Archive for June, 2009
Sarkozy Says French Muslims Must Say “Au Revoir” to Burqas
In a speech on Monday, June 22, French President Nicolas Sarkozy says that burqas will not be welcome in France anymore. The burqa, the full-length, face-covering garment that strict Muslim women wear, is a “symbol of subservience,” said Sarkozy, and “not welcome on the territory of the French government.” This is significant because it is [...]
Donald Fehr, MLB Union Boss, to Retire
Donald Fehr, the executive director of the MLBPA (Major League Baseball Players Association), has announced he will retire next March. Fehr is as polarizing figure as it gets, making him a great topic of conversation. As head of baseball’s union for the past 26 years, Fehr always put the needs of his players ahead of the [...]
Whole Nine Yards not Football Related
The other day, the movie The Whole Nine Yards starring Bruce Willis and Matthew Perry was on cable television, and I started thinking about the phrase. We all have used the phrase “the whole nine yards” and know what it means, but most of us probably have no idea about its origin. I always thought [...]
Steve Jobs Underwent Liver Transplant
Just as the title suggests, while Apple CEO Steve Jobs was on medical leave the past six months, he underwent a liver transplant in Tennessee about two months ago. According to Bloomberg.com , Jobs “was considering the procedure as a result of complications following his 2004 surgery to remove an islet cell neuroendocrine tumor.” 1 [...]
What’s a Solstice?
Tomorrow morning at 5:45am marks the 2009 summer solstice. 1 What’s that? You have no idea what a solstice is? No worries; we are here to help. In astronomical terms, solstice refers to the bi-annual event when the Earth’s axis is tilted closest to (the summer solstice) or furthest away (the winter solstice) from the [...]
Cash for Clunkers Program
With no blockbuster movies coming out this weekend, a rain-soaked U.S. Open likely to be delayed several times, and baseball as the only major sport in season right now, you’re going to need something deeper for conversation tonight. Enter the Cash for Clunkers Program. Just passed today by the Senate, this program allows people to [...]
Beatles – Always Something New
If you’re a Beatles fan, or know someone in your life who is, you’ll be very happy about these two recent announcements: 1. On 9/9/09, the entire original Beatles catalog is being re-released worldwide, after it was converted from analog to digital. It took four years, but engineers at Abbey Road Studios in London worked [...]
Missed the Letterman v. Palin Feud?
You may have heard recently that David Letterman has been in the news for saying something derogatory about one of Sarah Palin’s daughters. The controversy started last week when Letterman attempted to crack a joke about a photo of Palin and her daughter Willow, who attended a Yankees game. Of the photo, he said that [...]
