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YESTERDAY IN WWII:

February 19, 1942 - Nearly 250 Japanese warplanes attacked the northern Australian city of Darwin killing 243 people. February 19, 1942 - President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the executive order 9066, allowing the United States military to relocate Japanese-Americans to Japanese internment camps. February 19, 1943 - The Battle of the Kasserine Pass in Tunisia began. February 19, 1945 - The Battle of Iwo Jima – about 30,000 United States Marines landed on the island of Iwo Jima.

THIS DAY IN WWII:

February 20, 1942 -Lieutenant Edward O'Hare became America's first World War II flying ace. February 20, 1943 - American movie studio executives agreed to allow the Office of War Information to censor movies. February 20, 1943 - German General Erwin Rommel's Afrika Korps broke through the Allied defensive line at the Kasserine Pass in Tunisia, North Africa. It was the site of the first major battle defeat of the war for the United States. February 20, 1944 - The "Big Week" began as U.S. bombers began raiding German aircraft manufacturing centers.  February 20, 1944 - The United States took Eniwetok Island.

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YESTERDAY IN 1965:

Friday, February 19, 1965 - Swimmer Cathy Lane was born, probably in England. Friday, February 19, 1965 - Musician Leroy (Smash Mouth) was born, probably in Spokane, Washington. Friday, February 19, 1965 - Musician Jon Fishman (Phish) was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

THIS DAY IN 1965:

Saturday, February 20, 1965 - Ranger 8 crashed into the moon after a successful mission of photographing possible landing sites for the Apollo program astronauts.

Saturday, February 20, 1965 - Actor Ron Eldard was born on Long Island, New York.

Saturday, February 20, 1965 - Actor Fred Immler (b. 10 Dec 1880 in Coburg, Germany) died at the age of 84.

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        From My #2 Son, Brent Harty (Hillsboro HS, IL - '90) of TX - 02/17/10 - "a recent reenacting event":

Hey all...thought you might like to see this last month's Fort Selden event. Each 2nd weekend of the month is a living history event at the Fort Selden New Mexico monument (old ruins of the fort '65 to '90) http://civilwarhartys.blogspot.com/2010/02/fort-selden-encampment-10-11-feb-2010.html love bh -- Brent L. Harty "You may be whatever you resolve to be" General Thomas 'Stonewall' Jackson    SO COOL! I'm glad you had such a great time, Brent; thanks for the report!   From Bill Hobbs ('66) of Northern VA - 02/19/10 - "A Poem Worth Reading For my Friends - HDS":   He was getting old and paunchy And his hair was falling fast, And he sat around the Legion, Telling stories of the past. Of a war that he once fought in And the deeds that he had done, In his exploits with his buddies; They were heroes, every one. And 'tho sometimes to his neighbors His tales became a joke, All his buddies listened quietly For they knew whereof he spoke. But we'll hear his tales no longer, For ol' Bob has passed away, And the world's a little poorer For a Soldier died today. He won't be mourned by many, Just his children and his wife. For he lived an ordinary, Very quiet sort of life. He held a job and raised a family, Going quietly on his way; And the world won't note his passing, 'Tho a Soldier died today. When politicians leave this earth, Their bodies lie in state, While thousands note their passing, And proclaim that they were great. Papers tell of their life stories From the time that they were young But the passing of a Soldier Goes unnoticed, and unsung. Is the greatest contribution To the welfare of our land, Some jerk who breaks his promise And cons his fellow man? Or the ordinary fellow Who in times of war and strife, Goes off to serve his country And offers up his life? The politician's stipend And the style in which he lives, Are often disproportionate, To the service that he gives. While the ordinary Soldier, Who offered up his all, Is paid off with a medal And perhaps a pension, small. It's easy to forget them, For no hand did they receive Just our Joe's and Moe's and Billy's Went to battle, for this land, It is not the politicians With their compromise and ploys, Who won for us the freedom That our country now enjoys. Should you find yourself in danger, With your enemies at hand, Would you really want some cop-out, With his ever waffling stand? Or would you want a Soldier-- His home, his country, his kin, Just a common Soldier, Who would fight until the end. He was just a common Soldier, And his ranks are growing thin, But his presence should remind us We may need his like again. For when countries are in conflict, We find the Soldier's part Is to clean up all the troubles That the politicians start. If we cannot do him honor While he's here to hear the praise, Then at least let's give him homage At the ending of his days. Perhaps just a simple headline In the paper that might say: "OUR COUNTRY IS IN MOURNING, A SOLDIER DIED TODAY." I wrote this for my friends, I thank them each and every day for their service to our country. I am proud to know these brave men and love them all. Their stories bring tears to their eyes and heartbreak but they share them with each other. These are America's finest. I wrote this because the other day I heard a young fellow say, "I going to drop the old man off at the American Lesion." The old man, and he called the place that is home to these HERO'S an open wound. It made me sad. I wonder if that young man has any idea what his father went through to earn his membership to the American Legion - the sacrifice he made to ensure our freedom, the pain he still suffers. but finds comfort in meeting his friends there at the LEGION.......................GOD Bless. - HDS, a friend of these American Heroes    Thank you so much, Bill!

