Today is Wednesday, Aug. 27, the 240th day of 2008 with 126 to follow.

The moon is waning. The morning star is Uranus. The evening stars are Neptune, Mercury, Jupiter, Venus, Mars and Saturn.

TODAY'S PRAYER:

God, my Abba Father, please help me to never leave Jesus. Please help
me to never move away from him because I don't want to change my
lifestyle, my basic beliefs, or my comforts to follow him. Give me a
heart that seeks after you and your truth no matter the costs. In
Jesus' name I pray.

Amen.

This Day in History, August 27 On August 27th, 1962, the Mariner 2 was launched.

In 1859, the first successful oil well in the United States was drilled near Titusville, Pa. In 1883, the most powerful volcanic eruption in recorded history occurred on Krakatoa, a small, uninhabited island located west of Sumatra in Indonesia. In 1928, the Kellogg-Briand Pact, outlawing war as a means to settle international disputes, was signed by 15 nations in Paris. World War II began 11 years later. In 1939, Adolf Hitler served notice on England and France that Germany wanted Danzig and the Polish Corridor. In 1977, IRA terrorists killed Louis Mountbatten, a cousin of the queen, by blowing up his boat. It was the IRA's first attack on the royal family. In 1991, the Soviet republic of Moldavia declared independence and the European Community recognized Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania as independent nations. In 1992, Serbian leaders at the Yugoslav peace conference pledged to close the prisoner-of-war camps, end "ethnic cleansing" and work toward peace. Also in 1992, Canada's Supreme Court struck down as unconstitutional a law that would have prevented a man from claiming the Nazi Holocaust was a hoax. In 1999, two Russian cosmonauts and a French astronaut left Mir to return to Earth, leaving the orbiting Russian space station unmanned for the first time in 13 years. In 2003, the United States and North Korea met privately in Beijing during the six-nation talks on Pyongyang's nuclear program. Diplomats said there was no breakthrough in the talks. In 2004, Russian authorities said traces of explosives were found in the wreckage of two airliners that crashed within minutes of each other after takeoff earlier in the week in Moscow, heightening suspicion of terrorism. A total of 89 people died in the crashes. In 2005, the Gulf Coast between New Orleans and the Florida Panhandle was battening down for the second landfall of Hurricane Katrina, a Category 3 storm and strengthening. In 2006, reports said hundreds of tribal chiefs signed a pact supporting reconciliation and an end to sectarian strife in Iraq while bombs and gunfire killed 100 Iraqis over a two-day period. In 2007, beleaguered U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales announced his resignation, effective Sept. 17. He had been embroiled in several controversies including the firings of nine U.S. attorneys, treatment of detainees, surveillance and other issues.   Copyright 2008 by United Press International

Notable Birthdays for August 27 Those born on this date include: - German philosopher Georg Hegel in 1770 - Novelist Theodore Dreiser in 1871 - English automaker Charles Rolls in 1877 - Novelist C.S. Forester in 1899 - Lyndon Baines Johnson, 36th president of the United States, in 1908 - Nobel Peace Prize winner Mother Teresa in 1910 - Singer/actress Martha Raye in 1916 - Singer/actor Tommy Sands in 1937 (age 71) - Actress Tuesday Weld in 1943 (age 65) - Actor Paul Reubens (Pee-Wee Herman) in 1952 (age 56) - Actress Sarah Chalke in 1976 (age 32) Copyright 2008 by United Press International

Classic Quotes by Lyndon Baines Johnson (1908-1973) US President (36), Vice President (37) A man can take a little bourbon without getting drunk, but if you hold his mouth open and pour in a quart, he's going to get sick on it. ------------------------ A man without a vote is man without protection. ------------------------ A President's hardest task is not to do what is right, but to know what is right. ------------------------ A rioter with a Molotov cocktail in his hands is not fighting for civil rights any more than a Klansman... They are both... lawbreakers, destroyers of constitutional rights and liberties and ultimately destroyers of a free America. ------------------------ All that Hubert needs over there is a gal to answer the phone and a pencil with an eraser on it. ------------------------ Any jackass can kick down a barn but it takes a good carpenter to build one. ------------------------ Being president is like being a jackass in a hailstorm. There's nothing to do but to stand there and take it. ------------------------ Curtis Le May wants to bomb Hanoi and Haiphong. You know how he likes to go around bombing. ------------------------ Did you ever think that making a speech on economics is a lot like pissing down your leg? It seems hot to you, but it never does to anyone else. ------------------------ Education is not a problem. Education is an opportunity.

