Monday Nov. 1

This is Week 44 of 2010►Day 305 with 60 days left.

Flagstaff Weather: H—58°; L—27°; RH—70%; sky—clear and wind—0 mph

QUOTE FOR THE DAY— Queen Beatrix (Bilderberg Group Member)

It is difficult to re-educate people who have been brought up on nationalism to the idea of relinquishing part of their sovereignty to a supranational body.

FREE RAMBLING THOUGHTS

Here we go, the next two months will fly by and it will suddenly be 2011. The weather was good for the kids, it was a little chilly but there was no wind and it was dry. The little kids starting coming to my decorated and noisy house about 4:30. As expected, by 8:00 everything was over. The little ones really enjoy Halloween, and thanks to Act II popcorn, I got popcorn balls, individually packages this year. I had about 60 kids come by. I’m not real sure about the adults who go trick or treating and I had a few. I’m not talking teenagers, I’m talking 30 something’s. Both ladies were in costume, so I guess they never grew up. All in all, it was a good night.

No matter what happens on Tuesday, this country will survive. If the Tea Party wins big, they will have to answer to the American people. If the Republicans win, it’s the same for them. If the Dems pull off a miracle and keep both houses, they too will have to answer to the country. I am so tired of the negative ads, the lies, and the ads with no substance, I say just get it over with. We will survive and find answers to our many, many problems. Let’s just do it.

Not a good day for my football teams, but at least the poor games made it easier to decorate. Cards lost by 3, Denver should have just stayed in the locker room. Good thing I’m not a diehard fan for either team.

HOLY MACKEREL: 1950▬Two Puerto Rican nationalists attepted to assassinate President Harry S Truman at Blair House, Washington, DC (where the Truman’s were living during a three-year renovation of the White House). One of the gunman and one White House policemen were killed.

JEOPARDY PUZZLE—(1984 games)(answers below) US Geography

$200-It's "where the wind comes sweeping down the plain"

$400-State whose counties include Crockett, Zapata & Pecos

$600-One of two states ending in "T"

$800-Historic pass at junction of TN., KY., & VA., associated with Daniel Boone

$1000-Mountain range that surrounds city of Atlanta

SOMEWHAT USELESS INFORMATION—

→After attacking the meat-packing industry in his eye-witness novel 'The Jungle', Upton Sinclair ate a diet of only rice and fruit for many years.

→Although Americans eat about the same amount of calories (3,400 a day) as they did in 1910, the average weight has increased due to lack of exercise.

UNUSUAL NEWS ITEM

New York--Citing cases dating back as far as 1928, a judge has ruled that a young girl accused of running down an elderly woman while racing a bicycle with training wheels on a Manhattan sidewalk two years ago can be sued for negligence.

The ruling by the judge, Justice Paul Wooten of State Supreme Court in Manhattan, did not find that the girl was liable, but merely permitted a lawsuit brought against her, another boy and their parents to move forward.

The suit that Justice Wooten allowed to proceed claims that in April 2009, Juliet Breitman and Jacob Kohn, who were both 4, were racing their bicycles, under the supervision of their mothers, Dana Breitman and Rachel Kohn, on the sidewalk of a building on East 52nd Street.

At some point in the race, they struck an 87-year-old woman named Claire Menagh, who was walking in front of the building and, according to the complaint, was “seriously and severely injured,” suffering a hip fracture that required surgery. She died three weeks later.

Her estate sued the children and their mothers, claiming they had acted negligently during the accident.

In a response, Juliet’s lawyer, James P. Tyrie, argued that the girl was not “engaged in an adult activity” at the time of the accident — “She was riding her bicycle with training wheels under the supervision of her mother” — and was too young to be held liable for negligence.

In legal papers, Mr. Tyrie added, “Courts have held that an infant under the age of 4 is conclusively presumed to be incapable of negligence.” (Rachel and Jacob Kohn did not seek to dismiss the case against them.)

But Justice Wooten declined to stretch that rule to children over 4. On Oct. 1, he rejected a motion to dismiss the case because of Juliet’s age, noting that she was three months shy of turning 5 when Ms. Menagh was struck, and thus old enough to be sued.

Mr. Tyrie “correctly notes that infants under the age of 4 are conclusively presumed incapable of negligence,” Justice Wooten wrote in his decision, referring to the 1928 case.

“Juliet Breitman, however, was over the age of 4 at the time of the subject incident. For infants above the age of 4, there is no bright-line rule.”

A LITTLE LAUGH

Students at school were asked to write about the harmful environmental effects of oil on fish. One 11-year old wrote, "When my mom opened a tin of sardines last night it was full of oil and all the sardines were dead."

FOUND ON ‘YOU TUBE’

Jon Stewart gave an unexpected eloquent speech at the end of the rally—it is a little long, but really says a lot. CLICK HERE TO VIEW!

GREY MATTER PICTURE

This is a close up of what object?

SOME CALENDAR INFORMATION

¤ November Observances ¤

American & National Diabetes Month • American Indian Heritage Month (National Native American Heritage Month) • Aviation History Month • Diabetic Eye Disease Month • Epilepsy Awareness Month • Family Stories Month • Gluten-Free Diet Awareness Month • International Drum (Percussion) Month • Lung Cancer Awareness Month • Military Family Appreciation Month • National Adoption Month • National AIDS Awareness Month • National Alzheimer's Disease Month • National Family Caregivers Month • National Georgia Pecan Month • National Home Care & Hospice Month • National Impotency Month • National Inspirational Role Models Month • National Life Writing Month • National Long-term Care Awareness Month • National Marrow Awareness Month • National Medical Science Liaison (MSL) Awareness & Appreciation Month • National Novel Writing Month • National Peanut Butter Lovers Month • National Pet Cancer Awareness Month • National Pomegranate Month • National Roasting Month • National Scholarship Month • Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month • Sweet Potato Awareness Month • NoSHAVEmber (US - Beard Month or Movember (Australia - Moustache Month ) • Prematurity Awareness Month • Vegan Month

¤ Weekly Observances ¤

27-11/3: World Hearing Aid Awareness Week

1-7: Intimate Apparel Market Week

Give Wildlife A Break Week

National Animal Shelter Appreciation Week

Give Wildlife A Break Week

National Patient Accessibility Week

World Communication Week

7-13: National Nurse Practioner's Week, Pursuit of Happiness Week, National Rad Tech Week , Fraud Awareness Week, Dear Santa Letter Week, National Young Reader's Week, World Kindness Week

14-20: American Education Week, Geography Awareness Week, National Hunger & Homeless Awareness Week, National Global Entrepreneurship Week

19-25:National Farm-City Week

21-28: National Bible Week, National Family Week, National Game & Puzzle Week, National Teens Don't Text and Drive Week, Better Conversation Week, Church/State Separation Week

¤ Today’s Observances ¤

Plan Your Epitaph Day

All Saints' Day

Give Up Your Shoulds Da

National Authors' Day

National Family Literacy Day

World Vegan Day

Algeria : Revolution Day (1954) National day

Antigua and Barbuda: Independence Day, from the United Kingdom 1981

Antigua : State Day (1981)

Bulgaria: Day of the leaders of the Bulgarian National Revival

Celtic : Samhain; beginning of year & most important holiday

Karnataka: Karnataka Formation Day (A state in India with 57+ million residents)

Mexico: Day of the Innocents, The first day of Day of the Dead or El Dia de los Muertos celebration.

