7-4-11 Independence Day



Ø  TODAY’s “Geez”:
·        1776 - Declaration of Independence-US gains independence from Britain
·        1796 - 1st Independence Day celebration is held
·        1876 - Batholdi visits Bedloe Island, future home of his Statue of Liberty
·        1884 - Statue of Liberty presented to US in Paris
·        1944 - 1st Japanese kamikaze attack, US fleet near Iwo Jima
·        1987 - Nazi Klaus Barbie, "Butcher of Lyon" sentenced to life in France

Ø  Free Rambling Thoughts…
Happy 4th to all.

I had the first monsoon rain at my place today. It was cloudy much of the day, then this early this afternoon, the clouds opened up and the rain came. It wasn’t a lot, here, but any is appreciated. Sadly this meant flooding for those downstream from the burn area. My friends out in that area were OK today. Of course with rain, comes lightning during the Monsoon, and a few small fires started up on the mountain. It sounds like everyone is on top of these small fires. Then, in the early evening, another monsoon, this one with a lot more rain. Both really cooled us off. And hours after the rain stopped, the smell of rain is still filling the air. Outstanding!!!!!

It’s the fourth of July—Independence Day and with that comes a price. We all hear that. However; here in Flag it means more. The Chamber of Commerce sponsors the parade every year. As business people, the ones who are told are going to get us out of the budget mess, charge a $50 entry fee for those in the parade. For many groups, that fee is waived. A least that’s the way it used to be. Last year and this year they refused to offer the VFW, American Legion, and the Marine Charities did not get a waiver. WTF? All three groups said they could not afford the entry fee. The Chamber relented, but too late for the organizations to get an entry together. Not to get too patriotic, but these are the men and women who made it possible for us to celebrate Independence Day. Now that this is in the paper, I hope that people unite against the Chamber’s money grabbing philosophy. I certainly plan to contact the Chamber on Tuesday to let them know how wrong this is. It is discouraging that there is such a dark underside to a community event like this. I’m sure that most of the flag wavers and cheering people at the parade will not even know why there are no floats from these groups. I understand there will be some military groups in the parade, those who caved to the outrageous fee. These are tough economic times and the Chamber is going to make sure they don’t suffer.

I talked to Bob this afternoon. He will arrive here on the 11th. That is one day earlier than expected. We will have a day to get ready before we attend the meeting on the 12th. He is driving in from ABQ and if he came in on the 12th, it would be a tight schedule for him. This way he will also get to see a little of Flag before we take off.

Ø  Trivia Quiz…(answers at the end of post)
1.      Which 90s Bond girl appeared in the sitcom Sunday Dinner?
2.      In which decade was M*A*S*H set?
3.      In which show did Laverne and Shirley first appear?
4.      In which Florida resort was The Golden Girls set?
5.      Which sitcom, premiered in 1988, featured Dr. Harry Weston?
6.      Which spin-off from The Cosby Show premiered in 1987?
7.      Who was head of the Addams family?
8.      In Cheers, Sam was a former pitcher for which team?
9.      In The Cosby Show which insect was the name of Theo's friend?
10.   Which rock classic was the original theme music for Happy Days?
11.   What was the setting for It's Gary Shandling's Show?
12.   What was the most-watched TV show in history when it was screened in May 1993?
13.   Where did Frasier live in the spin-off from Cheers?

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

Ø  Hmmmmm…
·        Estimated number of ‘behavior detection officers’ employed in US airports to spot potentially dangerous travelers: 3,000
·        Percentage of the officers’ 266,000 referrals since 2006 that led to arrests: 0.7 (1,861 people)

Ø  Somewhat Useless Information…
·        An ice cube in a glass of water will not raise the water level when it melts. The amount of space it displaces as a cube is equal to the amount it takes up when liquefied.
·        A ball of glass will bounce higher than a ball made of rubber. A ball of solid steel will bounce higher than one made entirely of glass. Huh?

