It's a Wits and Weights Tuesday on Blind Cafe

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Julie Parker

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Feb 3, 2014, 10:14:14 PM2/3/14

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Good Morning Members, it’s a Wits and Weights Tuesday on Blind Café!!

*Thanks to all our hosts and hostesses who work very hard to entertain our members.

**“We hope you enjoy your day on Blind Café”

Date: February 4th, 2014

****On the Menu every day is for our new members as it has instructions on how to subscribe to our chat list and Menu. Also it gives a description of what can be found in a room by hitting F6. All other members can skip this section and go down to our Senior Menu to find a quick guide to today’s events. Our next section The Classic Menu gives a description of how our games are played. Finally our Dessert Menu is at the bottom of the page and is filled with articles from our members.

*BLIND CAFÉ’S Menu Favorites on the Menu every day:

*Check out our recipe on today’s menu in the Bistro, if you have a recipe that you would like to submit, please send it to ju...@blindcafe.net

*Located at the bottom of the menu you will find our Members Corner. Here we post Tid bits about Medical updates, Financial News, Today in history, zilch replays, Jokes, and other interesting articles sent in by our members.

. If you would like to submit an article please send it to ju...@blindcafe.net

*To chat to your friends on Blind Café go to blindcafech...@yahoogroups.com

*Blind Café recommends Cavi courses. If you are interested in any Cavi courses you can visit:
www.cavitraining.com
Or if you have any questions for Monica you can e mail her at:
mon...@ciscovision.org

*Mystery Theatre. Press F6 and listen to one of our very own produced mini who dun nit plays, starring our very own Blind Café Members.

*Press F6 in our Faith Chapel and list to one of Pastor Jonathon or Pastor Volly Nelson’s Sermons.

*Press F6 in The Pirate’s Cove and sail away to the Island with Jimmy Buffet.

*Press F6 in Laughing Leprechaun and enjoy the luck of the Irish.

*Gadget’s Tech Room. Hit F6 and hear instructions on how to use I Phone Ap’s.

*I didn’t know that learning Centre. Hit F6 and listen to our learning tutorials and self defense presentations.

*Café Premier Events Room. Sit back, hit F6 and get ready to listen to our full length, hilariously funny Christmas play that our Blind Café members acted in. “What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas”

* Blind Café’s 2013, Murder in the Café Manor Halloween Horror Production by Julie P and Patti Woodworth

**Our 2013 Café Expresso Christmas Play, starring Willie and Jeannie Wilson as Santa and Mrs. Claus. See how our members turned into rogue toys and elves. Laugh along as poor Sweet P gets hit with the white stuff that she hates so much and last but not least, see how Lorraine runs Grandma over with the reindeer. For some reason Confetti and crew seem to have a hard time with getting Willie off the ground. Written and Produced by Julie Parker and Patti Woodworth, it’s definitely a must to listen to.

*T.V Land. Kick back, put your feet up, relax on one of our comfortable couches, hit f 6 and watch one of our old time classic T.V shows. We have more shows coming soon.

*The Café Comedy Lounge. Hit F6 and get ready for some great comedians like Jeff Dunham, Roy D Mercer, Rodney Carrington Songs, James Gregory, Ron White, Larry the Cable Guy, Bill Cosby, Jeanne Roberson, Hee Haw Episodes and our very own John Harris and Willie in the Copper Clapper! Enjoy a great laugh whenever you want to get happy!

*Movies, Movies, Movies:

We have over 600 described movies for your enjoyment. Come in to Willie’s cinema and watch the movie of your choice 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Press F6 from the main room window, and choose the movie you would like to play. Happy movie watching, and don’t forget to bring the popcorn.

**BLIND CAFÉ Senior Menu:

7 am Join Julie and the breakfast club crew in the Donut and Coffee shop.

*11am Join Andrew for a game of Pig in the winners circle.

2 pm Join your host Patti W and her computer Sparky for a game of Zilch!

4pm I didn’t know that learning center. Want to learn how to bowl? Come join Terry and the Blind Café Bowling League. Terry will explain how you can get signed up today!

7pm I-Phon Info with Jim. See you in Gadget’s Tech Room with your I-Phone questions!