San Marino: Commemoration of the Dead

Togo: Memorial Day

Vietnam : Revolution Day (1963)

Virgin Islands : Liberty Day

¤ Hit Songs on this date ¤

1899...Curse of the Dreamer / Dan Quinn (Original not available)

1909...I've Got Rings on My Fingers / Blanche Ring CLICK HERE TO VIEW!

1919...I'm Forever Blowing Bubbles / Ben Selvin's Novelty Orchestra

1929...Tip Toe Through the Tulips / Nick Lucas CLICK HERE TO VIEW!

1939...South of the Border (Down Mexico Way) / Gene Autry CLICK HERE TO VIEW!

1949…That Lucky Old Sun / Frankie Laine CLICK HERE TO VIEW!

1959…Mack the Knife / Bobby Darin CLICK HERE TO VIEW!

1969…Suspicious Minds / Elvis Presley CLICK HERE TO VIEW!

1979…Pop Muzik / M CLICK HERE TO VIEW!

1989…Listen to Your Heart / Roxette CLICK HERE TO VIEW!

¤ Today’s Births ¤

╬ THE ARTS

Bill Anderson (James William Anderson III), 73, country singer (Still, From This Pen)

Stephen Crane US, novelist/poet (Red Badge of Courage), born in 1871

James J Kilpatrick, columnist (60 Minutes), born in 1920

Lyle Lovett, 53, singer

Barry Sadler, songwriter, singer: Ballad of the Green Berets, born in 1940

♦♦Actors♦♦

Jenny McCarthy, 38, model, actress (Scary Movie 3)

Betsy Palmer, 84, actress (“I’ve Got a Secret,” “Knots Landing,” “The Today Show”), born Patricia Bromek

╬ ATHLETICS

Gary Jim Player, 75, former golfer, born Johannesburg, South Africa

Fernando Anguamea Valenzuela, 50, former baseball player, born Navojoa, Sonora, Mexico

╬ BUSINESS & EDUCATION

Benvenuto Cellini, sculptor/goldsmith/writer (Perseus), born in 1500

Larry Claxton Flynt, 68, publisher

Sir Benjamin Lee Baronet Guinness, Irish brewer/Dublin mayor, credited with bringing Guinness to US, born in 1798

╬ POLITICS

Ramesh Chandra Lahoti, 70, Chief Justice of India

Carlos Saavedra Lamas, Argentine politician, recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize , born in 1878

╬ SCIENCE & RELIGION

Crawford Williamson Long, surgeon/pioneer (use of ether), born in 1815

¤ Today’s Obituaries ¤

Noah Beery Jr, in California, actor (Rockford Files, Quest, Doc Elliot), @ 81 in 1994

James Broderick, actor (Doug-Family), cancer @ 55, in 1982

Paul Frees, animation voice (Bullwinkle), heart failure @ 66 in 1986

Norman Krasna, writer/director, heart attack @ 74 in 1984

Man O' War, race horse @ 30 in 1947

¤ Today’s Events ¤

╬ THE ARTS

1965▬1st concert at Fillmore Auditorium, San Francisco

╬ ATHLETICS

1936▬Rodeo Cowboy's Association founded

1950▬1st negro player in NBA, (Celtic's Charles Cooper)

1966▬NFL awards New Orleans its 16th franchise (All Saints Day)

╬ BUSINESS & EDUCATION

1864▬Money orders were sold by the U.S. Post Office

1940▬1st US air raid shelter, Fleetwood, Pa

1945▬1st issue of Ebony magazine published by John H Johnson

1947▬1st Aloha Week Parade held in Hawaii

1971▬The first Eisenhower dollar coins were put into circulation by the U.S. Mint.

╬ INDIGENOUS PEOPLE

1634▬Tensions in Massachusetts have been raised because Niantic Indians have killed a boat captain named John Stone. Rather than having a war, the Niantics, and their allies the Pequots, conclude a peace treaty with the Massachusetts government.

1770▬Spanish and Opata Indians forces, led by Bernardo de Gálvez, are on a punitive expedition directed toward the Apache. They reach the site of the village only to discover that the Apache have gone. They continue their search during the night.

╬ POLITICS (US)

1943▬Dim-out ban lifted in San Francisco Bay area

1990▬Rhetoric escalates as Bush likens Saddam to Hitler

╬ POLITICS (International)

1922▬Ottoman Empire abolished

1936▬Mussolini describes alliance between Italy & Germany as an "axis"

1993▬European Union comes into existence

╬ SCIENCE & RELIGION

1870▬US Weather Bureau begins operations (24 locations)

1894▬Vaccine for diphtheria announced by Dr Roux of Paris

1932▬Wernher von Braun named head of German liquid-fuel rocket program

1939▬1st animal conceived by artificial insemination (rabbit) displayed

1939▬1st jet plane, Heinkel He 178, demonstrated to German Air Ministry

1952▬Fusion occurred for the 1st time on Earth

GREY MATTER ANSWERS

↔ JEOPARDY

$200-It's "where the wind comes sweeping down the plain": What is Oklahoma?

$400-State whose counties include Crockett, Zapata & Pecos: What is Texas?

$600-One of two states ending in "T": What is Vermont or Connecticut?

$800-Historic pass at junction of TN., KY., & VA., associated with Daniel Boone:

What is Cumberland Gap?

$1000-Mountain range that surrounds city of Atlanta: What are the Blue Ridge Mountains?

↔ PICTURE

inside a clothes dryer

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Sunday October 31

This is Week 44 of 2010►Day 304 with 61 days left.

Flagstaff Weather: H—58°; L—33°; RH—35%; sky—Mostly sunny and wind—25mph with 35mph gusts

QUOTEs FOR HALLOWEEN—

Where there is no imagination there is no horror. ~Arthur Conan Doyle, Sr.

Clothes make a statement. Costumes tell a story. ~Mason Cooley

Nothing on Earth so beautiful as the final haul on Halloween night. ~Steve Almond

Eat, drink and be scary. ~Author Unknown

FREE RAMBLING THOUGHTS

Happy Halloween. This is a day when I usually have a lot of fun. This year it falls on Sunday, and that might cut down on the number of youngsters out and about. Doesn’t really matter as my front area will be fully decorated. I have a fog machine, a couple of monsters, and some great music. Whoever comes will have some fun.

I got up this morning and for some reason NPR was not broadcasting. There was a religious station that had bled over. I got on line and listened to my Saturday morning shows from the computer. They mentioned that the Jon Stewart/Steven Colbert rally was starting about 9am. Of course, we all know that the NPR big wigs told their reporters not to attend the rally as it might appear that that were biased to the left. That statement, and the firing of Juan Williams, shows that some of the top people at NPR are not left leaning, and in fact are pretty far right of center. Top management seems to live on the fear that a Republican congress could cut their funding. It’s hard to tell the percentage of direct funding of NPR comes from Congress—NPR says about 3%, while many naysayers say it’s closer to 40%. The Naysayers are including money from federal grants that go through a university, the amount of listener donations that are tax deductible, and any grants from corporations that that are claimed as a tax deduction. Whatever….the face of NPR as an unbiased news source are being challenged when top management at NPR plays the political games. I disagree with what Mr. Williams said, and I disagree with his firing. I believe that he has a right to say what he wants to and that if NPR management doesn’t like it, they can call him on the carpet, give him options and act on those options.

The Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear was outstanding. They did a great show, hit on some real issues that are trying to tear apart America, and did it with class and comedy. One of the better lines was ‘We are in bad times right now, but not end times.’ Another highlight was bringing out Kareem Abdul Jabbar and introduce of as a Muslim. It was a great three hours of entertainment. It also reminds all of us that America is doing lots of good stuff everyday and that the news organizations on cable—left and right and center—build their audience on fear headlines. So do the network news stations. It’s time to stop believing any of the hype. Very positive message.

I’m still old fashioned…I vote on Election Day. Always have and probably always will. While I do have my opinions on many political stories, I live in America and I vote. That lets me speak my mind. If you haven’t voted early, be sure and do it on election day. If you don’t vote, don’t talk about politics.

HOLY MACKEREL: 1941▬Mount Rushmore was ‘completed’. Actually, the money ran out. Work on the monument, honoring Presidents Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln, and Teddy Roosevelt, had begun August 10, 1927. It was dedicated March 3, 1933 although work continued. Sculptor Gutzon Borglum died in 1941 and his son, Lincoln, continued the project until funds ran out on this day. Since then , no additional carving has been done, nor is any further work (other than maintenance) on the memorial planned.

JEOPARDY PUZZLE—(1984 games)(answers below)

$100- In 1984, there were only 70 of these head servants left in England

$200- Nobody wants to hear all of this camp song about decreasing containers of brew

$300- A stew of various meats, a jar of mixed flower petals, or an old "Jeopardy" category

$400- This president is said to be related to John Kennedy, Princess Di & F. Mitterand

$500- The place you most readily find "QWERTYUIOP"; you can spell it using only these letters

SOMEWHAT USELESS INFORMATION—

→The United States once had the highest proportion of young adults with post-secondary degrees in the world. Today, the U.S. has fallen to 12th.

→Ten years ago, the United States was ranked number one in average wealth per adult. In 2010, the United States has fallen to seventh.

UNUSUAL NEWS ITEM

BOULDER, CO - Police in Colorado said a 63-year-old man was apparently sleepwalking when he shot himself in the knee. Boulder police said Sanford Rothman, 63, called 911 and said he woke up to a loud bang and could not clearly recollect how he came to be shot in the left knee, The (Boulder) Daily Camera reported Thursday. Rothman was treated at Boulder Community Hospital and released. Police said it appears Rothman, who keeps his 9mm handgun next to his bed, accidentally shot himself while sleepwalking. Investigators said he was home alone at the time of the incident.

A LITTLE LAUGH

A soldier stationed on duty in the Far East was going to be discharged soon, and was planning on going home. Remembering his mother's accumulation of dishes and serving plates he decided she deserved something nicer than the cracked, mismatched array that she used at home. So he had an artisan in Japan make a special china service for him, 10 place settings, with serving pieces and ovenware and had it packaged and sent home.

The next month he was finally discharged and returned to what was to be a hero's welcome by the friends and family at a family dinner.

As they sat down to the dinner his mother had prepared, out came the old cracked, mismatched set of dishes.

"Mom," he said, "didn't you get the dishes I sent you from Japan?"

"Yes, dear, I did, and they are very nice."

"Then why aren't you using them?" he asked.

"Well," she said, "I'm saving them for a special occasion."

FOUND ON ‘YOU TUBE’

Some Mt. Rushmore History: Click Here to View!

GREY MATTER PICTURE

This is a close up of what object?

SOME CALENDAR INFORMATION

¤ Weekly Observances ¤

24-31: Disarmament Week ^ Give Wildlife a Break Week ^ Pastoral Care Week ^ Peace, Friendship and Good Will Week ^ Prescription Errors Education & Awareness Week ^ International Magic Week ^ National Respiratory Care Week

27-11/3: World Hearing Aid Awareness Week

¤ Today’s Observances ¤

National Magic Day

Increase Your Psychic Powers Day

Books for Treats Day

Halloween

National Caramel Apple Day

National Knock-Knock Jokes Day

National UNICEF Day

Celts: Samhain in the Northern Hemisphere

Cornwall, United Kingdom: Allantide (for St. Arlan & now as Halloween)

Iran: Crown Prince's Birthday

MA: Youth Honor Day

NV: Admission Day (1864)

St Lucia, St Vincent: Thanksgiving Day

Slovenia: Reformation Day

¤ Hit Songs on this date ¤

1898...She Was Happy Till She Met You--Dan Quinn (original not available)

1908...Take Me Out to the Ball Game--Harry MacDonough & Haydn Quartet Click Here to View!

1918...Over There--Enrico CarusoClick Here to View!

1928...Sonny Boy--Al Jolson Click Here to View!

1938...Heart and Soul--Larry Clinton Click Here to View!

1948…Buttons and Bows--Dinah Shore Click Here to View!

1958…It's All in the Game--Tommy Edwards Click Here to View!

1968…Hey Jude--The Beatles Click Here to View!

1978…You Needed Me--Anne Murray Click Here to View!

1988…Kokomo--The Beach Boys Click Here to View!

¤ Today’s Births ¤

╬ THE ARTS

Dick Francis,Welsh jockey/novelist (Whip Hand, High Stakes), born in 1920

Peter Jackson, 49, director (The Lord of the Rings trilogy, King Kong)

John Keats, English romantic poet (Ode to a Grecian Urn), born in 1795

Tom Paxton, 73, folk singer/songwriter (Forest Lawn)

Vanilla Ice [Robert Van Winkle], 43, rapper, actor

♦♦Actors♦♦

John (Franklin) Candy, comedian, actor: Second City, The Blues Brothers…, born in 1950

Dale Evans (Frances Octavia Smith), actress, singer, cowgirl (Roy Rogers Show), born in 1912

Barbara Bel Geddes, actress (Vertigo, Miss Ellie-Dallas, Caught), born in 1922

Michael Landon (Eugene Orowitz), actor (Bonanza, Highway to Heaven), born in 1937

David Ogden Stiers, 68, actor (“M*A*S*H,” North and South

Ethel Waters, actress (Beulah)/singer (Stormy Weather), born in 1896

╬ ATHLETICS

Frank Shorter. 63, marathon runner (Olympic-gold-1972)

╬ BUSINESS & EDUCATION

Jane Pauley, 60, TV personality

Dan Rather, 79, journalist (former anchor “CBS Evening News”)

Hicks B Waldron, CEO (Avon), born in 1923

╬ POLITICS

Chiang Kai-shek, China, pres of Nationalist China, born in 1887

╬ SCIENCE & RELIGION

Michael Collins, 79, former astronaut

Sir George Hubert Wilkins, polar explorer (Flying the Arctic), born in 1888

¤ Today’s Obituaries ¤

Joseph Campbell, mythologist (Mythic Image), @ 83

Indira Gandhi, PM of India, assassinated by 2 of her Sikh bodyguards @ 66 in 1984

John Houseman, actor, dies of spinal cancer @ 86

William Parson, 3rd Earl of Rosse & maker of large telescopes, @65 in 1865

Erich Weiss, better known as magician Harry Houdini, peritonitis @ 52 in 1926

¤ Today’s Events ¤

╬ THE ARTS

1587▬Leiden University Library (Netherlands) opens its doors after its founding in 1575.

╬ ATHLETICS

1908▬ 4th Olympic games end in London

1988▬ 1st Monday Night NFL game in Indianapolis, Colts beat Denver 55-23

╬ BUSINESS & EDUCATION

1846▬ The Donner party became trapped in what is now known as Donner Pass in the Sierra Mountains

1956▬ Brooklyn, NY ends streetcar service

1999▬ EgyptAir Flight 990, en route to Cairo from New York, crashed off the coast of Nantucket Island, Massachusetts. All 217 people on board died. Some American investigators suspected a relief co-pilot deliberately put the plane into a suicide dive, causing the crash.

