Tuesday

Winds must have been blowing the smoke away from Flagstaff today. The plume of smoke is visible with containment not expected until the 30th. The fire is twenty miles away from downtown, about 25 from my place. The monsoon is expected to return for the weekend and that will help. The 20mph winds aren’t helping, nor is the 12% humidity at the fire. There are over 500 firefighters at the fire right now with air drops when possible. Thankfully, no structures are in danger—this is in a wilderness area. There is still no word on how the fire started.

Our Congressional Rep had a teleconference tonight. It is amazing. She had tried a public town hall meeting but it didn’t work out due to the lunatic fringe. The teleconference is a very good format. Good questions, better answers. Very nice to hear good calm questions, good sensible answers. This is a big issue and needs to be explained to the country. Ann Kirkpatrick seems to be trying to do that.

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Random Facts…

Donald Duck comics were banned in Finland because he doesn't wear pants.

Your ribs move about 5 million times a year, every time you breathe.

Crazy Stuff In The News…

SAUKVILLE, Wis. - A Wisconsin couple said they have amassed a collection of six antique outhouses to adorn the exotic gardens at their home. Andrea and John Jaeger of the Town of Saukville said they purchased their first outhouse more than 20 years ago at a Mequon, Wis., auction for $5 and friends soon began bringing aged outhouses to their garden to turn the single accent piece into a full-fledged collection, the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel reported Monday. "We don't really want to collect them," John Jaeger said. "But we hate to see them being destroyed, because they're part of history." Jaeger said he considers his outhouse collection to be complete, but he might be willing to make an exception if a particularly interesting piece catches his attention, such as a double-decker outhouse or one made from brick. "I don't really need any more," he said.

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 17…

Weird Contest Week

18 Aug…

231 days so far this year…134 days remain in 2009
“Black Cow” Root Beer Float Day
National Medical Dosimetrist Day—oncology radiologist
National Aviation Day—since 1939
*Afghanistan: Independence Day—1919 from UK


BIRTHS ON THIS DAY…

1631….. John Dryden 1st poet laureate of England (Absalom & Achitophel)

1785….. Seth Thomas pioneer in mass production of clocks

1871….. Orville Wright aviator
1883….. Coco (Gabriel Bonheur) Chanel fashion designer; perfume creator

1902….. Ogden Nash Rye NY, humorous poet
1919….. Malcolm Forbes publisher
1921….. Gene Roddenberry executive producer (Star Trek)
1931….. Willie Shoemaker jockey
1938….. Diana Muldaur actress
1939….. Ginger [Peter] Baker England, drummer (Cream)
1940….. Jill St. John (Oppenheim) actress
1946….. Bill Clinton 42nd US President.
1948….. Mary Elizabeth Aitcheson "Tipper" Gore Wife of Al Gore US Vice President.
1965….. Kyra Sedgwick actress
1969….. Christian Slater actor
1970….. Matthew Perry actor

Events on this day…

1099….. Crusaders beat Saracens in Battle of Ascalon

1848….. The first report of the California gold strike
1856….. Gail Borden of Brooklyn, NY patented his process for condensed milk
1888….. 1st beauty contest (Spa, Belgium), 18 yr old West Indian wins

1909….. 1st race at the Indianapolis 500 Speedway


Movie Trivia from Filmsite.org

Name the movies that had these famous lines…Extra credit for the Actor and the Character’s name and the year of the movie.

1. "And I guess that was your accomplice in the wood chipper."
2. "The greatest trick the devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn't exist."
3. "I do not, for one, think that the problem was that the band was down. I think that the problem may have been that there was a Stonehenge monument on the stage that was in danger of being crushed by a dwarf."
4. "That's what I love about these high school girls, man: I get older, they stay the same age."
5. "I have nipples, Greg. Could you milk me?"
6. "Fat, drunk, and stupid is no way to go through life, son."
7. "Who told you to step on my sneakers, who told you to walk on my side of the block, who told you to be in my neighborhood?"
8. "There's a lotta things about me you don't know anything about, Dottie. Things you wouldn't understand. Things you couldn't understand."
9. "Joey, do you like movies about gladiators?"
10. "My name is Maximus Decimus Meridius, commander of the armies of the North, general of the Felix legions, loyal servant to the true emperor, Marcus Aurelius. Father to a murdered son, husband to a murdered wife. And I will have my vengeance, in this life or the next."
* Bonus: "Bring the dog, I love animals. I'm a great cook."<>
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Answers:
1. MARGE GUNDERSON (Frances McDormand) in Fargo (1996)
2. VERBAL KINT (Kevin Spacey) in The Usual Suspects (1995)
3. DAVID ST. HUBBINS (Michael McKean) in This Is Spinal Tap (1984)
4. WOODERSON (Matthew McConaughey) in Dazed and Confused (1993)
5. JACK BYRNES (Robert DeNiro) in Meet the Parents (2000)
6. DEAN WORMER (John Vernon) in National Lampoon's Animal House (1978)
7. BUGGIN OUT (Giancarlo Esposito) in Do The Right Thing (1989)
8. PEE-WEE HERMAN (Paul Reubens) in Pee-wee's Big Adventure (1985)
9. CAPTAIN OVEUR (Peter Graves) in Airplane! (1980)
10. MAXIMUS (Russell Crowe) in Gladiator (2000)
* Bonus: ALEX FORREST (Glenn Close) in Fatal Attraction (1987)
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