USMB Coffee Shop IV

[boedicca]

And for today's history lesson:

On this day in history, August 15, 1939, The Wizard of Oz premiered at Grauman's Chinese Theater in Los Angeles, California. Adapted from the 1900 novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum, it would become one of the best known films of all time and part of American popular culture and remains one of America's most beloved.

Despite a 'perfect' cast of Judy Garland, Ray Bolger, Jack Halen, Bert Lahr et al, and accolades for its use of Technicolor, fantasy storytelling, ground breaking musical score, and amazing characters using elaborate make-up and special effects, it was also MGM's most expensive film up to that point. It failed to recoup the investment initially but would make up for that many times over later in subsequent releases. It was first broadcast on television in 1956 and that has become an annual tradition.

It was nominated for six Academy Awards that year. It lost out to 'best picture' to Gone with the Wind, but it won two others including best original song: "Over the Rainbow" that would go on to be highly ranked among the best 100 songs of all time. The film was named the most viewed motion picture on television syndication in history by the Library of Congress (who also preserved the film to the National Film Registry in its inaugural year (1989) for being "culturally, historically, and aesthetically significant." It is often ranked among the Top 10 Best Movies of All Time.

I love this movie - it's the first one I remember ever seeing on tv when I was a wee tot.

I also collected the L.F. Baum books...and devoured them.

 

[Big Black Dog]

And for today's history lesson:

On this day in history, August 15, 1939, The Wizard of Oz premiered at Grauman's Chinese Theater in Los Angeles, California. Adapted from the 1900 novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum, it would become one of the best known films of all time and part of American popular culture and remains one of America's most beloved.

Despite a 'perfect' cast of Judy Garland, Ray Bolger, Jack Halen, Bert Lahr et al, and accolades for its use of Technicolor, fantasy storytelling, ground breaking musical score, and amazing characters using elaborate make-up and special effects, it was also MGM's most expensive film up to that point. It failed to recoup the investment initially but would make up for that many times over later in subsequent releases. It was first broadcast on television in 1956 and that has become an annual tradition.

It was nominated for six Academy Awards that year. It lost out to 'best picture' to Gone with the Wind, but it won two others including best original song: "Over the Rainbow" that would go on to be highly ranked among the best 100 songs of all time. The film was named the most viewed motion picture on television syndication in history by the Library of Congress (who also preserved the film to the National Film Registry in its inaugural year (1989) for being "culturally, historically, and aesthetically significant." It is often ranked among the Top 10 Best Movies of All Time.

Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain.

 

[Sarah G]

Morning all! Today is Lemon Meringue Pie Day. My favorite pie, and dessert for that matter is apple pie, but Lemon Meringue Pie is still quite good...

Have a great day folks!

Okay, you finally hit one of my all time irresistible weaknesses. A good lemon meringue pie is my all time favorite dessert. And now my mouth is watering.

Doesn't that look like the most perfect dessert ever?

 

[Derideo_Te]

And the count down to no rep is in place

TGIF - we got our La Pavoni back from the repair shop yesterday...finally, a good cappuccino!

I love a good cappuccino.

So where is the count down clock?

 

[boedicca]

And the count down to no rep is in place

TGIF - we got our La Pavoni back from the repair shop yesterday...finally, a good cappuccino!

I love a good cappuccino.

So where is the count down clock?

I can't tell you how great is it to have that first sip of cappuccino after a week of drip coffee.

I suspect the countdown clock is on CK's forehead. We need a live cam.

 

[Pogo]

And for today's history lesson:

On this day in history, August 15, 1939, The Wizard of Oz premiered at Grauman's Chinese Theater in Los Angeles, California. Adapted from the 1900 novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum, it would become one of the best known films of all time and part of American popular culture and remains one of America's most beloved.

Despite a 'perfect' cast of Judy Garland, Ray Bolger, Jack Halen, Bert Lahr et al, and accolades for its use of Technicolor, fantasy storytelling, ground breaking musical score, and amazing characters using elaborate make-up and special effects, it was also MGM's most expensive film up to that point. It failed to recoup the investment initially but would make up for that many times over later in subsequent releases. It was first broadcast on television in 1956 and that has become an annual tradition.

It was nominated for six Academy Awards that year. It lost out to 'best picture' to Gone with the Wind, but it won two others including best original song: "Over the Rainbow" that would go on to be highly ranked among the best 100 songs of all time. The film was named the most viewed motion picture on television syndication in history by the Library of Congress (who also preserved the film to the National Film Registry in its inaugural year (1989) for being "culturally, historically, and aesthetically significant." It is often ranked among the Top 10 Best Movies of All Time.

A story all the more fascinating when one reads the allegorical plan of the plot.

Too political to post here but .... more here: a full blown parable on Populism.

Fun fact: the original actor cast to play the Tin Man had to bow out of the filming when the aluminum dust used for the makeup caused a severe reaction that almost killed him. His name was Buddy Ebsen and a quarter century later played Jed Clampett.

​

He lived to be 95 so apparently the aluminum dust didn't cause permanent damage.