╬ INDIGENOUS PEOPLE

1818▬According to the U.S.Army, today marks the end of First Seminole War

╬ POLITICS (US)

1864▬ Nevada admitted as 36th state

1868▬ Postmaster General Alexander Williams Randall approved a standard uniform for postal carriers.

1950▬ Collazo & Torresola attempt to kill Truman in Washington, DC

1968▬ President Johnson orders a halt to all bombing of North Vietnam

╬ POLITICS (International)

1922▬ Benito Mussolini (Il Duce) becomes premier of Italy

1956▬ Britain & France begin to bomb Egypt to reopen the Suez Canal

1973▬Mountjoy Prison helicopter escape. Three Provisional Irish Republican Army members escape from Mountjoy Prison, Dublin, Republic of Ireland aboard a hijacked helicopter that lands in the exercise yard.

╬ SCIENCE & RELIGION

1517▬ Luther posts 95 theses on Wittenberg church-Protestant Reformation

1815▬ Sir Humphrey Davy of London patents miner's safety lamp

1956▬ George J. Dufek of Admiral Robert Byrd’s expedition party became the first American to land by air at the South Pole.

1982▬ Pope John Paul II becomes 1st pontiff to visit Spain

GREY MATTER ANSWERS

↔ JEOPARDY

$100- In 1984, there were only 70 of these head servants left in England:

What are butlers?

$200- Nobody wants to hear all of this camp song about decreasing containers of brew:

What is ’99 bottles of beer on the wall’?

$300- A stew of various meats, a jar of mixed flower petals, or an old "Jeopardy" category:

What is potpourri?

$400- This president is said to be related to John Kennedy, Princess Di & F. Mitterand:

Who is Ronald Reagan?

$500- The place you most readily find "QWERTYUIOP"; you can spell it using only these letters: What is a typewriter?

↔ PICTURE

Ultraman, a toy action figure

Sorry, picture wouldn't load.

◄.► ◄.► ◄.►◄.►

Saturday, October 30

This is Week 43 of 2010►Day 303 with 62 days left.

FREE RAMBLING THOUGHTS

OK, so I slept with a monitor on my finger all night. Results: my breathing and pulse slows down when I am sleeping. The doctor said I am within the normal range, so we simply await the results from a blood test I took last week. That will determine if I need to do a sleep apnea test. The test I took last night was inconclusive regarding that issue. Slower than normal range would have said apnea, but since they were in the normal range, it didn’t decide. I guess that is good.

About a week ago France was put on a terror alert possibly because of their proposed law to outlaw the burqa. At about the same time the TSA announced that they were changing their pat down rules, which began today. The new pat down means that if a passenger is ‘lucky’ enough to ‘selected’ for a pat down, the TSA will now pat down with their open palm. Previously they were using the back of their open hand. [Sidenote: I had one of the old pat downs in Chicago a couple of years ago. I found that overly intrusive. My pat down, because I changed my flight after the airport closed due to weather, had the TSA guy taking his hands way to high into my crotch. Now those hands will be with the palm side instead of the back of the hand. ] Then late last night all the news stations broke into programming to tell us of a ‘credible threat’ with cargo planes coming into the US. Throughout the entire day we learned that terrorists had put ‘at least’ two potential remote controlled bombs on cargo flights from Yemen to the US. The two packages were being sent to Jewish Synagogues in Chicago.

First of all, where the heck is Yemen and what are they doing with terrorists? Yemen used to be a huge civilization. Now it is 23 ½ million people with a median age of 17.9 years old. The Ancient Greeks called the Yemen region “fortunate Arabia” or “happy Arabia” because of their mild climate, adequate rainfall, and their spice trade—including frankincense and myrrh. They were a wealthy and prosperous Semite area. Over the centuries they never united and were conquered by various groups, with the British coming in during the 19th century. Basically a civil war in 1994 united several groups. Since then they have had radical groups trying to un-unite the country. While the government of Yemen is pro-West, it is a very weak government. I learned today that the US has done an unknown number of ‘drone attacks’ from ships off the Yemen coast which are aimed at destroying terrorists. We know that innocents are always going to be injured or killed in these attacks.

Looking at a map, Yemen is closer to the US than Dubai. For some reason cargo planes go from Yemen to Dubai then to the US or Europe. I get ‘globalization’ and I get that UPS, FedEx, and others have planes coming from all over the world to the US and Europe. Just never really thought about very much. But I guess this is another downside to globalization.

I am very glad that our government is working so hard to stop attacks from radical terrorists. Since the 9-11 attacks we have stopped many attacks, and today seems to be another success story. I am slowly, very slowly, beginning to realize that we will have to stay vigilant for a very long time. While I am not looking forward to more security, more hassles when I fly, I will continue to fly, probably continue to bitch about the hassle, but might feel a little safer knowing that people are out there who are trying to stop terrorists. We are now paying the price of our forefathers in this country and our friend’s forefathers who thought that they should colonize other people and try to make them just like us. It was wrong then, it is wrong today. Those conquered people have not forgotten what happened in the ancient past, the modern past and even the present. It doesn’t look like they will get amnesia anytime soon.

Flag was windy again today. The birds continue to clean out the feeder during the day. They hide out during the windy parts of the day, but return as soon as the wind subsides and chow down like it could be their last meal.

Flag…H—67°; L—38°; RH—54%; and 25mph wind gusts most of the afternoon.

QUOTE FOR THE DAY—General Sir Archibald Wavell

The elementary principle of all deception is to attract the enemy's attention to what you wish him to see and to distract his attention from what you so not wish him to see.

HOLY MACKEREL: 1925 If you put everything into it except the kitchen sink, you’d have the TV transmitter that beamed TV to London for the first time. To build the transmitter, John Baird used a tea chest, a biscuit box, darning needles, piano wire, motorcycle lamp lenses, old electric motors, cardboard scanning discs and glue, string and sealing wax.

SOMEWHAT USELESS INFORMATION—Eyes

→The muscle that lets your eye blink is the fastest muscle in your body - it allows you to blink five times a second.

→On average, people blink 15,000 times a day. That’s about 10 times per minute, or more than five million times a year.

→Women blink more than men.

→Jean-Dominique Bauby, a French journalist suffering from “locked-in” syndrome, wrote the book “The Driving Bell and the Butterfly” by blinking his left eyelid – the only part of his body that could move.

→Some bird species, usually flightless birds, have only a lower eyelid, whereas pigeons use upper and lower lids to blink. Fish and insects do not have eyelids – their eyes are protected by a hardened lens.

→Carrots really do help your eyes. Vitamin A is known to prevent “night blindness,” and carrots are loaded with Vitamin A.

→Carrots were first cultivated in 500 BC in the Mediterranean regions. The first carrots were purple, white, and yellow. They were introduced in Europe in the 1600s.

GREY MATTER PUZZLE 1—Jeopardy Answers (1984 games) Numbers Please

$100-An unlucky Friday or a baker's dozen

$200-Number of stars on American flag raised at Iwo Jima

$300-Square inches in a square foot

$400-Total of trombones & cornets in "The Music Man" tune

$500-Age range of an octogenarian

UNUSUAL NEWS ITEM

FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. — Two suspects face multiple charges after North Carolina police said they left notes thanking the homeowners for the $5,000 worth of electronics gear and food they stole. Fayetteville police spokesman Dan Grubb said Friday the pair left one note on a white paper napkin saying simply, "Thanks." Grubb said a second message etched into a wall Wednesday morning said the same thing, and added: "We love the stuff we got."