8pm Wits and Weights with Sergeant Rock and Julie P.

9pm Join Scooby for Connect 3

***BLIND CAFÉ’S New Events Menu:

New Event:

February 15^th. In addition to our talent contest we will be performing our fall auction songs. Please get together with the person who bid on you so you can rehearse the song.

****BLIND CAFÉ’S Classic Menu includes times and explanations of games, please read below. All times are Eastern Standard:

7 am The Donut and Coffee Shop opens:

Join our breakfast club and find out about world events and what the weather is like in each others neck of the woods. If you are an early riser you will find one of us lingering around our freshly brewed coffee. If you like to dunk your donut, you had better grab one quick before Willie eats them all!

Join Julie P this morning for coffee and laughs.

11am Pig in The Winners Circle. Sponsored by Chris and Cheryl Spencer:

Join Andrew for a morning game of Pig. Just keep rolling the dice until either your luck runs out or you bank your points. This game is like press your luck. If you like frustration, you will love playing this game.

11:30 am the Bistro Opens Sponsored by Chris Spencer:

Join us for lunchtime chat and sandwiches, croissants or try one of our French pastries for dessert. Fresh on the Menu today. Sent in by Jonathan.

Mississippi Roast

1 beef or pork roast

1 package of dry Hidden Valley Ranch

1 package of dry Zesty Italian seasoning

1 package of dry McCormick Au Jus mix or (dry brown gravy mix)

1 stick of butter

Pepperoni Pepper as many as you like

Place roast in bottom of Crockpot, Sprinkle with Ranch Dressing mix, then the Zesty Italian mix, then the brown gravy mix, then place one stick of butter on top of the roast and then the Pepperoncini. DO NOT ADD WATER. Then cook on low for 7 to 8 hours.

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2pm Zilch In the Zilch out room:

Join Patti W and her computer Sparky for a game of Zilch. Just remember not to Zilch Out!

4pm I didn’t know that learning center. Blind Café Bowlling:

Join Terry and sign up for our bowling League

4 pm Senior moments Sponsored by our Vets:

Join Willie, Alan, Julie or Patti, for happy hour. Of course that’s if you can remember where the room is! If you have to hold the key down for an extra second because you can’t remember what you were going to say, don’t worry, you’re in the right room.

I think!

7pm I-Phone Info with Jim In Gadget’s Tech Room. Sponsored by Jim O’Neal:

Join your host Jim with all your I-Phone questions.

8pm Wits and Weights in Games R Us. Sponsored by JB Heart:

Join your hosts Sergeant Rock and Julie P for this game where the team that comes closest to the correct answer, without going over, wins double the points that were bid by the opposing team! It’s a fun and challenging game. Come on in and let us put you on a team!

9pm Connect 3 In Games R Us:

Join your host Scooby for an interesting game of Connect 3. Do you know what Door, Window and eye glasses could have in common? If you said a frame then this is the game for you. Come on by and let Scooby put you on a team!

11pm Café after Dark Opens. Sponsored by Terra Lee:

. Anyone for a late night chat? Let’s see who can stay awake the longest. If we survive until 7am we can always go down to the Donut and coffee shop and join the breakfast club where they meet every day.

*****BLIND CAFÉ’S what’s for Dessert Members Corner Menu:

*Tiffany’s Interesting Food facts of the day:

February 4
National Homemade Soup Day
National Stuffed Mushroom Day

**Thought of the day:

Thanks Sharon for today’s thought of the day.

The older we get, the fewer things seem worth waiting in line for.

***Today’s Joke of the day:

These are more groaners sent in by my friend Mike Tate. Boy some of them are bad! What does a clock do when it's hungry? It goes back four seconds.

I wondered why the baseball was getting bigger. Then it hit me!

Broken pencils are pointless.

What do you call a dinosaur with an extensive vocabulary? A thesaurus.

England has no kidney bank, but it does have a Liverpool .

I used to be a banker, but then I lost interest.

I dropped out of communism class because of lousy Marx.

All the toilets in New York 'so police stations have been stolen. Police have nothing to go on.

I got a job at a bakery because I kneaded dough.

Haunted French pancakes give me the crepes.

Velcro - what a rip off!

