GOD BLESS AMERICA

Please read and watch the video.....it will make you proud to be an American. This is a great film clip of Kate Smith singing God Bless America for the very first time publicly. The story follows, then watch the video clip.

Irving Berlin wrote this song in 1917 for use during WWI. Does anyone

know why he did not release it then? No? Well, I will tell you. He thought it "too saccharine," (sentimental) even for the horrific inferno that was WWI.

You will enjoy this and you younger folks will learn some history...

The link below will take you to a video showing the very first public singing of "GOD BLESS AMERICA."

But, before you watch, you should also know the story of the song. The time was 1940. America was still in a terrible economic depression. Hitler was taking over Europe and Americans were afraid we'd have to go to war. It was a time of hardship and worry for most Americans.

This was the era just before TV, when radio shows were HUGE, and American families sat around their radios in the evenings, listening to their favorite entertainers - and no entertainer of that era was bigger than Kate Smith. Kate was also large in size, and the popular phrase still used today is in deference to her, "It Ain't over till the fat lady sings."

CELEBRITY BIRTHDAYS NOVEMBER 13

1949 - Yoshimi Ishibashi, Japanese racing driver
1950 - Gilbert Perreault, NHL center (over 500 goals)
1951 - Beth Anders, Norristown Penn, field hockey sweeper (Oly-bronze-1984)
1951 - Bill Gibson, Calif, rock drummer (Huey Lewis & The News)
1951 - Janet Collins, ballerina, 1st Black dancer with Opera Co (Aida)
1952 - Art Malik, Pakistani-born English actor
1953 - Andy "the Clobberer" Ranken, English pop drummer (The Pogues)
1953 - Larry Miller, comedian (Dream On, Favor, Dream Lover)
1953 - Tracy Scoggins, Galveston Tx, actress (Colbys, Gumshoe Kid)
1953 - Frances Conroy, American actress
1953 - Andrés Manuel López Obrador, Mexican politician
1953 - Waswo_X._Waswo, American Photographer
1954 - Scott McNealy, American CEO of Sun Microsystems
1954 - Chris Noth, American actor
1955 - Whoopi Goldberg [Caryn Johnson], American actress, comedian, and singer (Color Purple, Burglar)
1956 - Aldo Nova, rocker (Blood on the Bricks)
1956 - Christopher Noth, actor (Jakarta)
1956 - Ginger Alden, American actress
1957 - Ronald Shusett, Hamburg Germany, author (Project Mankind)
1958 - Linda Jackson, Montreal Quebec, cyclist (Olympics-96)
1959 - Anne Manning, Australian walker (Olympics-96)
1959 - Rosie Jones, Santa Ana CA, LPGA golfer (1988 USX Golf Classic)
1960 - Neil Flynn, American actor
1961 - Edwin "Rick" Bakker, Dutch author: Rick's Report, AIDS Diary
1962 - Blair Rasmussen, NBA center (Atlanta Hawks)
1962 - Gaetano Orlando, hockey forward (Team Italy 1998)
1963 - Thilo Timothy Newman, Hamburg Germany, writer (Freejack, Alien)
1963 - Vinny Testaverde, NFL quarterback (Cleve Browns, Baltimore Ravens)
1964 - Ronald Agenor, Rabat Morocco, tennis player (1989 French quarters)
1965 - Kevin Gamble, NBA guard (Sacramento Kings)
1965 - Rob Natal, Long Beach CA, catcher (Florida Marlins)
1965 - Sheryl Boyle, Renfrew Ontario, kayaker (Olympics-96)
1965 - Zeljko Petrovic, soccer player (FC The Bosch/RKC)
1966 - Rumeal Robinson, NBA guard (Portland Trail Blazers, Detroit Pistons)
