6-14-11



Ø   TODAY’s “Geez”:
·        1951 - 1st commercial computer, UNIVAC 1, enters service at Census Bureau
·        1953 - Eisenhower condemns McCarthy's book burning proposal
·        1954 - Pres Eisenhower signs order adding words "under God" to the Pledge

Ø  Free Rambling Thoughts…
I got all my errands run this morning and had time to get a haircut to boot. Great way to start the week. It was a nice day outside, a little breeze and warm. The fires in AZ continue to grow. More fires a burnin’. They are all in Southern and far Eastern AZ. This is fire season, as we in AZ wait for the monsoons, still several weeks away. The difference this year is that the fires are so much bigger than usual.

An interesting poll came out today. For all the candidates on the Republican side only one candidate, Gary Johnson the former governor of NM, has a bigger percentage of his home state voters saying yes than no. All the other candidates are in single digits of approval of their run from voters in their home state. Looks like the old ‘favorite son’ candidate is way gone. When we finally get to the convention, next summer, it might be interesting to see if the candidate’s home state makes that nomination. At some point in time the candidates were popular enough to be elected to national office and now they do not have the support of their home state. These are the voters who picked them, lived through their time in office, and now don’t want them at the highest office. Very strange.

NPR ran a good story on fixing our educational system. Ever since I joined the educational work force I have heard that change is necessary because we are no longer an agrarian society that needs the kids on the farm and in the fields during the summer. A few school systems have gone to year round school, but even those districts don’t increase the time in school, only when the kids are in school. Our fair schools in Flag added extra snow days to this year’s calendar after they ran out of snow days the previous year. This year had less snowfall. So in May kids were given several three day weekends so they could use up the snow days without having to change graduations. As a former administrator and a former teacher, I know firsthand how hard it is to bring change to any school system. School staff and low level administrators are offered contracts each year. They spell out the number of days with students, the number of days for enrichment, the number of holidays and the number hours required to be on campus and lots of other stuff. Without a hook I haven’t heard in over 40 years, no legislature or congress is going to lengthen the school year or the school day without commensurate salary and benefit package changes. Public education will just continue to muddle along and complain.NPR was interviewing seniors from schools that were trying something different…longer school days—up to 9 hours every day, longer school years up to 10.5 months and required  Saturday study sessions. The students were very excited about learning, claiming in their old traditional schools, that the bar was way too low. Many of these students came from economically deprived areas while others came from middle class schools. These were not ‘last chance’ high schools but were either magnet schools or charter schools that held a lottery in the spring for incoming freshman, due to the number of students who applied.  Something needs to happen so this generation of NCLB doesn’t become an generation of students not ready for the real world.

Ø  Trivia Quiz…(answers at the end of post)
1.      What is in brackets in the title of Cher's The Shoop Shoop Song?
2.      Which American city links songs by Bruce Springsteen and Elton John?
3.      What type of creature was Michael Jackson's pet Muscles?
4.      What job did Del Shannon take on when he came out of the US Army?
5.      Which senior star released an album in 1996 called Strong Love Affair?
6.      What was Peter Cetera's first solo NO 1 single?
7.      What was Bruce Springsteen's first Top Ten Single?
8.      Spice Girl Mel C joined which artist on the hit When You're Gone?
9.      Which Michael Jackson album had the subtitle Past Present and future Book 1?
10.   Which name links Stigers and Mayfield?
11.   What was Madonna's next No 1 after Like A Virgin?
12.   In which decade was superstar Michael Bolton born?
13.   Where was John Denver born?
14.   Who had an 80’s No 1 with You Keep Me Hangin' On?

Ø  Zoom-ed in Picture…Can you Identify what this is? (Answer at end of post)

Ø  Hmmmmm…
·        Number of the four top spending congressional candidates in 2010 elections who lost: 3

Ø  Somewhat Useless Information…
·        The Australian Gippsland Earthworm grows to 12 feet long and can weigh 1-1/2 pounds.
·        There are approximately 2,700 different kinds of earthworms.
·        In one acre of land, there can be more than a million earthworms.
·        Worms tunnel deeply in the soil and bring subsoil closer to the surface mixing it with the topsoil. Slime, a secretion of earthworms, contains nitrogen. Nitrogen is an important nutrient for plants. The sticky slime helps to hold clusters of soil particles together in formations called aggregates.
·        Worms are hermaphrodites. Each worm has both male and female organs. Worms mate by joining their clitella (swollen area near the head of a mature worm) and ex-changing sperm. Then each worm forms an egg capsule in its clitellum.
·        Even though worms don't have eyes, they can sense light, especially at their anterior (front end). They move away from light and will become paralyzed if exposed to light for too long (approximately one hour).

