Aug 9

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Aug. 9, 2019 Week: 32 \ Day: 221

86004:   H 81° \ L 55° \ Average Sky Cover: 25% 

Nearest wildfire:  99mi. Nearest lightning:  151mi

Wind:   12mph\Gusts:  22mph

Visibility: 10 mi

Record High: 89°[1980]   Record Low: 35°[2009]

Aug Averages: 79°\50° (9 day with rain)

Today’s Quote

All wealth is the product of labor.

John Locke

Random Tidbits

The full, official name of the Tower of London is "Her Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress of London." It is home to the Queen of England's jewels. Among the 25,578 gems is the 530-carat Cullinan diamond at the top of the Royal Sceptre, the largest part of what was (until 1985) the largest diamond ever found.

The historical King Arthur may have been Magnus Maximus, or Prince Macsen of Welsh legend, who was one of the greatest figures in Britain toward the end of the Roman Empire. He was also an uncle by marriage of the Welsh King, Coel Godhebog, who is believed to be the Old King Cole of nursery rhymes.

Observances This Week

1-9

International Mathematicians Week

2-11

Gallup International Tribal Indian Powwow Link
Sturgis Rally Link

4-10

Assistance Dog Week  Link  Link  
Exercise With Your Child Week
Knights of Columbus Family Week
National Button Week Link
National Farmers' Market Week Link 
National Fraud Awareness Week Link   
National Health Center Week Link  
National Psychic Week Link  Link   
Single Working Women's Week Link
Stop on Red Week Link

5-9

Exhibitor Appreciation Week

5-11

National Bargain Hunting Week
Old Fiddlers' Week
Numismatic Week (World's Fair of Money)

8-11

National Hobo Week  Link

9-11

International Tree Climbing Days  Link

9-13

Perseid Meteor Showers

Observances for Today

Book Lovers Day

International Day of The World's Indigenous People
Kool-Aid Day-11 Link 
National Rice Pudding Day

Veep Day

My Rambling Thoughts

Our retirement group met today to celebrate Mary’s b-day. Nice day with good conversation, lots of laughs, great food. This was the first time we could all get together since her 4Jul birthday.

I finished my 3^rd blood treatment today. They had a hard time finding a working vein, but finally found one the 4^th stab. Thank goodness the sticking is the most painful part of the whole experience.

700 Latinos arrested in Mississippi. Many children were at Day-Care or school when their caregivers were arrested. Lots of very scared kids, lots of families left without a breadwinner. Stats say most of those arrested had no criminal record, other than being here without papers. So sad.

Looking forward to a quiet weekend, at home, with good weather, and a great outdoor time.

Today’s Puzzle

Answer at the bottom of this page

There are 25 horses and you want to find the fastest 3 among them. You can race any 5 of the horses against each other and see the final standing, but not the running times. If all the horses have constant, permanent speeds, how many races do you need to organize in order to find the fastest 3?

Today’s Highlighted Historical Events

1483 - Opening of the restored Sistine Chapel in Rome. Renaissance painters Sandro Botticelli, Pietro Perugino, Pinturicchio, Domenico Ghirlandaio and Cosimo Roselli contributed. Michelangelo added his work on the ceiling in 1508-1512.

1854 - Henry David Thoreau published Walden or Life in the Woods.

1892 - Thomas Edison received a patent (#480,567) for a two-way telegraph.

1930 - Betty Boop made her cartoon debut in Dizzy Dishes.

1942 - Indian leader Mahatma Gandhi was arrested in Bombay by British forces, launching the Quit India Movement.

1944 - Nagasaki, Japan was decimated when an atomic bomb, Fat Man, was dropped by the United States B-29 Bockscar.

1969 - Followers of Charles Manson murdered pregnant actress Sharon Tate (wife of Roman Polanski), Abigail Folger, Wojciech Frykowski, Jay Sebring and Steven Parent. Leno and Rosemary LaBianca were killed by the same crew the following day.

1972 - East End Show - Jesus Christ Superstar (Musical) August 9, 1972

1975 - #1 Hit August 9, 1975 - August 22, 1975: Bee Gees - Jive Talkin'

2001 - Gomer Pyle, the fictional TV character, was made an honorary U.S. Marine and promoted to the rank of Lance Corporal by the Commandant of the U.S. Marine Corps

2104 - Michael Brown, an 18-year-old African American male in Ferguson, Missouri, was shot and killed by a Ferguson police officer, sparking protests and unrest in the city.

Highlighted Birthdays Today

Gillian Anderson actress  (51)

Eric Bana [Eric Banadinović], actor (51)

Melanie Griffith, film, TV, stage actress (62)

Whitney Houston (d. 2012 @48; drowning, cocaine OD)

Thomas Lennon, actor, novelist (48)

Robert Shaw, actor (d. 1978 @51: heart attack)

Michael Kors, fashion designer (60)

Sam Elliott, actor (75)

Puzzle answer:

Let us label the horses H1, H2, H3, H4, …, H24, H25.

We race H1 – H5 and (without loss of generality) find that H1 > H2 > H3 > H4 > H5. We conclude that H4, H5 are not among the fastest 3.

We race H6 – H10 and (without loss of generality) find that H6 > H7 > H8 > H9 > H10. We conclude that H9, H10 are not among the fastest 3.

We race H11 – H15 and (without loss of generality) find that H11 > H12 > H13 > H14 > H15. We conclude that H14, H15 are not among the fastest 3.

We race H16 – H20 and (without loss of generality) find that H16 > H17 > H18 > H19 > H20. We conclude that H19, H20 are not among the fastest 3.

We race H21 – H25 and (without loss of generality) find that H21 > H22 > H23 > H24 > H25. We conclude that H24, H25 are not among the fastest 3.

We race H1, H6, H11, H16, H21 and (without loss of generality) find that H1 > H6 > H11 > H16 > H21. We conclude that H16, H21 are not among the fastest 3.

Now we know that H1 is the fastest horse and only H2, H3, H6, H7, H11 could complete the fastest three. We race them against each other and find which are the fastest two among them. We complete the task with only 7 races in total.