1967 - Randi Ingerman, Phila Pa, actress (Trade Winds)
1967 - Steve Christie, NFL kicker (Buffalo Bills)
1967 - Juhi Chawla, Indian actress
1967 - Steve Zahn, American actor
1968 - Mark Fitzpatrick, Toronto, NHL goalie (Florida Panthers)
1968 - Pat Hentgen, Detroit MI, pitcher (Toronto Blue Jays)
1968 - Tami Whitlinger-Jones, Neenah Wisc, tennis star (1995 Futures-Sedona)
1969 - Lori Berenson, American criminal
1969 - Gerard Butler, Scottish actor
1969 - Ayaan Hirsi Ali, Dutch author
1971 - Anthony Whiteman, England, 800m/1500m runner
1971 - Craig Powell, NFL linebacker (Cleve Browns)
1971 - John Francis Zingg, Boston Mass, rocker (4 Fun-Unbelievable Fun Boys)
1971 - Matthew Minagall, cricketer (S Australian lefty wrist-spinner 1991-95)
1971 - Noah Hathaway, actor (Troll, Neverending Story)
1971 - Ron Rivers, NFL running back (Detroit Lions)
1972 - Kimberlee Ann McKay, Belle Fourche SD, Miss America-SD (1996)
1972 - Shom-Rock, rocker (Young Nation)
1972 - T-Haxx, rocker (DYC)
1972 - Takuya Kimura, Japanese singer and actor
1973 - George Harris, WLAF cornerback (London Monarchs)
1973 - Samantha Riley, Brisbane Australia, breastroker (Oly-2 bronze-92, 96)
1973 - Ari Hoenig, American jazz drummer
1975 - Sarah Pitkowski, Seclin France, tennis star (1995 Futures-Koksijde)
1975 - Quim, Portuguese footballer
1975 - Tom Compernolle, Belgian athlete (d. 2008)
1976 - Hiroshi Tanahashi, Japanese professional wrestler
1976 - Kelly Sotherton, English heptathlete
1977 - Tammy Leigh Ashton, Miss North Carolina Teen USA (1996)
1977 - Chanel Cole, Australian singer
1977 - Huang Xiaoming, Chinese actor and singer
1978 - Nikolai Fraiture, American bassist (The Strokes)
1979 - Ron Artest, American basketball player
1979 - Subliminal, Israeli rapper and producer
1980 - Monique Coleman, American actress
1980 - François-Louis Tremblay, Canadian short track speed skater
1981 - Kirsty-Leigh Brown, Australia, gymnast (Olympics-96)
1981 - Mark Cardona, Filipino basketball player
1981 - Rivkah, American comic book writer and artist
1982 - Samkon Gado, American football player
1982 - Koda Kumi, Japanese singer
1982 - Michael Copon, American actor and singer
1985 - Asdrúbal Cabrera, Venezuelan baseball player
1990 - Jibbs, American rapper
1995 - Stella Hudgens, American actress
1997 - Brent Kinsman, American actor
1997 - Shane Kinsman, American actor

ON THIS DAY IN MUSIC HISTORY NOVEMBER 12

1833 - Composer Alexander Porfirievich Borodin was born.

1966 - Donovan's "Mellow Yellow" was released.

1967 - Jerry Lee Lewis records "To Make Love Sweeter for You."

1970 - The Doors made their last appearance with Jim Morrison in New Orleans.

1979 - Marty Balin's, of Jefferson Starship, rock opera "Rock Justice" opens a four-day run at San Francisco's Old Waldorf night club.

1984 - Madonna released the album "Like A Virgin."


1987 - Sly Stone is arrested for nonpayment of child support when he arrives an hour late for his "comeback" concert in LA.

1989 - The musical "Grand Hotel" opened at the Beck Theatre.

1990 - Ron Wood, of the Rolling Stones, was injured when he was struck by a car near London.


1993 - Michael Jackson canceled a world tour, saying that he had a dependence on painkillers.

1996 - The album "Evita: The Complete Motion Picture Music Soundtrack" was released.

