Mullet Over

BY JAMES K. WHITE | MAY 30, 2012

Monitor your cow

Have you ever heard of Lyle Langlois? He is worth mentioning as he has completed a marathon (26 miles and 385 yards) in each of our 50 states. I sort of ran half a marathon once – 385 yards half.

For decades, the former Liberty ship "SS John W. Brown" was used as a special floating high school in New York City. The curriculum was primarily focused on maritime studies. In 1982, the ship lost its status as a high school. The vessel was then refurbished and moved to Baltimore, Maryland. The “John W. Brown” is exhibited as a living museum with some excursions at sea now available. Visit online at liberty-ship.com.

Mankind has been using bronze for thousands of years. Bronze is made by mixing molten copper with either molten tin or molten arsenic. Arsenic is a metal, but it is also a deadly poison. Many of the blacksmiths who used arsenic became lame and died because arsenic often caused irreversible muscle (including heart muscle) atrophy. Good quality bronze (88 percent copper, 12 percent tin) is stronger than cast iron. Bells made of bronze are generally considered to render the highest quality musical tones.

On November 26, 2003, the final flight of the super-sonic transport Concorde was completed. The Concorde was super-noisy, super-polluting and super-inefficient, but it was FAST. Flight engineers at Lockheed Martin have been working to build a quiet, efficient FAST passenger plane that can cruise at Mach 1.6. In fact, the name of the plane is “Mach 1.6 Supersonic Green Machine.” When the aircraft becomes available, passenger flights across the continental United States can take less than 3 hours.

A special program was funded for GIs after World War II. Unemployed former military people were allotted $20 a week for up to 52 weeks. Recipients were known as the “52-20 Club.”

Legend has it that the Great Chicago Fire (1871) was started by Mrs. O’Leary’s cow. The legend is likely untrue, but the site address is famous in Chicago: 558 DeKoven Street.

Many James Bond fans are aware that Ian Fleming was the author who created the suave 007 character and penned several thrilling spy volumes which were made into movies. What some Fleming fans do not know is that the novelist also wrote the very fanciful book “Chitty-Chitty Bang Bang.”

In Genesis 6:14, the Bible states that Noah built his famous ark out of gopher wood. No one today seems to be certain what gopher wood is (or was). Guesses include cypress, pine, reed, fir, ebony, and acacia. Well, monitor your cow – and have a great week.

James White is a retired mathematics teacher who enjoys sharing fascinating trivia. He can be reached at [email protected].

The brick

A young and successful executive was traveling down a neighborhood street, going a bit too fast in his new Jaguar. He was watching for kids darting out from between parked cars and slowed down when he thought he saw something.

As his car passed, no children appeared. Instead, a brick smashed into the Jag's side door! He slammed on the brakes and backed the Jag back to the spot where the brick had been thrown.

The angry driver then jumped out of the car, grabbed the nearest kid and pushed him up against a parked car shouting, 'What was that all about and who are you? Just what the heck are you doing? That's a new car and that brick you threw is going to cost a lot of money. Why did you do it?'

The young boy was apologetic. 'Please, mister ... please, I'm sorry but I didn't know what else to do,' He pleaded. 'I threw the brick because no one else would stop ...'  With tears dripping down his face and off his chin, the youth pointed to a spot just around a parked car. 'It's my brother, 'he said 'He rolled off the curb and fell out of his wheelchair and I can't lift him up.'

Now sobbing, the boy asked the stunned executive, 'Would you please help me get him back into his wheelchair? He's hurt and he's too heavy for me.'

Moved beyond words, the driver tried to swallow the rapidly swelling lump in his throat ... He hurriedly lifted the handicapped boy back into the wheelchair, then took out a linen handkerchief and dabbed at the fresh scrapes and cuts. A quick look told him everything was going to be okay. 'Thank you and may God bless you,' the grateful child told the stranger. Too shook up for words, the man simply watched the boy! push his wheelchair-bound brother down the sidewalk toward their home ...

