Rockets and Lockets

I was first introduced to the magazine mental_floss a few years ago when a fellow English teacher told me about it. Then my husband began subscribing to it to absorb information like a junkie. While I do not read it cover to cover like he does, I do like to read the "6 Degrees" with Ken Jennings, where the Jeopardy! champ connects any two random things/people with four things in between. I am no Ken Jennings, but here goes.

Rockets and Lockets

(1) My dad turned the big 6-0 this month. I decided to send him a card for his birthday at the beginning of the month to throw him off, and then I bought a plane ticket for a surprise visit this weekend, when my brother would also be visiting my parents. My sister picked me up from the airport and told my dad that his "present was waiting in the garage." I think he was surprised, but there were no heart attacks, thank goodness.

On the way back from picking up my brother at the airport, we had a perfect view of the Delta rocket launch as the sun was going down.

(It was actually "closer" and bigger than it appears in this picture.)

Even though he's 60, my dad still rejects the natural course of events at such a time in life - he won't join the Best Yet Set for senior citizens at church (and they have encouraged him to come!), he won't get a hearing aid, and he won't join the AARP to get discounts. Maybe when he's 70?

(2) Formerly the American Association of Retired Persons, the AARP is open to anyone over age 50, retired or not; hence the name change in 1999. A quarter of the U.S. population falls into the 50+ category, and nearly half of all people in this age bracket are AARP members, according to the AARP website. No wonder it's such a powerful lobby in Washington. The AARP publishes a bimonthly magazine and maintains a website that, in addition to relevant political/legislative news, cover a broad range of topics from health and finance to leisure, including coverage of older celebrities and entertainers. Tony Bennett's concert tour, "The Best is Yet to Come," begun in early 2007, is sponsored by the AARP.

(3) A 13-time Grammy winner, Tony Bennett signed on with Columbia records in 1950. His career took off in the 50s and early 60s, but with the rising popularity of the Beatles and rock music, that career slowly declined until he was left with no money, no contract, and a drug addiction. His sons helped turn his career around, and by the 1980s, classic American song - and Bennett's style - made a comeback.

Bennett showed he had conquered the generation gap with his appearance in 1994 on MTV Unplugged. The resulting MTV Unplugged: Tony Bennett album went platinum. He continues to record and tour with great success.

(4) A musical album that has sold more than 1,000,000 copies is credited as "platinum," since the precious metal is more valuable than gold. In the 18th century, platinum's rarity made King Louis XV of France declare it the only metal fit for a king. A heavy, malleable, ductile, precious, grey-white transition metal, platinum is resistant to corrosion and is used in laboratory equipment, electrical contacts, dentistry, and automobile emissions control devices. Platinum's wear- and tarnish-resistance characteristics are also well-suited for making fine jewelry, such as pieces created by Tiffany & Co.

(5) When it opened in NYC in 1837 as a stationery and fancy goods store emporium under the name "Tiffany & Young," Tiffany & Co. created headlines by marking each article with a non-negotiable selling price, a revolutionary policy at the time. Tiffany's has revolutionized the world of fine goods ever since; in 1926, Tiffany's standard for purity became the official standard for platinum in the United States.

In 1851, it became the first American company to use the 925/1000 sterling standard which was later adopted as the United States Sterling Standard; ten years later, Tiffany's was commissioned to design a presentational pitcher for Lincoln's inauguration; throughout the Civil War, the company provided the Union Army with swords, flags, and surgical implements; and in 1885, Tiffany's revised the Great Seal of the United States - a design which can still be seen on the one-dollar bill today.

Tiffany & Co. sells necklaces, rings, watches, bracelets, earrings, pendants, crystal, stemware, flatware, serving pieces, vases, bowls, baby rattles, piggy banks, picture frames, pens, and the proverbial silver spoon. And lockets.

(6) A few weeks ago, my mom hosted a Premier jewelry party. I've bought some really nice jewelry from them before, and it's nice to know that part of the profits go to support missionaries. Like any good products party, the hostess gets some nice free gifts, and my mom gave me a gold locket, one piece of jewelry I've never had. I'll have to resize a photo of John to fit into it.

There you have it. And you didn't think I'd really make the connection in just 6 degrees. O ye of little faith.