Unveiled in 2001, the Segway was invented by American entrepreneur, Dean Kamen, who dreamed of launching a transportation revolution. The two-wheeler contains five gyroscopes linked to a set of computers to monitor a rider’s center of gravity.  The self-balancing scooter was made famous by then U.S. President George W. Bush who took one for a spin, only to ditch the vehicle after losing control.  The Segway never took off as Kamen dreamed, and in December 2009, the company was sold to Jimi Heselden.

Heselden, a former miner who left school at the age of 15, was a self-made businessman.  He made his fortune with Leeds-based Hesco Bastion, which developed a flat-pack wire mesh “blast wall” container, replacing the traditional sandbags that were used to stop bullets, missiles and suicide bombers in combat zones. His products are heavily used by coalition troops in Afghanistan and Iraq.  Heselden was one of Britain’s richest men, with a fortune reportedly at $260 million.  He was widely revered for donating millions of pounds to charity.

Read on:

Segway

Dean Kamen

Image taken from (http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2010/09/segway-death/)

If you grew up in the late 60s or early 70s, chances are someone read you the original Where the Wild Things Are, the 1963 children’s picture book by American writer Maurice Sendak.  The book has lived on through the decades and now has been adapted into a live-action movie, directed by Spike Jonze, produced by Tom Hanks and starring, among other actors, James Gandolfini (aka monster, er mobster, Tony Soprano).  The film opened Friday to generally positive critical review.

The picture book itself contains only ten sentences.  It tells the story of Max, a mischievous boy who is sent to bed without supper.  Banished to his room, Max sails to the land of the Wild Things, a mysterious place conceived in his imagination and inhabited by the Wild Things, over-sized, fearsome-looking monsters. Max manages to conquer them “by staring into their yellow eyes without blinking once.”  As a result, Max is crowned “King of all Wild Things.”  Soon, though, Max grows homesick and returns home to his bedroom, where his supper is waiting for him, still hot.

It’s hard to believe, but in the 60s the book was released to a flurry of controversy.  There was a significant crowd that was appalled to find a children’s book that featured a disobedient, back-talking child and monstrous images.  Although society has chilled out in the succeeding 40 years since the release of the book, the movie also opens to controversy.  This time, however, the controversy is over what honor or disservice, if any, Jonze’s adaptation will do to a beloved book.  To answer that question, you’ll have to view the movie yourself, assuming of course, that you read the book.

Read on:

Amazon.com – buy the book

(image taken from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Where_the_Wild_Things_Are)

U.S. History

The first recorded celebration honoring the discovery of America by Europeans (and in particular, Columbus) took place on October 12, 1792 in New York City.  The event, which celebrated the 300th anniversary of Columbus’ landing in the New World, was organized by The Society of St. Tammany (also known as the Columbian Order).  San Francisco’s Italian community (Columbus was Italian and so is the author of this post) held its first Columbus Day celebration in 1869.  In 1892, President Benjamin Harrison urged citizens to celebrate the 400th anniversary of Columbus’ first voyage.  (Note: it was during this event that the Pledge of Allegiance, written by Francis Bellamy, was recited publicly for the first time.)  In 1937, President Roosevelt proclaimed October 12 as “Columbus Day” and in 1971, President Nixon declared the second Monday of October a national holiday.¹

Latin America (the Counter-Columbus Day)

For many Latin countries, Columbus’ arrival in the Americas is viewed as damaging to the native races and thus the day is celebrated as a holiday of resistance.  In most Latin countries, the day is celebrated as Dia de la Raza (“Day of the Race”), wherein the native races are honored.  In Spain, they celebrate Fiesta Nacional (“National Day”).  In Venezuela, they know the day as Dia de la Resistencia Indigena (“Day of Indigenous Resistance”).  Regardless of the name, the day often serves as rallying cry for Latino activists.

Controversial Columbus?

The celebration of Columbus Day is not without controversy here in the U.S. and in broader Latin America.  Protestors claim that Columbus was so focused on his mission to find riches and conquer new lands that his teams treated the indigenous groups they came across as mere obstacles.  Columbus is accused of violence, slavery, genocide, the forced conversion of native peoples to Christianity, and the introduction of a host of new diseases that had dramatic long-term effects on native people in the Americas.  Historians have uncovered evidence of the damage wreaked by Columbus and his teams, leading to a more recent outcry over emphasis placed upon studying and celebrating Columbus in schools and public celebrations.  Supporters, however, claim that Columbus’ efforts led to a civilization of the West, bringing “reason, science, self-reliance, individualism, ambition, and productive achievement” to a people who were based in “primitivism, mysticism, and collectivism”, and to a land that was “sparsely inhabited, unused, and underdeveloped.”²

Regardless of your views, Columbus Day makes for a compelling Dinner Topic and offers an important opportunity for all Americans to learn a little more about the Age of Exploration and the transformations it provoked.

Read on:

History.com – Columbus Day

Wikipedia – Columbus Day

You see, when 67-year-old Gaddafi travels the world, he prefers to set up camp in a sprawling Bedouin tent.¹  Gaddafi apparently does this for three principal reasons. First, he prefers to receive visitors in the traditional Libyan setting.  Second, Gaddafi despises elevators. (Who doesn’t?)  And third, the Libyan needs ample space for his vast all-female security team.  Sound strange?  Well, it gets even more bizarre.

