Wednesday Sept. 1

This is Week 35 of 2010►Day 244 with 121 days left.

FREE RAMBLING THOUGHTS

Once a teacher, always a teacher. It’s the first day of the month and time to look ahead to see what the month has in store. Each and every month just about anyone or any group with a cause select a month to make people aware of their cause. I always like to list the causes I am aware of, just to give them a little more attention. They are listed in the Calendar Information below. I am sure there are more, but these are the ones I know about.

Obama gave his ‘end of combat’ speech tonight. It was short and sweet. Somehow I don’t feel like the war is over. We all studied Mesopotamia in elementary school. It was known as the ‘fertile land’. We learned that it was the ‘cradle of civilization.’ That empire has been invaded many times. Each invader left the country in shambles and each time the people of the area rebuilt. We are no different. Someday, I hope within my lifetime, foreigners will be able to visit Iraq and learn about its greatness throughout history. Some of the news organizations have had journalists walking the streets of Iraq in the past few weeks. While the damage from the war is apparent, the locals are rebuilding. The war has done damage that will take generations to rebuild. Innocent families have lost many relatives in bombings and raids—from all military in the war. Our country, just like all countries of the world, will not ever give us full details on the number of innocents were killed. I recall my father talking about how, during the war [WWII] the military taught them that the ‘only good Jap was a dead Jap’. I’m sure it has been hard for today’s soldiers to determine if a person walking by them is an innocent or a terrorist. Now that the combat troops are out, I hope the locals will be able to figure out a peace they can live with. It will be several generations before any Iraqi government can be a threat to any of the world powers. The country has very sporadic electricity, few schools that hold classes on a regular basis, and few if any family units exist that have not been devastated by the war. Most elementary aged students have known nothing but war in their lives. High school aged students know little but war. As in every society, the children are the future for Iraq. I only hope that they can find a way to figure out what is ahead is up to them.

The City Council listened to lots of people last night about selling drinking water to a recreation site. It had been touted as the ‘end all’ meeting to make a decision. Hey, it’s Flagstaff. The meeting was loud, emotional, and lots of people got their say. It lasted until almost midnight—way past most of the council’s bed time. Only the local gadfly had to be asked---told to leave the meeting. Comments had a time limit, but not everyone had to meet the time limit. The council, in all its wisdom, decided not to decide. It was not a good idea, according to them, to make a decision at such a late hour. Maybe. They will meet again to make the decision, but also decided not to decide when that would be. The snowmaking thing will not increase the size of the ski area, it will just assist nature in having snow on its 32 trails and 4 lifts. Breckenridge in Colorado has 150 trails and 30 lifts. That is a ski town. Purgatory just outside Durango, Colorado has 85 trails and 9 lifts. Many of the business people here describe skiing in Flagstaff as a ski destination. After listening to the problems of Snowbowl for more than 30 years, it is time to recognize that visitation will not increase with more snow on the tiny mountain. It may increase the number of days the trails are open, but will not bring skiers to Flagstaff. We do not have the infrastructure for a ski resort. The road to the ski area is treacherous after a storm. The ski lines are basically empty during the week, and when the snow is good, the lines are long. The owners can’t expand the trails or add more lifts. They just want to have long lines on more days.

Flagstaff was very nice today. We had no wind. Imagine that. My deck made it to 74° making it a good day for a walk. We dropped to 43° last night, so fall is certainly in the air. My early morning [7am] walk was in long pants—the first time since May. I can still wear my Tevas, but my toes did get a little chilly. Flag is beautiful in the fall, and I guess it’s time to start realizing that fall is almost here.

QUOTE FOR THE DAY

Hindu Prince Gautama Siddharta, the founder of Buddhism: Peace comes from within. Do not seek it without.

HOLY MACKEREL: 1923 Earthquake strikes Tokyo & Yokohama, kills 106,000

SOMEWHAT USELESS INFORMATION in Science

§The idea of the atom was first introduced by Leucippus of Miletus around 450 B.C.. Leucippus and his pupil, Democritus, theorized that all matter was composed of atoms, or bits of matter too small to be seen. The word "atom" comes from a Greek word, "atomos", meaning uncuttable.

§In 2004, on the island of Flores in Indonesia, a team of Australian and Indonesian researchers discovered the remains of a hobbit-sized human,one that stood no more than a meter tall.

§Atoms are most tightly packed in a solid.

§At 4,160 miles (6,693 kilometers), the Nile is the longest river in the world.

§Although it was a long-held belief that the Stegosaurus had three brains: One in its head, one in its back, and one in its tail, recent studies have shown that these extra "brains" were actually energy stores for muscles.

GREY MATTER PUZZLE 1—Jeopardy Answers: Geography

$100-Formerly Formosa

$200-Dutch is still an official language in what is now called Suriname

$300-8th most populous country in the world, this "Bengal Nation" was once East Pakistan

$-400First colony since 1776 to break from Britain without consent, it is now Zimbabwe

$500-About 1/3 of Africa's Pygmy population lives in what was once Belgian Congo

UNUSUAL NEWS ITEM

KERNERSVILLE, N.C. - A North Carolina collector is auctioning "The Catcher in the Rye" author J.D. Salinger's toilet on eBay with an asking price of $1 million. Rick Kohl of Kernersville-based webuytreasure.com said he might be open to accepting a smaller sum for the commode, which was taken from a New Hampshire home the notoriously reclusive author moved out of in the mid-1980s, the Charlotte News & Observer reported Thursday. "I bet it's worth $100,000," Kohl said. "Come on, it's J.D. Salinger's throne! We're talking 'Catcher in the Rye' here!" The auction runs for about 2 1/2 weeks.

A LITTLE LAUGH

At the school where my mother worked, the two first-grade teachers were Miss Paine and Mrs. Hacking. One morning the mother of a student called in the middle of a flu epidemic to excuse her daughter from school.

"Is she in Paine or Hacking?" the school secretary asked.

"She feels fine," said the confused mom. "We have company, and I'm keeping her home."

GREY MATTER PUZZLE 2--Riddle

A man with no drivers license went the wrong way and turned left at a corner with a "no left" sign. A policewomen saw him but didn't do anything. Why?

FOUND ON ‘YOU TUBE’

Solar Flare Mystery: Click Here To See!

GREY MATTER PICTURE

This is a close up of what object?

SOME CALENDAR INFORMATION

¤ S E P T E M B E R      M O N T H L Y      O B S E R V A N C E S ¤

§September gets its name from Latin [septem] which means seven as in the Roman calendar it was the seventh month. Charlemagne’s calendar called it ‘harvest month’; the Anglo-Saxon called it Gerstmonath (barley month); and in Switzerland it is called Herbstmonat (harvest month). The birthstone is the sapphire—for clear thinking. The flowers are the forget-me-not, aster, and morning glory.

§AKC Responsible Dog Ownership Month--Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Month--Apple Month

§Baby Safety Month--Backpack Safety America Month--Be Kind To Editors & Writers Month

§Childrens' Good Manners Month--Childhood Cancer Awareness Month Link--College Savings Month

§Fall Hat Month

§Go Wild During California Wild Rice Month--Great American Low-Cholesterol, Low-fat Pizza Bake Month--Gynecology Cancer Awareness Month

§Healthy Aging Month

§International People Skills Month--International Self-Awareness Month--International Strategic Thinking Month

§Leukemia and Lymphoma Awareness Month--Library Card Sign-up Month

§National:

Alcohol & Drug Addiction Recovery Month--Mold Awareness Month-- Chicken Month-- Childhood Injury Prevention Month-- DNA, Genomics & Stem Cell Education Month--Coupon Month--Head Lice Prevention Month-- Hispanic Heritage Month--Honey Month--Mushroom Month--Organic Harvest Month Link--Osteopathic Medicine Month Link--Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month (Gov't)--Prime Beef Month Link--Sickle Cell Month--Piano Month--Preparedness Month--Prostate Cancer Awareness Month--Rice Month-- Skin Care Awareness Month

§One-on-One Month--Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month

§Pediatric Cancer Awareness Month--Pleasure Your Mate Month

§Reunion Planning Month

§Self Improvement Month--Shameless Promotion Month--Sports and Home Eye Health & Safety Month--Subliminal Communications Month

§Update Your Resume Month

§Women's Friendship Month--World Animal Remembrance Month

¤ Weekly Observances ¤

-9/4: Minority Enterprise Development Week

1-8: International Enthusiasm Week: Self-University Week

¤ Today’s Observances ¤

Building and Code Staff Appreciation Day

Calendar Adjustment Day: used to make the adjustment from Gregorian to Julian Calendar

Emma M. Nutt Day: to honor 1st female telephone operator

National No Rhyme (Nor Reason) Day

Toy Tips Executive Toy Test Day: A day for adults to buy a toy and try it out.

