCS Bowls should be open to the mid major schools. So far the burden has been carried by the Fiesta Bowl and the Sugar Bowl, each hosting a mid major school twice.
Opening things up more is good for the bowls , college football and the fans who pay the bills.
If you are a mid major fan like myself, then this is good news, ESPN has been a boon to college football and to the smaller schools from the mid majors down.
I believe thanks to ESPN's coverage of the lesser known schools they have done more than anyone to bring about parity in college football. Young talents are able to see and scout more teams than pre ESPN days. Bringing more equality in college football. Remember Appalachian State beating Michigan in the Big House and last years Sugar Bowl winners over Alabama , the Utah Utes defeating the Wolverines at home.
Good for ESPN good for the Rose Bowl, allowing the mid majors in is good for football.
So is it possible that a Utah, Boise State or other mid major team can access the crown jewel of bowl games, The Rose Bowl? According to an article in the Idaho Statesman, a journalistic wonder, by Brian Murphy, there might be change in the winds.
News released divulging the terms of the new contract with ESPN that begins at the conclusion of the 2010 regular season indicate things are changing in Pasadena.
Starting as early as the 2011 Rose Bowl a mid major invasion of this storied bowl game is possible. It can happen if A. The Rose Bowl loses either the Big 10 or PAC 10 conference champion to the national title game and B. a mid major is BCS Bowl eligible. Which means following the 2010 season a mid major could grace the hallowed grounds of Pasadena's Rose Bowl.
It is easy to imagine either Ohio State or the USC Trojans making it to the NC game and a qualified mid major playing either the PAC 10 or Big 10 conference champion New Years Day 2011.
This is one time where the BCS got things right. All the BCS Bowls should be open to the mid major schools. So far the burden has been carried by the Fiesta Bowl and the Sugar Bowl, each hosting a mid major school twice.
Opening things up more is good for the bowls , college football and the fans who pay the bills.
If you are a mid major fan like myself, then this is good news, ESPN has been a boon to college football and to the smaller schools from the mid majors down.
I believe thanks to ESPN's coverage of the lesser known schools they have done more than anyone to bring about parity in college football. Young talents are able to see and scout more teams than pre ESPN days. Bringing more equality in college football. Remember Appalachian State beating Michigan in the Big House and last years Sugar Bowl winners over Alabama , the Utah Utes defeating the Wolverines at home.
Good for ESPN good for the Rose Bowl, allowing the mid majors in is good for football.
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Too Much Cola Can Cause Muscle Problems
Whether you are a coach, player or even a couch potato, this article is worth reading.
Too much cola can cause muscle problems, the problems they can cause have a real nice medical term, hypokalemia.
According to Wikipedia, hypokalemia refers to the condition in which the concentration of potassium in the blood is low. Potassium is one of the body's major ions. Nearly 98% of the body's potassium is intracellular. The remaining is extracellular potassium. When the body has a extracellular potassium shortage then the person is vulnerable to hypokalemia.
The key ingredient in cola are glucose, fructose and caffeine -- can contribute to hypokalemia.
Caffeine being thought to be the biggest contributor to hypokalemia.
Symptoms of this ailment can range from mild weakness to serious paralysis. If you have been or are experiencing any of these symptoms, you might want to evaluate your cola intake.
Cutting way back or eliminating sodas from your diet can be an easy cure. for more information regarding hypokalemia I am supplying the link to the article where I got information and to Wikipedia so you can read and decide for yourself if you are ingesting too much cola.
Article Wikipedia
Too much cola can cause muscle problems, the problems they can cause have a real nice medical term, hypokalemia.
According to Wikipedia, hypokalemia refers to the condition in which the concentration of potassium in the blood is low. Potassium is one of the body's major ions. Nearly 98% of the body's potassium is intracellular. The remaining is extracellular potassium. When the body has a extracellular potassium shortage then the person is vulnerable to hypokalemia.
The key ingredient in cola are glucose, fructose and caffeine -- can contribute to hypokalemia.
Caffeine being thought to be the biggest contributor to hypokalemia.
