Neil Armstrong, 1st man to land on the moon passes away

[VIDEO] Posting that 9 minute video above that showed highlights of the Apollo 11 mission. This was the mission that saw Neil Armstrong who was mission commander land on the Moon on July 20, 1969. Armstrong died today at the age of 82:

Neil Armstrong, the astronaut who became first to walk on the moon as commander of Apollo 11, has died. He was 82 years old.

Armstrong had heart surgery several weeks ago, and a statement from his family said he died following complications resulting from cardiovascular procedures.

"Neil Armstrong was also a reluctant American hero who always believed he was just doing his job," his family said. "He served his Nation proudly, as a navy fighter pilot, test pilot, and astronaut. ... He remained an advocate of aviation and exploration throughout his life and never lost his boyhood wonder of these pursuits."

On July 20, 1969, half a billion people -- a sixth of the world's population at the time -- watched a ghostly black-and-white television image as Armstrong backed down the ladder of the lunar landing ship Eagle, planted his left foot on the moon's surface, and said, "That's one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind."

Box office update: Anti-Obama doc '2016: Obama's America' headed for mainstream success

[VIDEO] What you see is a trailer for 2016: Obama's America billed as an anti-Obama documentary directed by conservative writer Dinesh D'Souza. You can read more about this film over at Wikipedia.

In any case over at Newsalert, there is an article about how well it's doing so far:

A politically charged documentary called 2016: Obama’s America turned heads last weekend when it grossed a whopping $1.24 million out of just 169 theaters.

The $2.5 million independent film, which is being distributed by Utah-based Rocky Mountain Pictures, premiered in Houston six weeks ago and has recently enjoyed some extremely uncharacteristic box office behavior.

You see, normally, when a film’s theater count increases, the amount of money it’s earning in each theater decreases. This is the standard performance pattern for a limited release and follows common supply/demand logic.

Here’s how things have gone for 2016: Obama’s America, though: Three weekends ago, 2016 earned $34,133 out of 10 theaters, which gave it a per theater average of $3,413 — not all that remarkable for a limited release. When it expanded into 61 theaters the next weekend, its per theater average did a funny thing: it jumped up to $5,202. Last weekend, the film experienced an even bigger expansion, into 169 theaters, and again, its per theater average substantially leapt up to $7,365.

Let’s be clear: this almost never happens.

You know I would be curious about this movie now. Though many surely would reject this film because obviously this maligns President Obama. Then again this movie asks questions that were already asked about him by many conservatives. Although to me sure, hopefully they don't touch the issues of whether or not he was actually born in the US or if he's a Muslim. As for who influenced the President in his more formative years, that's as much fair game as any!

AJC: With foreclosure looming Morris Brown College on the brink

Morris Brown College has been chronicled here on this blog in the past. It looks like their struggles are getting much much worse!

For more than a decade, Morris Brown College has clung to life as it struggled academically and financially in the face of growing debt and dwindling support.

Now, one of the country's oldest black colleges, which at times boasted an enrollment of more than 3,000 student, is now down to about 50, and all but dead.

Morris Brown is facing foreclosure next month, after investors called $13 million worth of bonds tied to the college. An auction of assets, including the administration building, is scheduled for Sept. 4.

"This is heartbreaking and not only a sad day in the life of Morris Brown, but in black academia," said former Atlanta City Councilman Derrick Boazman, a 1990 graduate of Morris Brown. "The school is needed now more than ever."

The school is planning to have a prayer vigil on Saturday, where they will 0ffer a plan to move the school forward.

While not going into specifics, Benjamin Harrison, a spokesman for the 6th District African Methodist Episcopal Church, which oversees the school, said officials will talk about reorganizing and restructuring as well as finances.

Calls to Morris Brown President Stanley J. Pritchett were not returned Wednesday, but Harrison acknowledged that while efforts are being made to find money to settle the debt the going is tough.

"There is the need to raise millions of dollars to counteract that deficit," Harrison said. "But if that money is not raised, the school is in jeopardy."

Here's hoping Morris Brown gets their funds to stave off foreclosure!

Amtrak: Losing Money on the $10 Hamburger

I post this because I generally support passenger trains. It's my preferred mode of travel to either the bus or the airplane. In fact my goal is to take a long-distance train to California in the near future. Perhaps do it in style the way this guy did in a [VIDEO] on YouTube.

I found this article via Instapundit that took a shot at meals on Amtrak:

Only a government subsidized operation could sell hamburgers for $10 each and lose money. People who use Amtrak know that the food is overpriced and not very good. But, hey, it’s a captive dining audience, right? The dining car should be a way for Amtrak to recoup some of its losses from running its expensive trains. Instead, the food system is so badly managed that somehow it also loses a lot of money, apparently because of theft, bad management, high labor costs, and other problems.

All the same, to be honest I don't have a lot of experience with the Amtrak dining car meals. Usually I travel with my mother and she doesn't want to bother with them primarily because of cost. Also she doesn't make a habit of going from car to car even for food.

Furthermore I generally don't like what's available in the lounge car. If it requires heating it's done so in a microwave and the results aren't that great. Otherwise you probably could just buy a danish or some potato chips or what not in addition to candy or be sure to bring your own food.

Well when it's time for that vacation similar to the one I took in 2005 to LA, we shall see how the food is then!

I long for the return of Marshall Field's

The former Chicago department store has essentially been defunct since 2006. I have shopped there many times since it went defunct, even bought some Frango candy from there recently. Still I have come to one conclusion fairly recently, I'm still not feeling Macy's.

I used to keep track of this website http://www.fieldsfanschicago.org/ that is promoting a boycott of Macy's in hopes that this will force a return of the Marshall Field's name. In recent years it looks like Macy's will stay the course and seemingly there may not be so much outcry for a return of that erstwhile name. Still I'm of that age where I remember the green bags my mother would bring home after shopping there.

While I can accept that Field's is never coming back, I don't view Macy's as a viable alternative.  I do browse there every once in a while even though I rarely buy anything. Before the conversion to Macy's, Field's had stopped carrying some products such as Tommy Hilfiger. That was probably enough to keep me away and Macy's brought them back.

Field's as a name has disappeared from the Chicago landscape for close to 6 years and still if I go to any stores of the former chain wherever they are my first instinct is to call them Field's. Perhaps it still my way of rejecting Macy's. As it seems in a survey from the Field's Fans website there are others who feel the same way.

Well if you're looking for a simple explanation, I simply can't easily provide one. Perhaps I've seen the tail end of a great institution and I've seen what Macy's has brought to Chicago with them. I would personally like to see a return to the green shopping bags and the name and hopefully products that fit the Field's name. Also Field's is something that is distinctively Chicago perhaps tourist need a place or two to visit when they're in town and be sure to bring something back that show's that they've been around town.