This is Week 28 of 2010, Day 197 with 168 days left. It is Day 88 of the BP Mess.
FREE RAMBLING THOUGHTS
Finally some good news. The latest oil plug seems to be working. Late this morning the oil quit leaking into the Gulf. It is not permanent. It is not a fix. But it is holding for now, the first time in 88 days. Lots still has to be done, but this is the first positive thing in many days. More good news, my PCP’s office called and he is back to practicing medicine. I see him next week for my 6 month check up. Winnie, his receptionist sure sounded peppy today, much like she usually does. So glad I don’t have to change PCP right now. I guess she is relieved that she doesn’t have to look for a new job. She is a good receptionist, she keeps things running. She knows the Dr.’s quirks and she has a work-around for most of them. Glad both events occurred today.
Saturday is the annual Celtic Festival here in Flagstaff. I’ll be over there for some fish and chips, good music, interesting games and checking out the vendors. I plan to go early, as Flag has been getting very warm the last few days and the rain usually comes in the afternoon, if at all.
One of the neighbors in my complex, about four doors away, is loud. She has or 7 kids from 6-17. Now that we have very warm days, the kids are usually outside playing. Every evening, when things cool off a little, she loads them into a car and takes off. Around 10 or 11 each night they return. I know they return because I am usually upstairs in my office. They get out of the car and run around with lots of energy. As she gets out, she starts yelling her tirade about how she does all the work, the kids never help, and on and on. The kids don’t really cause any problems around the neighborhood. She gets them all inside in about 5 minutes, so while her tirade is not good parenting, we only have to listen a few minutes each day. About 6pm tonight I looked out my office window and saw a police car entering the complex from the north side. This is unusual, but not unheard of. They always just cruise through and never stop. No idea why. This cop was followed by another, and another, and another. Yep four cop cars—no lights, no sirens, no speeding. The first one stopped in the middle of the road just past my place and the second, right behind him. The third one parked in an empty parking space and the fourth one in another parking place. The first one looked at my neighbor’s address and you could tell he was counting to see how far the suspect unit was from him. By this time our entire parking area is blocked in by the cop cars. All the neighbors, including myself are now out on the sidewalk to see what is going on. Not a whole lot, but of course almost everyone likes speculating. I was the first go back in, since there was no screaming, no ambulance, and no gun fire. About 10 minutes later two cops emerge with a skinny young kid, about 15, handcuffed and put in the first cop car. A little later a neighbor meanders past the cop car. Then two cops walk with her back to her place across the complex. Then the lady of the house comes out to the cop car and starts yelling at the kid. Two cop cars leave. The lady goes back inside. She comes back out and actually talks to the kid. Then the neighbor, the lady, two cops and the kid have a discussion. Then the cops and the kid left, everyone went back inside. Maybe tomorrow’s paper will tell me what really happened. Whatever it was, it looked like a few too many police answered the call—but I’m not a cop and I don’t know what the original caller said. One thing I did learn, cops now use cell phones for all their outside communication these days. This call didn’t have any blaring police two-ways updating the world on what was happening. I used to have a police scanner when I was in Tuba. I still have it somewhere and if something like this happens again, I will find it. Four years here and nothing like this before, and hopefully, not again.
No rain here today, but it was HOT. My deck was 96° about 3pm. I ran some errands earlier today but wasn’t outside much. I so hate going from a cool car to the heat, to the cold stores, back to the hot car. I now have so many colorful finches that my thistle feeders have to be refilled almost daily. They also really enjoy the bird bath and that water now has to be changed daily as my birds have not been taught to not poop in the water. I put a sign out to tell them, I talked to them, I even threatened to tell their parents, but they either don’t listen or they are just defiant. I have a battery powered water wiggle thing that keeps the water in the bath moving. Everything I read says the birds prefer moving water and that sure seems to be true.
HOLY MACKEREL: On this date in 1775 ►John Adams graduates Harvard
MY QUOTE FOR THE DAY
Terry Josephson, 21st-century motivational author: Stop thinking in terms of limitations and start thinking in terms of possibilities.