Symptoms of this ailment can range from mild weakness to serious paralysis. If you have been or are experiencing any of these symptoms, you might want to evaluate your cola intake.
Cutting way back or eliminating sodas from your diet can be an easy cure. for more information regarding hypokalemia I am supplying the link to the article where I got information and to Wikipedia so you can read and decide for yourself if you are ingesting too much cola.
Article Wikipedia
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Tater Heads and Cheese Heads Tie
We Idaho spud peelers and the Wisconsin cheese makers are in a tie.
What could Idaho and Wisconsin be tied in? Well driving.
GMAC Insurance just released the results of their 2009 driving test. The test measures the knowledge of basic driving laws and was given to over 5,000 drivers in the 50 states and the District of Columbia.
Hard to believe a bunch of tater peelers and cheese eaters would make it to the top of the list, but we did.
To see where your state ranked use the following link. Link
What could Idaho and Wisconsin be tied in? Well driving.
GMAC Insurance just released the results of their 2009 driving test. The test measures the knowledge of basic driving laws and was given to over 5,000 drivers in the 50 states and the District of Columbia.
Hard to believe a bunch of tater peelers and cheese eaters would make it to the top of the list, but we did.
To see where your state ranked use the following link. Link
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Football Tackling DVDS Coaching Videos & Practice Drills
Earlier we announced we included a new category of football tackling DVDS, the category had the newest DVDS in football tackling, a 3 part series of training videos on the New Science of Tackling.
We have found and added another 7 titles with easy to follow and teach practice drills designed to make your teams tackling more explosive.
In searching the suppliers of Football Coaching Videos we found that some do carry videos about tackling, but they are not in their own category, making these training DVDS difficult to find.
For your convenience we have all of our football tackling DVDS in one easy to navigate category in our navigation menu, oddly enough, named tackling.
Complimenting our New Science of Tackling, are a wide selection of tackling videos ranging from position training to Defensive Back Play:Tackling That Wins and everything in between.
If you are in need of tackling training DVDS, visit us at Football Tackling DVDS, Practice Drills & Coaching Videos where you can find a latest tackling training videos available on the Internet.
We have found and added another 7 titles with easy to follow and teach practice drills designed to make your teams tackling more explosive.
In searching the suppliers of Football Coaching Videos we found that some do carry videos about tackling, but they are not in their own category, making these training DVDS difficult to find.
For your convenience we have all of our football tackling DVDS in one easy to navigate category in our navigation menu, oddly enough, named tackling.
Complimenting our New Science of Tackling, are a wide selection of tackling videos ranging from position training to Defensive Back Play:Tackling That Wins and everything in between.
If you are in need of tackling training DVDS, visit us at Football Tackling DVDS, Practice Drills & Coaching Videos where you can find a latest tackling training videos available on the Internet.
Sunday, May 24, 2009
What The Hell Was He Thinking
I have a new installment in the ongoing what the hell was he thinking series. This one comes from Yahoo Buzz.
I admit I read Yahoo Buzz, some of it is entertaining and some stories so outrageous they have to be true. Today I will share two stories that got my attention. The first one being outrageous and the other totally appropriate for Memorial Day.
The first story takes place in Bejing, China involving a 24 year old man heavily in debt and a 66 year old man with a solution.
Chen Fuchao, 24 and in debt to the tune of $290,000.00 was overwhelmed by his situation. So much so that he stood on the Haizhu bridge preparing to end his life. Since April 11 others have used that bridge to commit suicide.
Naturally authorities and a crowd gathered to watch. Traffic was stopped and blocked up. An elderly man ( thank God there is some one still alive I can call elderly) named Lai Jiansheng age 66 was part of the crowd.
Mr. Jiansheng went to the police and offered to try to talk the young man down. The police refused his offer, saying they would resolve the situation.
After 5 hrs of talking and pleading there was still no progress, only more of a crowd, more stalled traffic and more chaos. Jiansheng slipped through the crowd and managed to get up on the bridge where Chen was still debating sky diving without a parachute.