Brunei: Revelation of the Koran

Lybia, Egypt : Revolution Day (1969)

Malaysia:  National Day

Mexico: Presidental Message Day/Opening of congress

¤ Hit Songs on this date ¤

1910...Casey Jones...Billy Murray & American Quartet

1930...Little White Lies...Fred Waring's Pennsylvanians

1940...I'll Never Smile Again...Tommy Dorsey

1950...Goodnight Irene...Gordon Jenkins & the Weavers Click Here to Hear!

1960...It's Now or Never...Elvis Presley Click Here to Hear!

1970...War...Edwin Starr Click Here to Hear!

¤ Today’s Births ¤

╬ THE ARTS

Edgar Rice Burroughs, novelist (Tarzan, Mars Saga) …born 1875…Chicago, IL

Gloria Estefan, 53, singer…born Havana, Cuba

Barry Gibb, 64, singer (with the Bee Gees, “Staying Alive”), song-writer…born Manchester, England

Lydia Sigourney, religious author (How to Be Happy) …born 1791…Norwich, CT

Conway Twitty [Harold Lloyd Jenkins], country singer (Hello Darlin') …born 1933…Friars Point, MS

Boxcar Willie (Lecil Martin), ‘The Singing Hobo’: songwriter, singer…born.1931 …Ellis County, TX

♦♦♦♦♦♦

Yvonne De Carlo , actress (10 Commandments, Munsters) …born 1922…Vancouver BC

George Maharis (Maharias), 82, actor: Route 66…born Astoria, NY

Lily Tomlin, 71, actress, comedienne…born Detroit, MI

╬ ATHLETICS

James "Gentleman Jim" Corbett, heavyweight champion boxer…born 1866 …San Francisco, CA

Timothy Duane (Tim) Hardaway, 44, former basketball player(Warriors, Heat, Magic, Nuggets, Pacers)…born Chicago, IL

╬ BUSINESS & EDUCATION

Elizabeth Harrison, educator (Natl Congress of Parents & Teachers) …born 1849 …Athens, GA

Alan Dershowitz, 72, attorney, author…born Brooklyn, NY

╬ POLITICS

Sir Roger David Casement, martyr (IRA) …born 1864… Dublin, Ireland

╬ SCIENCE & RELIGION

Dr. Phil McGraw, 60, psychologist, author, television personality (“The Oprah Winfrey Show,” “Dr. Phil”)…born Vinita, OK

¤ Today’s Obituaries ¤

Jacques Cartier, French explorer, plague @ 65 in 1557

William Clark, 2nd lt of Lewis & Clark Expedition, @ 68 in 1838

Louis XIV, King of France (1643-1715), @ 76 in 1715

Henry "Scoop" Jackson, (Sen-WA), aortic aneurysm @ 71 in 1983

Ethel Waters, actress (Beulah)/singer (Stormy Weather), @ 76 in 1977

¤ Today’s Events ¤

╬ THE ARTS

1975 Gunsmoke goes off the air

╬ ATHLETICS

1890 1st baseball tripleheader-Boston vs Pittsburgh

1906 Joseph Harris (Boston) & Jack Coombs (A's) pitch complete 24 inning game

1972 Bobby Fischer (US) defeats Boris Spassky (USSR) for world chess title

╬ BUSINESS & EDUCATION

1859 The Pullman sleeping car was placed into service.

╬ INDIGENOUS PEOPLE

1640 A treaty agreement cover land cessions between the Mohegan and Connecticut will be reached today.

1866 Manuelito and twenty-three of his Navajo followers surrender to the army at Fort Wingate.

╬ POLITICS (US)

1799 Bank of Manhattan Company opens in NYC (forerunner to Chase Manhattan)

1807 Aaron Burr acquitted of charges of plotting to set up an empire

╬ POLITICS (International)

  69 Traditional date of the destruction of Jerusalem

1666 Great London Fire begins in Pudding Lane. 80% of London is destroyed

1914 St Petersburg, Russia changes name to Petrograd

1939 The beginning of World War II; the invasion of Poland by Nazi troops and planes.

╬ SCIENCE & RELIGION

1859 RC Carrington & R Hodgson make 1st observation of solar flare

1865 Joseph Lister performs 1st antiseptic surgery

GREY MATTER ANSWERS

↔ 1

Formerly Formosa: What is Taiwan?

Dutch is still an official language in what is now called Suriname: What is Dutch Guiana?

8th most populous country in the world, this "Bengal Nation" was once East Pakistan: What is Bangladesh?

First colony since 1776 to break from Britain without consent, it is now Zimbabwe: What is Rhodesia?

About 1/3 of Africa's Pygmy population lives in what was once Belgian Congo: What is Zaire?

↔ 2

The man was walking.

↔ PICTURE

A bicycle cargo rack

TODAY’S NATIONAL PARK PHOTO SHOTS

Grand Canyon, Arizona, the 17th National Park as of February 26, 1919: The Grand Canyon, carved out by the Colorado River, is 277 miles (446 km) long, up to 1 mile (1.6 km) deep, and up to 15 miles (24 km) wide. Millions of years of exposure has formed colorful layers of the Colorado Plateau in mesas and canyon walls.

     <> <> <> <>      

Tuesday August 31

This is Week 35 of 2010►Day 243 with 122 days left.

FREE RAMBLING THOUGHTS

Computer success today. My very cool brother gave me an iPod before my 1st ocean crossing. I downloaded some great music, a couple of audio books, and a bunch of my favorite CD’s. It was great for the trip, even better for my morning walks. Since I am an older guy, I don’t buy a lot of music anymore. I like that the iPod lets me buy a song, without buying the whole album. It reminds me of my long discarded 45 collection, without the hassle of that big hole and all the adaptors. Anyway, my computer died a couple of months ago. I remember hearing, when I got my iPod about 4 years ago that it was synched to one computer and that it was difficult to transfer stuff to another computer…thanks to all the hackers that had been downloading illegal music or were sharing purchased music with others. It also has to do with Apple’s domination of the on-line legal music. Producers and Artists would not let Apple have the music if there was any way to copy the music to another player. So, when my computer died, I figured my music was basically gone if I ever tried to synch my iPod and computer—a necessary thing to add new stuff to the iPod. Well, my trip is coming up and I need some new music and at least one book. So this afternoon I decided that it was time. Google quickly found me a site with instructions. Everything needed was free. In the time between my getting the iPod and needed in make it work on a new computer, the wonderful people at Apple have made it easy. Download a couple of programs, synch everything and it’s done. I guess I’m not the only iPod owner who has to buy a new computer before the iPod itself breaks. Cool. Very cool. It is too bad that AOL doesn’t make the change so easy. I still can’t retrieve my emails that were saved on my old computer. All I really wanted was the various itinerary emails for my overseas trips. I now know that AOL really does suck, and save those type of emails as Word Documents, which are easy to retrieve.