 

[Ringel05]

What a week, so much done. Just a few more stubborn piles that have stuck around too long to do today, then next week I can go back to being lazy!

I'd love to be lazy. After moving the stuff down here to Trinidad that I didn't want to go into storage the house here is still full of boxes and other items that need to be put away. Compounding the problem is I now have to clean up the junk room which has been collecting stuff since December....... Not to mention the home office with that much filing, did I mention I HATE filing.......

 

[Againsheila]

Bad news is the leaves are already falling off the Walnut trees....About a month early....

From my point of view, that's not bad news. Surprising, maybe a little disappointing, but not bad.

 

[Sarah G]

Now that I don't work outside the home anymore, I've been eating my first meal more toward noonish.

Today, tuna sandwich with a bunch of spinach leaves, banana and a bottle of water..

Scrumptious!

 

[Sherry]

 

[Dajjal]

Hey Foxfyre, You asked me the other day if "rage" is a game you would like, but I have got fed up with it because I came to a town where you have to win races in a car to get money for machine guns, and I am a lousy driver so I keep crashing. So I stopped playing rage and loaded" Wolfenstein the new order" today. I have now had to stop playing it because I have a sore bum from sitting at the computer so long. I am really enjoying wolfenstein, and I can recommend it. That's if you like killing lots of Germans.

 

[Statistikhengst]

dajjal, hope you are well.

Stat's comment about a massive pool made me think about Britain's massive sea side pools along the country's coasts.

Tidal salt-water open air swimming pools

Compiled by Oliver Merrington
Waterbeach, Cambridge.

Devil's Point, PlymouthA number of British seaside resorts have tidal pools which fill up with seawater at every high-tide. When the tide goes down, the sun heats the water and makes an ideal swimming pool for children and adults, without the dangers of waves or unexpected currents. Some resorts provide life-guards, but they are usually unmanned. Tidal salt-water seaside swimming pools, by Oliver Merrington

We just spent 7 hours at a very large indoor pool complex called AGGUA in a neaby city called Troisdorf.

We just got in the door and the little one's eyes are already very, very heavy. But we had a blast. But my oh my, she really is getting good at swimming and is not at all afraid of underwater swimming.

As is so often the case in life, sometimes the things closest to home are actually the farthest away. The usual 20 minute route to get there was closed due to construction, the secondary path had traffic jams, etc..... took one hour to get there. Aaaargh!

 

[gallantwarrior]

Tuna sandwich sounds real tasty right now. Alas, being on a strict weight loss program, I am a bit limited with my menu selections. But this program is working and I have lost 35 lbs already, with 15 more to go. I feel rejuvenated and might be inspired to shop for some new clothes soon. Right now, I'm just cinching the belt a bit tighter.
I posted my goats for sale on CL this morning. I hope that most of them will find homes. The alternative is not really my favorite option. But, the sooner I divest myself of my stock holdings, the sooner I can start putting together a road stake to move down where my daughter and granddaughters are. If the moles won't come to the mountain...or something like that.

 

[Statistikhengst]

looking at the calendar i see its august 14th already. i noticed on the way into work some of the Ash and sumac trees are starting to turn colors already. The nights are starting to get cold and it felt like fall in the air this morning. Where did this summer go? It seems to have gone faster than usual.

It's been an interesting summer for me. I've spent most of it as a bachelor. My wife works in the school system and has summers off. this summer she has taken advantage of that time and did a lot of traveling with friends. She spent a week at a friends summer house on the beach in North Carolina. Then we managed to squeeze a wek in at our shore house. Then she was off to vegas for a week and a half. home for the weekend to see two plays and do a mystery theater dinner. then she was back down to our shore house for a week with her friends. Back for a few more plays, then a week up in the Berkshires. This week her friends form Vegas are out staying with us. Next week she does a 3 day wine tour wine a bunch of her friends. and the last week of summer we finally get away together again. It's good that she is getting away because i have been buried at work with two special projects. I actually had to switch one weeks vacation this summer and cancel another. hopefully these nightmares will die down shortly.

But one thing for sure, it all has made for the fastest summer on record. i feel like i haven't done any of the normal summer things. haven't been fishing once. Haven't been hiking and taking my normal massive amount of pictures. Never started my bike up or got it inspected this year. I think if i've been in the pool 10 times that is it.

I've spent most of the summer decorating my new place. I woke up this morning and there was certainly a chill in the air. My friend and I decided to go garage saling today and it was so much fun, really nice day. We went to Chick-fil-A for lunch then I came home and incorporated the things I bought.

I know winter was bad last year, hope it isn't quite that extreme again but I really love Fall and Winter.

I left work early yesterday and went for a walk. The temperature was just 80 with a fresh cool breeze which is strange for mid August. Then I started noticing that the trees had yellowing leaves. All except for the big maples were showing signs of Fall. Last week the geese were overhead in the evening practicing their formation flying which usually only happens in the Fall too.

