Mullet Over ~ Keep track of your luggage

March 18, 2009

James K WhiteIs it dry in your part of the country? In some parts of Sudan, the average rainfall is less than one tenth of one inch each year. In some areas of Chile, there has been no recorded rain in the last 400 years. I understand that very little rice is grown in these regions and casualties resulting from alligator attacks are quite rare.

Speaking of casualties, I read a grim statistic referring to the U.S. involvement in the Viet Nam War: Our military folks calculated that American combatants fired approximately 2200 rounds per fatal enemy casualty. However, the specially trained sniper squads averaged 1.3 rounds per fatal casualty.

Way back in 1930 one Ellen Church became the first flight attendant. I wonder if luggage was lost on this flight – sorry, I have experiences that prompted that comment.

Also, 1930 was the year of the horrible fire at the Columbus, Ohio penitentiary. At least 320 people perished in that deadly inferno. Apparently some convicts in the “I” sector deliberately set the fire to use as a diversion in a grand escape attempt. According to records, no one escaped. One guard had keys and could have opened many of the barred doors that confined the doomed, but he had orders to never unlock the cells during a widespread disturbance.

If you happened to have known Margaret Gorman of Washington, D.C., then you were acquainted with the very first Miss America (1921). Competition might have been somewhat less intense back then because there were fewer states.

The number 1 most watched TV program (including syndication) is Wheel of Fortune. I sometimes watch the show and often find myself wanting to buy a vowel.

Someone with a grant or lots of time did a survey of music experts and industry professionals, using the results to rank and list the top 100 “Songs of the Century” for the 1900s. The number one rated song was “Over the Rainbow” (1939) from the Wizard of Oz. Number two was “White Christmas” (1942). “Heartbreak Hotel” was number eighty-seven. One of my favorites – “Don’t Worry, Be Happy” – was not on the list which makes me wonder if the whole project was bogus.

The rainiest region in Europe is Bosnia-Herzegovina with an average annual rainfall that exceeds 183 inches.

Well, I hope that you keep track of your luggage and that you have a splendiferous (big word for me) week.

James White is a retired mathematics teacher who enjoys sharing fascinating trivia. He can be reached at jkwhite46 @gmail.com.

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Made in the USA


I wish all Americans would start thinking the way this lady does. Then we wouldn’t cause more problems for our country and negatively impact the future of our children and grandchildren!!

Friends, in our current economic situation, every little thing we buy or do affects someone else – perhaps even their job. I think this lady is on the right track.

Hi friends,
I am so surprised by what I discovered I have to share it with you.

I don't know how many households there are in the U.S. but if these were the only things we bought think of the impact!

This past weekend I was at Kroger. I needed 60 watt light bulbs and Bounce dryer sheets. I was in the light bulb aisle and right next to the GE brand I normally buy was an off brand labeled "Everyday Value." I picked up both types of bulbs and compared the stats – they were the same except for the price. The GE bulbs were more money than the everyday value brand but the thing that surprised me the most was the fact that GE was made in Mexico and the Everyday Value brand was made in – get ready for this – the USA.

So throw out the myth that you cannot find products you use every day that are made right here – from a company in Cleveland, Ohio!

So on to another aisle – Bounce dryer sheets … yep, you guessed it. Bounce was more money and made in Canada; the Everyday Value brand was less money and made in the USA! I did laundry yesterday and the dryer sheets performed just like the Bounce Free I have been using for years and at almost half the price!

So my challenge to you is to start reading the labels when you shop for everyday things and see what you can find that is made in the USA – the job you save may be your own or your neighbor’s!

If you accept the challenge, share this with others so we can all start buying American, one light bulb at a time!

Stop buying from China! We should have awakened a decade ago. Let’s get with the program. Help our fellow Americans keep their jobs ... and create more jobs here in the USA.