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      From My Niece, Shari, of VA - 02/19/10 - "20 Easy Ways To Be Happier":

Twenty Easy Ways to Be Happier By: Excelle (View Profile) Had enough of the winter blues? We have too. So we looked for ways to lift our spirits, at least until “spring forward.” What we found is that sometimes, the tiniest changes can have a huge impact on overall happiness. These twenty ideas will help you go from grumpy to giddy. 1. Make Your Bed Every Morning I’ve heard this one before, and not just from my mother. For most people, outer order leads to inner calm. And making your bed is one quick, easy way to get some semblance of a tidy room (even when your closet is anything but.) 2. Shorten Your Commute Okay, this one may not be a cinch. But if there’s any way you can shorten your commute, it’s certainly worth the effort. Spending two hours a day in gridlock traffic is enough to drive even the most Zen commuter up the wall. Not only is the drive itself infuriating, a long commute eats up time that could be spent on proven happiness boosters, like sleeping or interacting with other people. 3. Find a Rocking Chair You know it works for babies. Now it seems that rockers bring similar comfort to elderly sufferers of dementia. Researchers at the University of Rochester encouraged twenty-five residents to rock as much as they like and they became less upset and anxious and required less pain medication. Who’s to say it couldn’t work for you? 4. Make Lists Writing it down (whatever “it” may be. is a successful tool for managing stress. Just make sure your list doesn’t get out of control. After all, your list is supposed to help with your stress, not add to it. Remember that you can always adjust your priorities. 5. Paint Your Toenails … Even in the Winter In the winter months, it’s easy to ignore your feet until they morph into a Shrek-like monstrosity. Who’s going to see them anyway, right? Wrong. You are! So give them a soak, a scrub, a bit of moisture, and a dash of color. You’ll feel better instantly. 6. Wake up the Right Way Are you coffee lover? Wake up to the smell of freshly brewed coffee by investing in a percolator with a programmable timer. Tired of waking up to the shriek of a buzzer or the irritating voice of the talk radio host? Get yourself an alarm clock that wakes you up with natural light and sounds. 7. Talk About Something New People tend to get stuck on the same old topics of conversation. Stimulate your mind and encourage others, too, by finding one little interesting tidbit a day and starting a conversation by saying, “Did you hear about _________? What do you think?” 8. Refuse to Give Advice The easiest way to get sucked down the negative spiral is by participating. Do your friends a favor: when they start unloading their problems on you, let them figure it out on their own. The reverse is also true—don’t bore your friends with your problems. Focus on fun! 9. Rearrange Your Furniture It may sound silly, but even the tiniest shift of a kitchen table or couch can make all the difference. It’ll make the room—and you!—feel new again. And the best part? It doesn’t cost a thing. (Tip: If you need to move a large item on your own, stick a dish towel under each leg and push; or if you’ve got carpet, use furniture sliders.) 10. Smile on the Outside Even when you’ve got nothing to smile about. Forcing a smile can trick your body into changing your mood. You’ll also find that other people will react better to you when you’ve got a smile on your face. Voilà! You’ve just created a snowball effect of fuzzy feelings. 11. Gaze at a Photograph If the photograph is of a loved one, it can stimulate blood supply to the brain, says researcher Andreas Bartels from University of London. Imagine them giving you a hug. 12. Get Informed Stuck on a problem that just won’t go away? Try Googling it. Reading up on how other people have handled your situation may give you some clues on how to tackle it yourself. 13. Turn off the TV Happy people don’t watch TV. Instead, they socialize, which brings them more long-term satisfaction. We’re not saying to skip your favorite shows altogether. But if the choice is between watching something just because it’s on, and grabbing a friend for a last minute dinner date … well … you know what to do. Delicious and good for you! 14. Eat Avocados Avocados are good for your skin, your hair, and—more importantly—your heart. But did you know they’re also good for your mood? They’ve got monounsaturated fats and tryptophan, which boosts feel-good chemical endorphins in the brain. 15. Sing or Hum a Tune Listening to music can make you feel good, but singing or humming your own tune is even better! Try making up the words to one of your favorite songs, and sing it out loud. Even if your cat is the only one who appreciates it, you’ll feel good about it.   16. Break the Rules Here’s a little known confidence booster: when you follow your own path, (especially when you go against the grain. it’s incredibly intoxicating. We’re not advocating anything illegal, just saying that you should do exactly what you want sometimes and not what you think you should be doing.   17. Invigorate Your Senses A quick spray of lavender, eucalyptus, rosemary, or lemon can clear your head quicker than you think. For an extra-calming treat, take a nap on a pillow scented with lavender—either in fabric spray form, or crumble some of the plant itself and put it in your pillowcase.   18. Visit a Quiet Place Libraries, museums, gardens, and other quiet places can give you a break from the frantic pace of everyday life. Find a secret spot and make it your sanctuary, whether it’s in your backyard or the Reference section.   19. Forgive Someone Research shows that those who are able to forgive are less stressed, less angry, and more optimistic than those who aren’t. So, if you’re holding onto old grudges for the sake of it, it might just be time to let go.   20. Spend More Time with Your Happy Friends Misery loves company. Too often, we find ourselves surrounded by soul-crushing negativity. The good news? Happiness really is contagious. Research shows that happiness, even when removed by three degrees, can make you happier than an extra $5000. Focus on spending time with the optimistic people in your life and you might just become one of them.     By Tania Khadder and Kayla Baxter for Excelle    Thanks so much, Shari!