When I mentioned this to Mrs Te she said that we are in for a early Fall and more polar vortexes this Winter. This is what I found online;

Fall 2014: Polar Vortex to Visit Northeast; South at Risk for Tropical Hit

Polar Vortex to Return Early in the Northeast
While the fall will kick off with days of sunshine and temperatures above normal in some of the region's largest cities, including New York City and Philadelphia, the polar vortex may make its return for short, sporadic periods in September.
"The vortex could slip at times, maybe even briefly in September for the Northeast," AccuWeather Lead Long-Range Forecaster Paul Pastelok said. "There could be a significant shot of chilly air that comes across the Great Lakes region and into the interior Northeast sometime in mid- to late-September."
As conditions in northern Canada begin to set up similar to last fall, getting colder and unsettled quickly, it is likely that this pattern could become a source for colder air to make its way down at times into the United States, inducing a drop in temperatures for the interior Northeast during mid-fall.
"Temperatures will not be as extreme in November when compared to last year, but October could be an extreme month," Pastelok said.
After short-lived days of the polar vortex in September, the weather should turn a bit warmer in November as rain ramps up across areas from New York City to Boston and Portland, Maine, as well as the rest of the region.
"We will see some dry weather in the Northeast, barring any tropical systems, in September and October but in November it will get wet," Pastelok said.
Following a soaking November for Northeastern residents, El Niño will make its debut early this winter, fueling early winter snow across the area.
"December could get kind of wild due to the very active southern jet stream that is going to provide the moisture for bigger snowstorms," Pastelok said. "The Northeast could have a couple of big storms in December and early January."

The current weather in Bonn/Cologne/Koblenz is the coolest on average in all of Germany's recorded weather history and totally uncharacteristic for August. It really does feel like Fall.

Isn't it just my dumb luck that the hottest weekend in years, namely, mid-July, was the weekend where I painted my place. And today is was cool enough to warrant wearing a jacket. Not only that, more precip thus far in August since the early 1930s.

Ugh.

 

[Statistikhengst]

Morning all! Today is Lemon Meringue Pie Day. My favorite pie, and dessert for that matter is apple pie, but Lemon Meringue Pie is still quite good...

Have a great day folks!

Salivate, salivate, salivate....


FOOD!!!

 

[Statistikhengst]

And for today's history lesson:

On this day in history, August 15, 1939, The Wizard of Oz premiered at Grauman's Chinese Theater in Los Angeles, California. Adapted from the 1900 novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum, it would become one of the best known films of all time and part of American popular culture and remains one of America's most beloved.

Despite a 'perfect' cast of Judy Garland, Ray Bolger, Jack Halen, Bert Lahr et al, and accolades for its use of Technicolor, fantasy storytelling, ground breaking musical score, and amazing characters using elaborate make-up and special effects, it was also MGM's most expensive film up to that point. It failed to recoup the investment initially but would make up for that many times over later in subsequent releases. It was first broadcast on television in 1956 and that has become an annual tradition.

It was nominated for six Academy Awards that year. It lost out to 'best picture' to Gone with the Wind, but it won two others including best original song: "Over the Rainbow" that would go on to be highly ranked among the best 100 songs of all time. The film was named the most viewed motion picture on television syndication in history by the Library of Congress (who also preserved the film to the National Film Registry in its inaugural year (1989) for being "culturally, historically, and aesthetically significant." It is often ranked among the Top 10 Best Movies of All Time.

I love this movie - it's the first one I remember ever seeing on tv when I was a wee tot.

I also collected the L.F. Baum books...and devoured them.

And my mother's favorite young actress and singer: Judy Garland.

 

[Jughead]

Morning all! Today is Lemon Meringue Pie Day. My favorite pie, and dessert for that matter is apple pie, but Lemon Meringue Pie is still quite good...

Have a great day folks!

Okay, you finally hit one of my all time irresistible weaknesses. A good lemon meringue pie is my all time favorite dessert. And now my mouth is watering.

Doesn't that look like the most perfect dessert ever?

Although I have a weakness for homemade apple pie, lemon meringue pie comes in at a close second, along with key lime pie ...

 

[Againsheila]

Okay, I haven't read any posts today so if I missed something, I'm sorry. Happy Happy Joy Joy. The oncologist today said he doesn't think it's invasive breast cancer, though we won't know for sure until Monday. The Mammogram and ultrasound only showed a thickening of the skin, no masses. So, let me just say, YIPPEE!!!

Monday, when the results come in (hopefully negative), I'm planning on a party. I'm going to get me some champagne and go out to eat some place fancy.

 

[saveliberty]

Of course everyone is feeling better, I expected nothing less.

 

[Ringel05]

Okay, I haven't read any posts today so if I missed something, I'm sorry. Happy Happy Joy Joy. The oncologist today said he doesn't think it's invasive breast cancer, though we won't know for sure until Monday. The Mammogram and ultrasound only showed a thickening of the skin, no masses. So, let me just say, YIPPEE!!!

Monday, when the results come in (hopefully negative), I'm planning on a party. I'm going to get me some champagne and go out to eat some place fancy.

Good to hear.
I waited to say anything but two days ago radiology called my wife, needed more mammo-picts, asymmetrical and dense tissue seen in her right breast. She's 50, almost 51, so they just want to be sure, it only normal "growth" (best word I can come up with).