That's a lot!

Clay County, West Virginia Courthouse (retired)
Photo: www.wikipedia.org

 On January 26, 1960 a young Danny Heater was a student athlete at Brunsville High School in Braxton County, West Virginia.  That night they played a basketball game against Widen High School in Clay County.
  It was, as it turned out, historic.  Young Mr. Heater scored 135 points!  He also had high numbers of rebounds, free throws and the rest.  While not an all-level record, that's 138 points in a college game, it must be a high school record.
  Note follows.

A few days ago I covered the Japanese soldier who hadn't surrendered.  My good friend, Wilbur, out in North Dakota tells me he was on Guam at the time this man was caught stealing a chicken.  That of course led to the incidents in the story.  Wilbur had an office in the Air Terminal and was present when the man was brought in.

How did we ever manage before this?

President John F. Kennedy at the press conference
Photo: www.wikipedia.org

  Today is the 52nd anniversary of the televised Presidential Press Conference.  Commonplace now but history making in January 1961 - the first time.
  It's hard to imagine now how important that may have been.  With twenty-four hour non-stop news in several formats is the rule, but it wasn't always this way.
  But that press conference while not as important, as say the telegraph, it was ground-breaking; it made the President more human and approachable.  Imagine that.

How it looked at home, in black and white.
Photo: www.wikipedia.org

Never surrender

Shoichis Cave, his home from 1945-1972 - click to enlarge
Photo: www.wikipedia.org

  On January 24, 1972 authorities found Shoichi Yokoi.  The man, a Sergent in the Japanese Imperial Army, had been on Guam since 1943.  World War 2 ended but Shoichi had vowed to never surrender.
In the end he had no choice, his option exhausted, the cave had been located.  It is now a tourist attraction.
  He was cleaned up and fed and had an exhaustive medical examination, and finally, returned to Japan to a bewildered nation who had long thought him dead.
  That's this day in history.  American history (label) you ask?  Guam and the neighboring islands of the Northern Marianas are a U S Territory, ever since the end of the Spanish American War.

Shoichi gets his first haircut in a long time, before going home.
Photo: www.wikipedia.org

What's at the bottom of the ocean in Kansas?

Some of the calcite boulders in Kansas - click to enlarge
Photo: www.wikipedia.org
 

  In eastern Kansas' Ottawa County you will find Rock City.  Rock City isn't a government project but it is run by a non-profit.
  These really are a geological surprise to me.  The calcium part of calcite is from seashells and that sort of thing that are at the bottom of the ocean.  Kansas is a long way from the ocean these days but
way back you could get a good buy on a beach house.
  If you wanted to see such  a sight locate the Town of Minneapolis. It's in a triangle with Kansas City and Topeka and not too far from Atchison (Santa Fe is not connected here).
  Odd things in this world and most are a mystery to me.  If you're ever out roaming around stop and see Rock City.

Another view - click to enlarge
Photo: www.wikipedia.org

What's up doc?

  That's the problem, a blanked brain, and no I don't have a backup.  Oh well!  The visit went okay, no surprises, well maybe one.
  The diagnosis was pneumonia and that certainly wasn't surprising; it was the acute renal insufficiency thing that bothered the most.  The kidney function and pneumonia are probably related and will cure at the same rate. Blood test again this week and more doctor talk a week from now.  Blood pressure problem is no more, it's back to near normal and continues to improve, still not taking any high blood pressure medications (I use 2).
  So, there you have it.  Only one dream about a company called 0 (zero), it's non-profit with no employees but issues 1099's to just about everyone, the fields are all filled with zeros too. 

A daydream believer?

  As you may recall from my last post it all started with a dream.  I dream a lot.  I don't know if it more than most people, less or about the same.  I do know they don't take long to develop and don't last long from beginning to end.  I often snooze, maybe 4 to 10 seconds I'd say, while watching TV.  Sometimes I "think" it's in concert with what's on the screen but not always.  I'll demonstrate from yesterday.
  I had read the story about the girl who asked Victoria's Secret to make her mother a mastectomy bra, they're considering the idea.  In my dream a lady was being fitted, I think there was no visual, and wanted to tell the store lady that she needed to use a "daily cream" on that one, she instead used the words "dairy queen".  This was not a visual dream, just words.
  I saw a story about not keeping chickens in cages, okay I guess, farm stories are always interesting.  I dreamt that a farm wife with an unusually round face and her skinny husband took my captive when I tried to sneak on to a chicken farm.  I didn't have a reason to be there, just looking I guess.
  I saw an ad for the upcoming movie "Identity Theft".  I dreamed that I could no longer drive and needed to find a driver.  A friend said " I know a guy with an 8 year old hamster", I checked the man out.  He needed my office phone number and 3 labels from some of my mail, he wasn't hired.  And how in hell would a hamster be a good driver?
  Doctors this afternoon I'll keep you posted.