Cartoonist found dead in home. Details are sketchy.

Venison for dinner? Oh deer!

Earthquake in Washington obviously government's fault.

I used to think I was indecisive, but now I'm not so sure Of course! Boom Boom! Hahahahahahahah

****Most controversial statement made by a Beatle sent in by Alan:

Bigger Than Jesus single most controversial quote from the Beatles

Bigger Than Jesus
It seems only appropriate that the single most controversial quote from the
Beatles, by any Beatle, was uttered by John Lennon, the group's unspoken
leader and most colorful member.
On March 4, 1966, the following was said by Lennon:
Christianity will go. It will vanish and shrink. I needn't argue about that.
I'm right and I will be proved right. We're more popular than Jesus now. I
don't know which will go first- Rock 'n Roll or Christianity. Jesus was
alright, but his disciples were thick and ordinary. It's them twisting it
that ruins it for me.

The actual article containing the above incredible paragraph was titled "How
a Beatle Lives". It was written by Maureen Cleave, a very close friend of
Lennon and all the Beatles. It was a casual article, chronicling what John
was doing, how he was spending his life, what he did in his spare time.
These kind of innocuous articles about rock stars, movie stars, and TV stars
have always been a staple of newspapers and magazines.
Surprisingly, there was barely any backlash resulting from the controversial
quote when the article came out in England. But on July 29, an American teen
magazine called "datebook" published the quote in an article called "The Ten
Adults You Dig/ Hate Most". (As a curious sidebar, it was actually on the
cover of this issue that Paul McCartney made a derogatory quote about
America saying, "In America, they'll call you a nigger." and expounding his
opinion on the state of race relations in the US. Paul's quote was totally
ignored by fans and the media.)
It was Lennon's "Jesus" quote that ignited the firestorm. Upon the
article's release, several radio stations (mostly in the South) immediately
banned the playing of all Beatles' records. (By an amazing and funny
coincidence, one radio DJ grandly called for the banning of all Beatle
records and refused to play any on his show. That evening, the radio antenna
of the station was struck down by lightning!)
Beatles "bonfires" were quickly organized and their records ceremoniously
burned. "We didn't mind them burning Beatle records", Ringo later quipped,
and "They just re-bought them later." Some also burned copies of Lennon's
books: In His Own Write and A Spaniard in the Works. The Ku Klux Klan
actually burned effigies of the Beatles.
Even the Vatican got into the act, denouncing Lennon in their official
newspaper. One minister even threatened to excommunicate any member of his
congregation who attended a Beatles concert. Mexico, Spain, and South
Africa each officially issued a ban on all Beatles records over the quote.
Death threats were issued and sent- not only to John, but to all the
Beatles. Threats of cancellations to the boy's upcoming 14-city tour poured
forth. Brian Epstein, the Beatles' manager, immediately said "What will it
cost to cancel the tour? A million dollars? I'll pay it!" (Epstein was a
fiercely protective manager of the Beatles.)
Brian flew immediately to America and issued a statement that any venue
wishing to cancel a Beatles' concert would be allowed to. (In spite of this
statement and all the controversy, no concerts were canceled.) Epstein spoke
of deep regret about John's statement and said John's words had been
"misinterpreted".
John received an amazing amount of hate mail, but it wasn't all bad, some
priests and religious figures wrote not to threaten John, but hoping to
counsel him. A few religious figures even agreed with him, such as the
Archbishop of Boston.
John Lennon was profoundly affected- "I was scared stiff. I didn't want to
go [on the tour]. Brian and Paul and the other Beatles persuaded me to go."
"I've never seen John so nervous", recalled Paul.A public apology seemed to
be the only solution to the huge controversy.
Earlier, the first time Epstein made a call to John and put forth the
