Rain, Rain, Stay Awhile

As we end the month of June, rain has returned to Flag. Three separate showers today. Two were short and ended within five minutes. The last however lasted about 20 minutes. So good for the forest.

Arizona seems to be heading for a big shut down of government services. Still no budget has been sent to the non-elected governor. This woman, Jan Brewer, seems to be in way over her head in Arizona politics. Just over the news, they are getting close to a budget. They are talking about a 3% flat tax for us. Whatever that means. Oh, I know what a flat tax is…but I’m sure this one will end up costing us more. The $600 million in spending cuts won’t make life any better here either. Guess in this day of superfast internet speed, we will find out tomorrow morning in the newspaper what is going on.

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Random Fact
Penguins can convert salt water into fresh water.

June is…

Adopt a Shelter Cat Month…Effective Communications Month…Gay & Lesbian Pride Month [National GLBT Month]…Great Outdoors Month…National Accordion Awareness Month…Rebuild Your Life Month…National Candy Month

Week of June 25
National Watermelon Seed Spitting Week

June 27—178 days so far this year…187 days remain in 2009
Great American Backyard Campout
National HIV testing Day
Decide To Be Married Day
*UK: Veteran’s Day
*Brazil: Mixed Race Day

BIRTHS ON THIS DAY…
1462
Louis XII (the Just) king of France (1498-1515)
1846
Charles Stewart Parnell Ireland, nationalist
1862
May Irwin US comedienne/singer (A Hot Time in the Old Town)
1869
Emma Goldman anarchist/publisher (Mother Earth)
1872
Paul Laurence Dunbar Dayton Oh, short story writer (Majors & Minors)
1880
Helen Keller blind-deaf author/lecturer had more sense than many
1913
Willie Mosconi billiard player 1975 - Tobey Maguire actor
1920
I.A.L. Diamond screenwriter (1960 Acad Award-The Apartment)
1927
Bob Keeshan aka Capt Kangaroo/Clarabelle (Good Morning Captain)
1930
H Ross Periot Texas billionaire (Presidential candidate)
1938
Bruce E Babbitt (Gov-D-AZ, Sec. of Interior)

IT HAPPENED ON THIS DAY…
1693
1st woman's magazine "The Ladies' Mercury" published (London)
1806
Buenos Aires captured by British
1857
Scientific American magazine warns that whale oil, used for lighting, may soon run out due to overhunting
1885
Chichester Bell and Charles S. Tainter applied for a patent for the gramophone. The patent was granted on May 4, 1886.
1922
Newberry Medal 1st presented for kids literature (Hendrik Van Loon)
1929
1st color TV demo (NYC)
1934
Federal Savings & Loan Association created
1955
The first Wide Wide World was broadcast on NBC-TV
1st automobile seat belt legislation enacted (Illinois)
1963
Pres Kennedy spent 1st full day in Ireland
1966
1st sci-fi soap opera, "Dark Shadows," premiers
1969
Police raid the Stonewall Inn
1980
The the National Anthem Act, making O Canada Canada's national anthem, was unanimously accepted by the House of Commons and the Senate
1990
Salman Rushdie, condemned to death by Iran, contributes $8600 to help their earthquake victims
1992
Michael Jackson kicked off the Dangerous Tour in Munich, Germany
2003
Registration begins for the Do Not Call List with nearly 3/4 million phone numbers registered on the first day providing consumers with an opportunity to limit telemarketing calls

Word Puzzle from NPR Sunday Puzzler…1987

Every answer here is a word, name, or phrase that ends in the syllable ‘new’ in any spelling

EX: street Answer: avenue

1. Something to paddle
2. Young actress
3. Actor Reeves
4. Group of attendants for an important person
5. 1960’s-70’s vice president
6. Chief of staff under the first Pres. Bush
7. First prime minister of Burma
8. Business income
9. Phrase that means ‘confidentially’
10. Question for a pussycat?
*Bonus: William Henry Harrison nickname
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Answers:
1. Canoe
2. Ingénue
3. Keanu
4. Retinue
5. Agnew
6. Sununu
7. U Nu
8. Revenue
9. Entre nous
10. What’s new?

Bonus: Tippecanoe
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