Thursdy 6-17

»Week 24 of 2010: 168 days this year…197 days remain:

Day 59 of the BP oil spill≈

» Something To Think About    You can't let praise or criticism get to you. It's a weakness to get caught up in either one.

--John Wooden

» Random Fact    

Efforts to protect our skin from the sun go all the way back to ancient times. Ancient Egyptians considered light skin more attractive than dark skin, but found it difficult to maintain in Egypt's hot and sunny environment. Recently translated papyri and tomb walls reveal the ingredients of potions used to ward off a tan and heal damaged skin.

***

Some of the ingredients used by the Egyptians included rice bran extracts, jasmine, and lupine extract - ingredients that are still found today in our sunscreens. Gamma oryzanol extracted from rice bran has UV-absorbing properties, jasmine helps mend skin damage, and lupine extract lightens the skin.

¤ Holy Mackerel: On this day in 1579 ►Sir Francis Drake lands on the coast of CA, near SF. He writes "people of a tractable, free and loving nature, without guile or treachery."

» Free Ramblings    

Red Flag Warning was needed. A small fire started this morning north of Williams—about 30 miles from Flagstaff. By tonight it was 900 acres of tall, heavy pine trees on fairly steep terrain. A few ranchers are being evacuated. Getting to the fire has been difficult. The wind has prevented flyovers. The wind might stop tonight. Two friends from Williams are volunteer firefighters and they are out on the front line. I am so glad there are so many who find a way to do this dangerous and essential work.

My brother is doing well. Tomorrow they fly back to NYC. The more I think about it, the more surprised I am. They don’t live near any big city, and to find a facility that does very modern surgery was amazing.

I ran some errands today, and what a great day it was. We were a pleasant 75° and strong winds were even bearable. After the errands I did a little cleaning in the front and back. The back seems to always have a carpet of pine needles. The front area, with all the wind, seems to attract pine needles, and the occasional sales slip, kids picture, or something. My plants are doing well, since the little boy next door moved away. He really liked jumping, or trying to jump over the planters. At times he was not successful. Without him around, planters are doing fine.

» Puzzle 1  

What word does not belong to the group below? Why?

Earth CD's Clock Venus DVD's Watch

» A Quick Smile…    

Recently launched into the "real world" and shocked by the expenses that came with it, my brother was complaining about the high cost of auto insurance.

"If you got married," teased my dad, "the premium would be much lower."

My brother smiled and said, "Dad, that would be like buying an airline just to get free peanuts."

» Side Show Stories    

BEDFORD, Va. - Authorities in Virginia said they found a goat bound in the trunk of a car stopped at a drunken-driving checkpoint. The Bedford County Sheriff's Office said a deputy heard knocking sounds coming from the trunk of a car being driven by Fiona Ann Enderdy, 32, of Washington at the Bedford County-Campbell County line checkpoint, the Lynchburg (Va.) News Advance reported Tuesday. Deputies said Enderdy told deputies the sounds were coming from a goat and the animal was found panting heavily in the trunk. The sheriff's office said an animal control officer working at the checkpoint measured the temperature in the trunk at 94 degrees after it had already been open for 10 minutes. The goat was given water and taken to the Bedford County pound, deputies said. Enderdy, who was charged with cruelty to an animal and released, told deputies she purchased the goat from a farmer for the passengers in her car, four Lynchburg residents originally from Kenya.

» Puzzle 2: Brain Food  

To unravel me You need a key.

No key that was made by locksmith's hand, But a key that only I will understand.
What am I?

» Something you might enjoy…  

In 2005, YouTube changed the internet forever. It is now available in 22 languages. Check out this one…

A quick tour of the Statue of Liberty http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F6xb5MbHzsI

» Calendar Information

¤ Today’s Number One Songs in…

For anyone interested, all these songs are available on iTunes.

"Music, once admitted to the soul, becomes a sort of spirit, and never dies." ~ Edward Bulwer-Lytton.

