We’re going to take a whirlwind trip to visit several Middle Eastern locations with Roman ruins. Of course the way things are currently in the Middle East, you couldn’t pay me to visit these places in person, but online? Piece of cake!
We’ve had two celebrity deaths the past few days. James Farentino died at age 73 on the 24th. And yesterday Robert Hegyes died at age 60. Farentino was in many shows over the years but Hegyes is best remembered for his role as Juan Epstein on Welcome Back, Kotter.
On TV tonight: tonight is the series finale of Chuck which makes me rather sad even though they’ve really taken the show as far as it could go. We also have a new episode of Fringe.
Reading: Now I’m reading Viridis by Calista Taylor. This is a steampunk romance. It’s good, so far.
I can’t believe I forgot to blog yesterday. 
Anyway… today we’re headed to Central America and the Panama Canal. The Panama Canal was one of the greatest engineering feats of the 20th Century. It connects the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, eliminating the need for ships to sail around the southern tip of South America. The canal is currently undergoing expansion to accommodate our mammoth cargo ships (mammoth as in large not cargo ships that carry mammoths 
). There are some great pictures and links in the article.
Well, I ordered my new desk calendar today. So we’ll have plenty of new sites to visit next year.
Today in history:
- 1888 – German film director Friedrich Murnau was born. Never heard of him? He’s best known for directing the silent film horror classic Nosferatu which was based on Bram Stoker’s book Dracula.
- 1905 – Actor/comedian Cliff Arquette was born. He was best known for his character Charley Weaver. He’s also the grandfather of Patricia, Rosanna, and David Arquette.
- 1908 – A magnitude 7.2 earthquake struck Messina, Sicily killing over 75,000. See? Massive earthquakes are nothing new.
- 1912 – The first city-owned streetcars took to the streets in San Francisco, California.
I heard something yesterday that really surprised me. Cheetah, the chimp from the 1930s Tarzan movies, died at age 80. I had no idea he was still living!
On TV tonight: not much except a new episode of Decoded
Reading: Finished up No Rest for the Wiccan last night and now I’m reading Fire Ice by Clive Cussler. I always enjoy his books. 
We’re off to beautiful Savannah, Georgia to visit Telfair Mansion today. It opened as the South’s first public art museum in 1886. Also check out the museum’s official site.
Rest in peace, Harry Morgan. Best known for his roles as Detective Bill Gannon on Dragnet and Col. Sherman T. Potter on M*A*S*H. He was 96.
Today in history:
- 1892 – Actress Fay Bainter was born. Never heard of her? You’re not alone. But she won a Best Supporting Actress Academy Award in 1938 for her role in the movie Jezebel.
- 1915- Actor Eli Wallach was born.
- 1930 – W1XAV in Boston, Massachusetts broadcasted video from the CBS radio orchestra program, The Fox Trappers. The broadcast also included the first television commercial in the United States, an advertisement for I.J. Fox Furriers, who sponsored the radio show. (Don’t tell PETA!)
- 1941 – The Imperial Japanese Navy attacked the United States Pacific Fleet and its defending Army Air Forces and Marine air forces at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, causing a declaration of war upon Japan by the United States.
On TV tonight: Ghost Hunters, Psych, and Decoded.
Reading: I’m reading You Might As Well Die by J. J. Murphy which I am loving! This is the second book in his Algonquin Round Table Mystery series.
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