GOOD MORNING FRANKLIN COUNTY
By Staff
Today is Friday, January 7, 2005. Expect an 80% chance of rain today with a high of 55 degrees. On this day in history:
1714 – Henry Mill of England patents the typewriter.
1789 – In the first nationwide election, George Washington is voted in as US president.
1890 – The fountain pen is patented.
1927 – The Harlem Globetrotters play their first game.
1963 – The US Postal Service raises the cost of a first class stamp to 5 cents.
1967 – "The Newlywed Game" premieres on television.
1990 – The Tower of Pisa is closed due to fears over excessive leaning.
BCS AT REST
Four more reasons why the Bowl Championship Series stinks:
1) How in the world can Auburn, a 13-0 team from the strongest conference in college football, not have an opportunity to play for the national championship?
2) The Associated Press has disassociated itself from the BCS and will not allow its poll to be used for BCS rankings next year.
3) Southern Cal 55 and Oklahoma 19……BORING!
4) When Minnesota played Alabama in the Music City Bowl on December 31, it had been 47 days since the Golden Gophers had played a football game.
WAVE OF
DESTRUCTION
The terrible tidal wave which struck parts of Asia on December 26 has killed almost 200,000 people and done millions of dollars of damage to structures in that part of the world. Sadly, the good nature of many people is being exploited by con-artists who are setting up fake relief agencies across the Internet. To make sure your contribution goes to aid disaster victims, give to reputable and well-known organizations such as the American Red Cross, Unicef, Save the Children, etc. Many religious denominations have relief funds set up through their own agencies, such as the Southern Baptist Convention's Asia Earthquake Disaster Relief Fund.
NEWS YOU MAY HAVE MISSED
…. Julia Bauer of Bochum, Germany, lost control of her car then hit a parked car and a lamppost while on her way to work, causing $27,000 worth of damages. She had been pouring milk over a bowl of cereal on the passenger seat while driving and leaned over to catch the bowl when she lost control of the car.
…. Chris Doyle of Sydney, Australia, was offered $800 through an Internet auction house for a grain of cereal which supposedly bore an image of the motion picture character E.T. He previously sold a grilled cheese sandwich bearing a likeness of the Virgin Mary for $28,000.
…. Stephen Coleman of Dover, New Hampshire, was wanted for questioning by police in the mysterious burning of a former girlfriend's home. When police spotted Coleman, he put the pedal to the metal and tried to outrun authorities – on his riding lawn mower. He made it about two blocks before being stopped.
…. Jason Rodd was being chased by police when he drove his car into a field and turned off his lights. His dream of the losing the cops was quickly shattered when, in the darkness, his car got stuck in a huge manure pit.
WILD, WILD
WEATHER!
On Wednesday of this week the high temperature was 71 degrees and that tied a record high for that date in history. The wild weather that has characterized the first part of 2005 only gets wilder today. Meteorologists say a strange combination of three weather systems will meet in the nation's mid-section and affect most parts of the country. The super storm will produce everything from ice and snow to rain, flooding, and possible tornadoes. This type of weather pattern only occurs two or three times every one hundred years.
PARTING SHOTS
Douglas Wilson is serving a life sentence for murder in a Colorado prison. Last week he was given three additional years for passing out cheese sandwiches to inmates while in jail. I wonder if the prison has a storage room for coffins.
Richard Parker is Minister of Students and Education at First Baptist Church in Russellville. You can e-mail him your comments at RParker@russellvilleFBC.org.