I am so thankful that some journalists are finally speaking out about the Mosque issue in NYC. We are fighting a war in two—or maybe only one—country so that those people can have a democratic government, hopefully based on the US Constitution. Our enemy is Al-Qaeda which is a radical fundamentalist Islamist group founded back in 1989. They want to destroy those who do not follow strict Muslim teachings. They have lots of examples that non-Muslims want to see them destroyed. They use lots propaganda to make their voice heard. They take news stories from around the world to show their young energetic recruits how bad the world outside their group really is. Because we have so many crazies in our country demanding that the Mosque in NYC not be built, a crazy somewhere in the south having a Koran Burning Bonfire, several towns throughout the US demanding that no Mosque be built in their town Al-Qaeda is listening. They are using these sound bites as proof that what we say is not what we do. The very real concern now is that young impressionable American Muslims hear all this crap, and decide that it is wrong. They are correct, it is wrong. This press coverage and the loud mouthed crazies are becoming a very good recruiting tool for Al-Qaeda. Many young moderate American Muslims hear that Americans are against their religion, their beliefs, and therefore them. It is not a big jump to understand that some of them may join Al-Qaeda. The bottom line is that our constitution says we have freedom of religion. Any citizens who believe that this really says freedom of religion for Christians is wrong. Their rhetoric is helping the Al-Qaeda side of the War on Terrorism. Very sad, very disturbing, and very real.

Flagstaff City Council is having a special meeting tonight to determine if the city should sell drinking water to our local ski area to make snow. While many believe tonight’s vote will be definitive in answering the 30 some year debate, I see it as just the next vote in the endless votes and the endless controversy. We live in the desert. We have been in a drought for many years. The ski area will never become a ski resort. Flagstaff will never become a ski resort town. The neighboring tribes see the mountain as sacred that should not be changed by man. The environmentalists say that selling drinking water is not a good idea. The business community wants to bring tourists who will spend money to our mountain town. No matter how the vote goes tonight, I predict another lawsuit. For a town that is struggling to stay afloat, this certainly is a major distraction.

Flag had another windy day. No rain. High: 69°, 24mph steady winds with 30 mph gusts. Sure hope all this wind brings something to our fair city.

QUOTE FOR THE DAY

Ralph Waldo Emerson: Let the stoics say what they please, we do not eat for the good of living, but because the meat is savory and the appetite is keen.

HOLY MACKEREL: 1942 “Look! Up in the sky! It’s a bird! It’s a plane! It’s Superman!” Able to leap tall buildings in a single bound ... the caped crusader started on network radio on the Mutual Broadcasting System. Bud Collyer, later of TV’s Beat the Clock, played Clark Kent aka Superman on the radio series

SOMEWHAT USELESS INFORMATION on White Castle

§White Castle was founded in 1921 in Wichita, Kansas. The 6name was chosen carefully with “White” signifying purity, and “Castle” signifying strength, stability and permanence.

§Burgers were 5 cents in 1921 and that price was reduced and increased over the next several years. A big jump occurred in December of 1950 when burgers went from 10 cents to 12.

§In 1931, White Castle hired a renowned food scientist from a Big Ten university to run tests to determine the nutritional value of White Castle Sliders. One medical student lived on nothing but White Castle burgers and water for 13 weeks. Studies show conclusively that the student maintained good health.

§The burgers have five holes because they help the patties cook faster and more evenly while eliminating the need to turn them over.

§During World War II, White Castle sold hot dogs and eggs due to meat rationing.

GREY MATTER PUZZLE 1—Jeopardy Answers

$200-The official news agency of the Soviet Union

$400-Harvard Lampoon alumnus, by 1937 he owned 25 daily newspapers & a California castle

$600-First published in 1889 by the Dow Jones Co.

$1000-It carries the motto "All the news that's fit to print"

UNUSUAL NEWS ITEM

AREZZO, Italy - An Italian priest is pleading with church-goers to help fill the pews at poorly attended funerals. The Rev. Marcello Colcelli wrote to members of his Arezzo church asking them to join his "Company of the Departed" to fill seats at funerals that are often poorly attended or even completely empty, ANSA reported. Colcelli wrote he has encountered many services attended "only by a few relatives and acquaintances," and sometimes he found himself alone with the deceased. "I often have to do everything on my own: the readings, the rites, even the mourning," Colcetti wrote in the letter, which was printed in the La Nazione daily. "I could carry on like this but I ask myself: Where's the community?" The cleric said he was drafting a document for possible members of the Company of the Departed, including "an obligation (when possible) to take part in funerals, guaranteeing a minimum funeral service including readings, offerings and incense."

A LITTLE LAUGH

A hunter visited another hunter and was given a tour of his home. In the den was a stuffed lion. The visiting hunter asked, "When did you bag him?"

The host said proudly, "That was three years ago, when I went hunting with my ex-wife."

"What's he stuffed with," asked the visiting hunter.

"My ex-wife." replied the hunter.

GREY MATTER PUZZLE 2--Riddle

I say everything I hear to others around. I’m not an animal, nor part of the human race. I will, immediately, repeat after you; but only if my tail is in place. What am I?

FOUND ON ‘YOU TUBE’

Skeet Shooting lesson See It Hear!

GREY MATTER PICTURE

This is a close up of what object?

SOME CALENDAR INFORMATION

♦ Weekly Observances ♦

25-31: Be Kind To Humankind Week

29-9/4: Minority Enterprise Development Week

♦ Today’s Observances ♦

National Trail Mix Day

Love Litigating Lawyers Day

Afghanistan: Pashtunistan Day since 1951 dispute over border land between Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Malaysia: Independence Day 1957 from UK

Moldova: Day of Our Language or Limba Noastra since 1989

Trinidad & Tobago: Independence Day (1962)

Poland: Day of Solidarity and Freedom since 1980 ending of worker’s strike

♦ Hit Songs on this date ♦

1929 ...Little Pal…Al Jolson (not original) Hear It Here!

1939 ... Sunrise Serenade…Glen Gray (not original) Hear It Here!

1949 …You're Breaking My Heart…Vic Damone Hear It Here!

1959 … The Three Bells…The Browns

1969 … Honky Tonk Women…The Rolling Stones

1979 … My Sharona…The Knack Hear It Here!

♦ Today’s Births ♦

• The Arts

Debbie Gibson, 40, singer…born Brooklyn, NY

Alan Jay Lerner, lyricist composer (Lerner & Leowe-My Fair Lady) …born 1918…NYC, NY

George Ivan ‘Van’ Morrison, 65, singer (Here Comes the Night) …born Belfast, Northern Ireland

