Friday

For the past few days, Flagstaff has been under a ‘Red Flag’ warning. It didn’t mean much until about 3am this morning when the winds really picked up. I had to close the bedroom window, so as not to be blown away. ‘Red Flag’, for those of you not in a high wind/low humidity forest area—it means there is a good chance that any fires will spread very quickly due to the low humidity and high winds. All day we have had gusts to 50mph and steady winds at about 25mph. A lightning caused small fire that started about a week ago increased from inactive to very active in the ponderosa pines just outside Flagstaff city limits. Lots of smoke, firefighters and hot shots I’m sure. For now, it is in an area that is not populated. I’m ready for the wind to let up for a while. That will mean that the smoke will just stay, but it will give the firefighters time to control the fire.

I’m ready for a nice weekend. School starts next week here in Flagstaff, so the many kids who run, yell, scream, and chase, will be back in school. The neighborhood will quiet down during the day. The kids are good most of the time, but some days get to be a little much. They are as ready for school as their parents and neighbors. The older kids, who serve as babysitters, have already returned to athletic practices, leaving the younger ones pretty much unsupervised while outside. We don’t have any lawns or grassy areas here, so kids play in the parking area. I don’t blame them. The nearest park is too far for them to walk to, so they don’t really have a choice. Pavement and parked cars do not lead to the best play area.
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Random Facts…

Percentage of Americans in 2006 who believed that U.S. Muslims should have to carry special I.D.: 39

Percentage of U.S. Muslims who believe that “you can get ahead with hard work in America”: 71
Percentage of Americans as a whole who believe this: 64

Crazy Stuff In The News…

In April, the NH House of Representatives debated a controversial bill to outlaw discrimination against transgender people. The bill passed by one vote. Coincidently April 8 was the state’s Tartan Day, and by tradition, male law markers of Scottish ancestry wore kilts to work. Thus, some opponents of giving greater protection to men who wear skirts were men who were wearing kilts at the vote. The NH Senate later defeated the bill.

Month long events in August

Edinburgh Festival is an internationally famous arts festival that takes place during August National Immunization Awareness Month… National Psoriasis Awareness Month… Women's Small Business Month... National Back to School month…American Adventures Month…Golf Month…National Inventor’s Month…National Win with Civility Month…What will be your legacy Month

Week of Aug 8…

Elvis Week

8 Aug…

220 days so far this year…145 days remain in 2009

National Garage Sale Day
Eleanor Roosevelt Day
Happiness Happens Day
Odie Day---Garfield’s pal
*Taiwan: Father’s Day [In Mandarin, /ba ba/ means both father and 8-8,Aug 8]
*Sweden: Flag Day
*Nepal: Tij Day—Women’s Holiday
*Afghanistan: Independence Day [1919]

BIRTHS ON THIS DAY…

1763….. Charles Bulfinch Boston Mass, 1st US pro architect (Mass State House)

1879….. Emiliano Zapata Mexican revolutionary, peasant leader
1884….. Sara Teasdale US, poet (1st Pulitzer Prize-1918-"Love Songs")
1896….. Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings Wash DC, writer (The Yearling)

1901….. Dr Ernest O Lawrence Canton SC, inventor (Cyclotron-Nobel 1939)
1918….. Rory Calhoun LA Calif, actor
1923….. Esther Williams Inglewood Cal, actress/swimme
1930….. Andy Warhol artist/movie produce1932 Mel Tillis country singer
1937….. Dustin Hoffman LA, actor
1938….. Connie Stevens Brooklyn, singer/actress

Events on this day…

422….. Maya King Casper is born, according to some sources. Eventually, he rules over Palenque, Mexico.

1579….. Cornerstone is laid for Tycho Brahe's Uraniborg observatory
1588….. The Spanish Armada, a fleet of 130 huge ships, met defeat at the hands of English

1609….. Venetian senate examines Galileo Galilei's telescope
1699….. The Tohome Indians live along the Gulf Coast in Alabama and Mississippi. In Biloxi, they formally establish peaceful relations with the French.

1815….. After his final defeat at Waterloo, Napoleon leaves for his forced exile on the remote south Atlantic island of Saint Helen
1844….. Brigham Young chosen Mormon Church head following Joseph Smith death
1861….. William Bateson, originator of term "genetics"
1864 Red Cross Anniversary
1876….. Thomas Edison patents mimeograph
1890….. Daughters of the American Revolution organizes

1923….. Benny Goodman was 14 years old as he began his professional career as a clarinet player
1945….. Pres Harry S Truman signs UN Charter
1963….. Kingsmen release "Louie, Louie," radio stations label it obscene
…..….... Seven million dollars was stolen in Britain’s Great Train Robbery
1974….. Richard Nixon Announces his resignation
1976….. In Harrisburg, Philadelphia ten thousand legionnaires who attended a convention from July 21-24 were in a panic after the outbreak of a mystery disease among their ranks.
1988….. South Africa declares cease-fire in Angola








Word Fragment Puzzle—New Puzzle Type tomorrow—Watch for it.

In each of these puzzles, a word fragment is given, and you must think of an English word that contains the fragment -- that is, you must form a word by adding letters to the beginning and/or the end of the fragment. You may not add letters to the middle of the fragment, nor may you rearrange the letters given. Multiple solutions are given for several word fragments (although we omitted most alternate solutions that rely on variations of the same word). To solve the puzzles, however, you only need to find one word for each fragment.

1. hibia [1]
2. talou [1]
3. feep [1]
4. ptr [3]
5. ffra [2]
6. hh [2]
7. vv [3]
8. kk [3]
9. higg [1]
10. ghfa [2]
• Bonus: perl [1]

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Answers:

1. amphibian
2. cantaloupe
3. coffeepot
4. comptroller temptress uptrend
5. diffract suffrage
6. highhanded withhold
7. revved revving savvy
8. bookkeeper jackknife knickknack
9. chigger
10. highfalutin thoroughfare
*Bonus superlative


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