GMT

Good Morning


The sac a lait are biting.




Today in History.



1803
The United States takes possession of the Louisiana area from France at New Orleans with a simple ceremony, the simultaneous lowering and raising of the national flags.
1861
Banks in the United States suspend the practice of redeeming paper money for metal currency, a practice that would continue until 1879.
1862
The draft of the Emancipation Proclamation is finished and circulated among President Abraham Lincoln's cabinet for comment.
1905
Governor Frank Steunenberg of Idaho is killed by an assassin's bomb.

1922
Soviet Russia is renamed the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics.
1932
The Soviet Union bars food handouts for housewives under 36 years of age. They must now work to eat.
1947
Romania's King Michael is forced to abdicate by Soviet-backed Communists. Communists now control all of Eastern Europe.
1965
Ferdinand E. Marcos is sworn in as the Philippine Republic's sixth president.
1972
After two weeks of heavy bombing raids on North Vietnam, President Nixon halts the air offensive and agrees to resume peace negotiations with Hanoi representative Le Duc Tho.

1976
Governor Carey of New York pardons seven inmates, closing the book on the Attica uprising.
2006
Saddam Hussein, former Iraq dictator, is executed by hanging for crimes committed against his own people during his rule.



Joke of the day


Abe and Esther are flying to Australia for a two week vacation to celebrate their 40th anniversary.
Suddenly, over the public address system, the Captain announces, "Ladies and Gentlemen, I am afraid I have some very bad news. Our engines have ceased functioning and we will attempt an emergency landing.
Luckily, I see an uncharted island below us and we should be able to land on the beach. However, the odds are that we may never be rescued and will have to live on the island for the rest of our lives!"

Thanks to the skill of the flight crew, the plane lands safely on the island. An hour later Abe turns to his wife and asks, "Esther, did we pay our $5,000 PBS pledge check yet?"

No, sweetheart," she responds.

Abe, still shaken from the crash landing, then asks, "Esther, did we pay our American Express card yet?"

"Oh, no! I'm sorry. I forgot to send the check," she says.

"One last thing, Esther. Did you remember to send checks for the Visa and MasterCard this month?" he asks.

"Oh, forgive me, Abie," begged Esther. "I didn't send that one, either."

Abe grabs her and gives her the biggest kiss in 40 years.

Esther pulls away and asks him, "What was that for?"



Abe answers, "They'll find us!"