Ø  Yeah, It Really Happened…
NEW CASTLE, Pa. - Police in Pennsylvania said two women were unable to stop a purse snatcher but they were able to use a cane to dent his getaway vehicle.
Investigators said Jerry Lee Brown Jr., 27, allegedly grabbed a purse from a woman in a parking lot at Neshannock Village in New Castle June 24 and a woman with the victim attempted to strike him with a cane, the New Castle News reported Thursday. Brown escaped in a car with a dark-haired woman and two small children, police said, but the woman accompanying the alleged victim was able to dent the vehicle with her cane.
Police said they received a tip the suspects they were seeking may have been Brown and Tatiana Marie Vargas, 21, who were suspects in a similar incident. The pair, and a silver Dodge Stratus with dents police believed to be from the woman's cane, were located Sunday. Brown was charged with two felony counts of robbery, misdemeanor counts of theft and receiving stolen property and a summary count of harassment. Vargas was charged with two felony counts of conspiracy/robbery, misdemeanor counts of conspiracy/theft and conspiracy/receiving stolen property and a summary count of conspiracy/
harassment.

Ø  Guffaw…or at least smile…
A man moved to a mountain top to get rid of the hustle and be alone. One day he heard a knock at the door and no one was there but then he looked down and there sat a snail and it said "it is quite cold out here can I come in?"
The man shouted "NO why don’t you all understand I want to be alone!" and he kicked the snail down the mountain.
One year later there was a knock at the door and no one was there and then he looked down and there again sat a snail and it said, "What did you do that for?"

Ø  Searchin’ “You Tube” I found…

Medley of Patriotic Songs


God Bless America, Kate Smith, 1st time


America the Beautiful


Ballad of Green Beret--Sgt Barry Sadler


Star Spangled Banner-Whitney Houston


US Armed Forces Medley


Ø  Daybook Information…
…Happening This Week:
·        1-4  International Chicken Wing Week
·        1-7  National Unassisted Homebirth Week
·        3-9  Be Nice To New Jersey Week
·        4-10 Freedom Week
  Nude Recreation Weekend

Ø  TODAY IS
·        Earth at Aphelion
·        Independence From Meat Day
·        Indivisible Day
·        National Country Music Day
·        National Country Music Day
·        Caribbean--Caricom Day (since 1973; Single economic community for Barbados, Guyana, Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago)
·        Philippines--Filipino-American Friendship Day
·        US--Fourth of July or Independence Day
o   1959 Alaska becomes 49th state
o   1960 Hawaii become 50th state
·        Zambia--Heroes Day  

Ø  Today’s Events:
…  IN ARTS
1831 - "America (My Country 'Tis of Thee)" is 1st sung in Boston
1845 - Henry David Thoreau moves into his shack on Walden Pond
1855 - In Brooklyn, New York, the first edition of Walt Whitman's book of poems, titled Leaves of Grass, is published.
1862 - Lewis Carroll creates Alice in Wonderland for Alice P Liddell
1895 - Katherine Lee Bates publishes "America the Beautiful"
…  IN ATHLETICS
1884 - 1st US bullfight held (Dodge City Ks)
1888 - 1st organized rodeo competition held, Prescott, AZ
1911 - Ty Cobb goes 0 for 4 & ends a 40 game hit streak
1914 - 1st US motorcycle race (300 miles, Dodge City Ks)
1980 - Nolan Ryan is 4th to strikeout 3,000
…  IN BUSINESS
1837 - Grand Junction Railway, the world's first long-distance railway, opens between Birmingham and Liverpool
1876 - 1st public exhibition of electric light in SF
1883 - Buffalo Bill Cody presents 1st wild west show, North Platte, Nebraska
1933 - Work begins on Oakland Bay Bridge
1996 - Hot Mail, a free internet E-mail service begins
2009 - The Statue of Liberty's crown reopens to the public after 8 years, due to security reasons following the World Trade Center attacks
… IN EDUCATION
1881 - Booker T Washington establishes Tuskegee Institute (Alabama)
…  FOR INDIGENOUS PEOPLE
1636 - Boston’s "Standing Committee" gives orders to John Withrop, Jr. to give to the Pequots. They must turn over two murder suspects, as required by the treaty of 1634, or face a war.
1777 - The Shawnees attack Boonesborough, again. Similar to their last incursion on April 15th, the town's fortification prove to be too substantial for them to breech.
…  IN INTERNATIONAL POLITICS
1950 - The first broadcast by Radio Free Europe.
… IN RELIGION
1453 - 41 Jewish martyrs burned at stake at Breslau
1918 - Altar dedicated at full-scale replica of Stonehenge at Maryhill, WA
…  IN SCIENCE
1819 - William Herschel makes last telescopic observation of 1819 comet
…  IN US POLITICS
1636 - City of Providence, Rhode Island form
1802 - US Military Academy officially opens (West Point, NY)
1803 - The Louisiana Purchase is announced to the American people
1845 - Texas Congress votes for annexation to US
1863 - Boise, Idaho founded (now capital of Idaho)
1863 - Vicksburg, Mississippi surrenders to Union forces
1898 - US flag hoisted over Wake Island (Spanish-American War)
1944 - 1,100 US guns fire 4th of July salute at German lines in Normandy
1966 - LBJ signs Freedom of Information Act