"apology" possibility, Lennon was adamant. "Tell them to get stuffed. I've
got nothing to apologize for," said Lennon. He asked Brian to cancel the
tour. "I'd rather that than to have to get up and lie. What I said stands!"
But as the days passed, the tour was set and the actual threats and physical
danger to his fellow Beatles became more apparent to Lennon. Watching the
scenes on TV of the Beatle record and album burnings also affected Lennon.
He said he didn't want to be responsible for "one more little bit of hate in
the world".
As Brian and Tony Barrow (the Beatles' press officer) entered a room to
discuss the possibility of a public apology with John, they were struck by
the most unbelievable sight either had ever seen regarding the volatile,
unpredictable, but always tough-as-nails, John Lennon. Lennon, at last
overcome by the trying circumstances, broke down in front of the two man and
sobbed, weeping real tears. Barrow recalled, "He threw his head down into
his lap and sobbed hysterically, 'Tell me what to do', he begged, 'I'll do
anything! Anything, whatever you say I should do. I'll have to say it! How
on earth can I face the others if the whole tour is called off just because
of me?'"
An apology was loosely formed and John shakily agreed to deliver it. The
Beatles arrived in Chicago on August 11 and John Lennon stepped up to the
hordes of journalists and microphones.
John: "If I'd said television is more popular than Jesus, I might have
gotten away with it. But I just happened to be talking with a friend and I
used to word "Beatles". I just said "they" as having more influence on the
kids than anything else, including Jesus. But I said it in that way, which
is the wrong way."
Reporter: "Some teenagers have repeated your statements- 'I like the Beatles
more than Jesus Christ'- what do you think about that?"
John: "I'm not saying that we're better or greater or comparing us with
Jesus as a person or God as a thing or whatever it is. I just said what I
said and it was wrong. Or it was taken wrong. And now it's all this. I'm not
anti-God, anti-Christ, or anti-religion."
Reporter: "But are you prepared to apologize?"
John: "I'm sorry I said it really. I never meant it as a lousy
anti-religious thing. I apologize if that will make you happy. I still don't
quite know what I've done. I've tried to tell you what I did do, but if you
want me to apologize, if that will make you happy, then OK, I'm sorry."
A few additional questions by the reporters followed, the rest of the
Beatles chiming in and adding a few cautious wisecracks. The tour proceeded
and extra police were dispatched to guard against possible violence.
Paul McCartney was never to forget angry hordes of furious adults and youths
pounding on the windows of the Beatles limousine and the indelible memory of
a vitriolic, red-faced, 11 or 12 year old boy pounding and screaming hate at
them.
At the concert in Memphis, a firecracker went off. All four Beatles
immediately looked at the other three, in fear that one of the others had
been shot. The Klan was there, in force, at a concert in Alabama. "We know
how to deal with them", an ominous Klansman cloaked in customary white hood
intoned. According to George, "the fans chased them away."
Yes, it was worst in the Deep South, but attendance suffered in other, more
upscale venues too. The 1966 Beatle concert at Shea Stadium, unbelievably,
had 10,000 empty seats. The tour finally ended, and if there was ever any
doubt about it being the Beatles' swan song as live performers, the "more
popular than Jesus" flap put an exclamation point at the end.
A 2008 article in the Vatican newspaper summed the whole episode up:
The remark by John Lennon, which triggered deep indignation, mainly in the
United States, after many years, sounds only like a "boast" by a young
working-class Englishman faced with unexpected success, after growing up in
the legend of Elvis and Rock 'n Roll. The fact remains that 38 years after
breaking up, the songs of the Lennon-McCartney brand have shown
extraordinary resistance to the passage of time in becoming a source of
inspiration for more than one generation of musicians.
- - -