It was a long, slow walk back to the Jaguar. The damage was very noticeable, but the driver never bothered to repair the dented side door. He kept the dent there to remind him of this message: 'Don't go through life so fast that someone has to throw a brick at you to get your attention!' God whispers in our souls and speaks to our hearts. Sometimes when we don't have time to listen, He has to throw a brick at us. It's our choice to listen or not.

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May 30 – June 5, 2012

For All Signs:  On June 5 we will experience what is known as “Venus transiting the Sun.”  This is a rare event and usually occurs in pairs.  We had the first of this pair in 2004 and the second one occurs now.  The previous pair occurred 121.5 years ago in which women’s suffrage came to the public consciousness. It required many years to bring that to fruition. I wish to note women’s rights are dramatically threatened at this time, both at the federal and state levels.  Many rights have been lost.  Personally I can’t wrap my mind around why we have become such a threat to men in recent years.  I also cannot grasp the Mindset of women who have chosen to take sides with those whose major purpose is to demean women and eliminate their rights. Perhaps it is just another red herring for legislators to throw around so that we won’t notice they are not attending their real jobs.
Aries:  It may be difficult to find common ground with partners, authorities, or significant others in your life during this period.  You have a desire to express yourself and the "other" seems to be recalcitrant.  Don't turn this into a power play or a long term resentment.  That will not be good for your health.  Tone down your anger a notch or two and say your piece.  Then let it go.
Taurus:  You will have many opportunities to engage socially with multiple friends and associates.  This may come at a time when you naturally gravitate toward your introverted side.  So it might seem way too much now, but here it is.  Whatever develops harkens back to new beginnings of 2004.
Gemini:  You may be easily angered on the 30th.  Don’t accelerate yourself into an accident.  Beyond Thursday the pace and the company are positive and welcome.  This is a good week to be social or to focus your attention on a project that requires detail.
Cancer:  The Full Moon on June 4 shines a light on your daily routines.  Circumstances at work may be in a state of flux, otherwise called a "zoo."  The state of your health is prominent.  Good or bad depends upon how you have been caring for yourself.  A new seed is planted in your unconscious that will begin to develop slowly toward materialization in your life.
Leo:  This promises to be an unusual week.  Your attention is drawn toward your community at large.  People from the past may be traveling through once again.  Be alert to changes in the character of these folks that have occurred since your last encounter.
Virgo:  You may feel somewhat edgy and irritable this week.  Parts of your mind are scattered into so many corners that it is hard to pull everything together.  Your boundaries are being attacked, probably at work.  This may have been happening for a few months.  Now is the time to let people know they can’t walk on you anymore.
Libra:  An incredibly bright light is thrown into your 9th house territory.  That sector includes legal activity, publishing, higher education, the Internet, philosophy and travel.  Any one or more of these interests is likely to be noted by the Powers that Be.  As long as you have maintained good ethics, these events should go well.
Scorpio:  Pace yourself.  This is liable to be a long and challenging week.  People and things may get on your nerves.  You will feel better if you let things go.  It may be nearly impossible to move forward right now.  Use your energy to tread water and lighten up.
Sagittarius:  There will be a full moon eclipse in your sign on June 4 at 7:12 am EDT.  In the days surrounding this eclipse something important will be illuminated. How can you develop an individual identity that is authentic while simultaneously maintaining a personally rewarding relationship?
Capricorn:  This is an excellent time to pursue any activity that requires your mental concentration.  The Goats are not always able to sit still enough to learn theoretical information, but right now there is a good window.  Contracts and written communications, along with travel, have go signals.  Use caution with physical activities.
Aquarius:  Your ability to concentrate upon projects that require management of details is strong.  If you focus your mind on a mentally challenging project that can have an identifiable outcome, things will move smoothly.  If, instead, you focus on heavy physical labor, you must have additional help.  You are subject to back and muscle strain.
Pisces:  One of your planetary rulers, Neptune, turns retrograde this week.  This suggests that one or more anxieties will go underground for a few months and you will actually feel better than before.  You know that sometimes your imagination is just too potent and you react to it as though it were the real thing.

Are you interested in a personal horoscope?  Vivian Carol may be reached at 704-366-3777 for private psychotherapy or astrology appointments.  (There is a fee.)  Visit www.horoscopesbyvivian.com.