FRIDAY MAY 3RD, 2013

It's Friday again and the weather remains terrific and looks like it will remain that way finally. Some nice weather too back in the 80's but a few mornings with a bit of frost.  It's time for a Close Encounter of the May 3rd Kind.  Back in 2001 Gas at the pump was 80.9 cents where as now at our closest Gas Bar it's at 116.9 cents.

In 1851 Most of San Francisco was destroyed by fire. The had a lot of Great Fires in the 1850's. The California Gold rush starting in 1848 led to a large boom in population . In Fact between January 1848 and December of 1949 The population went from 1,000 to 25,000. It greatly complicated city planning efforts leaving narrow streets that continue to cause problems to this day.  It became America's Largest city west of the Mississippi Until it lost that title to Los Angeles in 1920. It also led to a lot of seedy characters which led to 6  or 7 fires. This was the 3rd Great fire and was the greatest of all.  It came one day after the 2nd fire so there were a lot of problems associated with the city.

In 1867 The Hudson's Bay Company gave up all claims to Vancouver Island. 

In 1915, Lt-Col John McCrae an MD from Guelph wrote "In Flanders Fields" in 20 minutes while overlooking the grave of a fellow officer at Ypres.  It first appeared in "Punch" in 1915 and became the most famous poem of World War I.

It was is 1922, that the women of Prince Edward Island were given the right to vote. Native women covered by the Indian Act were prohibited by federal legislation from voting for band councils intil 1951 and in federal elections until 1960. 

In 1937 Margaret Michell won the Pulitzer Prize for Gone with the Wind.  The movie of course came out in 1939 and became one of the biggest movies of all time and won 10 Academy Awards.

The year was 1959 The first Grammy Awards were handed out. Record of the year was Domenioco Modugno for "Nel Blu Dipindo di Blue ( Volare) and Album of the year went to Henry  Mancini's Music from  Peter Gunn. 

In 1969 the RCMP nabbed Jimmi Hendrix at Pearson for possession of drugs,  He was released on $10,000 bail. I was never into his music but he had some Damn good quotes including this one:

and “I'm the one that's got to die when it's time for me to die, so let me live my life the way I want to.” 

In 1979, a New York City Woman won $854,000 in a case against her plastic surgeon who re-located her Belly Button 2 Inches off-centre.  The Doctor didn't have very good Naval Intelligence.  "why was the Blond's Belly Button Bruised HER HUSBAND WAS BLOND TOO.

In 1980 Canada's Fergie Jenkins won a baseball game which gave him 100 wins in both the American League and the National Leagues.

Dolly Parton's DOLLYWOOD opened up in Tennessee.  It's a 150 acre theme park and attracts about 2 and one half million people annually.  It is the biggest "ticketed" tourist attraction in Tennessee.  If you are a big Taylor Swift fan these days just think of Taylor as DOLLY PARTON without TAXES.

In 1991 The last "Dallas" of the first series was shown.  Of course there is a new series but now J.R. is no longer on it because of Larry Hagman's death.

BIRTHDAY PEEPS FOR MAY THE 3RD.

James Brown (1933-2006) "I feel Good: etc., Bing Crosby (Bing came from a cartoon in the newspaper when he was growing Up) (1903-1977) He died "playing a round". Mary Hopkin (Those were the Days), Frankie Valli (The 4 Seasons who started out as The Four Lovers( is  76, Pete Seeger (If I had a Hammer) He sang with the Weavers and is 94 today, Sugar Ray Robinson (1920-1989), Golda Meir (1898-1978), Christina Hendricks (Mad Men) who drives all the men Mad.  There is a Canadian connection.  She was a natural Blond but started dying her hair Red from watching Anne of Green Gables on TV and she and Dolly would make a Lovely Pair.  Hockey's Rod Langway is 56 and Ron Hextall who is probably the only NHL player born in Taiwan is 49.  Doug Henning the Great Canadian Illusionist (1947-2000).


and finally....

Tomorrow....MAY THE 4TH BE WITH YOU.

Mornin' everybody Mornin'