Police charged Dajuan Marquis Avant and Darrell Sturdivant Jr. with breaking and entering, larceny, and other charges.

Both 19-year-olds are from Fayetteville. It was not known if either had an attorney.

The homeowners told The Fayetteville Observer the stolen loot included a box of corn dogs, frozen chicken and beer.

A LITTLE LAUGH

A collector of rare books ran into an acquaintance who told him he had just thrown away an old Bible that he found in a dusty, old box. He happened to mention that Guten-somebody-or-other had printed it.

"Not Gutenberg?" gasped the collector.

"Yes, that was it!"

"You idiot! You've thrown away one of the first books ever printed. A copy recently sold at auction for half a million dollars!"

"Oh, I don't think this book would have been worth anything close to that much," replied the man. "It was scribbled all over in the margins by some clown named Martin Luther."

FOUND ON ‘YOU TUBE’

Sound of Music is 45 years old: Here is the original Edelweiss: Click Here to View!

And here is the theme song: Click Here to View!

And who can forget this one: Click Here to View!

GREY MATTER PICTURE

This is a close up of what object?

SOME CALENDAR INFORMATION

¤ Weekly Observances ¤

24-31: Disarmament Week ^ Give Wildlife a Break Week ^ Pastoral Care Week ^ Peace, Friendship and Good Will Week ^ Prescription Errors Education & Awareness Week ^ International Magic Week ^ National Respiratory Care Week

27-11/3: World Hearing Aid Awareness Week

¤ Today’s Observances ¤

National Candy Corn Day

Checklist Day

Recreate A Great Funeral Day

Devil's Night

Haunted Refrigerator Night

National Forgiveness Day

International Bandanna Day

Former Soviet republics, except Ukraine: Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Political Repressions

¤ Hit Songs on this date ¤

1897...There's a Little Star Shining for You / Dan Quinn (original not available)

1907...Harrigan / Billy Murray Click Here to View!

1917...Over There / Peerless Quartet Click Here to View!

1927...Charmaine! / Guy Lombardo (original not available)

1937...You Can't Stop Me from Dreaming / Teddy Wilson (original not available)

1947…Near You / Francis Craig Click Here to View!

1957…Treat Me Nice / Elvis Presley Click Here to View!

1967…To Sir, with Love / Lulu Click Here to View!

1977…You Light Up My Life / Debby Boone Click Here to View!

1987…Bad / Michael Jackson Click Here to View!

¤ Today’s Births ¤

╬ THE ARTS

Feodor Mikhailovich Dostoevski, Russian novelist & short-story writer, born in 1821

Ezra Pound, poet (Cantos), born in 1885

Grace Slick, 71, singer (Jefferson Airplane)

♦♦actors♦♦

Ruth Gordon, actress (Rosemary's Baby, Harold & Maude), born in 1896

Dick Gautier, 73, actor (Bye Bye Birdie, “Here We Go Again”)

Harry Hamlin, 59, actor (“LA Law,” “Studs Lonigan”)

Henry Winkler, 65, actor (“Happy Days”), director, children’s author

╬ ATHLETICS

Charles Atlas (Angelo Siciliano), 97 lb weakling to body builder, born in 1893

Robert A. Caro, 75, author (three-volume biography of Lyndon B. Johnson)

Diego Armando Maradona, 50, former soccer player

Dick Vermeil, 74, football coach (Rams, Bruins, Chiefs, Eagles)

Ted Williams, baseball hitter (AL MVP '46, '49; Trip Crown '42, '47), born in 1918

╬ BUSINESS & EDUCATION

Fred Friendly, broadcast journalist; TV producer: CBS, PBS, born in 1915

╬ POLITICS

John Adams, 2nd pres (1797-1801), born in 1735

Francisco Madero, Mexican revolutionary, president (1911-13), born in 1873

╬ SCIENCE & RELIGION

Robert Lee Gibson, 64, USN/ast (STS 41B, 61C, 27), astronaut

¤ Today’s Obituaries ¤

Henry Dunant, Swiss founder of the Red Cross, recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize @ 82 in 1910

Robert Goulet, American entertainer @ 74 in 20007

Kirby Grant Hoon Jr., actor (Sky King), auto accident @ 74, in 1985

William Shea (Shea Stadium namesake), @ 84 in 1991

Washoe, 1st chimpanzee trained in American Sign Language @ 42 in 2007

¤ Today’s Events ¤

╬ THE ARTS

1938 Orson Welles panics a nation with broadcast of "War of the Worlds"

1972 A command performance was given for the Queen of England by Elton John.

╬ ATHLETICS

1919 Baseball league presidents call for abolishment of the spitball

╬ BUSINESS & EDUCATION

1888 1st ballpoint pen patented

╬ INDIGENOUS PEOPLE

1763 Pontiac will inform Major Henry Gladwin, Commander at Fort Detroit, that he wants peace, and to end the fighting.

1804 The Mandans like Lewis & Clark's men's dancing.

╬ POLITICS (US)

1864 Helena, Montana's capital, founded

1945 US government announces end of shoe rationing

1954 Defense Department announces elimination of all segregated regiments

╬ POLITICS (International)

1953 Gen. George C. Marshall won the Nobel Peace Prize in recognition of his contributions to the economic rehabilitation of Europe after WWII, the so-called Marshall Plan.

1961 Soviet Party Congress unanimously approves a resolution removing Josef Stalin's body from Lenin's tomb in Red Square

╬ SCIENCE & RELIGION

1952 Dr. Albert Schweitzer, missionary surgeon and founder of Lambaréné leper Hospital in République du Gabon, won the Nobel Peace Prize for his humanitarian work. Schweitzer donated his prize to the hospital.

1986 Discover magazine reported that almost 43 million tons of dust settle on the United States each year.

GREY MATTER ANSWERS

↔ 1 Jeopardy

$100-An unlucky Friday or a baker's dozen: What is 13?

$200-Number of stars on American flag raised at Iwo Jima: What is 48?

$300-Square inches in a square foot: What is 144?

$400-Total of trombones & cornets in "The Music Man" tune: What is 186? (76 +110)

$500-Age range of an octogenarian: What is 80-89?

↔ PICTURE

credit card scanner

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Friday October 29

This is Week 43 of 2010►Day 302 with 63 days left.

FREE RAMBLING THOUGHTS

We had our weekly lunch today. Good food at Red Lobster, good conversation, good time. Cheryl starts her pre-op diet next week, so we are going out for one last lunch on Tuesday next week. This is really a big deal for Cheryl and all her friends. She won’t be eating a lunch for a long, very long time. So I guess we will come up with something else to do. She is doing gastric bypass which is expected to get her off insulin, something she has been on since her youth. Mary is headed to Phoenix for the Halloween weekend for time with two of her grandkids. It should be interesting since her son’s in-laws will be there too and they are Bush supporters even today. Mary’s 98 year old mom was moved to hospice about 2 months ago, since an x-ray showed a brain tumor. Well, they moved her out of hospice this week, saying that she is showing no physical signs of problems and has more energy than her care takers. The medical community does not have all the answers.