******Christopher Columbus sent in by Alan:

The place in History of Christopher Columbus
Between the fifteenth and seventeenth centuries, a countless number of
European explorers navigated the globe in search of new lands and new
treasures. The era, known as The Age of Discovery, gave fame to some of
history's greatest seafarers-Ferdinand Magellan, Vasco da Gama, and John
Cabot to name but a few. Of all the great explorers, though, none are as
celebrated as Christopher Columbus-the man who "discovered" America.
The Making of an Explorer, 1451-92-Beginnings
Christopher Columbus was born in Genoa, Italy, in 1451. His origins were
very humble-his father was a tavern-keeper and a weaver-and so it was due to
hard work and Endeavour alone that he would achieve the riches and
distinctions of later life. Genoa was a great Italian port, and Columbus
grew up surrounded by the sea, ships, and sailors.
Columbus likely sailed from a very early age, possibly as young as 10, but
he made his first official serving voyage in 1474-75, at about age 24.
Around two years later, in 1476, he was part of a small Genoese convoy that
was intercepted and sunk by the French off the coast of Portugal. Columbus
survived by swimming to shore aided, it is said, by an oar which he used to
propel himself to safety (Thomas).Columbus settled in Lisbon, Portugal, in
1477 and married Felipa Moniz Perestrello in 1479. By now he considered
himself to be a veteran of the seas and had formulated his great plan to
sail to the Indies by crossing the Atlantic Ocean. He initially met with
frustration and his plans were rejected several times by the Portuguese, but
he finally received royal approval for the voyages from Spain in 1492-not
before the death of his wife.
The First Voyage of Christopher Columbus, 1492-93-Discovery
columbus first voyage Columbus set sail in search of the Indies Columbus set
sail from Palos, Spain on Friday, August 3, 1492, with his fleet of three
ships-the Santa Maria, Niña, and Pinta. The choice of departure day was
curious, given the widely held superstition at the time that Friday, the day
of the Lord's crucifixion, was an unlucky day (Thomas). Nevertheless,
Columbus seemed unperturbed by popular myths and ordered the anchor be
raised that Friday morning before dawn. On October 12, ironically also a
Friday, the Pintafired a cannon indicating that land had been sighted and in
the early hours of the morning Columbus and his crew made landfall on what
he quickly named San Salvador. The explorers immediately encountered bands
of primitive native inhabitants that Columbus called "Indians," firmly
believing that he had reached the Indies as planned (Henige). Columbus'
journal describes the natives as peaceful and simple people who were in awe
of their sophisticated and advanced visitors (Thomas).
Believing that he had reached a small, peripheral Asian island, Columbus
proceeded onward and landed in Cuba on Sunday, October 28, believing it to
be Japan. Upon arrival, he dispatched emissaries north to seek out Genghis
Khan or the Emperor of China (Ibid). Columbus remained utterly deluded about
his actual destination until the day he died, persistently maintaining that
he had reached the Indies.
Frustrated and perplexed by the primitive nature of the lands he was
discovering, Columbus continued onward, arriving at the island of Hispaniola
(modern- day Haiti and the Dominican Republic), but was dealt a severe blow
when the Santa Mariabecame shipwrecked and was destroyed. Without enough
space aboard the remaining ships, Columbus endeavored to create a colony on
Hispaniola, leaving behind around 40 men. Following further troubles,
including skirmishes with the natives and signs of mutiny within the crew,
Columbus resolved to return home to Spain by the middle of January 1493. He
had already made a major impact on both European and American history,
however, by establishing the first European colony in the New World.
Columbus' Second Voyage, 1493-96-The Slave Trade
Columbus had always intended to return to the New World and he was home for
only a matter of months before he again set sail for what he believed to be
Asia. His second voyage would be the longest trip of all, spanning almost
three years. The voyage included the discovery of countless more
islands,-including modern -day Jamaica, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin
Islands,-but most significant of all was the decision to send back five
shiploads of natives to Europe in what is generally regarded as the
instigation of the slave trade (Thomas).
Enslave Indians First encounter with the Native Americans
It was probably always the intention of the Spanish explorers to transport
at least some of the natives back to Europe, either in the hope of
civilizing them, turning them into Christian missionaries, studying them,
or, more likely, a combination of all three. The scale of the plan, however,
