The Acting Artist: January 2007

1974

In 1974 (the year you were born)

Gerald Ford becomes president of the US

Hank Aaron hits his 715th home run to beat Babe Ruth's record

Impeachment hearings are opened against President Nixon by the House Judiciary Committee

President Nixon resigns

President Gerald Ford issues an unconditional pardon to ex-President Nixon for all federal crimes

Muhammad Ali knocks out George Foreman in the eighth round to regain the heavyweight crown in Zaire

Heiress Patty Hearst is kidnapped by and eventually joins the Symbionese Liberation Army

Dungeons & Dragons officially released

People magazine is published for the first time

Kate Moss, Alyson Hannigan, Penelope Cruz, Alanis Morissette, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Ryan Seacrest are born

Oakland Athletics win the World Series

Miami Dolphins win Superbowl VIII

Philadelphia Flyers win the Stanley Cup

Blazing Saddles is the top grossing film

All the President's Men by Bernstein and Woodward is published

"Killing Me Softly With His Song" wins Grammy for song of the year

What Happened the Year You Were Born?

Hearty equipment

Starting am 10pm tonight, I began a 24 heart monitoring session. When they informed me about this test, I was told it was fairly indiscreet, and I'd be able to do everything normally. Well, this was based on the assumption that the device I had to wear was indiscreet itself - which I have discovered to not be so. I'm wearing this thing that looks like the old medical scanners in the original Star Trek - right up to the neck strap that Dr. Bones had to carry the thing on; it was so damned big. This cassette based machine records at a very slow pace and will pick up all the interesting variances (hopefully not that many) that my ticker is producing. Now I just have to figure out how to sleep with this thing on – should be an interesting night.

In less than three weeks, I go for my stress test - which I am not looking forward to at all. The appointment is booked for four hours, and I cannot see how I'm going to survive being on a treadmill for an extensive period of time. There's a reason I switched from running to walking in my late teens...and that was a long time ago…long before bad knees and ankles decreased my mobility further. Oh well. I'm sure it will all just fine and this is all some melodrama. Better to be sure though. As long as the preventative tests don't kill me first.

Beware the crack spiders!

Ok, this is the funniest thing I've seen in awhile. But then again, perhaps I'm just easily amused. Remembering all of the old Hinterland Who's Who shorts from my youth adds to its glory.

The Effects of Drugs and Alcohol on Spider Webs