Itzhak Perlman, 65, violinist…born Tel Aviv, Israel

~~~

Richard Basehart, actor (Voyage to Bottom of the Sea) …born1919 …Zanesville, OH

Buddy Hackett (Leonard Hacker), comedian, actor: The Love Bug, The Music Man; cartoon voices: The Little Mermaid…born 1924…Brooklyn, NY

• Athletics

Edwin Corley Moses, 55, Olympic gold medal track athlete…born Dayton, OH

Frank Robinson, 75, Baseball Hall of Famer: Cincinnati Redlegs, Cincinnati Reds Orioles Dodgers, Angels, Indians; first black baseball manager…born Beaumont, TX

• Business & Education

Arthur Godfrey, radio, TV host (Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scout) …born1903 …NYC, NY

Maria Montessori, educator: first woman to attend medical school, first female Doctor of Medicine in Italy, worked with handicapped and socially deprived children, developed unique educational method known as the Montessori method; Montessori Schools named for her…born 1870… Chiaravalle (Ancona), Italy

Daniel Schorr, broadcast journalist (CBS) …born 1916…Bronx,NY

• Politics

Eldridge Cleaver, Black Panther turned Republican…born 1935… Wabbaseka, Arkansas

Queen Mother Wilhelmina (Wilhelmina Helena Pauline Maria) of Netherlands…born 1880… The Hague, Netherlands

• Science/Religion

H. David Politzer, 61, American physicist, Nobel laureate…born NYC, NY

Pavel Vinogradov, 57, Russian cosmonaut…born Magadan, Russia

♦ Today’s Obituaries ♦

John Bunyan, preacher/novelist/author of "Pilgrim's Progress,", @ 60 in 1688

Nat (Sweetwater) Clifton, NY Knick, heart attack @ 65 in 1990

Leofric, husband of Lady Godiva, @ 34 in 1057

Rocky Marciano (Rocco Francis Marchegiano(, former heavyweight champ, plane crash @ 46 in 1964

Mary Ann Nicholls, prostitute, found stabbed to death in London, 1st of at least five murders by Jack the Ripper @42 in 1888

♦ Today’s Events ♦

• The Arts

1948 Actor Robert Mitchum is arrested in a Hollywood drug raid. He would later be found guilty of criminal conspiracy to possess marijuana and sentenced to 60 days in prison.

2006 Stolen on August 22, 2004, Edvard Munch's famous painting The Scream is recovered in a raid by Norwegian police.

• Athletics

1935 1st national skeet championship (Indianapolis)

1972 Olga Korbut, USSR, wins olympic gold medal in gymnastics in Munich

• Business & Education

1955 1st microwave TV station operated (Lufkin, Tx)

• Indigenous People

1666 Mohawk Chief Agariata is attending a peace conference in Quebec between the Iroquois and the French. Governor Alexandre de Proville asks, during a dinner, if anyone knew who killed his son a few months ago. Agariata brags that he did it. The governor becomes so angry, he has Agariata seized, and hung. This ends the peace process. Governor de Proville leads French troops against the Mohawks, himself.

• Politics (US)

1778 British kill 17 Stockbridge indians in the Bronx during Revolution

1842 US Naval Observatory authorized by an act of Congress

1852 The United States Congress passed legislation creating the first prestamped envelopes.

1954 Census Bureau established

• Politics (International)

1958 A parcel bomb sent by Ngo Dinh Nhu, younger brother and chief adviser of South Vietnamese President Ngo Dinh Diem, failed to kill Sihanouk of Cambodia.

1997 Diana, Britain’s Princess of Wales, was killed in an early-morning car crash in Paris, France

2005 A stampede on Al-Aaimmah bridge in Baghdad kills 1,199 people.

• Science / Religion

1535 Pope Paul II deposed & excommunicated King Henry VIII

1887 Thomas A Edison patents Kinetoscope, (produces moving pictures)

1955 1st sun-powered automobile demonstrated, Chicago, Ill

GREY MATTER ANSWERS

↔ 1

$200-The official news agency of the Soviet Union: What is TASS?

$400-Harvard Lampoon alumnus, by 1937 he owned 25 daily newspapers & a California castle: Who is William Randolph Hearst?

$600-First published in 1889 by the Dow Jones Co.: What is the Wall Street Journal?

$1000-It carries the motto "All the news that's fit to print": what is the New York Times?

↔ 2

Microphone

↔ Picture

A chinese checkers board

TODAY’S NATIONAL PARK PHOTO SHOTS

Acadia National Park: Maine, 16th National Park as of February 26, 1919: Covering most of Mount Desert Island and other coastal islands, Acadia preserves the tallest mountain on the Atlantic coast, granite peaks, ocean shoreline, woodlands, and lakes. There are freshwater, estuary, forest, and intertidal habitats

<> <> <> <>

Monday, August 30

This is Week 35 of 2010►Day 242 with 123 days left.

FREE RAMBLING THOUGHTS

A bit of a nip in the air this morning. At 9am my deck was only 57°, a little too cool for a nice newspaper read. I am amazed that fall is almost in the air. It is still August for goodness sake. I did get better as the day went on—all the way to 69° with another day of wind. We didn’t get any rain, had some clouds on and off. Hard to enjoy much time outside when the wind is blowing. Everyone has their favorite weather, some like a sunny day, some like a winter snow storm, some like the dew on the first flowers of spring and others the fall colors on a crisp morning. I don’t know anyone who wishes they could have more windy days.

My brother and his wife are off to a working vacation in Paris. They are attending a design show and have numerous ‘meetings’ set up with potential business partnerships. Then they are off to the south of France to stay with friends for a couple of weeks. A great way to spend their anniversary. My brother’s former boss just lost her main partner, who sold his 46% of the business. This has thrown the design world into a frenzy as Holly Hunt is one of the major firms in the US for foreign designers. My brother worked there for about 15 years and the revamping could open up lots of possibilities for him. I hope things work out. He does a great job of finding buyers and certainly has the personality to do it well. He turns 60 soon and that can be a good thing or a bad thing when looking for a job.

Arizona and Denver both won this week. It’s turning into a good football season afterall.

C-Span ran the Beck rally last night and I watched some it. I was stuck that he had a really good idea…honor. But somehow, he found a way to make it cheesy and not in a good way. He tried to hijack King’s religious background and become the new messiah. One of the presenters even called him a ‘son of God’. It was a good idea gone very, very badly. I watched speaker after speaker try to save it, but couldn’t. Sara was introduced to honor the military, not as a politician, but as a mom of a soldier. She of course found a way to turn it political. As an entertainer, he was playing a role and did not give even a decent performance. It cost Faux News and ol’ Glenn a lot of money for the day, and again, while the idea was a good one, it just didn’t come off the way many had hoped.

QUOTE FOR THE DAY

Wilson Mizner: "A good listener is not only popular everywhere, but after a while he gets to know something."

HOLY MACKEREL: 1979 Pres Carter attacked by a rabbit on a canoe trip in Plains Ga

SOMEWHAT USELESS INFORMATION

The African Fish Eagle, swooping faster than 100 miles per hour, can break to a halt in twenty feet!

I saw several in South Africa See One In Flight Here!

GREY MATTER PUZZLE 1—Jeopardy Answers Travel and Tourism

$200-Although this Roman arena could hold 50,000, it's not on the Jackson tour

--

$400-Date just west of this is 1 day later than the date just east

--

$800-Official endorsement to show validity of a passport, or a major credit card

--

$1000-Currency of Liechtenstein, Luxembourg & Andorra

UNUSUAL NEWS ITEM

HAVANA — Fidel Castro says al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden is a bought-and-paid-for CIA agent who always popped up when former President George W. Bush needed to scare the world, arguing that documents recently posted on the Internet prove it.

A LITTLE LAUGH

If you've ever worked for a boss who reacts before getting the facts and thinking things through, you will love this!

Arcelor-Mittal Steel, feeling it was time for a shakeup, hired a new CEO.

The new boss was determined to rid the company of all slackers.

On a tour of the facilities, the CEO noticed a guy leaning against a wall.

The room was full of workers and he wanted to let them know that he meant business.

He asked the guy, "How much money do you make a week?"

A little surprised, the young man looked at him and said, "I make $400 a week. Why?"

The CEO said, "Wait right here."

He walked back to his office, came back in two minutes, and handed the guy $1,600 in cash and said, "Here's four weeks' pay. Now GET OUT and don't come back."

Feeling pretty good about himself, the CEO looked around the room and asked, "Does anyone want to tell me what that goof-ball did here?"

From across the room a voice said, "Pizza delivery guy from Domino's."

GREY MATTER PUZZLE 2--Riddle

A black dog is sleeping on a black road. It is a one way road and no street lights are on. A truck is coming down the road with no head-lights on and still manages to avoid the dog. How did the driver do this?

FOUND ON ‘YOU TUBE’

John singing Hey Jude: Hear It Here!

GREY MATTER PICTURE

This is a close up of what object?

SOME CALENDAR INFORMATION

♦ Weekly Observances ♦

25-31: Be Kind To Humankind Week

29-9/4: Minority Enterprise Development Week

♦ Today’s Observances ♦

International Day of the Disappeared

National Toasted Marshmallow Day

National Holistic Pet Day

Afghanistan : Children's Day Turkey : Victory Day (1922)

Hong Kong : Liberation Day (1945)

♦ Hit Songs on this date ♦

1918 ...Rock-A-Bye Your Baby with a Dixie Melody...Al Jolson Hear It Here!

1948 ...Twelfth Street Rag ...Pee Wee Hunt

1958 ...Volare (Nel Blu Dipinto di Blu) ...Domenico Modugno Hear It Here!

1968 ...People Got to Be Free ...The Rascals Hear It Here!

1978 ...Grease ...Frankie Valli Hear It Here!

♦ Today’s Births ♦

• The Arts

Lewis Black, 62, comedian (“The Daily Show”)…born Silver Springs, MD

John Phillips, singer (Mama & Papas-California Dreaming) …born 1935…Paris Island, SC

Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley, author (Frankenstein) …born 1797… London England

Kitty Wells (Muriel Deason), 91, singer…born at Nashville, TN