We had a great weather day today. As usual, Cheryl arrived for lunch before I did, Mary got there right on time. Cheryl and I were the first two diners at Red Lobster. They always have someone open the door to welcome diners, usually as soon as you step onto the sidewalk with the door about 30 feet away. It actually is nice. Today, we were the only two cars in the parking lot and we had not one, not two, but three servers open the door and welcome us. We told them we were waiting for one more and it was too nice a day not to stay outside. They all went back inside. When Mary got there about ten minutes later, she was still walking in the parking lot when the doors swung open again. They had a decent lunch crowd and we stayed about two hours. We were the last of the lunch crowd to leave. I’m sure these college students figured that these three old people had nothing else to do but sit around and talk and wondering what we could possibly talk about for that long. When they have worked as long as we did, they will understand.

Flag…H—61°; L—33°; RH—53%; and no breeze. We will continue to have partly cloudy days through Halloween and if things hold up, it won’t be too cold. That is good for the little kids who are out trick or treating and good for those of us who give out candy. I like to give out candy, I like to decorate, and I like to put on a costume. I have a lot more fun when it is dry and not too cold.

QUOTE FOR THE DAY—Rabrindranath Tagore

He who wants to do good knocks at the gate: he who loves finds the door open.

HOLY MACKEREL: 1945 1st ball point pen goes on sale, 57 years after it was patented The pens sold for $12.50 ($149 in 2010 dollars) and racked up a tidy profit of $500,000 ( $5.9 million in 2010 dollars) in the first month!

SOMEWHAT USELESS INFORMATION—taxi

→The right to be hired by the public to provide taxi service was first given to the watermen of London in the twelfth century. They would take people across the river Thames to all the royal palaces and large mansions that fronted it. Destinations included the Tower of London, Palace of Westminster, Lambeth Palace, Richmond Palace, Hampton Court and Windsor Castle.

→The name "taxi" is derived from the taximeter, the instrument invented to measure the distance traveled (or the time taken) to determine an accurate fare. So it wasn't called that in the twelfth century.

GREY MATTER PUZZLE 1—Jeopardy Answers (1984 games)-Food

$100-When you step on these, they let out a little "wine"

$200-Satanic term for food prepared with strong seasoning, as of eggs or ham

$300-French term for meat served in its own juice

$400-Found in rye bread, these seeds are also flavoring of kummel liqueur

$500-The thymus & pancreas of young calves are sources of this meat

UNUSUAL NEWS ITEM

CHENNAI, INDIA — A Sri Lankan man swallowed more than 2,000 diamonds packed in several condoms but was arrested while attempting to smuggle them through an Indian airport, according to local media reports. Mohammed Shakif, 43, of Galle, Sri Lanka, is accused of attempting to smuggle 2,060 diamonds worth up to about $670,000 through Chennai airport. He was intercepted by suburban police acting on a tip Tuesday, BNO News Service reported. Shakif was taken to the police station and later to a hospital where an X-ray of his stomach was taken. Shakif then confessed that he had been hired to smuggle the stones.

“Even during questioning, he could not sit comfortably and when questioned, he told the police that he was suffering from piles,” said Suburban Police commissioner SR Jangid, BNO reported.

Shakif was given bananas to eat. The diamonds were then collected.

A LITTLE LAUGH

Stationed in Okinawa, Japan, my son and his wife were expecting their first baby. I was elated when he called me at work all the way from Japan with the news of my grandchild's birth. I took down all the statistics and turned to relate it all to my co-workers.

"I'm a grandmother!" I declared. "It's a baby girl, and she weighs five pounds."

"When was she born?" someone asked.

Recalling the date my son told me, I stopped, looked at the calendar, and said in amazement, Tomorrow!"

FOUND ON ‘YOU TUBE’

Halloween Prank: Click Here to View!

Great South Africa Choir: Click Here to View! Be sure and check out other videos by this group…just amazing.

GREY MATTER PICTURE

This is a close up of what object?

SOME CALENDAR INFORMATION

¤ Weekly Observances ¤

24-31: Disarmament Week ^ Give Wildlife a Break Week ^ Pastoral Care Week ^ Peace, Friendship and Good Will Week ^ Prescription Errors Education & Awareness Week ^ International Magic Week ^ National Respiratory Care Week

27-11/3: World Hearing Aid Awareness Week

¤ Today’s Observances ¤

Hermit Day

Frankenstein Friday

World Psoriasis Day

Cambodia: Coronation Day

Cyprus: National Day

Turkey: Republic Day or Cumhuriyet Bayramı

¤ Hit Songs on this date ¤

1896...On the Benches in the Park / George J. Gaskin (Original not available)

1906...Love Me and the World Is Mine / Albert Campbell Click Here to View!

1916...Ireland Must Be Heaven, for My Mother Came from There / Charles Harrison (Original not available)

1926...Baby Face / Jan Garber Click Here to View!

1936...The Way You Look To-night / Fred Astaire Click Here to View!

1946…Rumors Are Flying / Frankie Carle Click Here to View!

1956…Love Me Tender / Elvis Presley Click Here to View!

1966…96 Tears / ? & the Mysterians Click Here to View! *

1976…If You Leave Me Now / Chicago Click Here to View!

1986…True Colors / Cyndi Lauper Click Here to View!

* was originally titled "Too Many Tears" then changed to "69 Tears" and finally recorded as "96 Tears" when the label said "69 Tears" was too suggestive!

¤ Today’s Births ¤

╬ THE ARTS

Ralph Bakshi, 72, writer, director, animator: Hey Good Lookin’, Heavy Traffic, Fritz the Cat, Wizards, Streetfight; director, animator: The Lord of the Rings; writer, director: Fire and Ice; director: Cool World

James Boswell, Samuel Johnson's Scottish biographer, born in 1740

Fanny Brice, singing comedienne (Ziegeld Follies, Baby Snooks), born in 1891

Randy Jackson, 49, singer (Jackson 5), born Steven Randall Jackson

♦♦actors♦♦

Bela Lugosi, horror actor (Dracula, Body Snatcher), born in 1884

Richard Dreyfuss, 63, actor (Mr Holland’s Opus, Jaws; Oscar for The Goodbye Girl)

Kate Jackson, 62, actress (“Charlie’s Angels,” “Scarecrow and Mrs King”)

Melba Moore, 65, singer, actress

Winona Ryder, 39, actress (Girl, Interrupted; Little Women), born Winona Horowitz

╬ ATHLETICS

Pete (Peter Gerard) Richert, 71, baseball: pitcher: Dodgers, Senators [all-star: 1965, 1966], Orioles [World Series: 1969, 1970, 1971], Phillies, Cardinals

╬ BUSINESS & EDUCATION

--

╬ POLITICS

Paul Joseph Goebbels, Nazi propagandist, born in 1897

╬ SCIENCE & RELIGION

Narcisa de Jesús Martillo, an Ecuadorian saint born in 1832

José Ulises Macías Salcedo, 70, Catholic bishop in Mexico

¤ Today’s Obituaries ¤

Duane Allman, of Allman Brothers Band, motorcycle accident @ 24 in 1971

Leon Czolcosz, assassin of President McKinley, executed @ 28 in 1901

Louis B Mayer, MGM producer, leukemia @ 71 in 1957

Joseph Pulitzer, American newspaperman, heart disease @ 64 in 1911

Sir Walter Raleigh, conqueror, explorer, and politician, beheaded @ 66 in 1618

¤ Today’s Events ¤

╬ THE ARTS

1787 The opera "Don Giovanni" is produced (Prague)

1958 Russian poet Boris Pasternak refused the Nobel Prize in Literature. He was forced to decline the honor because of protests in his home country. (for his notable achievement in both contemporary poetry and the field of the great Russian narrative tradition.)