1935: When I Grow Too Old to Dream; Glen Gray

1945: Sentimental Journey; Les Brown

1955: Cherry Pink and Apple Blossom White; Perez Prado

1965: I Can't Help Myself (Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch); The Four Tops

1975: Love Will Keep Us Together; The Captain & Tennille

1985: Heaven; Bryan Adams

¤ Observance Weeks in June

10-17: Superman Week and Nursing Assistants Week

13-19: National Flag Week

14-20: Men's Health Week and Universal Father's Week and Meet A Mate Week

¤ Today’s Observances—US/UN/World

Stewart’s Root Beer Day—Cold Glass Mugs, Root Beer and Popcorn. Hmmm

World Day To Combat Desertification (loss of vegetation in arid land) and Drought

Recess At Work Day

MA: Bunker Hill Day (1775): The battle actually started on Breed’s Hill, then moved to Bunker Hill

¤ Today’s Observances—by country

Iceland : Republic Day (1944—from Denmark)

Japan : Lily Festival

El Salvador and Guatemala: Father's Day

¤ Today’s Births

Artists, Writers, and Composers

Igor (Fedorovich) Stravinsky, 1882, composer: The Firebird, born in Oranienbaum (renamed Lomonosov in 1948), Russia

Athletes

Dave (David Ismael Benitez) Concepcion, 62, baseball: Reds shortstop, born in Ocumare de la Costa, Aragua State, Venezuela

Dan Jansen, 45, former Olympic speed skater, sportscaster, born West Allis, WI

Venus Williams, 30, tennis player, born Lynwood, CA

Entertainers

Ralph Bellamy, 1904, actor, born in Chicago

Thomas Haden Church, 50, actor (Sideways, “Wings”), born Thomas McMillen, El Paso, TX

Red Foley, 1910, country singer, born in Blue Lick KY

Peter Lupus, 78, actor: Mission: Impossible, born in Indianapolis, Indiana

Barry Manilow, 64, singer (“Mandy,” “I Write the Songs”), song-writer, born Brooklyn, NY

Joe Piscopo, 59, comedian (“Saturday Night Live”), born Passaic, NJ

Phylicia Allen Ayers Rashad, 62, , actress (Cosby), born in Houston TX

Jon Sigurdsson, 1811, leader/collects Icelandic legends, born in Hrafnseyri, Iceland

Business, Education Persons

George Cormack, 1870, created "Wheaties" cereal, born in Washburn, MI

John Robert Gregg, 1867, inventor (shorthand) , born in Rockcorry, Co. Monaghan, Ireland

Political Persons

Vern Harper, 74, Canadian First Nations Cree Elder and Korean War veteran

Scientists /Religious Persons

Sir William Crookes, 1832, chemist/physicist; discovered thallium, born in London

John Wesley, 1703, cofounded Methodist movement/author, born in Lincoln, England

¤ Today’s Happenings

In The Arts

1919 ►"Barney Google" cartoon strip, by Billy De Beck, premiers

In Athletics

1976 ►ABA (Nets, Pacers, Nuggets & Spurs) merges into the NBA

1994 ►1994 World Cup soccer match begins

In Business or Education

1837 ►Charles Goodyear obtains his 1st rubber patent

1942 ►The Army weekly newspaper, Yank, coined the term “G.I. Joe” in a comic strip drawn by Dave Breger.

In Politics

1885 ►The French gift to the United States "The Statue of Liberty" arrives in New York City

1974 ►The IRA has planted A bomb in the British Houses of Parliament, injuring 11 people.

In Science/ Religion

1928 ►Amelia Earhart, first woman to successfully fly across the Atlantic Ocean
1950 ►1st kidney transplant (Chicago)

¤ Today’s Obits

Jeff Chandler actor, malpractice following surgery @ 42 in 1961

Kate Smith singer (God Bless America), @ 78 in 1986

» ANSWERS to Puzzle 1    

Earth: The rest of the words all involve something that spins clockwise.

CD's/DVD's spin clockwise in machine; Clock/Watch have hands moving clockwise; Venus rotates clockwise on its axis

Earth is not unique. All of the planets in our solar system, except for Venus, rotate anti-clockwise on their axes.

» ANSWERS to Brain Food  

A cipher

» PIC of the Day  

I have always been fascinated with ‘sky’ pictures. While traveling I always try to take pictures of clouds, sunrise, sunset, panoramas with mostly sky. These pics are not mine, but it’s nice to learn that others are also fascinated by the sky. During the month of June I’ll be doing ‘sun rays’.

Click Here!

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