Happy Birthday, Samantha!

My oldest daughter Samantha, seen  here getting an early start on her future blogging hobby, will become nine years old shortly after noon on Monday. I cannot beleive the impact that she's had upon my life; nor can I imagine a world without her in it. 

There's nothing I wouldn't endure for her. I quit a 24 year two-pack-a-day cigarette habit for her second birthday! I only hope that I serve her well in my guidance for her future. Happy Birthday, Sam! Daddy loves you more than anything!

38 Years Ago

In honor of my wife's birthday, here are some notable events from the year she was born, 1970:

January 5 - The first episode of All My Children is broadcast on the ABC television network.



March 25 - The Concorde makes its first supersonic flight (700 mph/1127 km/h).

April 1 - President Richard Nixon signs the Public Health Cigarette Smoking Act into law, banning cigarette television advertisements in the United States.



April 1 - American Motors Corporation introduces the Gremlin.



April 10 - Paul McCartney announces that the Beatles have disbanded, while at the same press conference, announcing the release of his first solo album.

April 22 - The first Earth Day is celebrated in the U.S.

May 4 - Kent State shootings: Four students at Kent State University in Ohio are killed and nine wounded by Ohio State National Guardsmen at a protest against the incursion into Cambodia.



May 9 - In Washington, D.C., 100,000 people demonstrate against the Vietnam War.

June 10 - U.S. President Richard Nixon signs a measure lowering the voting age to 18.

September 11 - The Ford Pinto is introduced.



September 13 - The first New York City Marathon begins.

September 18 - Jimi Hendrix dies from choking on his own vomit while unconscious due to a barbiturate overdose in London.



October 4 - Janis Joplin dies of a heroin overdose in Los Angeles, California, at the age of 27.



October 5 - The Public Broadcasting Service begins broadcasting.

October 26 - Garry Trudeau's comic strip Doonesbury debuts in approximately two dozen newspapers in the United States.



October 28 - Gary Gabelich drives the rocket-powered Blue Flame to an official world land speed record of 622.287 mph (1,001.452863 km/h) on the dry lake bed of the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah. The record, the first above 1,000 km/h, stands for nearly 13 years.

November 3 - Democrats sweep the U.S. Congressional midterm elections; Ronald Reagan is reelected governor of California; Jimmy Carter is elected governor of Georgia.

December 23 - The North Tower of the World Trade Center is topped out at 1,368 feet, making it the tallest building in the world.

Happy Birthday, Sabrina

Our "baby girl" (pictured above at this year's TRF) turned 7 years old today. We took her out to dinner last night at her choice of restaurants - Steak N Shake. She had Tumble-X class tonight, so we surprised her afterwards with cupcakes and ice cream after a late meal of butter noodles (her fave), before giving her another birthday present (she got her bicycle early, in order to enjoy the last days of summer).

This child loves to sing. Much to my annoyance at times. . .=) But, that being the case, we bought her a karaoke machine. She's upstairs belting them out as I type this. . .I'm sure it will get lots of use at her official birthday party/sleepover this Friday night. I'll get through it somehow. . .=)

Happy Birthday, Sabrina!

Happy Birthday, George

June 22 by the numbers

"The fourth sign of the zodiac, Cancer is the astrological sign for people born between June 22 and July 22. The crab symbolizes Cancer, the first water sign of the zodiac. According to astrologers, Cancerians are strongly protective of those they love, and also exhibit highly developed imagination, discipline, and intuition. Cancerians typically have a moody demeanor that correlates with the different stages of their ruling celestial body, the moon."

The fact that I lost my favorite comedian, George Carlin, on the day of my birth was not lost on me. Via Wikipedia, I decided to see what else had happened on that day.

Turns out that I share an exact birthdate with two current celebs; Amy Brenneman, star of NYPD Blue and Judging Amy, and Dan Brown, author of The Davinci Code.

In addition, the following famous people share my birth month and day:

1903 - John Dillinger, American bank robber (d. 1934)
1922 - Bill Blass, American fashion designer (d. 2002)
1933 - Dianne Feinstein, American politician
1936 - Kris Kristofferson, American singer/songwriter and actor
1941 - Ed Bradley, American journalist (d. 2006)
1943 - Brit Hume, American news anchor and commentator
1947 - Howard Kaylan, founding member of The Turtles
1948 - Todd Rundgren, American songwriter and record producer
1949 - Meryl Streep, American actress
1949 - Lindsay Wagner, American actress
1949 - Alan Osmond, American singer
1952 - Graham Greene, Canadian actor
1953 - Cyndi Lauper, American singer
1954 - Freddie Prinze, American actor and comedian (d. 1977)
1956 - Tim Russ, American actor
1955 - Green Gartside, Welsh singer songwriter (Scritti Politti)
1957 - Garry Gary Beers, Australian bassist from group INXS
1960 - Erin Brockovich
1970 - Steven Page, Canadian singer (Barenaked Ladies)
1973 - Carson Daly, American television personality
1974 - Donald Faison, American actor(Scrubs)

Looks like I find myself in some very good company! Hopefully I'll not join the second part of this list - who wants to expire on one's birthday??

The following celebs share Carlin's exit on the date of my birth:

1969 - Judy Garland, American singer and actress (b. 1922)
1987 - Fred Astaire, American dancer and actor (b. 1899)
1993 - Pat Nixon, First Lady of the United States (b. 1912)
2002 - Ann Landers, American columnist (b. 1918)
2006 - Moose (dog actor), dog actor popular for role on Frasier (b. 1990)
2008 - Dody Goodman, American comedienne (b. 1914)