and the barbarity involved in it was made necessary in Columbus' eyes by the
need to exert control over an increasingly anarchic native population. While
the natives had initially seemed friendly, prolonged European settlement and
the seemingly tyrannical imposition of European laws and values had not gone
down well. In a desperate attempt to reassert control and punish the
perpetrators, Columbus had 1,500 natives rounded up and enslaved. Five
Hundred of these were crammed onto four ships and sent back to Spain, with
almost half dying on the voyage. Those who survived the voyage were sold as
slaves in Spain, while the prisoners who remained on Hispaniola were given
away as slaves to the colonists.
Columbus had become nothing less than a despot, and he increasingly ordered
force to be used to subdue the rest of the disturbances. A cruel system of
taxation was devised which lined Columbus' pockets with gold and
impoverished the natives (Ibid). When Columbus finally made the decision to
return home to Spain in 1496, he had set the scene for centuries of racial
conflict and imperial conquest.
Columbus' Third Voyage, 1498-1500-Arrest and Retribution
By the time Columbus embarked on his third voyage, he had become
increasingly eccentric and unstable. Nevertheless, he gained support for a
third voyage despite growing suspicions and accusations about
maladministration in Hispaniola, and concerns about his mental health. The
fleet sailed in late May, 1498.
Among the discoveries made in the third voyage were the island of Trinidad
and, significantly, the vast continent of North America. Yet Columbus
remained blinded by his conviction that he was in Asia, and never once set
foot on, or realized the importance of, the land mass that he had stumbled
upon.
All the while, Columbus was struggling to maintain control in Hispaniola.
Crucially, it was no longer the locals who were causing him the most bother,
but his own mutinous men. The Spanish sovereigns dispatched a judge to the
island to help Columbus keep the peace, but the official was shocked to
discover seven Spanish men hanging in execution. Columbus was arrested and
sent back to Spain in shame.
Columbus was lucky in that he retained the favor of the Spanish sovereigns,
however, and despite his ignominious arrest, he was in chains for only six
weeks following his return before he was released.
The Fourth Voyage, 1500-02-Columbus' Last Voyage
Despite discovering, among other places, Panama, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, and
Honduras in his final voyage, it would be remembered most for quite another
reason. Columbus and his crew became marooned in Jamaica after the ships
were damaged by a combination of enemy attack and tropical shipworms. They
remained stranded there for more than a year before help finally arrived.
After an illustrious and epoch-making career as an explorer, Columbus ended
his seafaring days with a whimper, as his ship touched back in Spain for the
final time in November 1504.
Columbus' Role in American History
Columbus is commemorated around the world
Christopher Columbus is famous the world over as the man who "discovered"
America. In America, he is widely revered as the man responsible for
founding the country that exists today. This assessment of Columbus does not
sit well with many historians, however. Modern scholarship questions how it
is possible to "discover" a place that is already inhabited, and instead
speaks of Columbus' "encounter," for example. This is a far more apt term,
since it emphasizes how the "discovery" was mutual. The American natives
were meeting the Europeans for the first time too, and the term "encounter"
better recognizes this (Axtell).
Secondly, it seems odd to give Columbus such prominence in American history
when he never set as much as one foot on North American soil. Further, his
role in the exploitation and enslavement of the native population causes
many modern commentators to squirm uneasily. So, does the place of
Christopher Columbus in American history need to be re-evaluated?
In order to answer this question it is necessary to look at how Columbus has
been perceived by Americans since he first sailed to the New World in the
late fifteenth and early sixteenth centuries. Even at the time, there was no
consensus on who had been responsible for "discovering" America. Columbus
himself stubbornly refused to accept that he had landed anywhere other than
Asia, and contemporary map- makers gave pre-eminence to Italian explorer
Amerigos Vespucci. In Britain, they tended to emphasize the role of the
Venetian explorer John Cabot (born Giovanni Caboto) who sailed to America in
1497 and who, unlike Columbus, actually disembarked and set foot on the
continent.
It wasn't until the American Revolution that Columbus began to assume the
role of a hero. Since the onset of British colonization, the North American
settlers had generally considered Britain to be their home, and Britannia to