For much of his 40 years as Libyan leader, Gaddafi has been accused of state-sponsored terror, and not surprisingly, Gaddafi’s mere presence in the United States has been met with protest.²  But a tent in your backyard?  That brings the hostility to another level altogether.  Gaddafi’s handlers are well aware of this and have employed various intermediaries in an attempt to disguise the Libyan leader’s campground.  Apparently, Donald Trump fell for it and leased his 113-acre estate in upscale Bedford, New Jersey to Gaddafi’s people.  Gaddafi’s tent was raised, and Bedford officials quickly ordered a shutdown of the desert oasis.  The Secret Service overrode the order, however, and instructed local and state law enforcement officials to protect Gaddafi.  But then Trump stepped up and evicted his tenant. (No word on whether Trump dramatically eyed the camera and declared “Gaddafi, you’re evicted!”)

So for now, Gaddafi is homeless and we can only imagine the eccentric leader camping out with The Donald, The Donald’s many apprentices and Gaddafi’s army of female security personnel.  One can only wonder if there would have been Godiva chocolate smores . . .

Have fun discussing this wild Dinner Topic!

Read on:

Wikipedia – Muammar al-Gaddafi

UN.org – General Debate of the 64th Session

(Image taken from http://abcnews.go.com/International/Politics/gaddafis-tent-blocked-stop-work-order/Story?id=8649084&page=1)

The obvious question for Herschel is: Why?  According to Walker himself: “MMA fighters are said to be some of the best athletes in the world, my plan at the age of 47 is to show the world I am still one of the best athletes as well.”²  Walker is probably telling the truth.  Following football, Walker made the 1992 Winter Olympics team and finished seventh in the 1992 two-man bobsled competition.  He also narrowly missed making the Olympic sprint relay team.  His superior athleticism is obvious.  In addition, Walker has a fifth degree blackbelt in Tae Kwon Do and has training in the combat disciplines of Muay Thai and Kenpo.  So perhaps he also has the requisite skills to compete.

Herschel’s foray into MMA undoubtedly will make for good theater, and should the topic come up, you are now prepared to talk about it at dinner.

Read on:

Strikeforce.com

(Images taken from http://www.strikeforce.com)

Phillip A. Paul was on a field trip at the county fair with a group of mental patients from Eastern State Hospital, when he simply slipped away from hospital staff.  Paul was committed to the mental institution after strangling an elderly woman in 1987 and burying her outside her home.  Paul claimed he was merely following the voices in his head which identified the woman as a witch, and as we all know, witches must die.  As of this post, Paul remains on the loose, and the longer he is without medication, the more dangerous he is.

So how is it that a committed murderer could be riding the Tilt-A-Whirl with you and your children?  Eastern State Hospital has yet to answer that question.  It’s hard to imagine there is any good answer, but we will give the hospital a chance to explain.  While we wait, you just might consider engaging your friends and family with some spirited dinner conversation on what limitations society ought to place on the mental ill.  Disney World anyone?

Read on:

khq.com – Authorities say escapee may be heading to parents in Sunnyside

(Image of Paul taken from http://www.khq.com/Global/story.asp?S=11151502)

What is ACORN? 

ACORN stands for Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now.  According to its website, ACORN is the nation’s largest grassroots community organization of low- and moderate-income people.  ACORN has been around since 1970 and claims to have organized over 400,000 member families in 110 cities across the country.¹

What does ACORN do?

The organization claims to back issue campaigns such as: raising the minimum wage; eliminating predatory lending practices; promoting affordable housing; improving the quality of urban public schools; and rebuilding New Orleans.  In more general terms, ACORN sees itself as an advocate of social and economic justice, through direct action, negotiation, legislative advocacy and voter participation.²

So why is ACORN all over the news? 

Independent filmmakers/journalists James O’Keefe and Hannah Giles, disguised as pimp and prostitute, walked into ACORN’s Baltimore offices and secretly filmed as they solicited advice on how to set up a tax-free prostitution ring (which happened to involve a dozen underage El Salvadorian girls).  Two ACORN employees appeared on film eagerly counseling the “pimp” and “prostitute”.  The video hit the news channels and a scandal was born.

What does ACORN have to say about all this? 

Well, ACORN promptly dismissed the two employees for failing to “uphold the highest legal and ethical standards.”³  Despite the firing, Bertha Lewis, ACORN’s chief organizer, released a statement claiming that ACORN was the subject of a nationwide conservative smear campaign and that the O’Keefe/Giles video was doctored and the story was fabricated.  Further, ACORN claims the recording itself was criminal.⁴  Watch the video below and judge for yourself.

Haven’t we heard something about Obama and ACORN recently? 

Yes.  Obama’s campaign hired an ACORN affiliate for $800,000 to conduct a get-out-the-vote effort during the 2008 Democratic presidential primary election.  Following the primary, ACORN became the subject of claims of widespread voter fraud, principally that ACORN employees were registering non-existent voters.⁵

Read on:

ACORN.org

(image above taken from: http://commonsenserepublic.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/acorn-logo.jpg)