Independance Day

My long awaited arrival of the monsoon finally came today. We had a loud and hard thunderstorm this afternoon. It dropped about 11/100” in rain in about 30 minutes. It, of course dropped the temperature about 10° in about 15 minutes. I was just coming out of the mall when it started and so got pretty wet getting from my car to my front door. It stopped for about 5 minutes and kids were outside running all around. Then the second wave hit fast. They were running for their houses and screaming at the top of their lungs. They were happy screams.

I sure hope our non-elected governor was following the news today. She can learn a good lesson from the Alaska governor. Make an accolade speech of all the accomplishments of your brief administration, promise to continue to help your home staters, and turn over the running of the government to someone else. Of course, this leaves everyone wondering what is really behind the resignation. I find it hard to believe that quitting your first statewide elected office in your first term can help you with future political office aspirations. I’m not a politician, just a voter.

Summer always brings some great new programming on TV. “Americas Got Talent” has already had some great surprises. I’ll have to see if they can top Susan Boyle. “Are You Smarter than a 5th Grader?” is a little slow moving but can be a lot of fun. “The Closer”, “Leverage”, “Raising the Bar”, “Saving Grace”, “True Blood”, and others all bring good evening entertainment. Now that I have a DVR, I can record the shows, and watch them at my leisure. It does keep me up late on these cool summer nights. Once of each show is enough, so I don’t keep them, as many do, to watch over and over. Another advantage is that I can skip the commercials.

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Random Fact
The most dangerous job in the United States is that of an Alaskan Crab Fisherman.

July is…

…Air Conditioning Appreciation Month…Blueberries Month…Cell Phone Courtesy Month…Family Reunion Month…Herbal/Prescription Awareness Month…Nat’l Doghouse Repair Month…Nat’l Grilling, Nat’l Hot Dog, Nat’l Horseradish, and Nat’l Ice Cream Month…Smart Irrigation Month…Social Wellness Month…Tour de France Month…Women’s Motorcycle Month…
Week of July 4
Freedom Week

July 4—185 days so far this year…180 days remain in 2009

International Day of Cooperatives
US: Independence Day
*Rwanda: Liberation Day—since 1994—end of genocide
*Philippines: Filipino-American Friendship Day

BIRTHS ON THIS DAY…

1738
George III English king during American Revolution
1826
Stephen Foster song writer of about 200 songs including: Oh! Susannah, Camptown Races, Old Folks at Home [Swanee River], Jeannie with the Light Brown Hair, Beautiful Dreamer
1872
Calvin Coolidge 30th U.S. President
1883
Rube (Reuben Lucius) Goldberg inventor of elaborate, involved contraptions that accomplish simple tasks 1927 - Gina Lollobrigida actress 1908
Rosalind Russell actress
1911
Mitch Miller record company executive, producer, arranger
1917
Charles Collingwood Mich, CBS news commentator
Robert Anderson author (Tea & Sympathy)
1918
Ann Landers (Esther Pauline Friedman) advice columnist Ann Landers
Abigail Van Buren (Pauline Esther Friedman) advice columnist: Dear Abby
1920
Leona Helmsley hotel mogul
1924
Eva Marie Saint Academy Award-winning actress
Dennis Weaver Joplin Mo, actor (Chester-Gunsmoke)
1927
Neil (Marvin) Simon Tony Award-winning playwright
1932
John Barrymore Jr Beverly Hills Calif, actor
1936
Bruce Dern Winnetka Ill, actor
1937
Freddie Fender Mexico, country singer
1938
Bill Withers Grammy Award-winning songwriter, singer: Ain’t No Sunshine [1971], Lean on Me
1942
Floyd Little College Football Hall of Famer: Syracuse: 3-time All-American running back; Denver Broncos
1943
Geraldo Rivera investigative reporter
1944
Michelle Phillips singer/actress (Mamas & Papas)
1945
Gordon Waller Scotland, singer (Peter & Gordon-World Without Love)
1952
Parker Stevenson Phila Pa, actor


IT HAPPENED ON THIS DAY…

780 –BC
1st total solar eclipse reliably recorded by Chinese
1070
Roquefort cheese created in a cave near Roquefort, France
1776
The American Continental Congress votes to approve the Declaration of Independence
1784
Mme Thible becomes 1st woman to fly (in a balloon)
1812
Louisiana Territory officially renamed "Missouri Territory"
1832
It was on this day that America was sung in public for the first time -- at the Park Street Church in Boston, MA.
1845
Writer Henry David Thoreau moves to a small hut by Walden Pond, near Concord, Mass
1855
The first edition of Leaves of Grass, by Walt Whitman, was published
1888
The first rodeo in America was held at Prescott, Arizona.
1929
George Eastman demonstrates 1st Technicolor movie
1946
The Philippines became a self-governing nation after 48 years of U.S. sovereignty
1956
Speech by Khrushchev blasting Stalin made public
1959
A 49th star is added to the American flag to represent the new state of Alaska
1960
A 50th star is added to the American flag to represent the new state of Hawaii
1976
A midnight Israeli commando raid at Entebbe airport in Uganda, planned by future prime minister Ehud Barak, frees more than 100 hostages from an airliner hijacked by pro-Palestinian guerrillas.
1984
Bruce Springsteen releases "Born in the USA"
1990
Greyhound Bus files bankruptcy
1997
The Mars Pathfinder spacecraft, launched by NASA from the Earth in December 1996, entered the atmosphere of Mars. A heat shield, parachutes, and airbags helped it land safely. The Sojourner rover searched the surface of Mars for rocks while millions of earthlings watch it on TV and the Internet.

Word Puzzle from NPR Sunday Puzzler…1987

What familiar nine letter word, if dialed on a telephone would be represented by 6-8-7-6-8-7-6-8-7?

EX: 2-2-3
Answers: Bad and others

*Bonus: ?? any ideas?
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Answers:
1. Available tomorrow…it’s a holiday after all.
*Bonus: ??
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