Mr. Jiansheng approached the desperate young man and shaking his hand, pushed Chen Fuchao off the bridge. Fuchao fell approximately 26 feet and landed on a partially filled air bag, sustaining minor injuries.
Of course Jiansheng was arrested for his actions and when ask why he pushed this desperate man he gave an answer that is hard to refute.
"I pushed him off because jumpers like Chen are very selfish. Their action violates a lot of public interest," Lai was quoted as saying by Xinhua. "They do not really dare to kill themselves. Instead, they just want to raise the relevant government authorities' attention to their appeals."
Now you know, what the hell he was thinking. Use the following link to read the entire story. link
I admit I read Yahoo Buzz, some of it is entertaining and some stories so outrageous they have to be true. Today I will share two stories that got my attention. The first one being outrageous and the other totally appropriate for Memorial Day.
The first story takes place in Bejing, China involving a 24 year old man heavily in debt and a 66 year old man with a solution.
Chen Fuchao, 24 and in debt to the tune of $290,000.00 was overwhelmed by his situation. So much so that he stood on the Haizhu bridge preparing to end his life. Since April 11 others have used that bridge to commit suicide.
Naturally authorities and a crowd gathered to watch. Traffic was stopped and blocked up. An elderly man ( thank God there is some one still alive I can call elderly) named Lai Jiansheng age 66 was part of the crowd.
Mr. Jiansheng went to the police and offered to try to talk the young man down. The police refused his offer, saying they would resolve the situation.
After 5 hrs of talking and pleading there was still no progress, only more of a crowd, more stalled traffic and more chaos. Jiansheng slipped through the crowd and managed to get up on the bridge where Chen was still debating sky diving without a parachute.
Mr. Jiansheng approached the desperate young man and shaking his hand, pushed Chen Fuchao off the bridge. Fuchao fell approximately 26 feet and landed on a partially filled air bag, sustaining minor injuries.
Of course Jiansheng was arrested for his actions and when ask why he pushed this desperate man he gave an answer that is hard to refute.
"I pushed him off because jumpers like Chen are very selfish. Their action violates a lot of public interest," Lai was quoted as saying by Xinhua. "They do not really dare to kill themselves. Instead, they just want to raise the relevant government authorities' attention to their appeals."
Now you know, what the hell he was thinking. Use the following link to read the entire story. link
This Memorial Day weekend is a time we honor those men and women who have made he ultimate sacrifice in keeping America and much of the world free. It is a time to pay respect to our military forefathers and mothers whose service to this country allows us to enjoy freedoms so many can only dream about and hope for.
Today I will focus on one such man, Frank Buckles, the United States oldest living veteran.
Frank is sole U.S. survivor of what was known as the Great War. We now know it as WWI.
Mr.Buckles was born February 1, 1901 in Bethany, Missouri. Hard to imagine some one who can talk with authority on how things were after the turn of the century, last century.
When Frank was 16 World War broke out and he want to be part of it. He was turned down by the Marines, they felt he didn't weigh enough, so he enlisted in the Army April of 1917.
Frank claims he did not lie to the recruiter, saying he just exaggerated his age. The Army wanted a copy of his birth certificate to prove his age. Frank got by that one reminding the recruiter that Missouri didn't have birth certificates when he was born, the official record then was what was written in the family bible, and he said he would be darned if he was going to bring that down. Frank was accepted into the Army.
History buffs the next part of the story will have you thinking, why do I know that name.
Mr. Buckles join his comrades and was shipped over seas on the RMS Carpathia. Why do you know that name?
Five years earlier in April 1912 the Carpathia steamed into history as the ship that picked up the survivors of Titanic.
During the war Buckles served in England and France, driving ambulances and motorcycles for the Army's 1st Fort Riley Casual Detachment. After the Armistice in 1918, Buckles escorted prisoners of war back to Germany. Following his discharge in 1919, he attended the dedication of the National World War I Museum in Kansas City, Missouri, in honor of those Americans who died in World War I. While there, he met General John "Black Jack" Pershing, commander all U.S. forces in France during the war.
