Saturday July 17

This is Week 28 of 2010, Day 198 with 167 days left. It is Day 89 of the BP Mess.

FREE RAMBLING THOUGHTS

We had a powerful Monsoon today. It came fairly quickly. About 11 this morning it was suddenly dark, then the thunder and lightning, and finally a 40 minute hard rain. It was tense for those at the bottom of the fire area. All that rain—about ¼”—came fast and with no vegetation to stop it, headed for the homes saved during the fire. Lots of community organizers and the Feds had put hay and other ground cover over the burn area. Most residents in danger were given sandbags. No homes were harmed, but while this is the biggest monsoon this year, more and bigger monsoons are on the horizon. Still no published news on the idiot who left the campfire that started this mess. Nothing in the paper today about our neighborhood incident last night. Guess it was NBD—no big deal.

State test scores came out this week. Flagstaff scores are down, again. Tuba Boarding continues to do better than most of the Flag schools. Finding the Tuba Boarding scores is more difficult, because while the Bureau requires every school in AZ to take the test, the state continues to refuse to post the scores. A teacher from TCBS sent me the scores. I have to say, the state scores, from whatever state, don’t really mean too much because they can’t be compared to other states. Since AZ is in the bottom 5 states in just about every area of K-12 public instruction, falling test scores is much more serious than many realize. There sure is some kind of disconnect here in AZ. The state sets the curriculum, the state sets the test questions based on that curriculum, and the state sets the protocol for the test. So why aren’t the scores rising? No wonder we are so low on the national scale.

The lack of new oil in the Gulf is certainly encouraging. It will take decades, if not a century for the Gulf to recover, but at least no new oil is spewing into the water. The great emergency plan that dealt with the little known and never seen Gulf Walrus only took 88 days to stop. And today, the leading Republican in Congress has proposed that no new Federal regulations of any kind be instituted—so that business people can see a light in the future. Great, go back to the 1950’s where there were many fewer regulations. Yeah, like minorities banned from stores and housing. Wearing sunglasses while watching a nuclear explosion. ‘Duck and Cover’ to live through an atomic blast. No control of auto emissions. No air quality standards. No handicapped access. No new safe medical technology. It’s not for me. I like living with today’s technology. I like that life expectancy is now 78.4 rather than the 65.2 of 1950.

Today started out to be another hot day. At 10:30 my deck was already 84°. The rain came and within 10 minutes it was 72° and by the time the rain stopped it was 65°. After the rain is climbed back up to 78º and while the humidity was high, it was still a nice day.

HOLY MACKEREL: On this date in 1954 ►"Operation Wetback" is launched by the United States Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) to remove about four million illegal immigrants from the southwestern United States, with a focus on Mexican nationals. The operation began in California and Arizona sweeping northward through agricultural areas with a goal of 1,000 apprehensions a day.

MY QUOTE FOR THE DAY

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle: Mediocrity knows nothing higher than itself, but talent instantly recognizes genius.

SOMEWHAT USELESS INFORMATION

China only has one time zone. The land covers 5 time zones, but uses only the Beijing zone. The claim is that most of the country is agriculture and has no need for more time zones. In parts of the country the sun doesn’t rise until 10am. China also has no summer or daylight savings time. OMG, neither does Arizona. Maybe it’s a communist plot. I better notify the non-elected governor.

GREY MATTER PUZZLE 1

Can you decipher this phrase? T _ _ E

UNUSUAL NEWS ITEM

WENATCHEE, WA — Don't call him Lucky. Wenatchee police arrested a 47-year-old Tacoma man for investigation of first-degree theft after he ran out of gas as he was leaving a store where Native American collectibles were stolen.

Alerted to the thefts by the store owner, police found the man on foot Wednesday after his car stalled about 50 feet from its original parking spot. Sgt. John Kruse said the man is suspected of stealing several Indian collectibles from the Discount Center.

Kruse says he was also in possession of several necklaces stolen from the Antique Mall — and is suspected of stealing a beaded Native American ceremonial garment bearing a price tag of $10,500. Police are calling him the "Bad Luck Bandit".