be their "mother" (Bushman). War with the British, however, strained this
relationship, and the colonists began to search for heroes that downplayed
the role of the British and unified them as Americans. Columbus, a brave and
progressive colonizer, appeared to fit the bill, especially since his story
downplayed the achievements of Cabot and thus contradicted the traditional
British view.
Columbus in American Place-Name History
Columbus' rebirth in North America stimulated unsuccessful calls from
several historical societies to incorporate his name into the name of the
country. The name "America" actually derives from the aforementioned Italian
explorer and navigator Amerigo Vespucci. Although Vespucci is not regarded
by historians as an explorer of huge significance, his colorful accounts of
his voyage to the New World impressed map- maker Martin Waldseemüller so
much that he named the new continent "America" on his 1507 world map. In
1538, the great map- maker Gerardus Mercator, who knew the New World to
consist of two continents, introduced the terms "North America" and "South
America" to his world map. The name "America" stuck, and Amerigo Vespucci
claimed his place in history, at the expense of Christopher Columbus.
Columbus is far from being forgotten as far as American place names are
concerned, however. In the late eighteenth century, the name "Columbia" was
bestowed upon a number of towns, cities, and geographical landmarks,
including the new capital city of South Carolina and the Columbia River,
amongst other places. In 1812, the state legislature of Ohio named their new
capital city Columbus after the explorer. Since then, the name "Columbus"
has been used for villages, towns, and cities all across the United States.
Columbia also became the name of NASA's first space shuttle, achieving
infamy in 2003 when it was destroyed during re-entry, killing all seven crew
members.
Outside of the United States, references to Columbus can also be found in
Canada, most notably the province of British Columbia, and the northernmost
Canadian land point, Cape Columbia.
In South America, the Republic of Colombia is named after the explorer,
having originally been named "Gran Colombia" in 1819, before being given its
present moniker in 1886.
Modern Perceptions of Columbus
Christopher Columbus Christopher Columbus - hero or villain? Historians now
know that Columbus was not the first person to set foot on American soil. He
was not even the first European-the Vikings had voyaged to America about 500
years previously. What's more, he is now considered to be an explorer who
got lucky. It appears to be the case that Columbus had totally miscalculated
the actual distance to the Indies and, had America not "got in the way," he
would have run out of food and supplies long before he reached his
destination. Either that or he would have been tossed overboard by a
mutinous crew (Bushman). He has been charged with instituting racial
discrimination and abusing, or ignoring completely, the rights of the
indigenous people. His stubbornness and uncompromising nature alienated many
of those close to him, and his voyages were rife with mutiny and conflict.
Those who challenged his authority often met a fateful end. He was,
according to Claudia Bushman, a "frightening man."
But after all of that, we still seem unable to write- off Christopher
Columbus. There is something about the man that continues to inspire awe and
admiration. For all his faults, his achievements as a seafarer and explorer
were immense. He opened up whole new continents to the Europeans, and
instigated European colonization of the New World, the legacy of which is
still clear to see today. He was brave, forward- thinking, and determined,
and he refused to let anyone get in the way of what he deemed to be
progress. He stuck to his convictions and was rewarded with the discovery of
countless islands and land- masses, and his voyages encouraged the fearless
exploration of the world for centuries to come.
It is also unfair to expect Columbus to live up to twenty-first-century
values. He lived at a time when things like human rights and equality, taken
for granted in modern society, did not exist as moral concepts and when his
prime motivating factor would be acquiring land and achieving wealth for his
sovereigns and for himself. To judge him by today's standards is harsh-if we
start doing that, there are very few historical figures who will stand up to
scrutiny.
Columbus was a fearless and dedicated explorer whose voyages changed the
world for better and for worse. Some academics have allowed his personal
faults as a man to overshadow his phenomenal achievements as an explorer,
but he remains a hero in the eyes of the majority of the public. Whether by
luck or by design, Christopher Columbus is directly responsible for the
existence of modern- day America-and for this he has earned his place in
history.

