Bob Richards

Have you ever noticed when you're in constant motion, without stop or delay how much easier it is to keep on going? You stop to break--and that's it...you've lost your momentum. Driving home from work it came to my mind a number of items I needed at the store---one of which---bathroom tissue. Into the store I go...Bagels? Sounds good! Yogurt, cereal and milk? Splendid! Only problem though after arriving at home I found to my dismay I failed to pick up the very thing I meant to get! Toilet paper! "Later" said I. 'Have a rest and a sleep first!' And so I did! Upon waking I cut the grass, watered the plants and a little bit of this and that, then said to my wife, "I'm on a roll! I'm in continual motion! Now I'm going to the store to pick up the elusive toilet paper!" She responds, "You're on a ROLL and you're going to get some ROLLS--of the toilet paper kind!" To the store I go once again adding a few extra items ...

Should a bus driver be fired who ran a red light? This was the question asked in my nearby city of Toronto on Sunday, August 2, 2014. Apparently through the week a driver for the Toronto Transit Commission did that very thing...but with somebody who just happened to be filming the incident with an I phone turned their direction. The citizen turned in the video to TTC headquarters and the driver, a female and mother of two children who hadn't served her probationary six months period on the job was fired. When the one taking the video discovered the driver was actually terminated he felt great remorse. His thinking was the driver might get a slap on the hand or suspension...but fired? It upset him considerably that he sent it in and now wishes he hadn't. TTC bosses are now claiming they're inundated with calls asking the driver to be re-instated with a less of a penalty for her actions. Others claim they did the right thing in having her dismissed . My take on the ...

Aug 1, 1774 - Joseph Priestley, English theologian and chemist author discovers oxygen. Hope he was using it before then though! :)    Aug 2, 1894 - Death duties 1st introduced in Britain. Imagine someone refusing to pay! :))   Aug 3, 1492 - Columbus sets sail on his first voyage boldly going to who knows where. Aug 4, 1862 US government collects its 1st income tax! I'm sure it'll be only temporary. :) Aug 5, 1921, 1st radio baseball broadcast Pirates-8, Phillies-0. What an embarrassment to have ones loss broadcast for the 1st time. Aug 6, 1937 - Indians overturn Yankees' 7-6 win by a protest! Changing an ump's decision: MIRACLE! Aug 7, 1970,  1st computer chess tournament. May the best HAL win! Aug 8th, 1709  1st known ascent in hot-air balloon. That's a step up closer to the giant leap of the Moon! Aug 9th, 1859  Elevator patented. The first time stuck they really must have panicked! Aug 10th, 1948 - Allen Funt's "...

Just because you change your name to "Skywalker" doesn't necessarily mean 'The Force' will be there to see you through. Sadly this was the lesson learned by one, Laura Elizabeth Skywalker Matthews who had legally added the Skywalker name to her own. Apparently she has it on all of her other forms of identification--drivers licence, bank cards everything else too...but when trying to leave the UK her passport was rejected. It seems there was considerable concern by the passport officer that having a 'Skywalker' name might be a copyright violation. One wonders why a government in particular should care. If Star Wars creators felt so inclined to bring out a bunch of Stormtrooper lawyers ...well that's them for that---but a passport guy?  Does this seem reasonable? I'd say not in this galaxy. She was informed she'd have to get her passport renewed using the name she used prior. Talk about something to make a Great Huge Chewbacca g...