╬ ATHLETICS

1960 Muhammad Ali's (Cassius Clay's) 1st professional fight, beats Tunney Hunsaker in 6

1987 Thomas Hearns wins unprecedented 4th different weight boxing title

╬ BUSINESS & EDUCATION

1682 William Penn lands in what will become Pennsylvania

1811 1st Ohio River steamboat leaves Pittsburgh for New Orleans

1942 Alaska highway completed

1956 Chet Huntley & David Brinkley, NBC News, team up

╬ INDIGENOUS PEOPLE

1712 Settlers in Portsmouth, New Hampshire hold a conference to advise belligerent Indians that "Queen Anne's War" is over, and the fighting should stop. It would take almost 9 months before a local treaty would be signed.

1832 The Piankashaw, and Wea Indians will conclude a treaty at Castor Hill, William Clark's home. They will receive land in Kansas, in exchange for their lands in Illinois, and Missouri.

╬ POLITICS (US)

1894 1st election of the Hawaiian Republic

1929 "Black Tuesday," Stock Market crashes triggers "Great Depression"

1966 National Organization of Women founded

╬ POLITICS (International)

1863 Intl Comm of the Red Cross founded (Nobel 1917, 1944, 1963)

1942 16,000 Jews killed in Pinsk Russia

╬ SCIENCE & RELIGION

1998 The space shuttle Discovery blasted off, returning 77-year-old U.S. Senator John Glenn to space some 36 years after he became the first American in orbit.

GREY MATTER ANSWERS

↔ 1 Jeopardy

$100-When you step on these, they let out a little "wine": What are grapes?

$200-Satanic term for food prepared with strong seasoning, as of eggs or ham: What is ‘deviled’?

$300-French term for meat served in its own juice: What is ‘au jus’?

$400-Found in rye bread, these seeds are also flavoring of kummel liqueur: What are caraway seeds?

$500-The thymus & pancreas of young calves are sources of this meat: What are sweetbreads?

↔ PICTURE

A cloth doll's face

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Thursday October 28

This is Week 43 of 2010►Day 301 with 64 days left.

FREE RAMBLING THOUGHTS

I finally got a call back from the people dong my overnight oximetery test. They will drop off a monitor tomorrow afternoon. It is not what I thought it would be. It is simply that thing they clip on your finger in the hospital to see the oxygen content in my blood. Hmmm. That should be easy. Depending on the results, the mask, at a sleep center, will be next. My doctor is known throughout the medical community for being very thorough. He always takes baby steps when diagnosing. It takes a lot longer, but in the end has worked out well.

I guess the candidates are not reading my blog or if they are, they are not listening to a guy who retired young and is enjoying his life. The attack ads are continuing. One good thing I saw today was Arnold “hasta la vista, baby” Schwarzenegger. He is the Republican governor married to a Kennedy. He is leaving the governorship because of term limits. He really chided congress today for not fighting the big oil companies. He believes they are simply afraid of big oil. He believes they are not working for the people who elected them, but working for people who will keep them in office. He was touting his administration’s record on clean energy. I have to agree that lobbyists from big corporations have much on congress in their pocket. In my younger days…much younger days…I remember both political parties opening up the ‘smoke-filled back rooms’ of the political conventions so that the real chosen delegates would be holding open meetings and open voting so that we could see who was being nominated. I am not so naive to believe that there aren’t still backroom deals made every day. However the work of lobbyists seems to be controlling our government. There are 11 lobbyists per senator and 27 lobbyists per representative. These lobbyists have to be register to do their work. They have a lot of power. They have one agenda—to promote their employer’s agenda. They certainly have way too much influence in Washington. I guess I really believed that this was the time of change two years ago. I am not giving up, but sure am disappointed.

A few months after my retirement I helped Martha sell Celtic supplies at a festival in Arkansas. It was a great trip and I met lots of nice people on the small Lyon College campus. Yesterday they had a fire that destroyed the dining hall. Thankfully no one was hurt and the Batesville community has stepped up to help the students find a place to eat. For those who ever lived on a college campus, the dining hall was always a place to meet people, study, and have good discussions. The food is never that good as it is hard to provide home cooked meals for hundreds of students. What a very tragic event for any school.

We had a typical fall day in Flag. Thankfully no wind. Cooler temps prevail. My bird feeders are quite busy all day. There are birds in the trees, birds on all the feeders, and occasionally some aggressive bickering over which bird will eat first. I’m sure they realize that it is time to head out and they are just loading up for the long flight to wherever. It has been a good bird season. Those who stay will have food all winter, but staying warm will be a problem.

Flag…H—52°; L—28°; RH—30%; and 5mph breeze.

QUOTE FOR THE DAY—Joseph Addison

There is not a more pleasing exercise of the mind than gratitude. It is accompanied with such an inward satisfaction that the duty is sufficiently rewarded by the performance.

HOLY MACKEREL: Remember the days…

1946 - Our favorite flying cowboy was heard on ABC radio for the first time. Sky King starred Jack Lester, then Earl Nightingale, and finally, Roy Engel, as Sky. Beryl Vaughn played Sky’s niece Penny; Jack Bivens was Chipper and Cliff Soubier was the foreman. Sky King was sponsored by Mars candy.

1980 Annette Funicello, Cubby O’Brien, Tommy Cole, Sherry Alberoni and Dickie Dodd joined other Mouseketeers wearing black ears and white shirts on a sound stage in Burbank, CA. They were celebrating the 25th anniversary of the Mickey Mouse Club. While we’re celebrating the Mickey Mouse Club, do you remember the five special events each week? There was Fun with Music Day on Monday, Guest Star Day on Tuesday, Anything Can Happen Day on Wednesday, Circus Day on Thursday and Talent Roundup Day on Friday. “Y? Because we LIKE you!”

SOMEWHAT USELESS INFORMATION—

→From January 26, 1887 to March 31, 1889, a total of 18,038 pieces of wrought iron were joined together to create the Eiffel Tower.

→It took Leo Tolstoy six years to write "War & Peace"

GREY MATTER PUZZLE 1—Jeopardy Answers (1984 games)

$100-Central Africa's short people

$200-S. Africa's form of segregation

$300-Tanganyika & Zanzibar joined to form this country

$400-Africa's largest fresh-water lake, it's main source of the Nile

$500-Kenyatta was leader of this bloody movement to end British rule in Kenya

UNUSUAL NEWS ITEM

Mymamar: Almost by definition, species unknown to science are often tough to track down. But researchers seeking out a new species of primate in northern Myanmar were assured by locals that the monkeys aren't hard to find at all. You just have to wait for it to rain.

The new species, a previously unknown type of snub-nosed monkey dubbed Rhinopithecus strykeri, has a nose so upturned that the animals sneeze audibly when it rains. To avoid inhaling water, the monkeys supposedly sit with their heads tucked between their knees on drizzly days, according to local hunters.

The discovery, reported on Tuesday in the American Journal of Primatology, was made by biologists from the Myanmar Biodiversity and Nature Conservation Association and primatologists from Fauna and Flora International and the People Resources and Biodiversity Foundation.

The research team was working on a survey of gibbons in northeastern Myanmar in early 2010 when villagers told them about a monkey with an odd nose and prominent lips. Based on the descriptions, the researchers suspected the locals were seeing snub-nosed monkeys, threatened primates previously found only in China and Vietnam.