Trivia   What did Captain Cook have on his second voyage? Captain Cook lost 41 of his 98-men crew to scurvy (a lack of vitamin C) on his first voyage to the South Pacific in 1768. By 1795, the importance of eating citrus was realized, and lemon juice was issued on all British Navy ships.

When was the hypodermic invented? The hypodermic needle was invented in 1853. It was initially used for giving injections of morphine as a painkiller. Physicians mistakenly believed that morphine would not be addictive if it by-passed the digestive tract.

What's on the top of Washington's monument? The very peak of the Washington Monument is not stone, but a 100-ounce solid aluminum pyramid, constructed as part of the monument's lightning protection system. In the 1880s, aluminum was a rare metal, selling for $1.10 per ounce and used primarily for jewelry. The pyramid at the top of the monument was the largest piece of aluminum of its day and was such a novelty that it was displayed at Tiffany's jewelry store before it was placed at the top.

How long do snails mate? The snail mates only once in its entire life. When it does mate, however, it may take as long as 12 hours to consummate the act.

What's the title of Grenada's national anthem? The national anthem of Grenada, words written by Irva Merle Baptiste and music by Louis Arnold Masanto, was adopted on February 7, 1974. However, Grenada's anthem has no title.

Vocabulary

Today's Word "apocryphal"

apocryphal \uh-POK-ruh-fuhl\ (adjective) - 1 : (Bible) Pertaining to the Apocrypha. 2 : Not canonical. Hence: Of doubtful authority or authenticity; equivocal; fictitious; spurious; false.

"But Gary was obsessed with the apocryphal writings. He was sure he could use the information from these Scrolls to avoid the apocalypse." -- Brad Kelln, 'Method of Madness: A Psychological Thriller"

Apocryphal ultimately derives from Greek apokruphos, "hidden (hence, spurious)," from apokruptein, "to hide away," from apo-, "away, from" + kruptein, "to hide."

JOKES   Broken Seal A mother and her young son returned from the grocery store and began putting away the groceries. The boy opened the box of animal crackers and spread them all over the table. "What are you doing," his mother asked? "The box says you can't eat them if the seal is broken," the boy explained. "I'm looking for the seal."

Meal shortage An attendant on a cross-country flight nervously announced: "I don't know how this happened, but we have 103 passengers aboard and only 40 dinners." When the passengers' muttering had died down, she continued, "Anyone who is kind enough to give up his meal so someone else can eat will receive free drinks for the length of the flight." Her next announcement came an hour later. "If anyone wants to change his mind, we still have 29 dinners available!"   Controlling Spouses There were three guys talking in the pub. Two of them are talking about the amount of control they have over their wives, while the third remains quiet. After a while one of the first two turns to the third and says, "Well, what about you, what sort of control do you have over your wife?" The third fellow says "I'll tell you. Just the other night my wife came to me on her hands and knees." The first two guys were amazed. "What happened then?" they asked. "She said, 'Get out from under the bed and fight like a man'."

Battery Warranty An angry motorist went back to a garage where he'd purchased an expensive battery for his car six months earlier. "Listen," the motorist grumbled to the owner of the garage, "when I bought that battery you said it would be the last battery my car would ever need. It died after only six months!" "Sorry," apologized the garage owner. "I didn't think your car would last longer than that."

10 ways to know if you have PMS 1. Everyone around you has an attitude problem. 2. You're adding chocolate chips to your cheese omelet. 3. The dryer has shrunk every last pair of your jeans. 4. Your husband is suddenly agreeing to everything you say. 5. You're using your cellular phone to dial up every bumper sticker that says, "How's my driving - call 1-800-***-****." 6. Everyone's head looks like an invitation to batting practice. 7. You're convinced there's a God and he's male. 8. You're counting down the days until menopause. 9. You're sure that everyone is scheming to drive you crazy. 10. The ibuprofen bottle is empty and you bought it yesterday.

Daily Ponder

"I soon realized that no journey carries one far unless, as it extends into the world around us, it goes an equal distance into the world within."

Author: Lillian Smith

WOMEN

Health and Beauty Tip -- Short Hair

If you have long hair and have decided to get it cut short, do so slowly over time. It's better for your hair, and not quite as shocking to your friends and family!

Quote of the Day

Gore Vidal (1925 - )

Half of the American people have never read a newspaper. Half never voted for President. One hopes it is the same half.