SOMEWHAT USELESS INFORMATION
The very first Apple logo featured Sir Isaac Newton sitting under a tree, with an apple about to hit his head. This logo, designed by the lesser-known Apple founder Ronald Wayne, was used only for a short period in 1976. The rainbow apple, designed by Rob Janoff, replaced Newton and remained the symbol of the company for many years until the simpler monochromatic apple logo was introduced in 1998.
***
In order to raise enough money to buy parts and build the first few orders of the Apple I, Steve Jobs sold his Volkswagen van and Wozniak, then an HP employee, sold his Hewlett-Packard 65 scientific calculator for $500.
***
The very first Apple computer was priced at $666.66, not for any Satanic connotations, but rather for more practical reasons. Steve Wozniak's explanation was that the retail price ran around $667, and it was easier to type one repeating digit - $666.66.
GREY MATTER PUZZLE 1
Homer had suffered a bizarre accident that affected his eyesight. The doctor said it would be temporary, but for the next 4 weeks, he had to adjust how he did some things. The accident had affected his focal length. He was only able to focus on objects that were 6 or more feet away from him, anything closer than 6 feet was just a blur.
Homer was used to shaving up close in front of his bathroom mirror. Now after the accident, how close could Homer get to the mirror to see his face clearly enough to shave?
UNUSUAL NEWS ITEM
EL MONTE, CA — Los Angeles County authorities say a mummified body found under an empty home may be the remains of a man who went missing five years ago. County coroner's Capt. John Kades says there's no sign of foul play. Construction workers remodeling a back house in El Monte found the remains Wednesday in a crawl space.
He says family and friends reported the man was known to hide or hang out in enclosed spaces such as closets. Kades says a pillow was found with the remains and it appears the man may have been resting in the crawl space when he died of natural causes. Kades says the body hasn't been officially identified but is believed to be the missing man.
NEW YORK – Workers at the World Trade Center site are excavating a 32-foot-long ship hull that apparently was used in the 18th century as part of the fill that extended lower Manhattan into the Hudson River. It was hoped that the artifact could be retrieved by the end of Thursday, said archaeologist Molly McDonald. A boat specialist planned to look at it.
"We're mostly clearing it by hand because it's kind of fragile," she said, but construction equipment could be used later in the process. McDonald and archaeologist A. Michael Pappalardo were at the site of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks when the discovery was made Tuesday morning.
The two archeologists work for AKRF, a firm hired to document artifacts discovered at the site. They called the find significant but said more study was needed to determine the age of the ship.
A 100-pound anchor was found a few yards from the ship hull on Wednesday, but they're not sure if it belongs to the ship. It's 3 to 4 feet across, McDonald said. The archaeologists are racing to record and analyze the vessel before the delicate wood, now exposed to air, begins to deteriorate.
A LITTLE LAUGH
A redneck family from outside Little Rock was visiting a city in the North and they were in a mall for the first time in their lives. The father and son decided to stroll around while the wife shopped. They were amazed by almost everything they saw, but especially by two shiny, silver walls that could move apart and then slide back together again.
The boy said, Pa, What's'at? Pa (never having seen an elevator) said, Dunno, son. Ain't never seen nothing like 'at in my whole dang life. Ain't got no idea'r what 'tis.
Then, all of a sudden, while the two watched in amazement, a fat old lady in a wheel chair rolled up to the moving walls and pressed a button. The walls opened and she rolled between them into a small room. The walls closed and the boy and his father watched as small circular numbers above the walls light up sequentially. They continued to watch until the number at the top lit up. And then the small lights commenced to work their way down again.
When the walls opened the next time, out stepped a gorgeous, voluptuous, turbo 24-year-old blonde woman.
Reverently, and without taking his eyes off the babe, Pa said, quietly, Boy . . . go . . . git . . .yo . . . Momma.
GREY MATTER PUZZLE 2
Which number, when written as words, makes this true:
Cleverly, there are exactly _?_ E's in this sentence.
FOUND ON YOU TUBE
Hot Town, Summer in the City Click Here to Hear It!
GREY MATTER PICTURE
This is a close up of what common object?
