Thursday July 15

This is Week 28 of 2010, Day 196 with 169 days left. It is Day 87 of the BP Mess.

FREE RAMBLING THOUGHTS

The hot days of summer are supposed to close down much of the news frenzy. Not this summer. 1. Every time I turned on the news yesterday we were told that the oil spill cap would be in effect within a couple of hours. Then this morning, some Feds stopped that testing of the cap due to ‘issues’. They were concerned that the cap might either rupture the pipe or possible open up new leaks from the ocean bottom. I must say I can’t even imagine what 6000 pounds per sq inch must be. My old 10 speed bike tires wanted 90 pounds per sq in. and I thought that was a lot. As scary as that is, why didn’t they know this before yesterday? More disappointment for the Gulf residents. 2. Some strange group in Utah published the list of some 1100 illegal immigrants with names, addresses, and for the women on the list—pregnancy status. The ‘concerned citizens’ wanted these people deported immediately. Authorities are pretty sure that some state or federal worker stole the list from a database. Turns out that many of the names are not illegals and those legals are terrified. All the last names are of Hispanic origin. The ‘concerned citizens’, if they figure out who they are, can be prosecuted under privacy laws in Utah or on the Federal level. This frenzy is crazy. 3. We can all expect to start hearing more about polygamy soon, as the border town communities in AZ and UT (Colorado City and Hillsdale) are not following some court ordered rules on offering services to all citizens, instead of just members of the cult. This is another issue that just won’t go away. Where is Jan on this issue? Polygamy is illegal in AZ. Not paying taxes is illegal. The idea that a young girl can be forced to marry a man and that young men are kicked out of the community because they are a threat to older men is not enough to get her attention. AZ set up a conservator for all their funds a few years back. Countless dollars were spent on that case, and even more on trying to apprehend Warren Jeffs, the leader. The FLDS cult just doesn’t meet her criteria. 4. Buz Mills, a Republican, was running against our non-elected Governor here in AZ. I guess he was a one-issue candidate. Today he withdrew from the primary because his ‘fix the AZ economy’ platform has become a non-issue, to be taken over by the pseudo-issue, illegal immigrants. He is rich and was personally financing his campaign. Since the Republicans have grabbed onto immigration, not the fact that our state is fiscally broke, he saw that he was not going to get much Republican support in the Primary. While I don’t agree with some of his ways to fix the economy, his withdrawal from the race shows that the media and non-elected Governor have taken the immigration issue as the number one problem in our state. 5. It isn’t. Jobs, Housing, Education are much more important. On a side note, a few years back the Legislature passed legislation that gave scholarships to high school students who scored the highest on our state test. This was to keep the brightest in our state for their college education. Now the Board of Regents has said the program is way too successful and should be dropped. It is costing too much money. Duh…I would have thought that was a good thing.

The clouds came in, stayed all day, but didn’t give us any moisture. We made it to 88° and had 30% humidity, with only a slight breeze. It did feel hot today. Let the monsoons flow.

HOLY MACKEREL: On this date in 1922 ►The humble chimney sweep is being swept away by machines with the advent of giant vacuum cleaners which do the job quicker, cleaner and cheaper than the traditional chimney sweep.

MY QUOTE FOR THE DAY

Lord Chesterfield, English man of letters (1694-1773): Know the true value of time; snatch, seize and enjoy every moment of it.

SOMEWHAT USELESS INFORMATION

You have to play ping-pong for 12 hours to lose one pound.

GREY MATTER PUZZLE 1

When you behead a word, you remove the first letter and still have a valid word. You will be given clues for the two words, longer word first. Example: Begin -> Sour, acidic Answer: The words are Start and Tart.

1. Pleasant -> Frozen water

2. More recent -> Pitcher for water

3. Noble gas -> Indefinitely long period of time

4. Almost -> Ahead of time; at the beginning of a period of time

5. Not at any time -> At any time

6. None of two choices -> One of two choices

7. Limited width or scope -> Projectile shot from a bow

8. One, for example -> Brown, earthy colour

UNUSUAL NEWS ITEM

GURNEE, Il—Police said authorities at Six Flags Great America ejected two off-duty employees from the theme park after they allegedly attacked a female colleague dressed as "Porky Pig."

Gurnee Police Sgt. Jon Ward says two young men took a photo with Porky on Monday afternoon, and then punched the mascot in the head 10 to 15 times.

Ward said park security detained the men until police arrived. He said the men were issued local ordinance citations for battery.

He said the suspects denied the attack, but witnesses confirmed the story. The 24-year-old woman inside the mascot costume suffered headaches and a stiff neck.

A LITTLE LAUGH

There is a story about a monastery in Europe perched high on a cliff several hundred feet in the air. The only way to reach the monastery was to be suspended in a basket which was pulled to the top by several monks who pulled and tugged with all their strength. Obviously the ride up the steep cliff in that basket was terrifying.

One tourist got exceedingly nervous about half-way up as he noticed that the rope by which he was suspended was old and frayed.

With a trembling voice he asked the monk who was riding with him in the basket how often they changed the rope.

The monk thought for a moment and answered brusquely, "Whenever it breaks."