1996 - Eminem's first studio album "Infinite" was released.

1997 - Chang Yu-Sheng, best know for his hit Mandarin song "My Future Is Not A Dream," died three weeks after being injured in an auto accident.

TO ALL OUR VETERANS WITH LOVE FROM DRL

WANNA LAUGH?!?!?!?

Over breakfast one morning, a woman said to her husband, "I bet you don't know what day this is." "Of course I do," he indignantly answered, going out the door to the office. At 10 am, the doorbell rang, and when the woman opened the door, she was handed a box containing a dozen long stemmed red roses. At 1 pm, a foil wrapped, two-pound box of her favorite chocolates arrived. Later, a boutique delivered a designer dress. The woman couldn't wait for her husband to come home. "First the flowers, then the chocolates, and then the dress!" she exclaimed. "I've never had a more wonderful Groundhog Day in my life!"

LIFE IN PERSPECTIVE

Deanna Verbouwens
I was in the middle of writing a post about how much I love Twitter when I received a phone call from my husband that he was in the hospital – injured fighting a fire as a FDNY LT.  The experience was scarier than the actual injury and he’ll be okay but…
That phone call put my life in perspective.
Let’s back the truck up to 18 hours before. Ya there?
Yesterday at work I was called into the general manager’s office and the gauntlet fell on my head, well almost on my head, it took out a few hairs and an ear.  I was told that I’d need to cut my salary by 20% or I’d lose my job.  I’m not curing cancer, the job causes a lot of stress in my life, and a monkey can do it, or anyone with a brain, disposal thumbs is optional. Nevertheless, I still need it. 
I was really upset because I work for a luxury firm. The firm I was told is cutting back on expenses, ok I get it – the choke hold on the economy hasn’t let up in the last two years. Mom and Pop stores have closed their doors; heck Fortune 500 firms merged, been acquired and closed their doors. I get it. But what I don’t get is that this firm is spending thousands of dollars hosting events, renting yachts that just sit at these affairs to give them a “certain look and feel”.  Money spent on Tiffany necklaces, rented Bentley’s bestowed on certain high wealth clients so it appears that the firm has the means to work with them. This is just the tip of the iceberg, there are extravagant expenses floating around like little fairies throughout my office – enormous vases filled with fresh flowers delivered weekly, and chandeliers that should be hanging in the Taj to name a few.
Needless to say, the fact that I have to cut my salary to keep my job is upsetting.
It’s disrespectful, it’s greed, it’s obnoxious, and it’s excess nonsense that means nothing in life, except putting on a show to try to impress yourself, your neighbors and potential clients. 
Nevertheless I was pissed off last night.
But this morning, it changed.
My life could have been wiped out in an instant.  One instant. One tour of duty, if he fell a certain way, he could of been gone.
My love, my heart, my soul was sitting in a hospital being cared for, while my employer was flying to his second home to open another office that somehow he can afford, but not my salary.
I’m intelligent enough to realize that I should be happy that I may still keep my job. I get that I should be thrilled by that fact but it doesn’t mean a damn thing when my life could have been taken away in an instant.
No amount of money, no amount of “things”, no amount of homes, or even a job can replace my heart, soul and love.
Am I still worried that I may lose my job? Yes, indeed.  Am I still pissed off? No.  Do I care? Not really, it’s really not that important I’ll bounce back. 
Life is too damn short, it's hard to do but we must live in the present, live for today because tomorrow may never come, but more importantly what matters most, what matters now is that my love is safe, home and alive.