… ARTISTS:  AUTHORS:  COMPOSERS
1804 - Nathaniel Hawthorne, author (House of 7 Gables, Scarlet Letter) 
1882 - Louis B. Mayer, American film producer 
Neil Simon, playwright (Odd Couple, Plaza Suite, Biloxi Blues) turns 84
1909 - Alec Templeton, Cardiff Wales, pianist/composer (Concertino Lirico)
…ATHLETES
Pam Shriver, tennis star (1991 US Open doubles/Oly-gold-88) turns 49
…ENTERTAINERS (ACTORS/SINGERS…)
1931- Stephen Boyd actor
1826 - Stephen Foster, composer (Oh! Susanna, Swanee River and  other songs )
1912 - Virginia Graham, TV personality (Girl Talk, Where Was I)
1898 - Johnny Lee, actor (Calhoun-Amos 'n' Andy)
Gina Lollobrigida, actress (Trapeze, Falcon Crest) turns 84
1911 - Mitch Miller, sing along with Mitch (Yellow Rose of Texas)
Eva Marie Saint, Newark NJ, actress (On the Waterfront) turns 87
… ENTREPRENEUR & EDUCATORS
1847 - James Anthony Bailey, circus impresario (Barnum & Bailey)
1918 - Ann Landers, twin sister/advice columnist
1920 - Leona Helmsley, (wife of Harry), real estate billionaire/tax cheat
Abigail Van Buren, [Mrs Morton Phillips], Sioux City Iowa, columnist turns 93
1816 - Hiram Walker, American grocer and distiller (d. 1899)
…POLITICIANS
1872 - Calvin Coolidge, [Silent Cal], 30th pres (1923-29)

…SCIENTISTS / THEOLOGISTS

Ø  Today’s Obits:
1826 - John Adams, 2nd president (1797-1801), dies at 90

1826 - Thomas Jefferson, 3rd president (1801-09), dies at 83

1831 - James Monroe, 5th president (1817-25), dies of heart failure/TB at 73
>> 
1934 - "Madame" Marie Curie-Sklodovska, Polish/French chemist, dies of aplastic anemia from radiation exposure at 66
1995 - Eva Gabor, actress (Green Acres), dies of repertory failure after bath tub fall at 74
1995 - Richard "Pancho" Gonzalez, tennis great, dies of stomach cancer at 67
1891 - Hannibal Hamlin, U.S. Vice President dies at 82
1997 - Charles Kuralt, news anchor (CBS Sunday Morning), dies of lupus at 62
1957 - Judy Tyler, actress (Princess Summerfall Winterspring- Howdy Doody), dies at 24 in car crash
2003 - Barry White, American singer dies of kidney failure/stroke at 59

Ø  ANSWERS:
Ø  Trivia Quiz
1.      Which 90s Bond girl appeared in the sitcom Sunday Dinner?
a.      Teri Hatcher
2.      In which decade was M*A*S*H set?
a.      1950s
3.      In which show did Laverne and Shirley first appear?
a.      Happy Days                       
4.      In which Florida resort was The Golden Girls set?
a.      Miami
5.      Which sitcom, premiered in 1988, featured Dr. Harry Weston?
a.      Empty Nest
6.      Which spin-off from The Cosby Show premiered in 1987?
a.      A Different World
7.      Who was head of the Addams family?
a.      Gomez
8.      In Cheers, Sam was a former pitcher for which team?
a.      Boston Red Sox
9.      In The Cosby Show which insect was the name of Theo's friend?
a.      Cockroach
10.   Which rock classic was the original theme music for Happy Days?
a.      Bill Haley's Rock Around The Clock
11.   What was the setting for It's Gary Shandling's Show?
a.      His sitting room
12.   What was the most-watched TV show in history when it was screened in May 1993?
a.      Final episode of Cheers
13.   Where did Frasier live in the spin-off from Cheers?
a.      Seattle

Ø  Close Up Picture
Tattoo Sticker Machine

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.