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From http://www.SelfGrowth.com - 02/16/10 - "Awareness":

It's Not the Circumstances, It's Us 

By Mike Robbins
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I recently read a great quote from Ben Franklin that I hadn't seen before. He said, "Joy doesn't exist in the world, it exists in us." While the quote was new to me, the concept wasn't. However, as I began to think it more, I realized that even though I "understand" this wisdom and do my best to live by it and remind others of it, more often than I'd like to admit, I find myself living as though I'm simply a victim of the "things" that go on around me and in the world -- especially the stuff I don't particularly like, agree with, understand, feel like I'm on top of, or enjoy.

The circumstances of our lives, especially when they seem stressful or intense (as is the case for many people I know and work with these days) do have an impact on us, for sure. However, all too often we give away our power to these circumstances and situations. We act as though it's a foregone conclusion that we will feel a certain way based on specific circumstances (i.e. the economy, the weather, our health, our level of activity, the state of our romantic relationship or lack thereof, the behavior of our children, our families, the state of our career or business, our environment at work, and more).

Our experience of life (grateful, worried, peaceful, angry, excited, sad, alive, depressed, joyous, or anything else) is much more of a reflection of us and what's going on within us, not a reaction to what's going on around us. We've all had many examples of times in our lives when things were going "great" on the surface or we accomplished or experienced some "wonderful" external success, only to feel a sense of disappointment or sadness underneath because whatever it was didn't satisfy us at a deep level. And, on the flip side, most of us have had moments of incredible joy, excitement, and bliss that weren't directly connected to anything "worthy" of these feelings externally.