~~~

Shirley Booth (Thelma Booth Ford), Academy Award-winning actress…born 1898… NYC, NY

Timothy Bottoms, 59, actor (The Last Picture Show, The Paper Chase)…born Santa Barbara, CA

Michael Chiklis, 47, actor (Emmy and Golden Globe for “The Shield”)…born Lowell, MA

Cameron Diaz, 38, actress (Charlie’s Angels, My Best Friend’s Wedding, There’s Something About Mary)…born San Diego, CA

Peggy Lipton, 63, actress (“The Mod Squad,” “Twin Peaks”)…born New York, NY

Raymond Massey, actor (Dr Gillespie-Dr Kildare)…born 1896… Toronto Canada

Fred MacMurray, actor (Caine Mutiny, My 3 Sons)…born 1907… Kankakee IL

• Athletics

Jean-Claude Killy, 67, Olympic Gold Medal skier [3]: downhill, slalom and giant slalom [1968] …born Saint-Cloud, Hauts-de-Seine, France

Tug (Frank Edwin) McGraw, baseball: pitcher: Mets, Phillies…born 1944…Martinez, CA

Robert Lee Parish, 57, former basketball player(Warriors, Celtics, Hornets, Bulls), …born Shreveport, LA

Ted Williams, Baseball's last .400 hitter (Red Sox)…born 1918…San Diego, CA

• Business & Education

Warren Buffett, 80, author (The Midas Touch), rich guy …born Omaha, NE

• Politics

Ellen Lewis Herndon Arthur, wife of president 21st Pres Chester A Arthur …born 1837… Culpeper Court House, VA

Huey P Long, (gov/sen-La) …born 1893… Winn Parish La

• Science/Religion

Ernest Lord Rutherford, physicist; discovered atomic nucleus…born 1871… Brightwater, New Zealand

Dr. Claire Straith, cosmetic surgeon; developed many techniques of plastic surgery, and developed seat belts and padded dash…born 1891…Detroit, MI

John L Swigert Jr, astronaut (Apollo 13) …born 1931…Denver, CO

♦ Today’s Obituaries ♦

Mohammad Javad Bahonar, prime minister of Iran, assassinated by a bomb @ 48 in 1981

Cleopatra, 7th & most famous queen of Egypt, commits suicide @ 39 in 30BC

Charles Coburn, Acad award winning actor, @ 84 in 1961

Mohammad Ali Rajai, president of Iran, assassinated by a bomb @ 48 in 1981

William H Taft, 27th US President, @ 73 in 1930

♦ Today’s Events ♦

• The Arts

1993 Late Show with David Letterman debuted on CBS-TV

• Athletics

1939 NY Yankee Atley Donald pitches a baseball a record 94.7 mph (152 kph)

1990 Ken Griffey & Ken Griffey Jr become 1st father & son to play on the same team (Mariners), both single in the 1st inning

• Business & Education

1968 1st record under Apple label (Beatle's Hey Jude)

• Indigenous People

1645 A peace treaty between the Dutch, led by Willem Kieft, and several local tribes is signed at Fort Orange, in modern Albany.

1690 A combined force of British, Yamassee and Yuchi Indians attack the Spanish mission of San Juan de Guacara in northern Florida. Many Timucua Indians in the area have been converted to Christianity or are loyal to the Franciscan monks. All of the Timucua Indians at the mission are killed in the fighting.

• Politics (US)

1843 1st black participation in nat’l political convention (Liberty Party)

1850 Honolulu, Hawaii becomes a city

1956 White mob prevents enrollment of blacks at Mansfield HS, Texas

1961 1st Negro judge of a US District Court confirmed-JB Parsons

1967 US Senate confirm Thurgood Marshall as 1st black justice

• Politics (International)

1682 William Penn sailed from England. He later established the colony of Pennsylvania

1944 Soviet troops enter Bucharest Romania

1945 Hong Kong liberated from Japan

1963 Hot Line communications link between Wash DC & Moscow went begins

• Science / Religion

1979 1st recorded occurrence-comet hits sun (energy=1 mil hydrogen bombs)

GREY MATTER ANSWERS

↔ 1

Although this Roman arena could hold 50,000, it's not on the Jackson tour: What is the Coliseum?

Date just west of this is 1 day later than the date just east: What is the International Date Line?

Official endorsement to show validity of a passport, or a major credit card: What is a Visa?

Currency of Liechtenstein, Luxembourg & Andorra: What is the franc?

↔ 2

It was still day time so he didn't need any extra lights to see the dog.

↔ Picture

A pitcher

TODAY’S NATIONAL PARK PHOTO SHOTS

Denali National Park, Alaska, 15th National Park since February 26, 1917: Centered around the Mount McKinley, the tallest mountain in North America, Denali is serviced by a single road leading to Wonder Lake. McKinley and other peaks of the Alaska Range are covered with long glaciers and boreal forest. Wildlife includes grizzly bears, Dall sheep,caribou, and gray wolves.

     <> <> <> <>      

Sunday August 29

This is Week 34 of 2010►Day 241 with 124 days left.

FREE RAMBLING THOUGHTS

I know it’s the weekend in Flag, it rained yesterday and today was windy all day. I decided to clean the house, as going outside was not real pleasant. I also caught up on some of the favorite DVR recorded series that I didn’t see this week. It worked out well, and tonight is comfort food—beef and noodles.

The news today was filled with the Glenn Beck thing at the Lincoln Memorial on the 47th anniversary of the “I Have A Dream” speech. He seemingly claimed that it was not a political rally, but a rally to return America to God. He certainly has become a voice for many conservatives who are not happy with DC politics. Many conservatives want smaller government, less taxes, fewer social programs, and little or no government interference in their daily lives—except for little stuff, like Social Security, Medicare, a working highway system, safe bridges, safe water, clean air, and similar things. Mr. Beck sure has made a name for himself since his rehab. Somehow his rally appeared to me to be delusional. He titled the whole thing as “Restoring Honor”. He has admitted that he is an entertainer and not a journalist. His daily entertainment is all about distorting history to fit his agenda. How is that honorable? Sadly, many of his followers don’t realize that he takes obscure historical events and makes them historical landmarks. He takes actual historical landmarks and turns them into footnotes that had no importance to our history. He is hoping that in the future he will be seen as a genius who really understood America. Sane people can only hope that he is wrong. When I hear the name Glenn Beck many adjectives come to mind, but honorable is not one of them.