Ø  Yeah, It Really Happened…
AMHERST, Ohio - Authorities in Ohio said a man arrested after behaving violently and growling at sheriff's deputies blamed his actions on a scratch from a wolf.
Lorain County sheriff's deputies said Thomas Stroup, 20, was arrested at about 12:30 a.m. Sunday after they received a call of a "very violent" male attacking people at the Timber Ridge Campground in Amherst, The Chronicle-Telegram, Elyria, Ohio.
Deputies said a friend of Stroup who was at the scene told them the suspect had consumed a large amount of alcohol and fought with other campers, who left before deputies arrived. Stroup was found sleeping under a trailer and growled at the deputies before being placed under arrest.
The deputies said Stroup apologized for his behavior while en route to the Lorain County Jail and told them he had consumed too much vodka and his violent behavior was the result of a wolf scratch that drives him to act violently during the full moon. Stroup was charged with underage consumption.

Ø  Guffaw…or at least smile…
A man lying on his deathbed called to him, his lawyer, his doctor, and his pastor. "I am going to die tonight," and I want to prove that when you go to heaven you can take it all with you. So to my three most trusted friends, you three of course, I am leaving 50,000 dollars in these envelopes. When I die you must come to my funeral and put the envelopes in my coffin with me." The man handed the three men identical envelopes.
A day later they each received news that, that night the old man had died . So each knew they must go to his funeral and fulfill his death wish.
Standing over the coffin one week later the pastor confessed, " I can't hide what I've done. I took 10,000 dollars from the envelope because the church needed to be painted."
Then as he did so the doctor also started to fidget then finally confessed “I took 30,000 dollars from my envelope because the hospital needed a new wing."
Ten the lawyer said plainly “You bunch of crooks! I wrote him a check for the full amount!"

Ø  Searchin’ “You Tube” I found…

Old Yeller (Sing Along Songs)


Ø  Daybook Information…
…Happening This Week:
10-17
·        Superman Week
·        Nursing Assistants Week
12-18
·        National Flag Week
·        Men's Health Week
14-20
·        Universal Father's Week
·        US Open Golf Championship

Ø  TODAY IS
·        Family History Day
·        Pause for the Pledge Day
·        Pop Goes The Weasel Day
·        US: Flag Day
·        Japan: Rice Planting Festival
·        World: Blood Donor Day