Even though we know this dynamic to be true, we still seem to get caught in the hypnotic, erroneous notion that if we just got rid of some issues, altered some circumstances, manifested some increased success, or changed some specific situations in our lives -- then, we'd be happy, peaceful, and relaxed (or whatever it is we say we want to experience).

Author and teacher, Byron Katie, says, "The definition of insanity is thinking that you need something you don't have. The mere fact that you exist right now without that which you think you need is proof that you don't need it."

What if we lived our lives with a deeper and more conscious awareness of the fact that we get to create our experience of life at any moment? Imagine what our lives, our careers, and our relationships would look like if we stopped blaming our experience on other people or on external circumstances. We would free up so much positive energy and take back so much of our personal power.

Here are a few things you can do to enhance your capacity to own your experience of life in an empowering way:

1) Admit where you play victim and give away your power. As is always the case, "the truth will set you free." Take a look into your life, especially in the areas where you find the most pain, suffering, and struggle right now. Without judging yourself, can you find places where you're acting like a victim of your current circumstances (as though it is simply "happening to you")? The more honest and specific you can be about this, the more freedom it will provide for you.

2) Acknowledge, own, and express your underlying emotions. Whenever we go into victimhood there is something we don't want to deal with, take responsibility for, experience, or express emotionally. Even thought it can be a little painful and scary initially, by dealing directly with the emotions we're avoiding, we go to the source of the issue and address it at the root. Ironically, once we're able to acknowledge, own, and express the emotion(s) involved, much of the suffering and struggling go away -- if we're willing to really take responsibility for and express what we're truly feeling.

3) Make a commitment to fully own your experience. Declare to yourself and those close to you that you're willing to take 100% responsibility for your experience of life. This doesn't mean that "stuff" won't happen, but it does mean that you make a commitment to live your life by design, not default. It's also likely that you'll forget, slip up, and fall back into victimhood from time to time (or often). However, making a commitment to yourself and to others -- and also asking them to hold you accountable with honesty and kindness -- can create an environment (within you and around you) conducive for you to enhance your capacity to live your life with power and responsibility.

Give yourself some space and have a lot of compassion with yourself and others on this; most of us have been trained, educated, and encouraged to live in "victim consciousness" -- even though it doesn't work or give us what we want ultimately. When we're willing to tell the truth, express our real emotions, and make a commitment to live as designers of our experience -- we can literally transform our lives in miraculous ways.

About the Author:

Mike Robbins is a sought-after motivational keynote speaker, coach, and the bestselling author of Focus on the Good Stuff (Wiley) and Be Yourself, Everyone Else is Already Taken (Wiley).

  From Mike White ('67) of VA - 02/03/10 - "Seniors (#15 in a Series of 19)":

Carol For anyone age appropriate…that means almost everyone in the Typhoon Nation ! Mike

Someone had to remind me, so I'm reminding you too.

Don't laugh.....it is all true...these are the perks of reaching 60 and heading towards 70 and older!

   Thanks, Mike!  

  From Jane Chambers of VA - 07/01/09 AND 02/07/10 - "CNC BOOK BROCHURE & AD" AND 61-62 DECADERS ADDENDA:

http://www.nnhs65.00freehost.com/CNC-CNU/brochure(2).pdf

http://www.nnhs65.00freehost.com/CNC-CNU/CNC-Memories-Book-219390602.pdf

http://www.nnhs65.00freehost.com/61-63-DECADERS-ADDENDA.doc

   Contact Dr. Chambers at cncmemories61_71@yahoo.com.

Thanks, Jane!

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FINALLY:

From ArcaMax Jokes - 02/19/10:

Babies

My five-year-old daughter asked me the question I'd been dreading. "Mommy , how are babies made?"

I did my best to explain but she still looked confused.

"What about kittens?" she asked.

"Well it's exactly then same way, "I said.

"Wow!" she said excitedly. "My daddy can do anything!"

DATES TO REMEMBER: