Saturday July 31

This is Week 30 of 2010►Day 212 with 153 days left.

It is Day 103 of the BP Mess. Day 15 with no leaks--NOT

FREE RAMBLING THOUGHTS

Kudos to the Clintons. Their daughter is getting married. Good for her. She has certainly been in the spotlight over the years, but the Clintons held fast to keeping her out of the press as much as possible. They are doing the same for the extravaganza. Not surprising, she has always been daddy’s little girl. Not surprising he is spending a small fortune on his only child’s wedding. Not surprising, the press is off limits. It is a family event and should remain that way. This could not have been an easy job. Mom is the Secretary of State, Dad is a former president. That alone leads to a few extra people—secret service—at the wedding. Good luck to all of them.

I was out and about when the monsoon hit. Roads downtown flooded. Highway 89 was closed—again. Homes were in danger in the area downstream from the fire—again. One car was swept into a wash in downtown Flagstaff. The infamous underpass downtown flooded and was closed for several hours. In my area, we did get a lot of rain, but no flooding. I was driving to the grocery store when I saw a flash of light out the side of my eye and instantly heard the crash of thunder. It was close but the power didn’t go out, I saw no fire, nor did I hear any emergency vehicles. I’m still curious as to where it hit. The rain was just starting as I headed into Safeway. I could hear the rain hitting the roof. By the time I had finished my shopping, the rain had almost stopped, so I was able to stay fairly dry—but I did keep my eyes scanning when I was outside, guess I thought I could get out of the way if I saw some lightning coming. Over the years, several people have been hit by lightning here in Flagstaff. I recalled one at the golf course and another on the NAU campus. I knew I should be inside, but also had to get my groceries inside.

I am disappointed by our local paper’s coverage of local news. A few days ago a man died under possible suspicious circumstances near the railroad tracks. He was finally identified after several days. Turns out, he was one of my former students from TC. When the local paper ran the story that identified him, they couldn’t help but mention he was a ‘street-level alcoholic well known to police’. They couldn’t help but mention that he had numerous arrests for public intoxication, petty shoplifting, similar violations. That is always sad to read about someone I knew. Today the paper listed his obituary. The first article had failed to mention that he had worked for the Flagstaff school district for 10 years and currently had his own janitorial business. I guess that part wasn’t ‘news’ for the readers in Flagstaff. I believe that had he not been Native, the first article would have had some of that information. Our local paper is part of the media that keeps stereotypes as part of the news. Those readers who didn’t know him will probably recall that a drunken Indian died near the tracks. I’m not saying he didn’t have problems or that they should not have printed that part. I think they could have mentioned that he ran a business in Flagstaff and that his small business was part of the Flagstaff community.

I am so naïve at certain times. I was happy to add to the top of my blog that the oil was no longer leaking into the Gulf. I was thinking about the blog for tomorrow as we start a new month, and was ready to drop the whole oil spill day count from the top of the blog. Then I listened to the news. It turns out that two things have been happening recently. BP turned off its underwater camera that was our only views of the leaking oil. They have been off for four days. [Naïve me thought we weren’t seeing those feeds because there was no more leaking.]Today a reporter asked why the cameras were off. The voice of the government response, Thad Allan, said he didn’t know. About three hours later the cameras were back on. When the cameras came back on line, there is oil leaking into the Gulf. Admittedly it is not a lot, it is nothing like we had seen for over 90 days. However, while BP has been claiming that their plan worked and temporarily stopped the oil, they simply lied. They cut it way back, but they didn’t stop it. Even the newly appointed CEO, the American, is downplaying the destruction the oil has caused and says it is time scale back the cleanup. He is saying that the current leak is not a big deal. I wasn’t surprised when independent oil specialists said the small leaks are a problem when it comes to cutting off the well with the relief well. The increased pressure needed to close the well head could destroy the well head before the relief well does its job. I have to wonder when or rather if the leak will be permanently stopped before BP stops its lies. I also heard today that BP, formerly known as British Petroleum, is thinking of changing its name again. Hmmm. Yeah, that will help.

As I mentioned, we had rain today. That kept us a cool 77° as our high. That high only lasted a few minutes as the rain dropped the temperature fairly quickly. We were in the low 70’s most of the day and that was nice to go with the 88% humidity.

MY QUOTE FOR THE DAY

Upton Sinclair: It is difficult to get a man to understand something, when his salary depends upon his not understanding it.

HOLY MACKEREL: 1938 NY Yanks suspend Jake Powell, after he said on Chicago radio he'd "hit every colored person in Chicago over the head with a club"

SOMEWHAT USELESS INFORMATION about Watermelon

>Watermelon is thought to have originated in the Kalahari Desert of Africa. The first recorded watermelon harvest occurred nearly 5,000 years ago in Egypt and is depicted in Egyptian hieroglyphics on walls of their ancient buildings. Watermelons were often placed in the burial tombs of kings to nourish them in the afterlife.

>Southern food historian, John Egerton, believes watermelon made its way to the United States with African slaves as he states in his book, "Southern Food."

>The first cookbook published in the U.S. in 1796 contained a recipe for watermelon rind pickles.

>In some Mediterranean countries, the taste of watermelon is paired with the salty taste of feta cheese.

GREY MATTER PUZZLE 1

Below you will find 15 well-known seven letter words, with only their endings remaining. Can you determine the words?

....rem

....oct

....pso

....dma

....edo

....rre

....sfy

....ott

....hma

....dpa

UNUSUAL NEWS ITEM

ST. PETERSBURG, FL— A Florida inmate has filed a lawsuit seeking $500,000 in damages from three men who caught him red-handed with a stolen bicycle, claiming they roughed him up, according to a newspaper report. Michael Dupree is serving a 12-year sentence for burglary and cocaine possession stemming from a 2007 break-in of a van in St. Petersburg, Fla.

Dupree allegedly stole the bicycle locked inside and was apprehended after the owner, Anthony McKoy, saw him with the bike down the street, the St. Petersburg Times reported. Dupree, who was homeless at the time, according to a police report, claimed McKoy and two others pointed a gun at him, handcuffed him and placed a knee painfully in his back. In his suit, which he filed on his own without the help of an attorney, Dupree said that the take-down "resulted in permanent disabilities and psychological disorders which the Plaintiff continues to suffer."

After being served with the suit, McKoy said: "I thought it was a joke. I'm the victim."

"It's laughable. It's a waste of taxpayer money," he told the St. Petersburg Times. "What gall. I guess time in prison just makes you go crazy."

A LITTLE LAUGH

Last night, my Red Hat friends andI went to a Ladies Night Club.One of the girls wanted to impress the rest of us, so she pulled out a $10 bill.When themale dancer came over to us,my friend licked the $10 bill and stuck it to his butt cheek!

Not to be outdone, another friend pulls out a $20 bill.She called theguy back, licks the $20 bill, and sticks it to his other butt cheek.

In another attempt to impress the rest of us, my third friend pulls out a $50 bill and calls the guy over,and licks the $50 bill.I'm worried about the way things are going,but fortunately, she just stuck it to one of his butt cheeks again.

Seeing the way things are going, the guy races over to me! Now every-one's attention is focused on me, and the guy is egging me onto try to top the $50.. My brain was churning as I reached for my wallet.

What could I do?

The woman in me took over!

I got out my ATM card, swiped it down the crack of his butt, grabbed the eighty bucks, and left!!!

GREY MATTER PUZZLE 2

As I was walking on the London Bridge I met a man from Spain. He tipped his cap an drew his cane, in this riddle I told you his name.

FOUND ON ‘YOU TUBE’

Bill Clinton plays the Sax Click Here!

GREY MATTER PICTURE

This is a close up of what object?

SOME CALENDAR INFORMATION

► Weekly Observances ◄

25-31National Salad Week

► Today’s Observances ◄

Mexico : Day of National Mourning (1811-Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla)

Gilroy, California : Garlic Festival

Hawaii: Ka Hae Hawaiʻi Day, a Flag Day.