SOME CALENDAR INFORMATION
► Weekly Observances ◄
11-17: National Farrier’s Week: Horseshoe People
…………Sports Cliché Week
15-21: Rabbit Week: to raise awareness of rabbits as pets
16-19: National Ventriloquism Week
► Today’s Observances ◄
International Juggling Day
Hot Dog Night
Bolivia: La Paz Day (1548)
Wash DC: District of Columbia Day (1790)
► Hit Songs on this date ◄
I'll Be Seeing You: Bing Crosby in 1944
Little Things Mean a Lot: Kitty Kallen in 1954
Rag Doll: The Four Seasons in 1964
Rock Your Baby: George McCrae in 1974
When Doves Cry: Prince in 1984
► Born today ◄
…The Arts
Michael Flatley, 52, dancer (Lord of the Dance, Feet of Flames), born Chicago, IL
+++
Corey Feldman, 39, actor (Stand by Me, The Lost Boys), born Reseda, CA
Will Ferrell, 43, comedian, actor (Semi-Pro, Blades of Glory, Stranger Than Fiction, Anchorman), born Irvine, CA
Ginger Rogers [Virginia Katherine McMath], dancer/actress, born in 1911 Independence MO
Barbara Stanwyck, actress (Dynasty II, Big Valley, Thorn Birds), born in 1907 Brooklyn, NY
…Athletics
Barry Sanders, 42, football player (Lions), born Wichita, KS
…Business & Education
Orville Redenbacher, popcorn king (Orville Redenbacher's Gourmet), born in 1907 Brazil, IN
…Politics
Bess Myerson, 86, former Miss America (1945), former government official, born New York, NY
…Science / Religion
Roald Amundsen, explorer, discovered South Pole, born in 1872 Borge, Norway
Mary Baker Eddy, founded Christian Science (Science & Health), born in 1821 Bow, NH
► Obituaries today ◄
Harry Chapin, songwriter, singer heart attack when his car is rear-ended @ 39
John F. Kennedy, Jr, dies in plane crash @ 39
Nicholas II, Russian tsar, his tsarina & their 5 kids executed in 1918
► Events ◄
…The Arts
1951 ►Novel "Catcher in the Rye" by JD Salinger published
…Athletics
1950 ►The largest crowd in sporting history -- 199,854 -- watched the World Cup soccer finals in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
1970 ►The Pittsburgh Pirates played their first game at Three Rivers Stadium
…Business & Education
1956 ►Last Ringling Bros, Barnum & Bailey Circus under a canvas tent
…Indigenous People
1585 ►After yesterday's first encounter between the Roanoke colony and Algonquain Indians in the village of Aquascogoc, in Hyde County North Carolina, colonists discover one of their silver cups is missing. Today, led by colony Governor Ralph Lane, the colonists return to the village, and demand the return of the cup. When the cup is not returned, "we burned and spoiled all their corn'" according to the Governor's journal. This is one of the first significant conflicts in the area between the Europeans and the native inhabitants.
…Politics (US)
1935 ►1st automatic parking meter in US installed, Oklahoma City, Ok
…Politics (outside US)
1439 ►Kissing is banned in England
1548 ►La Paz, Bolivia is founded
1775 ►John Adams graduates Harvard
1798 ►US Public Health Service established & US Marine Hospital authorized
1862 ►David G Farragut became 1st rear admiral in US Navy
…Science / Religion
1769 ►Father Serra founds Mission San Diego, 1st mission in CA
1926 ►National Geographic takes 1st natural-color undersea photos
1936 ►1st x-ray photo of arterial circulation, Rochester, NY
1945 ►The world's first atomic bomb was detonated near Alamogordo, New Mexico
GREY MATTER ANSWERS
…1
3 feet--Your focal length in a mirror is your distance away from the mirror, plus the distance of the object away from the mirror. When you look at an object in a mirror, you are seeing a virtual image the exact distance it is away from the mirror. So, if you are standing 3 feet away from a mirror, and focus on your face, you are actually focusing at 6 feet.
To try this out, put a piece of tape on a mirror, about eye level. Standing in front of the mirror, focus your eyes on the tape, now your face is out of focus. Focus now on your face, and the tape is out of focus.
…2
Twelve: "Cleverly, there are exactly twelve E's in this sentence."
…Photo
Uno Cards—the card game
TODAY’S PHOTO SHOT
Pow Wow Season is upon us
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