GREY MATTER PUZZLE 2

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

...rix

...osy

...iff

...oze

...uum

...ryo

...nda

...nis

...tem

...pod

...reo

...hom

...gan

...amt

...gen

FOUND ON YOU TUBE

Computers promised a lot in the 1980’s. Apple did this ad for its IIC Click Here to see 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

► Today’s Observances ◄

National Tapioca Pudding Day

Respect Canada Day

Gummi Worm Day

Get to Know Your Customers Day

Brunei: Sultan's Birthday

Winchester, England: Saint Swithin's Day:

'St. Swithin's day if thou dost rain

For forty days it will remain

St. Swithin's day if thou be fair

For forty days 'twill rain nae mair.'

Folklore says St. Swithin wanted to be buried outdoors. Many years after his death his remains were moved indoors. On the day of the move, it rained, showing his dissatisfaction for being moved indoors.

Japan: Bon Festival/Feast of Lanterns/Black Ship Day (1853)

Pakistan: Mohammed's Ascension

► Hit Songs on this date ◄

The Song from Moulin Rouge (Where Is Your Heart): Percy Faith in 1953

Surf City: Jan & Dean in 1963 Click Here to Hear It!

Bad, Bad Leroy Brown: Jim Croce in 1973

Every Breath You Take: The Police in 1983 Click Here to Hear It!

► Born today ◄

…The Arts

Thomas Bulfinch mythologist (Bulfinch's Mythology), born in 1796 Newton, MA z

Clement Clarke Moore, author ('Twas the Night Before Xmas), born in 1779 New York City, NY

Rembrandt van Rijn, painter (Night Watch), born in 1606 Leiden, Netherlands

+++

Willie Aames, 50, actor (“Eight Is Enough,” “Charles in Charge”), born Newport Beach, CA

Ken Kercheval, 75, actor (“Dallas,” “Search for Tomorrow”), born Wolcottville, IN

Linda Ronstadt, 64, singer, songwriter, born Tucson, AZ

Jan-Michael Vincent, 66, actor (“The Winds of War,” “Airwolf”), born Denver, CO

Forest Whitaker, 49, actor (Oscar for The Last King of Scotland; “The Shield,” Bird, The Crying Game), director (Waiting to Exhale), born Longview, TX

…Athletics

Alex George Karras, 75, former football player (Lions), actor (“Webster,” Babe, Victor/Victoria), born Gary, IN

John Stallworth, 58, football: Steelers wide receiver: Super Bowl IX, X, XIII, XIV, born in Tuscaloosa, AL

…Business & Education

Arianna Huffington, 60, author, journalist (“The Huffington Post”), born Athens, Greece

Maggie Lena Walker, first woman bank founder and president: opened St. Luke Penny Savings Bank [Richmond VA: Nov 2, 1903]; women's rights/black pride advocate, born in 1867 Richmond, VA

…Politics

Jesse Ventura, 59, former professional wrestler, former Governor of Minnesota (I), born Minneapolis, MN

…Science / Religion

St Frances Xavier Cabrini [Mother Cabrini], 1st US saint, born in 1850 Sant'Angelo Lodigiano, Italy

► Obituaries today ◄

George Cleveland, actor (Grampa-Lassie), @74 in 1957

Bert Convy, actor, game show host (Snoop Sisters, Win Lose or Draw), brain tumor @ 57 in 1991

John J Persing, US General (WW I), @ 87 in 1948

Robert Wadlow, world's tallest man (8'11.1"), blood poisoning @ 22 in 1940

► Events ◄

…The Arts

--

…Athletics

1876 ►Baseballs 1st no-hitter, St Louis' George W Bradley no-hits Hartford

1912 ►Jim Thorpe won the decathlon in the Olympic games in Stockholm, Sweden.

…Business & Education

1869 ►Margarine is patented in Paris, for use by French Navy

1976 ►36-hr kidnap of 26 schoolchildren & their bus driver in CA

…Indigenous People

1539 ►Hernando de Soto, and his troops, begin their march inland from Tampa Bay.

1806 ►Pike expedition: near St. Louis, Missouri, United States Army Lieutenant Zebulon Pike with twenty-three whites, and fifty-one Osage and Pawnee begins an expedition from Fort Belle Fountaine to explore the west.

…Politics (US)

1964 ►Barry M Goldwater (Sen-R-Az) nominated for president by Republicans

…Politics (outside US)

1893 ►Commodore Perry arrives in Japan

1995 ►Ethnic Cleansing by Bosnian Serbs in the "SAFE AREA" of Srebrenica with tales of rape, massacres and psychological torture, the 40,000 women, children and elderly people flee.

…Science / Religion

1904 ►1st Buddhist temple in US established, Los Angeles

1922 ►1st duck-billed platypus publicly exhibited in US, at NY zoo

1929 ►First weekly radio broadcast of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir radio show,

1941 ►Florey & Heatley present freeze dried mold cultures (Pencillin)

1965 ►The unmanned spacecraft Mariner 4 passes over Mars at an altitude of 6,000 feet and sends back to Earth the first close-up images of the red planet.

GREY MATTER ANSWERS

…1

1. Nice -> Ice

2. Newer -> Ewer

3. Neon -> Eon

4. Nearly -> Early

5. Never -> Ever

6. Neither -> Either

7. Narrow -> Arrow

8. Number -> Umber

…2

Matrix, choosy, tariff, snooze, vacuum, embryo, agenda, tennis, system, tripod, stereo, fathom, slogan, dreamt, oxygen.

…Photo

Trivial Pursuit Card

TODAY’S PHOTO SHOT

LA Buddhist Temple
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