COLLEGE FOOTBALL SEASON ENDS TONIGHT

This years college football season will come to an end tonight with BCS championship game between LSU and Ohio State in New Orleans. Ohio State will be looking to erase last years embarrassing loss to Florida while LSU will feel like they are playing a home game since Baton Rouge is so close to New Orleans. In the NFL yesterday the NY Giants and San Diego Chargers moved on to next weeks conference semifinals games. The Ch boys basketball team will be in action tonight on the road when hey travel to Atlee to play the Raiders, tomorrow they will return home to play Thomas Dale and girls team will travel to Thomas Dale. Well so far I can't tell much difference taking cherry juice for my gout, as far as I can tell Advil works just as well. The weather here in Colonial Heights can't get much better than it's going to be over the next two days for January, it going to be sunny and in the low 70's, I might have to pull my shorts back out. I am also I bit sore from using moms new gazelle, especially my arms. MICKEY

Diligence is the mother of good luck.
Benjamin Franklin

1782 - The Bank of North America opened in Philadelphia, making it the first commercial bank in the United States.
1894 - W.(William) K.(Kennedy) L.(Laurie) Dickson received a patent for motion picture film. His demonstration included a 47-frame film. The demo ran about two seconds and showed comedian Fred Ott sneezing. Congratulations W.K.L., and bless you Fred!
1904 - The distress signal, “CQD”, was established this day. It didn’t last long. Four years later, “SOS” became the radio distress signal because it was quicker to transmit by wireless radio and could not be misinterpreted.
1927 - 31 calls were made on this, the first day of transatlantic telephone service. Service began between New York and London. The calls cost $75.00 (U.S.) each for five minutes.
1940 - The gate to Gene Autry’s Melody Ranch opened. The ‘singing cowboy’ would entertain on CBS radio for the next 16 years.
1950 - Ernest Tubb made his first appearance at The Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, TN. Ernest also did a 15-minute radio program each day that became very popular in West Texas. So popular, in fact, that he bought the radio station that had aired the program for years and years: KGKL in San Angelo, Texas.
1954 - The Duoscopic TV receiver was unveiled. The TV set allowed a person or group to watch two different shows at the same time. It was a primitive, picture-in-picture, split-screen that was tested in New York City and Chicago. The set was a product of DuMont Laboratories; which owned the DuMont Television Network.
1968 - U.S. postage rates increased a penny; taking the cost of sending an ounce of mail up to six cents.
1990 - The Tower of Pisa closed to the public after leaning too far. The closing of the monument allowed “the work of consolidation of the foundations and reduction of the inclination.” The tower reopened on Dec 15, 2001 to guided visits only (with a maximum of 30 people), accompanied by employed personnel (the visit takes about 35 minutes).
1996 - A blizzard paralyzed the Eastern U.S. The storm moved slowly, taking five days to reach New England from the Gulf of Mexico. The National Weather Service called it a storm of “historic proportions” with more than two feet of snow in the Baltimore and Washington, DC area. The mountains of Virginia and West Virginia got up to three feet. More than 100 deaths were blamed on the storm -- the majority from heart attacks.


Positive purpose
Certain opportunities will come and go. Yet it is never too late and never too early to experience the richness of living with positive purpose.

Circumstances change from moment to moment, week to week, and year to year. And in every circumstance there are ways to find true fulfillment.

You can always make a difference. You can always make a valuable contribution.

By so doing, you connect yourself to life's greatest treasures. For the treasures that bring fulfillment are the ones you have a part in creating.

The joys of this golden moment are yours to live, no matter how you arrived here. For in this moment you have the opportunity to give the best of yourself.

This day is as fresh and wonderful and filled with opportunity as any you've ever known. Live it with positive purpose, and taste the richness you will surely create.
-- Ralph Marston


William Peter Blatty Author ("The Exorcist") is 80
Jack Greene Country singer is 78
Paul Revere Rock musician is 70
Kenny Loggins Rock singer is 60
Marshall Chapman Rock singer, songwriter is 59
Juan Gabriel Singer is 58
Erin Gray Actress is 58
Sammo Hung Actor is 56
David Caruso Actor ("CSI: Miami") is 52
Katie Couric CBS News anchor is 51
David Lee Murphy Country singer is 49
Kathy Valentine Rock musician (The Go-Gos) is 49
David Marciano Actor is 48
Hallie Todd Actress ("Lizzie McGuire") is 46
Nicolas Cage Actor is 44
John Ondrasik Rock siger, songwriter (Five for Fighting) is 43
Doug E. Doug Actor is 38
Kevin Rahm Actor is 37
Bobby Engram Football player is 35
John Rich Country musician (Big and Rich) is 34
Eric Gagne Baseball player is 32
Dustin Diamond Actor is 31
Alfonso Soriano Baseball player 30
Francisco Rodriguez Baseball player is 26
Robert Ri'chard Actor is 25
Liam Aiken Actor is 18
Camryn Grimes Actress is 18
Max Morrow Actor is 17