NPR ran a great piece today about the games on social networking sites. I must admit I have played the free version of Mafia Wars and Farm Town. I have not and will not ‘buy’ things on at these games if they cost real money. It turns out I may in the minority of players, since last year these companies got $1.6 billion real dollars from real people for imaginary things. I’m not talking about buying some video game disk, I’m talking about imaginary cows, imaginary stolen gold, hiring an imaginary hit man to kill an imaginary adversary. Insane. A few years ago the ‘shadow economy’ was talking about hiring someone to clean your house, or take care of your garden or nanny your children without reporting the pay to the IRS. The IRS is full of bean counters, and soon they will be probably figuring out a way to collect tax on the imaginary crop you harvested. Actually they will find a way to tax the real money people are spending on these sites for the imaginary mansion just bought. The other downside to these games is that they can take up hours and can become highly addictive—even if you are playing for free. Some crops rot if not harvested every couple of hours, imaginary money builds up in your Mafia account and it can all be stolen if you don’t put it in the bank every few hours. In Mafia Wars they take 10% of your imaginary deposit as a laundering fee. Wonder how much the IRS will take in real money?

As I said, Flag was windy today. The 20+ mph winds were pretty steady most of the day. I did go out to empty the trash and watched the clouds move quickly across the sky…upper level winds must have been much stronger because them those clouds were really hustlin’ across our blue sky. My deck was 72° but the wind made it feel closer to 60°. My windows and deck door had to remain closed most of the day. There was no rain, but it sure smelled and felt like it could rain at any time.

QUOTE FOR THE DAY

W. Somerset Maugham: Sometimes people carry to such perfection the mask they have assumed that in due course they actually become the person they seem.

HOLY MACKEREL: 1896 Chop suey invented in NYC by chef of visiting Chinese Ambassador

SOMEWHAT USELESS INFORMATION about Cars

§The first Cadillac, which was produced in 1903, cost less than the original Model T Ford. Their prices, respectively, were $750 and $875.

§The fastest street-legal car on the road is the Bugatti Veyron. Only thirty are to be built this year, five of which can reach up to 267 mph! The British vehicle is $1.7-$2.5 million American.

GREY MATTER PUZZLE 1—Jeopardy Answers

$100-She talked to Arnold's class about drugs on TV's "Diff'rent Strokes"

---

$200-One of her early suitors was her husband's arch rival, Stephen A. Douglas

---

$300-Teddy's niece, her married & maiden names were the same

---

$400-Her tough Texas husband preferred her nickname to calling her Claudia Alta

---

$500-She was expelled from Society of Friends for marrying non-Quaker 4th president

---

UNUSUAL NEWS ITEM

Cincinnati, OH-- a 36-year-old Cincinnati woman was simultaneously masturbating with a sex toy and watching a porno while driving last week, according to cops who arrested her on assorted criminal charges. Colondra Hamilton was pulled over when cops noticed she was driving a car with overly tinted windows.

That's when officers noticed that Hamilton's pants were unbuttoned and she had a vibrator in her lap. After questioning admitted that she had also been watching a porno that was playing on a laptop in the passenger seat. Then they noticed her roach clip on the console. Ms. Hamilton was also charged with possession of drug paraphernalia.

A LITTLE LAUGH

Tips to live better in 2010

--Old telephone books make ideal personal address books. Simply cross out the names and addresses of people you don't know.

--Avoid parking tickets by leaving your windshield wipers turned to fast wipe whenever you leave your car parked illegally.

--Fool other drivers into thinking you have a cell phone 'texting' on an old TV or video remote control and occasionally swerving across the road and mounting the curb.

GREY MATTER PUZZLE 2--Riddle

The police found a dead body inside a car. It was obvious that the woman was shot to death. There was no gun powder inside the car, so that meant that the murderer shot the woman from outside the car. But the windows were intact and rolled up and the doors were locked. How did the shooter kill the woman?

FOUND ON ‘YOU TUBE’

Mormon Tabernacle Choir - "Battle Hymn of the Republic" Click Here to Hear!

GREY MATTER PICTURE

This is a close up of what object?

SOME CALENDAR INFORMATION

♦ Weekly Observances ♦

25-31: Be Kind To Humankind Week

29-9/4: Minority Enterprise Development Week

♦ Today’s Observances ♦

More Herbs, Less Salt Day

According to Hoyle Day

National Sarcoidosis Awareness Day: Besnier-Boeck disease, a disease in which swelling (inflammation) occurs in the lymph nodes, lungs, liver, eyes, skin, or other tissue

Slovakia: Slovak National Uprising Anniversary (1944 against Nazis)

♦ Hit Songs on this date ♦

1897 ...The Stars and Stripes Forever...Sousa's Band

1927 ... Me and My Shadow..."Whispering" Jack Smith

1947 ...Smoke! Smoke! Smoke! (That Cigarette) ...Tex Williams

1957 ...Tammy...Debbie Reynolds Click Here to Hear!

1967 ...Ode to Billie Joe...Bobbie Gentry Click Here to Hear!

1977 ...Best of My Love...The Emotions Click Here to Hear!

♦ Today’s Births ♦

• The Arts

Sir Richard Attenborough, 87, filmmaker (In Which We Serve, The Great Escape), born Cambridge, England

Charlie "Bird" Parker, famous African-American jazzman…born 1920…Kansas City, KS

William Friedkin, 71, filmmaker (Oscar for The French Connection; The Exorcist)…born Chicago, IL