A LITTLE LAUGH

A blonde decided to try horseback riding, even though she had no prior experience.

She mounted the horse unassisted, and the horse immediately sprang into motion. It galloped along at a steady and rhythmic pace, but the blonde began to slip from the saddle. In terror, she grabbed for the horse's mane, but couldn't seem to get a firm grip. She tried to throw her arms around the horse's neck, but she slid down the side of the horse anyway.

The horse galloped along, seemingly impervious to its slipping rider. Finally, giving up her frail grip, she leapt away from the horse to try and throw herself to safety. Unfortunately, her foot became entangled in the stirrup and she was at the mercy of the horse's pounding hooves as her head struck the ground over and over.

As her head was battered against the ground, she was mere moments away from unconsciousness. Then, to her great fortune, the Wal-Mart manager saw her and shut the horse off.

GREY MATTER PUZZLE 2

Using the BrainTracker grid below, how many words can you find? Each word must contain the central H and no letter can be used twice, however, the letters do not have to be connected. Proper nouns are not allowed, however, plurals are. There is at least one nine letter word. Excellent: 63 words. Good: 45 words. Average: 35 words.

IWR

SHT

EEO

FOUND ON YOU TUBE

Guerilla Theater: Click Here!

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 ◄

National Peach Ice Cream Day

Wrong Way Corrigan Day: He flew from LA to NY; then on the return flight, due to a navigational error flew from NY to Ireland.

Yellow Pig Day: at Hampshire College Summer Studies in Mathematics, it’s a math geek thing.

National Hot Dog Day

Toss Away the "Could Haves" and "Should Haves" Day

Woodie Wagon Day: to remember those great station wagons on the 40’s and 50’s

World Day for International Justice

Iraq: Revolution Day/National Day (1968)

Korea: Constitution Day

Puerto Rico: Muñoz Rivera Day (birthday 1859) autonomy for PR

South Korea: Constitution Day (1948)

Mexico: Day of National Mourning (Benito Juarez)

► Hit Songs on this date ◄

Sentimental Journey: Les Brown in 1945

Rock Around the Clock: Bill Haley & His Comets in 1955

(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction: The Rolling Stones in 1965

Listen to What the Man Said: Paul McCartney & Wings in 1975

A View to a Kill: Duran Duran in 1985

► Born today ◄

…The Arts

Erle Stanley Gardner, author (created Perry Mason), born in 1889 Hyde Park, NY, pseudonyms A.A. Fair, Kyle Corning, Charles M. Green, Carleton Kendrake, Charles J. Kenny,Les Tillray and Robert Parr.

+++

James Francis Cagney, actor, A yankee doodle dandy, born in 1900 Manhattan, NY

Diahann Carroll (Carol Diahann Johnson), 75, singer, actress (“Julia,” “Dynasty”), born New York, NY

Phyllis Diller (Phyllis Driver), 93, comedienne, actress (Boy, Did I Get a Wrong Number!), born Lima, OH

David Hasselhoff, 58, actor (“Knight Rider,” “Baywatch”), born Baltimore, MD

Art Linkletter, TV host, born in 1912 Saskatchewan Canada

Phoebe Snow, 58, singer (“Poetry Man”), born New York, NY

Donald Sutherland, 75, actor (M*A*S*H, Klute, Backdraft), born St. John, NB, Canada

…Athletics

Jason Jennings, 32, baseball player (A’s), born Dallas, TX

…Business & Education

John Jacob Astor, richest man in US, banker/fur trader, born in 1763 Walldorf, Germany

Aaron Lansky, 55, founder of National Yiddish Book Center, born New Bedford, MA

…Politics

Elbridge Gerry, 5th VP, MA-Gov, invented gerrymandering, born in 1744 Marblehead, MA