In the 1920s Buckles worked for the White Star Line in Canada (the White Star Line had operated the Titanic). During World War II he worked as a civilian for an American shipping company in the Philippine Islands. He was captured by the Japanese in 1942 and spent the next three years in the Los Banos prison camp. He was rescued on February 23, 1945.
Where is Frank today? One would think after all of that , Buckles would be in a retirement home living out his days in peace and harmony. Not Frank Buckles, the man is still active.
He currently lives in Charles Town, West Virginia and is the Honorary Chairman of the World War I Memorial Foundation. For more on Frank Buckles use this link
As always you are invited to post any comments you wish to share.
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Michael Vick on the Road to Redemption?
Michael Vick was released early Wednesday morning form prison, accompanied by his fiancee and others he started his long 19 hour drive home to Virginia, short compared to the road he must travel to become reinstated by the NFL.
Vick who will turn 29 in June slipped out of Leavenworth prison and past the cameras and reporters heading to home where he will be under home confinement and Federal custody till July 20, 2008.
Vick's road back to redemption started with public humiliation and incarceration and now he begins the phases of humility and repentance.
Vick once the highest paid player in the NFL will start a new job while under house arrest he will be allowed to report to work as a construction worker for $10.00 and hour, checks that for a year would not equal the withholding taxes on his NFL pay checks.
It will be a good test for him, he will be around people that are not pampered and privileged because of their athletic abilities. He will be around people that work hard, face financial hardships and are the no nonsense working class of America. They may well prove to be as tough a judge and jury as he would have faced had his case gone to trial. Vick will certainly need large doses of humility to pass with that crowd.
Taking another positive step, Vick, it was announced by The Humane Society of the United States said Tuesday that Vick met its president recently in prison and wants to work on a program aimed at eradicating dogfighting among urban teens.
Vick is seeing some supportive road signs on his path back to the pros. Commissioner Roger Goodell, who suspended Vick indefinitely in August 2007, has said he will review Vick’s status after his criminal case is concluded. He has said Vick will have to persuade him and the public that he is genuinely sorry for his crime, that he has been changed by his experience and that he is committed to leading a different life.
Atlanta Falcons owner Arthur Blank said Wednesday that Vick has paid his debt to society and merits a second chance. Blank said the quarterback is taking positive steps by wanting to work with humane societies and making other changes in his life.
Will Michael Vick successfully follow the road to redemption, only time will tell.
Vick who will turn 29 in June slipped out of Leavenworth prison and past the cameras and reporters heading to home where he will be under home confinement and Federal custody till July 20, 2008.
Vick's road back to redemption started with public humiliation and incarceration and now he begins the phases of humility and repentance.
Vick once the highest paid player in the NFL will start a new job while under house arrest he will be allowed to report to work as a construction worker for $10.00 and hour, checks that for a year would not equal the withholding taxes on his NFL pay checks.
It will be a good test for him, he will be around people that are not pampered and privileged because of their athletic abilities. He will be around people that work hard, face financial hardships and are the no nonsense working class of America. They may well prove to be as tough a judge and jury as he would have faced had his case gone to trial. Vick will certainly need large doses of humility to pass with that crowd.
Taking another positive step, Vick, it was announced by The Humane Society of the United States said Tuesday that Vick met its president recently in prison and wants to work on a program aimed at eradicating dogfighting among urban teens.
Vick is seeing some supportive road signs on his path back to the pros. Commissioner Roger Goodell, who suspended Vick indefinitely in August 2007, has said he will review Vick’s status after his criminal case is concluded. He has said Vick will have to persuade him and the public that he is genuinely sorry for his crime, that he has been changed by his experience and that he is committed to leading a different life.
Atlanta Falcons owner Arthur Blank said Wednesday that Vick has paid his debt to society and merits a second chance. Blank said the quarterback is taking positive steps by wanting to work with humane societies and making other changes in his life.
Will Michael Vick successfully follow the road to redemption, only time will tell.
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