Malaysia: Heroes' Day

► Hit Songs on this date ◄

Moon Love Glenn Miller  1939

Some Enchanted Evening Perry Como  1949

Lonely Boy Paul Anka  1959

In the Year 2525  Zager & Evans  1969

Bad Girls Donna Summer  1979

► Born today ◄

…The Arts

Joanne "Jo" Murray Rowling (J.K. Rowling), 45, author (the Harry Potter series), Yate, Gloucestershire, England

Bill (William) Todman, game show producer: Goodson-Todman Productions, born in 1918 New York City

+++

Dean Cain, 44, actor (“Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman”), born Mount Clemens, MI

Geraldine Chaplin, 66, actress (Nashville, Roseland, Chaplin), born Santa Monica, CA

Gary Lewis, 64, singer (& the Playboys), born New York, NY

Wesley Snipes, 48, actor (Blade, US Marshals, Jungle Fever, White Men Can’t Jump), born Orlando, FL

Barry Van Dyke, 51, actor (Lt Dillon-Battlestar Galactica) , born in Atlanta, GA

…Athletics

Curt Gowdy, sportscaster (ABC) , born in 1919 Green River, WY

Evonne Goolagong, 59, former tennis player, born Griffith, Australia

Sandra "Sweetness" Hodge, 48, basketball player (Harlem Globetrotters) , born in Clinton, MS

…Business & Education

Milton Friedman, economist (Nobel 1976) , born in 1912 Brooklyn, NY

S.S. (Sebastian Spering) Kresge, merchant: S.S. Kresge’s five & dime stores [now Kmart] , born in 1867 Bald Mountain, PA

Elmo Roper, pollster (Roper Poll) , born in 1900 Hebron, NE

…Politics

William Bennett, 63, US Secretary of Education (1985-88)/drug czar , born in Brooklyn, NY

…Science/Religion

John Ericsson, invented screw propeller, built USS Monitor , born in 1803 Långbanshyttan, Värmland, Sweden

► Obituaries today ◄

Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla, Mexican hero priest, executed by Spanish @ 58 in 1811

St Ignatius of Loyola, founder of Society of Jesus, ‘Roman Fever’—malaria @ 65 in 1556

Andrew Johnson, 17th pres, stroke @ 66 in 1875

Robert Taft, (Sen-R-Oh) (Mr Republican), cancer @ 63 in 1953

Jim Reeves, Country singer.(He'll Have to Go, Four Walls) Plane crash @ 41 in 1964

► Events ◄

…The Arts

1845 The French Army introduced the saxophone to its military band. 1966 Alabamans burn Beatle products due to John Lennon's anti-Jesus remark

…Athletics

1981 42 day old, 2nd major league baseball strike ends

1990 Nolan Ryan becomes the 20th major league pitcher to win 300 games

…Business & Education

1928  MGM’s Leo the lion roared for the first time

…Indigenous People

1763 Captain James Dalyell, and 280 soldiers attack Pontiac's village at 2:30 am this morning. Pontiac is informed of Dalyell's plans, so he sets up an ambush at the Parent's Creek bridge with 400 Indians. When Dalyell's troops approach the bridge, the Indians attack. Twenty soldiers, including Dalyell, and seven Indians are killed in the fighting. The creek, near Detroit, is now called Bloody Run.

1779 General John Sullivan leads an expedition in retaliation against the Iroquois’ actions in the Wyoming Valley Massacre.

…Politics (US)

1777 Marquis de Lafayette, 19, made major-general of Continental Army

1790 1st US patent granted, to Samuel Hopkins for a potash process

1912 US government prohibits movies & photos of prize fights (censorship)

1953 Dept of Health, Education & Welfare created

1960 Elijah Muhammad, leader of Nation of Islam, calls for a black state

1972 Thomas Eagleton, the Democratic vice-presidential candidate, withdrew from the ticket

…Politics (outside US)

1498 Christopher Columbus discovers island of Trinidad

1925 Unemployment Insurance Act passed in England

…Science / Religion

1971 The first men to ride in a vehicle on the moon did so on this day in the LRV (lunar rover vehicle). This example of a lunar dune buggy carried Apollo 15 astronauts David R. Scott and James B. Irwin for five miles on the lunar surface.

GREY MATTER ANSWERS

…1

Theorem, concoct, calypso, grandma, torpedo, bizarre, satisfy, boycott, drachma, grandpa.

…2

Andrew

…Photo

A large-caliber bullet

TODAY’S PHOTO SHOT

J. K. Rowling

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