Ø  Today’s Events:
…  IN ARTS
1923 - Recording of 1st country music hit (Little Old Log Cabin in the Lane)
1942 - Walt Disney's "Bambi" animated movie is released 
1967 - Steve Allen Show," premieres on CBS-TV
…  IN ATHLETICS
1933 - Lou Gehrig & Joe McCarthy thrown out of game, McCarthy suspended 3 games but Gehrig isn't, so he continues his streak at 1,249 games
1989 - Nolan Ryan becomes 2nd pitcher to defeat all 26 teams
2005 - Asafa Powell of Jamaica sets a new Men's 100 meters world record of 9.77 at the Athens Olympic Stadium
…  IN BUSINESS
1834 - Isaac Fischer Jr patents sandpaper
1881 - Player piano patented by John McTammany Jr (Cambridge, Mass)
1942 - 1st bazooka rocket gun produced Bridgeport Ct
… IN EDUCATION
1642 - 1st compulsory education law in America passed by Massachusetts
1973 - 46th National Spelling Bee: Barrie Trinkle wins spelling vouchsafe
…  FOR INDIGENOUS PEOPLE
1671 - France claims most of America
1877 - During their forced march from their old reservation to Indian Territory, the Poncas arrive at the Otto reservation. Taking pity on the Poncas, the Ottos give them some horses to help carry their people.
…  IN INTERNATIONAL POLITICS
1381 - Richard II in England meets leaders of Peasants' Revolt on Blackheath. The Tower of London is stormed by rebels who enter without resistance.
1958 - Nelson Mandela weds Winnie Madikizela
1962 - The European Space Research Organisation is established in Paris - later becoming the European Space Agency.
… IN RELIGION
…  IN SCIENCE
1834 - Hardhat diving suit patented by Leonard Norcross, Dixfield, Maine
1938 - Chlorophyll patented by Benjamin Grushkin
…  IN US POLITICS
1775 - US Army founded
1777 - Continental Congress adopts Stars & Stripes replacing Grand Union flag
1846 - California (Bear Flag) Republic proclaimed in Sonoma
1864 - Congress rules Black soldiers must receive equal pay
1900 - Hawaiian Territorial Government begins
 … ARTISTS:  AUTHORS:  COMPOSERS…
1811 - Harriet Beecher Stowe, author (Uncle Tom's Cabin)
1884 - John McCormack, Irish/US singer (Irish folksongs)
…ATHLETES
1984 - Lorenzo Booker, American football player turns 27
1969 - Steffi Graf, Bruhl West Germany, tennis player (Grand Slam 1988) turns 42
…ENTERTAINERS (ACTORS/SINGERS…)
1921 - Gene Barry, actor (Bat Masterson, Name of the Game, Burke's Law)
Yasmine Bleeth actress turns 43
1895 - Cliff Edwards, "Ukulele Ike", singer (When You Wish Upon a Star)
Marla Gibbs actress turns 80
1909 - Burl Ives, folk singer/actor (Cat on a Hot Tin Roof)
1918 - Dorothy McGuire, actress (Old Yeller, Summer Magic)
1988 - Kevin Michael McHale, American singer turns 23
1961 - "Boy George" O'Dowd, androgynous vocalist & druggie (Culture Club) turns 50
… ENTREPRENEUR & EDUCATORS
Donald Trump businessman turns 65
1925 - Pierre Salinger, newsman (ABC)/press secretary (John Kennedy)
…POLITICIANS
1932 - Joe Arpaio, sheriff of Maricopa County, Arizona turns 79

1928 - Ernesto "Che" Guevara Serna, Arg/Cuba revolutionary (Cuba)
1529 - Ferdinand, archduke (Austria)
1855 - Robert Marion La Follette, Wisconsin, pres candidate (Progressive)
…SCIENTISTS / THEOLOGISTS
1864 - Alois Alzheimer, Germany, psychiatrist/pathologist (Alzheimer Disease)

Ø  Today’s Obits:
1801 - Benedict Arnold, Revolutionary War general, dies of dropsy at 60
1946 - John Logie Baird, Scottish television pioneer dies of stroke at 58
2009 - Bob Bogle, founding member of The Ventures dies of lymphoma at 75
1926 - Mary Cassatt, American artist dies at 83
1986 - Alan Jay Lerner, Broadway librettist, dies of lung cancer at 67
1994 - Henry Mancini, composer (Pink Panther, Moon River), dies of pancreatic cancer at 70
1986 - Marlin Perkins, TV host (Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom), dies at 81
1977 - Alan Reed, actor (Fred Allen)/voice (Fred Flintstone), dies of heart attack at 69
2007 - Kurt Waldheim, Austrian politician and statesman dies at 89

Ø  ANSWERS:
Trivia Quiz
1.      What is in brackets in the title of Cher's The Shoop Shoop Song ?
It's In His Kiss
2.      Which American city links songs by Bruce Springsteen and Elton John?
Philadelphia
3.      What type of creature was Michael Jackson's pet Muscles?
Snake
4.      What job did Del Shannon take on when he came out of the US Army?
                      Carpet salesman
5.      Which senior star released an album in 1996 called Strong Love Affair?
Ray Charles
6.      What was Peter Cetera's first solo NO 1 single?
7.      What was Bruce Springsteen's first Top Ten Single?
Light Of My Life
8.      Spice Girl Mel C joined which artist on the hit When You're Gone?
Bryan Adams
9.      Which Michael Jackson album had the subtitle Past Present and future Book 1?
History
10.   Which name links Stigers and Mayfield?
Curtis
11.   What was Madonna's next No 1 after Like A Virgin?
Crazy For You
12.   In which decade was superstar Michael Bolton born?
1950s
13.   Where was John Denver born?
New Mexico
14.   Who had an 80sNo 1 with You Keep Me Hangin' On ?
Kim Wilde

Close Up Picture
scale

Ø  …AND THAT’S ALL FOR NOW

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Flagstaff, Arizona, United States
I retired in '06--at the ripe old age of 57. I enjoy blogging, photography, traveling, and living life to it's fullest.