Intrigued, the team investigated further, surveying field sites and interviewing local villagers. The monkeys were well-known in the area, with villagers in 25 of 33 locations reporting monkey sightings. Several hunters provided skulls and hides from the monkeys, which have now been placed in museum collections in Switzerland and Myanmar.

After studying the specimens, the researchers realized they had a new species on their hands. The monkeys are about 21 inches (55 centimeters) long from upturned nose to rump, but their 30-inch (78-centimeter) tails more than double their length. Their fur is black with white ear tufts. Except for their white mustaches, the monkeys' faces are bare and pink.

The villagers in the area call the monkeys “myuk na tok te” or “mey nwoah,” both names meaning "monkey with an upturned nose," the researchers write. The monkeys themselves live in a mountainous area separated from other species by two rivers. Their range is probably no more than 167 square miles (270 square kilometers), and they likely number no more than 330. That makes the newly discovered monkey critically endangered by International Union for Conservation of Nature standards.

The monkeys are especially threatened by planned dam construction and logging roads in their habitat, the researchers report.

A LITTLE LAUGH

When my friend spotted a blind man and his guide dog at a crosswalk, she stopped her car and waved them on.

"Uh, Cynthia," I said, "he can't see you."

"I know that," she said indignantly. "I'm waving the dog on."

FOUND ON ‘YOU TUBE’

Mickey Mouse Club—the original: Click Here to View!

GREY MATTER PICTURE

This is a close up of what object?

SOME CALENDAR INFORMATION

¤ Weekly Observances ¤

24-31: Disarmament Week ^ Give Wildlife a Break Week ^ Pastoral Care Week ^ Peace, Friendship and Good Will Week ^ Prescription Errors Education & Awareness Week ^ International Magic Week ^ National Respiratory Care Week

27-11/3: World Hearing Aid Awareness Week

¤ Today’s Observances ¤

Plush Animal Lover's Day

National Chocolate Day

Day of International Concern About Young People and Gun Violence

Cuba: Loss of Major Camila Cienfuegas

Czechoslovakia: Foundation of the Republic Day (1918 from Austria-Hungary)

Greece, Cyprus: Ochi Day [Οχ Epeteios tou]: Anniversary of No: to commemorate Greek Prime Minister Ioannis Metaxas' (in power from August 4, 1936, until January 29, 1941) rejection of the ultimatum made by Italian dictator Benito Mussolini in 1940

¤ Hit Songs on this date ¤

1895...The Little Lost Child / Dan Quinn Click Here to View!

1905...In My Merry Oldsmobile / Billy Murray Click Here to View!

1915...Hello, Frisco! / Olive Kline & Reinald Werrenrath (original not available)

1925...Oh, How I Miss You Tonight / The Cavaliers [Ben Selvin] (original not available)

1935...You Are My Lucky Star / Eddy Duchin Click Here to View!

1945…Till the End of Time / Perry Como Click Here to View!

1955…Autumn Leaves / Roger Williams Click Here to View!

1965…Yesterday / The Beatles Click Here to View!

1975…Island Girl / Elton John Click Here to View!

1985…Part-Time Lover / Stevie Wonder Click Here to View!

¤ Today’s Births ¤

╬ THE ARTS

Michael (John) Crichton, writer: Jurassic Park, Twister, Rising Sun, The Great Train Robbery, The Terminal Man, Disclosure, The Great Impostor, The Secret of Canta Victoria,Congo; director: Runaway, Coma, Westworld, The Great Train Robbery, born in 1942

Charlie Daniels, 74, musician, singer, songwriter (“Devil Went Down to Georgia”)

Wayne Fontana, 65, rocker (Groovy Kind of Love with Mindbenders)

Edith Head, fashion designer (MGM), born in 1907

Brad Paisley, 38, country singer

Evelyn Waugh, author (Brideshead Revisited), born in 1903

♦♦actors♦♦

Jane Alexander, 71, actress (The Great White Hope, Kramer vs Kramer), former chair of the National Endowment for the Arts

Dennis Franz, 66, actor (“Hill Street Blues,” “NYPD Blue”)

Elsa Lanchester, actress, born in 1902

Joaquin Phoenix, 36, actor

Annie Potts, 58, actress (“Designing Women

Andy Richter, 44, actor, former cohost (“Late Night with Conan O’Brien”)

Julia Roberts, 43, actress (Oscar for Erin Brockovich

╬ ATHLETICS

Jim Beatty, 76, track runner (1st sub 4 minute indoor mile)

Terrell Davis, 38, football (Broncos)

William Bruce Jenner, 61, sportscaster, Olympic gold medal decathlete

Bowie Kuhn, baseball commissioner (1969-1984), born in 1926

╬ BUSINESS & EDUCATION

Bill Gates, 55, former computer software executive (Microsoft), philanthropist

╬ POLITICS

Anna Elizabeth Dickinson, orator (Joan of Arc of the Civil War), born in 1842

╬ SCIENCE & RELIGION

Dr Jonas Salk, medical researcher, made polio a fear of the past, born in 1914

¤ Today’s Obituaries ¤

Abigail Adams, First Lady of the United States @ 74 in 1818

Walther Bauersfeld, 1919 inventor (1st modern projection planetarium) @ 80 in 1959

John Locke, English philosopher @ 72 in 1704

Richard Smalley, American chemist, Nobel Prize laureate, cancer @ 62 in 2005

Charlotte Turner Smith, British poet and novelist, gout @ 57 in 1806

Porter Wagoner, American country singer @ 80 in 2007

¤ Today’s Events ¤

╬ THE ARTS

See above Holy Mackerel.

╬ ATHLETICS

1900 After over 5 months the Paris Olympic games close

1973 Secretariat raced into history by winning the Canadian International Stakes in Toronto. It was the last race won ... and run ... by the magnificent thoroughbred.

1989 The Oakland Athletics beat the San Francisco Giants 9-6 to complete a four-game sweep of the World Series, the first World Series sweep since 1976.

╬ BUSINESS & EDUCATION

1636 Harvard University (Boston) established

1929 1st child born in aircraft, Miami, Fl

1965 Gateway Arch (630' (190m) high) completed in St Louis, Missouri

╬ INDIGENOUS PEOPLE

1815 (7 stat.137) The KANSA Indians conclude a treaty today at St. Louis.

1865 The UPPER YANKTONAI SIOUX (14 stat.743) & the OGLALA SIOUX (7 stat.747) sign treaties today with the United States

╬ POLITICS (US)

1919 Volstead Act passed by Congress, start prohibition over Wilson's veto

╬ POLITICS (International)

1948 Flag of Israel is adopted

1962 Khrushchev orders withdrawal of missiles from Cuba, ending crisis

╬ SCIENCE & RELIGION

1793 Eli Whitney applies for a patent on the cotton gin

1904 Fingerprinting was first used by the St. Louis Police Department

1971 England becomes 6th nation to have a satellite (Prospero) in orbit

GREY MATTER ANSWERS

↔ 1 Jeopardy

$100-Central Africa's short people: Who are the Pygmies?

$200-S. Africa's form of segregation: What is Apartheid?

$300-Tanganyika & Zanzibar joined to form this country: What is Tanzania?

$400-Africa's largest fresh-water lake, it's main source of the Nile: What is Lake Victoria?

$500-Kenyatta was leader of this bloody movement to end British rule in Kenya: Who are Mau Maus?

↔ PICTURE

A tower fan or heater

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