Find more from Deanna:  www.theunnaturalmother.com

DRL EATERY IS OPEN : CANDIED GINGER PUMPKIN PANCAKES

Candied Ginger Pumpkin Pancakes

2

cups Original Bisquick® mix

2

teaspoons pumpkin pie spice

1 1/2

cups buttermilk

1

cup canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie mix)

2

eggs

1/4

cup toasted pecan halves, finely chopped

1

tablespoon finely chopped crystallized ginger

Pecan halves, if desired

Butter, if desired

Maple-flavored syrup, if desired

1. In large bowl, stir Bisquick mix, pumpkin pie spice, buttermilk, pumpkin and eggs with whisk or fork until blended. Stir in chopped pecans and ginger.
2.      Brush nonstick griddle or nonstick skillet with vegetable oil; heat griddle to 350°F or heat skillet over medium heat.
3. For each pancake, pour 1/4 cup of batter onto hot griddle. Cook until edges are dry. Turn; cook other sides until golden brown. Serve topped with remaining ingredients.

Makes 16 pancakes

To toast pecans, sprinkle in ungreased heavy skillet. Cook over medium heat 5 to 7 minutes, stirring frequently until pecans begin to brown, then stirring constantly until light brown.

Substitution

No pumpkin pie spice? Use 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon and 1/2 teaspoon each of ground nutmeg and ground ginger.

UNTHINK... WHO WOULDA THUNK IT?!

Barbara Ward-Finneran
I know I'm beyond busy with the laundry list of jobs that make up my status as bread winner for my family. But, I must be living under a rock when I'm not working, hanging with my kiddos, or sleeping, because until yesterday I hadn't ever heard of "Unthink".  Ironically I "heard" about it on Facebook - read about it in a post that someone was setting up a "Like" page at Unthink.  Even more surprising was the way it was "billed" (and seemingly marketed as) --- the "Anti-Facebook".  SERIOUSLY?  I had to google search and read on. And, it is out there in the search engines as "Anti-Facebook".  Am I the only one in the dark, to this step beyond google + to a social network that is all about NOT being Facebook.  Funny - would they exist without their supposed antagonist?  Seems more like a modern day Frie-nemy to me.

Apparently this new social networking platform has already made quite an impression.  Boasting over 100,000 register users, despite initial  traffic and crashing issues. Users set up "suites" which contain both public, professional, and private information. On the net you can find that Alexia’s statistics, which report a 14,800% increase in traffic over the past 7 days alone. (Posted November 1st). Rachael Vicari, Unthink COO, was quoted saying "the company was unprepared for the amount of traffic it saw".

Growth like that is impressive.  I think the numbers will tell more truths when one checks back at the quarterly marks as they project throughout the year.  Unthink has secured 2.5 million in funding from DouglasBay (is a value investor, who claim to see opportunities where others don't). Apparently DouglasBay seems to think Unthink may have what it takes, as they have publicly claims to have a 21% share in the site. 

Has having the confidence to take on Facebook from the get go caused this Tampa based start up to become the next best thing? Or will curiosity of those who are over the Facebook changes and updates simply make them a flash in the pan before returning to the old standard?

So, DRL readers, had you even heard of it or did you read it here first?  
What do you think about Unthink???? 
  

TODDLER'S SHOCKING DEATH

Marion Pellicano Ambrose

A four year old toddler is dead. The little girl was rushed to the hospital where they were unable to save her. The cause of death…….extreme alcohol poisoning! Shocking, yes, but even more shocking is the fact that the child’s own father fed her the very alcohol that killed her. The Georgia man and the toddler’s aunt were both arrested on charges of felony cruelty to a child and felony murder.

Reading this awful story made me think of when I was young. My dad let my sister and me have a sip of beer every now and then. I also remember my cousin sneaking around at his parent’s New Year’s Eve party stealing sips from drinks left sitting around. No one realized the dangers of giving small amounts of alcohol to children. I know my gums were thoroughly rubbed with whiskey when I was teething and one of my friends was given a tablespoon of whiskey and cola syrup when she had a bad cold. We were lucky not to have suffered ill effects!

Today there is no excuse for allowing children to have any alcohol, unprescribed drugs or remedies. The general public should be educated enough to recognize the dangers of these and other practices that used to be considered acceptable. We know to watch the diet of our children, to avoid too much sugar, artificial colors and additives. We know that exercise is important and children need to be in a totally smoke free environment.