Oliver Wendell Holmes, physician/author (Old Ironsides) …born 1809…Cambridge, MA

Michael Jackson, singer (Thriller, Bad)…born 1958… Gary IN

Peter Jennings, news anchor (ABC TV) …born 1938… Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Robin Leach, 69, television host (“Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous”)…born London, England

~~~

Ingrid Bergman, actress (Casablanca, Cactus Flower) …born 1915… Stockholm, Sweden

Richard Gere, 61, actor (Chicago, An Officer and a Gentleman, Pretty Woman)…born Philadelphia, PA

Elliott Gould (Elliott Goldstein), 72, actor (M*A*S*H, The Long Goodbye)…born Brooklyn, NY

• Athletics

Pablo Mastroeni, 34, soccer player…born Mendoza, Argentina

• Business & Education

Charles F Kettering, inventor (auto self-starter) …born 1876…Londonville, OH

John Locke, empiricist philosopher; disproved substance…born 1632… Wrington, Somerset, England

• Politics

John Sidney McCain III, 74, US Senator (R, Arizona)…born Panama Canal Zone

• Science/Religion

Henry Bergh, founder of American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals…born, 1811…NYC,NY

♦ Today’s Obituaries ♦

Ingrid Bergman, academy award winning actress, dies on 67th birthday

John the Baptist, beheaded ( Note: Actual date is questionable ), about 40 in 29AD

Edmond Hoyle, games expert, @ 97 in 1769

Lee Marvin, actor, heart attack @ 63 in Tucson, AZ in 1987

Lowell Thomas, newscaster (High Adventure), @ 89 in 1981

Brigham Young, 2nd president of Mormon Church, @ 76 in 1877

♦ Today’s Events ♦

• The Arts

1967 Final TV episode of "The Fugitive"

• Athletics

1844 1st white-indian lacrosse game in Montreal, Indians win

1904 3rd modern Olympic Games opens in St Louis

1984 Edwin Moses won the 400-meter hurdles in track competition in Europe, his 108th consecutive victory.

• Business & Education

1896 Chop suey invented in NYC by chef of visiting Chinese Ambassador

1958 Air Force Academy opens in Colorado Springs, CO

• Indigenous People

1758 The First State Indian reservation, in Brotherton New Jersey, is established. It is primarily for the Lenni Lenape

• Politics (US)

1708 Haverhill, Mass destroyed by French & Indians New Jersey by the New Jersey Colonial Assembly.

1862 2nd Battle of Bull Run (Manassas) begins

1862 US Bureau of Engraving & Printing begins operation

• Politics (International)

1930 The last 36 remaining inhabitants of St Kilda are voluntarily evacuated to other parts of Scotland due to illness and death

1991 Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union suspends all activities of the Soviet Communist Party.

2003 Ayatollah Sayed Mohammed Baqir al-Hakim, the Shia Muslim leader in Iraq, is assassinated in a terrorist bombing, along with nearly 100 worshippers as they leave a mosque in Najaf.

• Science / Religion

1883 Seismic sea waves created by the Krakatoa eruption create a rise in the English Channel 32 hrs after the explosion

2005 Hurricane Katrina moved into the Gulf of Mexico and grew into one of the most devastating hurricanes in US history

GREY MATTER ANSWERS

↔ 1

She talked to Arnold's class about drugs on TV's "Diff'rent Strokes": Who is Nancy Reagan?

One of her early suitors was her husband's arch rival, Stephen A. Douglas: Who is Mary Todd Lincoln?

Teddy's niece, her married & maiden names were the same: Who is Eleanor Roosevelt?

Her tough Texas husband preferred her nickname to calling her Claudia Alta: Who is Lady Bird Johnson?

She was expelled from Society of Friends for marrying non-Quaker 4th president: Who is Dolley Madison?

↔ 2

The car was a convertible!

↔ Picture

Contacts on a smart card, e.g. credit card or satellite TV card

TODAY’S NATIONAL PARK PHOTO SHOTS

Lassen Volcanic National Park: 14th National Park, in California as of August 9, 1916” Lassen Peak, the largest plug dome volcano in the world, is joined by all three other types of volcanoes in this park: shield, cinder dome, and composite. Other than the volcano, which last erupted in 1915, the park has hydrothermal areas, including fumaroles, boiling pools, and steaming ground, heated by molten rock under the peak.

<> <> <> <>

Saturday, August 28

This is Week 34 of 2010►Day 240 with 125 days left.

FREE RAMBLING THOUGHTS

I hope that readers enjoy the videos I have been adding to each blog. The songs are usually the original musicians, and certainly bring back memories. All one has to do is click on the blue “Click Here” or “Hear It Hear” and you should go right to the video. When I find the video, I am always surprised as how quickly a memory will pop into my mind. Much of the memories from the 50’s, 60’s and 70’s are mine—a party, an event, a situation. Any songs before my memory will remind me of something my parents talked about, or listened to. A few of the songs are such time honored classics that I may have ever known they were number one on Billboard. Yesterday’s list is a good example. I learned the song as “Bicycle Built for Two” but now know it was “The Band Played On”. As a pre-teen I took piano lessons. My piano teacher believed that her students should learn music theory, learn to play the piano, learn composer history, and perform twice a year. Mrs. Williams had a large room with two pianos and chairs for about four. Once a week we had a private lesson and once a week we had ‘theory’ with about four students. That room opened out into living room. When her 10 or so students had a recital, the parents sat in the living room as we played. I never became a great pianist. I never even became a very good pianist. I did learn to appreciate many kinds of music—classical through the years, jazz, folk, and many more. My mom became good friends with Reba and they stayed friends for many years after the piano lessons stopped. When I entered college one of the course requirements was Music Appreciation. We had to take a pre-test to see what level class we would be in—beginning appreciation, intermediate appreciation, or advanced appreciation. After taking the test, the instructor called me in to see if I was planning on becoming a music major. I wasn’t. However, my test results exempted me from all three levels of the class and I just got the credits. She was very disappointed that I didn’t want to become a music major. I never found out how many of the thousands of liberal arts freshman were fully exempted, but I do know that none of my freshman friends were. All those hours of class, of practice, of theory have paid off my entire life. As an Elementary teacher or a Jr. High English teacher I could always find some piece of music that fit into many of my lessons. If I were still a teacher, finding those pieces of music would be so much easier. Anyway, I hope you enjoy the music as much as I do.

I helped Martha with her mailings again today. She is doing so much better, but still can’t carry the books from her vehicle to the PO window. It is no big deal for me, and I am getting to know the desk crew at the PO. It takes time for them to weigh and stamp some 25 books each trip, and they have the tedious task down to an art, so there is some conversation while they stamp away. By the time I head for Malaysia, Martha should be ready to return to her pre-operation state of doing it alone. I won’t be needed anymore, but for now, it is an interesting way to spend an hour.

Over a week ago Ellie had mailed me my name tags, luggage tags, and other stuff I didn’t get at the pre-departure party. It only had to come from Denver. As of yesterday I still hadn’t received it. The luggage tags are really important, so that the baggage carriers at all of our stops can spot them on the luggage carousel. We, the travelers, don’t have to stand at the carousel and grab our bags. The tour guys know what tag to grab so we can converse and enjoy the airport hubbub. When they have all our bags, we simply walk over to be sure our bag is there. It sure makes travel much easier. So this morning about 9am I called Ellie to let her know I was tagless. I told her that I was sure it would come, just as soon as I called. She reprinted and re-mailed all the stuff. I called because I was sure she would have to call back east for the luggage tags and we are leaving soon. I checked the mail about noon, and sure enough, the package was there. I called her back but she had already mailed me a new set. I asked if that meant I could go twice. She said ‘probably not.’

I picked up my broad band hat, a mosquito net for the hat, some strong bug spray and other travel stuff today. I’m still searching for anti-leech socks. We don’t have an REI here and it is too late to order them without paying more for shipping than the socks cost. Neither of our local sporting goods stores had any. All the clerks looked at me like I was crazy—AZ is not exactly leech country and the sporting goods stores are not that big. They have lots of camping and hiking stuff, but it is for the mountains or for the sandy desert, not a rain forest. The clerks were interested in my trip and seemed have a genuine interest.

Today I started my ‘take’ pile for the trip. As I use something that I don’t use regularly, it goes in the pile. When I finally pack, some at that stuff will go and I find that it helps so I don’t forget anything.

Flag had a real nice thundershower just after noon, and another one about 3pm. The second storm set off the emergency notice on TV to watch for flash flooding. I haven’t heard yet if the fire area was spared, yet again. I think the darkness and rain helped me get in the mood to start getting ready for my trip. We made it to 78° before the first storm, but quickly dropped to the mid 60’s where stayed cool the rest of the day. It is still overcast and sure looks like more rain tonight. I had to close downstairs windows as it got a little cool.

QUOTE FOR THE DAY

Charles Dubois: The important thing is this: To be able at any moment to sacrifice what we are for what we could become.

HOLY MACKEREL: 1963 Martin Luther King Jr's "I have a dream speech" at Lincoln Memorial

SOMEWHAT USELESS INFORMATION

The tallest bird of all time was the moa, a flightless inhabitant of New Zealand that became extinct over 400 years ago. It grew to be 11 feet tall.

GREY MATTER PUZZLE 1—Jeopardy Answers: Horse Sense

Horse racing was a sport at these ancient Greek contests

Collective name of Kentucky Derby, Preakness, & Belmont Stakes

Billy the Cobbler, or a famous jockey

Since 1936, because of this, horses "say cheese" at the end of races

All U.S. thoroughbreds are officially born on this day of the year

UNUSUAL NEWS ITEM: Five Accidental Inventions

1. Percy Spencer, an engineer at Raytheon after his WWI stint in the Navy, was known as an electronics genius. In 1945, Spencer was fiddling with a microwave-emitting magnetron — used in the guts of radar arrays — when he felt a strange sensation in his pants. A sizzling, even. Spencer paused and found that a chocolate bar in his pocket had started to melt. Figuring that the microwave radiation of the magnetron was to blame (or to credit, as it would turn out), Spencer immediately set out to realize the culinary potential at work. The end result was the microwave oven — savior of eager snackers and single dudes worldwide.

2. In 1879, Ira Remsen and Constantin Fahlberg, at work in a laboratory at Johns Hopkins University, paused to eat. Fahlberg had neglected to wash his hands before the meal — which usually leads to a quick death for most chemists, but led to him noticing an oddly sweet flavor during his meal. Artificial sweetener! The duo published their findings together, but it was only Fahlberg's name that made it onto the (incredibly lucrative) patent, now found in pink packets at tables everywhere. That is to say, Remsen got screwed—he later remarked, "Fahlberg is a scoundrel. It nauseates me to hear my name mentioned in the same breath with him."

3. In 1943, Navy engineer Richard James was trying to figure out how to use springs to keep the sensitive instruments aboard ships from rocking themselves to death, when he knocked one of his prototypes over. Instead of crashing to the floor, it gracefully sprang downward, and then righted itself. So pointless — so nimble — so slinky. The spring became a goofy toy of many childhoods—that is before every kid inevitably gets theirs all twisted up and ruins it. 300 million sold worldwide!

4. Before being found ground into the rugs of child-rearing homes everywhere, Play-Doh was ironically created to be a cleaning product. The paste was first marketed as a treatment for filthy wallpaper — before the company that produced it began to go down the tubes. The discovery that saved Kutol Products — headed for bankruptcy — wasn't that their wall cleaner worked particularly well, but that schoolchildren were beginning to use it to create Christmas ornaments as arts and crafts projects. By removing the compound's cleanser and adding colors and a fresh scent, Kutol spun their wallpaper saver into one of the most iconic toys of all time — and brought mega-success to a company headed for destruction. Sometimes, you don't even know how brilliant you are until someone notices for you.

5. In what have been a very messy moment of discovery in 1942, Dr. Harry Coover of Eastman-Kodak Laboratories found that a substance he created — cyanoacrylate (super glue) — was a miserable failure. It was not, to his dismay, at all suited for a new precision gun sight as he had hoped — it infuriatingly stuck to everything it touched. So it was forgotten. Six years later, while overseeing an experimental new design for airplane canopies, Coover found himself stuck in the same gooey mess with a familiar foe — cyanacrylate was proving useless as ever. But this time, Coover observed that the stuff formed an incredibly strong bond without needing heat. Coover and his team tinkered with sticking various objects in their lab together, and realized they had finally stumbled upon a use for the maddening goop. Coover slapped a patent on his discovery, and in 1958, a full 16 years after he first got stuck, cyanoacrylate was being sold on shelves.

A LITTLE LAUGH

When Adam stayed out very late for a few nights, Eve became upset. "You're running around with other women," she told her mate.

"Eve, honey, you're being unreasonable," Adam responded. "You know you're the only woman on earth."

The quarrel continued until Adam fell asleep, only to be awakened by a strange pain in the chest. It was his darling Eve poking him rather vigorously about the torso.

"What do you think you're doing?" Adam demanded.

"Counting your ribs," said Eve.

GREY MATTER PUZZLE 2--Riddle

Why do naughty kids throw butter out the window?

FOUND ON ‘YOU TUBE’

Canada Horse Racing Photo Finish: Click Here to See!

GREY MATTER PICTURE

This is a close up of what object?

SOME CALENDAR INFORMATION

♦ Weekly Observances ♦

25-31: Be Kind To Humankind Week

♦ Today’s Observances ♦

World Sauntering Day

Race Your Mouse Around the Icons Day

Crackers Over The Keyboard Day: Live it up. Be free. Take some crackers and cookies to work and eat right over top of the keyboard. Show ‘em you’re still a free thinker.

Hong Kong: Festival of Hungry Ghosts

Jordon: Arab Renaissance Day

Republics of Macedonia, Serbia, and Georgia: Assumption of Mary (Eastern Orthodox Church, a public holiday)

♦ Hit Songs on this date ♦

1916 ...America...Columbia Mixed Double Quartet

1946...To Each His Own...Freddy Martin: Original not available: Click Here to Hear!

1956...Hound Dog/Don't Be Cruel...Elvis Presley

Click Here to Hear! Hound Dog;  Click Here to Hear! Don't Be Cruel

1966...Sunshine Superman...Donovan Click Here to Hear!

1976…Don't Go Breaking My Heart…Elton John & Kiki Dee Click Here to Hear!

♦ Today’s Births ♦

• The Arts

LeAnn Rimes, 28, singer, born Jackson, MS

Shania Twain, 45, country singer, born Eileen Twain at Windsor, ON, Canada