…Science / Religion

Esma'il I,  shah who converted Iran from Sunni to Shi'ah, born in 1487

► Obituaries today ◄

Walter Cronkite, newsman @ 92 in 2009

Ty Cobb, Detroit Tiger hall of fame baseball player, @ 75 in 1961

Billie Holiday, blues singer, liver failure @ 44 in 1959

► Events ◄

…The Arts

1841 ►British humor magazine "Punch" 1st published

…Athletics

1976 ►21st modern Olympic games opens in Montreal

1976 ►The 21st Olympic Games in Montreal opening ceremony is marred by the withdrawal of 25 African countries over New Zealand's All Black Rugby Union team touring South Africa who were banned from Olympic Competition

…Business & Education

1867 ►1st permanent university dental school in US, Harvard

1879 ►1st railroad opens in Hawaii

1901 ►Dr. Willis Carrier installed a commercial air conditioning system at a Brooklyn, NY printing plant

1955 ► Disneyland opens its doors in rural Orange County

1981 ►Humbar Estuary Bridge, UK, world's longest span (1.4 km), opens

1981 ►Two sky bridges collapsed onto the lobby floor at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Kansas City

1997 ►F.W. Woolworth's, the original five-and-dime store that started in 1879, announced today that its last 400 US stores would close.

…Indigenous People

1781 ►The Mission San Pedro Y San Pablo De Bicuner is established, in modern Imperial County, California, on January 7, 1781. It is where the Anza Trail crosses the Colorado River. This is land claimed by the Quechan (Yuma) Indians. After unsuccessful talks, the Quechans attack and take over the Mission and surrounding pueblo today.

…Politics (US)

1861 ►Congress authorizes paper money

1862 ►National cemeteries were authorized by the U.S. government on this day. Arlington National Cemetery, located just outside Washington, D.C. in Virginia, is one of the most honored in the country.

…Politics (outside US)

1959 ►Tibet abolishes serfdom

1968 ►Revolt in Iraq

…Science / Religion

1775 ►1st military hospital approved

1955 ►Arco, Idaho becomes 1st US city lit by nuclear power

1959 ►Dr Leakey discovers oldest human skull (600,000 years old)

GREY MATTER ANSWERS

…1

I'm out of time. I M are out of T I M E. Think: what the white rabbit said in Alice in Wonderland.

…2

Common words: eh, either, ether, ethos, he, heir, heist, her, here, hereto, hero, hew, hi, hire, his, hit, hoe, hoist, horse, hose, host, hot, how, oh, other, OTHERWISE, rho, she, sheer, sheet, shire, shirt, shoe, shore, short, shot, show, shower, shrew, the, thee, their, theories, there, these, this, those, three, threw, throw, where, whet, whit, white, whiter, who, whose, wish, with, wither, worth, worthies, writhe.

All words: eh, either, eth, ether, ethers, ethos, eths, he, heir, heirs, heist, heister, her, here, heres, hereto, heriot, heriots, hero, heroes, heros, hers, hes, hest, het, hetero, heteros, hets, hew, hewer, hewers, hews, hi, hie, hies, hire, hires, his, hist, hit, hits, ho, hoe, hoer, hoers, hoes, hoise, hoist, hoister, horse, horst, horste, hose, hosier, host, hot, hots, how, howe, howes, hows, isothere, ither, oh, ohs, other, others, OTHERWISE, resh, reshoe, reshot, reshow, rho, rhos, rowth, rowths, sh, she, sheer, sheet, shew, shewer, shier, shire, shirt, shoe, shoer, shore, short, shortie, shot, shote, show, shower, showier, shrew, shri, sith, soth, swith, swithe, swither, the, thee, their, theirs, theories, theorise, there, theres, these, thew, thewier, thews, thio, thir, this, tho, those, three, threes, threw, thro, throe, throes, throw, throws, tosh, towhee, towhees, wether, wethers, whee, where, wheres, whereto, whet, whets, whir, whirs, whist, whit, white, whiter, whites, whits, who, whore, whores, whort, whorts, whose, wish, wisher, with, withe, wither, withers, withes, worth, worthies, worths, writhe, writhes, wroth.

…Photo

Meat grinder

TODAY’S PHOTO SHOT

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