And yet, there are still people who smoke around their kids, allow them to eat sugary cereals and pop tarts for breakfast. They allow them to sit in front of a computer, video game of TV for hours on end and don’t monitor that they get at least 8-10 hours sleep each night. These parents DO know better, so why do they do it?

I was a neurotic mom. I previewed every show, movie or game my children were exposed to. I “hid” veggies, like putting pureed beets in my meatloaf. (I know, sounds gross, but you can’t even taste it.) My husband and I took our kids to the park, the zoo, exploring in the woods, swimming, boating, fishing, and camping. We had them try soccer, basketball, karate and dance. We really tried to have healthy meals and keep them active. I admit, I was pretty bad with baking cookies and treats for them, but both grew into healthy, trim, active young adults. I’m grateful that they continued to make good choices, but my husband and I take some credit for setting the foundation!

I don’t understand parents who disregard all the advice of doctors, psychologists, and other experts. They allow their children to be rude, eat what they want, bully others, be disrespectful to teachers and other adults, and watch TV shows and movies that make most adults uncomfortable. Casual sex, violence, foul language – they see it all, and their little minds soak it all in. They eat fast food, sugar, soda, and anything that’s easy to get or make. I wonder how many families actually eat together these days!

So, ask yourself: “Am I providing the best diet, routine, and lifestyle for my children? Am I afraid to say “No” or have them think I’m not as cool as the other parents?”  I wasn’t a perfect parent, I don’t believe there is such a thing. I made plenty of mistakes and I know there are many wonderful parents reading this right now. I’m just asking; if you aren’t sheltering your child somewhat from the bad stuff, aren’t watching their diet or exercise habits, or just find that you’re so busy you’re taking shortcuts that could ultimately harm your child, STOP and THINK!  Their health and well being must come before everything else in life. Make the effort, take the time. You may be “the strictest mom and dad” in the neighborhood ( as I was told many times), but you’ll feel good knowing you have given your children the best possible start in life, and someday they will thank you for it!

READ MORE:

ALCOHOL AND CHILDREN: THE DANGERS

1.     Alcohol poisoning in young children is far more dangerous in adults because of the impact is has on their blood sugar, experts say.

2.     Even a tiny amount of alcohol can cause a child's blood sugar to drop precipitously.

3.     Household products such as rubbing alcohol - which has a higher alcohol content than vodka - can even cause poisoning through the skin.

4.     A person with alcohol poisoning needs immediate attention - particularly if they are a child.

5.     But there is little that doctors can do to remove the alcohol from a person's system.

6.     The best they can do is pump the child's stomach and try to keep them stable until the alcohol has been filtered through their system.

7.     It takes most healthy adults at least one hour to metabolise alcohol in their liver.

TODDLER SMOKES, FATHER UNCONCERNED
http://49th-parallel.blogspot.com/2010/05/kids-will-do-darnest-things.html

Toddler Dies of Extreme Alcohol Poisoning: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1351955/Four-year-old-girl-drinks-death-father-plies-alcohol.html#ixzz1dGxqzT00

Children and Second Hand Smoke: http://www.entnet.org/HealthInformation/Second-Hand-Smoke-and-Children.cfm

Nourish Interactive

http://www.nourishinteractive.com/

The Effects of Violent Games on Children

http://www.ehow.com/info_7976658_children-violent-games.html?ref=Track2&utm_source=ask



SOUL FOOD

Barbara Ward-Finneran

Find the peace within you in order to have peace surround you. 

Find it within yourself or or it will escape you everywhere. 

If you have peace in your mind, heart and soul then you will have the energies needed for your dreams and goals. 

Enough to create them rather then chase them!

Keep the promises that you make to yourself!

Photo Courtesy of Barbara Ward-Finneran and Drawn 2 Design, LLC

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