********Today in history by Alan Dicey:

Today in History, Today is Monday, February 3, 2014
Today's Highlight in History:
Today, on this date, February 3, 2009, Eric Holder was sworn in as attorney
general, becoming the first African-American to hold the post.
On this date in 1780: Early American mass murder changes common perceptions
of crime
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/early-american-mass-murder-changes-common-perceptions-of-crime
On this date in 1781: Greene crosses the Yadkin with Kosciusko's boats
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/greene-crosses-the-yadkin-with-kosciuskos-boats
On this date in, 1809 The territory of Illinois was created.
On this date in 1820 : Keats falls deathly ill
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/keats-falls-deathly-ill
On this date in 1865 : during the Civil War, Possible peace is discussed at
Hampton Roads conference
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/hampton-roads-conference
On this date in 1889: Belle Starr murdered in Oklahoma
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/belle-starr-murdered-in-oklahoma
On this date in 1913 The 16th Amendment to the Constitution, providing for a
federal income tax, was ratified.
On this date in 1917 The United States broke off diplomatic relations with
Germany, which had announced a policy of unrestricted submarine warfare.
On this date in 1924 Woodrow Wilson, the 28th president of the United
States, died in Washington, D.C., at age 67.
On this date in 1944 during World War 2, U.S. troops capture the Marshall
Islands
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/us-troops-capture-the-marshall-islands
On this date in 1950: Klaus Fuchs arrested for passing atomic bomb
information to Soviets
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/klaus-fuchs-arrested-for-passing-atomic-bomb-information-to-soviets
On this date in 1953: Cousteau publishes The Silent World
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/cousteau-publishes-the-silent-world
On this date in 1959 Rock 'n' roll stars Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and
J.P. "The Big Bopper" Richardson died in a plane crash near Clear Lake,
Iowa. The day the music died
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/the-day-the-music-died
On this date in 1971 Apollo 14 astronauts Alan B. Shepard Jr. and Edgar D.
Mitchell landed on the lunar surface during the third successful manned
mission to the moon.
On this date in 1989 : John Cassavetes dies
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/john-cassavetes-dies
On this date in 1988 The U.S. House of Representatives rejected President
Ronald Reagan's request for more than $36 million in aid to the Nicaraguan
Contras.
On this date in 1994 the space shuttle Discovery blasted off with a woman,
Air Force Lt. Colonel Eileen Collins, in the pilot's seat for the first
time.
Also, on this date in 1994: Clinton ends Vietnam trade embargo
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/clinton-ends-vietnam-trade-embargo
On this date in 1998: Marine jet severs ski-lift cable in Italy
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/marine-jet-severs-ski-lift-cable-in-italy
Also, on this date in 1998 Texas executed Karla Faye Tucker for the pickax
killings of two people in 1983.
On this date in 2002: New England Patriots win their first Super Bowl
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/new-england-patriots-win-first-super-bowl
On this date in 2005: Gonzales becomes first Hispanic U.S. attorney general
On February 3, 2005, Alberto Gonzales won Senate confirmation as the
nation's first Hispanic attorney general despite protests over his record on
torture.
On this date in 2006 An Egyptian passenger ferry sank in the Red Sea during
bad weather, killing more than 1,000 passengers.
Also, on this date in 2006: "World's Fastest Indian" makes U.S. debut
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/worlds-fastest-indian-makes-us-debut
On this date in 2008: New York Giants upset New England Patriots in Super
Bowl XLII
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/new-york-giants-upset-new-england-patriots-in-super-bowl-xlii
On this date 2011 Tens of thousands of protesters staged unprecedented
demonstrations against Yemen's autocratic president, Ali Abdullah Saleh, a
key U.S. ally in battling Islamic militants.
On this date in 2012 Federal prosecutors dropped their investigation of
Lance Armstrong, ending a nearly two-year effort aimed at determining
whether the seven-time Tour de France winner and his teammates had
participated in a doping program.
Deaths reported during the week ending February 1, 2014:
Monday, January 20
Otis Pike, U.S. Congressman (D-NY, 1961-79), 92.
Wednesday, January 22
Luis Avalos, actor ("The Electric Company"), of complications from a heart
attack, 67.
Sunday, January 26
Tom Gola, NBA basketball player (Philadelphia Warriors), 81.
Monday, January 27
Pete Seeger, folk singer ("If I Had a Hammer"), 94.
Saturday, February 1
Maximilian Schell, actor ("Judgment at Nuremberg"), 83.
Today's Birthdays:
Actress Blythe Danner turns 71 years old today.
Fran Tarkenton Football Hall of Famer 74
Bob Griese Football Hall of Famer 69
Dave Davies Rock musician (The Kinks) 67
Melanie Folk singer 67
Morgan Fairchild Actress 64
Nathan Lane Actor 58
Michele Greene Actress ("L.A. Law") 52
Maura Tierney Actress ("ER," "Newsradio") 49
Daddy Yankee Reggaeton singer 38
Actress Rebel Wilson turns 28 years old today.
Thought for Today:
"The press, or at least most of it, has lost the passion, the outrage, and
the sense of mission that once drove reporters to defy authority and tell
the truth."
- Chris Hedges
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