Two last comments on the Birthers…I learned today, a little late I guess, that John McCain was born on a military base in Panama. Obama was born in the 50th state, and it had been a state for 6 years when he was born. Panama still isn’t a state, and never will be. I guess the birthers believe that being born on a military base is the same as being born in the US, while being born in a new state doesn’t count. Such craziness. I also learned today that conspiracy theories are not new…well I did know that. Mary Todd Lincoln, a southerner, had to have all her mail, to her relatives, during the Civil War, read by the government, to squelch the theory that she was sending Northern troop movements to the enemy. I guess conspiracy theories will always be around. I still don’t believe the ‘magic bullet’ theory.

AARP had a live town hall meeting with Obama on Health Care. It was on CNN and available on the Internet. I did get some good information and heard some questions from elderly who are really scared. One person stated that she didn’t want ‘socialized medicine’ and didn’t want changes to her Medicare. Huh? Another wanted Obama to promise that the government wouldn’t be sending a person to all Medicare recipients with a form to fill out on how they wanted to die. Of course he answered both ladies quite well. What so many people don’t seem to believe is that our heath care system is a mess. It is much too profit based. It is fraught with waste. It can’t stay the same.

Our monsoon didn’t come today and the thermometer rose to 92° on my deck. Air inside and out was just stagnant. I had the cooler on for most of the afternoon.

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Random Fact…

Crayons were invented in New York in 1903. Crayons were invented in New York in 1903.

Brazil got its name from the nut, not the other way around.

Antarctica is the only land on our planet that is not owned by any country. Ninety percent of the world's ice covers Antarctica. This ice also represents seventy percent of all the fresh water in the world. As strange as it sounds, however, Antarctica is essentially a desert.. The average yearly total precipitation is about two inches. Although covered with ice (all but 0.4% of it, that is), Antarctica is the driest place on the planet, with an absolute humidity lower than the Gobi desert.

Crazy Stuff In The News…

INDIANAPOLIS - A venomous scorpion hitched a ride on a jet plane bound from Phoenix to Indianapolis and stung one passenger before it was captured when the aircraft landed.
Marilee McInnis, a spokeswoman for Southwest Airlines, said the passenger was not seriously hurt and the Arizona bark scorpion and five of its babies were destroyed after Flight 2093 arrived at Indianapolis International Airport, the Indianapolis Star reported. Airport spokeswoman
Susan Sullivan said Douglas Herbstsommer, 44, discovered the arachnids in his carry-on luggage and was stung by the adult about a half an hour before the plane landed.
Herbstsommer was treated at the airport and did not require hospitalization. McInnis said the jetliner was fumigated overnight to make sure there were no additional scorpions.

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 27…
World Hacky-Sack Week

July 29…
210 days so far this year…155 days remain in 2009
Lasagna Day
Rain Day
*Romania: National Anthem Day [1848-unofficial; 1989-official]


BIRTHS ON THIS DAY…
1805
Alexis de Tocqueville France, statesman/writer (Democracy in America)
1869
Booth Tarkington US, novelist (17, Magnificent Ambersons)
1871
[Gregory Efimovich] Rasputin the mad Russian monk
1883
Benito Mussolini [Il Duce], Fascist Italian dictator
1892
William Powell actor (Thin Man, My Man Godfrey)

1905
-Clara Bow silent screen actress
-Dag Hammarskjuld 2nd UN Secretary-General (1953-61) (Nobel 1961)
1907
Melvin Belli Sonora Calif, lawyer
1924
Robert Horton LA Calif, actor (Wagon Train)
1933
Robert Fuller Troy NY, actor (Wagon Train)
1938
Peter Jennings Toronto Canada, news anchor
1953
Ken Burns Emmy Award-winning writer, producer, director

IT HAPPENED ON THIS DAY…

1588
Attacking Spanish Armada defeated & scattered by English defenders

1715
10 Spanish treasure galleons sunk off Florida coast by hurricane
1773
1st schoolhouse west of Allegheny Mtns completed, Schoenbrunn, OH

1848
During the Potato Famine in Ireland, a nationalist rebellion led by William Smith O'Brien is crushed, and O'Brien arrested.

1928
Walt Disney's "Steamboat Willie" is released
1958
Pres Eisenhower signs NASA & Space Act of 1958
1965
Beatles movie "Help" premiers, Queen Elizabeth attends
1970
6 days of race rioting in Hartford Ct
1981
Millions of people around the world watched on television as England’s Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer married at St. Paul’s Cathedral in London.
1996
Carl Lewis won his ninth Olympic gold medal by winning the long jump competition at the 1996 LA Olympic games


Category Puzzle

Each of the three words can be made into a common word or two word phrase

Example: play, beef, rocky
Answer: ground

1. House, star, street
2. Cart, fifth, chair
3. Theme, trailer, ball
4. Thumb, ever, onion
5. Hog, board, mouth
6. Video, board, waiting
7. Cheese, guitar, along
8. Master, wedding, side
9. Oil, rattle, eyes
10. Rocket, night, lark
*Bonus: Neck, snapping, dove

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Answers
1. Light
2. Wheel
3. Park
4. Green
5. Wash
6. Game
7. String
8. Ring
9. Snake
10. Sky
*Bonus: Turtle
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