~~~

Ben Gazzara, 80, actor (Anatomy of a Murder, “Run for Your Life”), born New York, NY

Nancy Kulp, actress (Beverly Hillbillies) …born 1921…Harrisburg, PA

Donald (David Dixon) O’Connor, dancer, singer, actor: Singin’ in the Rain, Francis the Talking Mule series…born 1925…Chicago, IL

Jason Priestley, 41, actor (“Beverly Hills 90210,” Tombstone), born Vancouver, BC, Canada

Rokie Roker, actress (Helen-Jeffersons) …born 1929… Miami FL

David Soul, 64, actor (“Starsky and Hutch,” Salem’s Lot), born Chicago, IL

• Athletics

Scott Hamilton, 52, Olympic gold medal figure skater, born Toledo, OH

Tony (Andres Antonio) Gonzalez, 74, baseball: Reds, Phillies, Braves, Padres, Angels…born Cunagua, Cuba

Carlos Quentin, 28, baseball White Sox, born Bellflower, CA

Mike (Michael Augustine) Torrez, 64, baseball: pitcher: Cardinals, Expos, Orioles, Athletics, Yankees [World Series: 1977], Red Sox, Mets…born Topeka, KS

• Business & Education

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, social philosopher (Faust)…born 1749… Frankfurt, Germany

C Wright Mills, sociologist, writer (The Power Elite) …born 1916…Waco, TX

• Politics

Lucy Ware Webb Hayes, 1st lady…born 1831… Chillicothe, OH

• Science/Religion

Elizabeth Ann Bayley Seton, 1st American Catholic saint…born 1774…NYC, NY

George Hoyt Whipple, astrophysicist (Nobel-1934) …born 1878…Ashland, NH

♦ Today’s Obituaries ♦

Gracie Allen (Mrs George Burns),comedian (Burns & Allen), heart attack @ 62 in 1964

Ruth Gordon, actress, stroke in her sleep @ 88 in 1985

♦ Today’s Events ♦

• The Arts

1811 Poet Percy Bysshe Shelley eloped with Harriet Westbrook.

• Athletics

1941 The Football Writers Association of America was organized.

• Business & Education

1609 Delaware Bay explored by Henry Hudson for the Netherlands

1907 United Parcel Service begins service, in Seattle

• Indigenous People

1565 Leading an expedition of 1,500 soldiers and colonists, Pedro Menendez de Aviles lands on the coast of Florida. His mission is to defeat the Protestants in the area, and to claim the land for Spain. Next month he establishes the town of St. Augustine.

1833 Assiniboine attack Piegan Indians at Fort McKensie

• Politics (US)

1655 New Amsterdam & Peter Stuyvesant bars Jews from military service

1949 Riot prevents Paul Robeson from singing near Peekskill NY

1963 200,000 demonstrate for equal rights in Washington, DC

• Politics (International)

1867 US occupies Midway Islands in the Pacific

1916 Italy declares war against Germany during WW I

1990 Iraq declares Kuwait its 19th province

• Science / Religion

1789 Sir William Herschel discovers Saturn's moon Enceladus

1884 1st known photograph of a tornado is made near Howard SD

GREY MATTER ANSWERS

↔ 1

Horse racing was a sport at these ancient Greek contests: What are the Olympics?

Collective name of Kentucky Derby, Preakness, & Belmont Stakes: What is the Triple Crown?

Billy the Cobbler, or a famous jockey: Who was Willie Shoemaker?

Since 1936, because of this, horses "say cheese" at the end of races: What is the Photo Finish?

All U.S. thoroughbreds are officially born on this day of the year: What is January 1st?

↔ 2

Because they want to see butterfly.

↔ Picture

Brake handle on a bicycle

TODAY’S NATIONAL PARK PHOTO SHOTS

Haleakala National Park, 12th National Park since August 1, 1916: The Haleakalā volcano on Maui has a very large crater with many cinder cones, Hosmer's Grove of alien trees, and the native Hawaiian Goose. The Kipahulu section has numerous pools with freshwater fish. This National Park has the greatest number of endangered species.

<> <> <> <>