This is Week 42 of 2010►Day 295 with 70 days left.
FREE RAMBLING THOUGHTS
Our lunch group headed out to Cameron today for Navajo Tacos at the Cameron Restaurant. I haven’t been on that road for a long time and not much has changed. One new thing was the across the road highway sign at one of the bead stands. I’m sure it is there for ADOT highway messages and not for the bead stand. The bead stand was open, but the sign wasn’t lit so it makes one wonder. As we were paying our bill, a former student from TCBS took our money. She remembered us, but we couldn’t place her. We had a nice chat. Cheryl wanted to look for a beaded key chain and a lamp. The key chains were priced at $20 and the only discount she could get was 5% and she was reminded that she had to pay tax. We used to get those for $7-$10 from the people who came to the school. Back when we worked at the school, one could get a 30-50% discount on Cameron prices. I was never a Trading Post buyer and always preferred buying directly. Those days are long gone. In fact, the trading post concept is long gone. They have lots of non-Indian made stuff—properly marked, and stuff from many tribes. Walking though the store there was stuff from many Indian Nations. Most of the tourists buying there really don’t know that there even different tribes. They did have a Navajo lady weaving a huge rug. She was about 40, wearing jeans, and doing a nice job. I used to know all the weavers they had there, but didn’t recognize her. It rained most of the way up and back and the clouds were really spectacular. I didn’t see any Navajo Pottery but must say that the sand paintings have really become modern and intricate. A 6” x 6” sand painting was $150. The Taco was amazing…it’s been way too long since I had one. The restaurant was packed—we got there at noon—with mostly tourists. When we arrived the parking lot was fairly full, but there were no tourist busses. They really do a big business.
As I travel, I still have trouble being a tourist at a tourist destination store. I have known for years that Cameron offers tourist companies a cut of money spent when they stop their bus at the store and the driver always gets a free meal. They offer a tourist ‘discount’ of 5% to boost their sales. Well, as I travel outside the US, the same system is in play. In each country, we drive into a town or a city and stop at a small shop selling local items. Many times we are the only customers in the store. We are greeted, offered tea or soda, allowed to shop, ask questions, and haggle the price. Most of our stops have led to 40-50% price cut. Knowing how this all works, I’m sure they simply have outlandish prices and expect the haggling. It is hard to know if you are really getting a good deal—especially when you only go to one business. My philosophy for buying Indigenous items has always been—it is unique?, do I like it?, am I happy with the price?, am I buying from the maker? I have to answer yes to the first three questions or it is no sale. Buying from the maker is sometimes impossible, so I have to compromise and hope that the artisan gets a fair share. While I was in Taiwan and Malaysia, I didn’t buy very many items to bring home. Much of time, I really felt like I was at a flea market, with mass produced items. We were not visiting places that were really tourist destinations, especially for Americans. The markets were for locals, except for the pottery factory, where we saw the pottery being made, and I did buy several nice pieces. I also got a nice print at the Indigenous tribal resort. At both places I was able to buy and answer positively to all my questions.
As a single tax payer I have always felt that I pay more than my fair share. I have seldom been able to itemize my Federal taxes, so just get the standard deduction. Many of the Republicans are campaigning to reduce corporate taxes. Makes sense that the companies would then have more money to hire more people, have more money for stockholders, and all would be well again. But wait, it has come out that many large corporations, based in the US, operating under US law paid no net tax last year. Google paid none, Bank of America paid none, CITI paid none. I am sure there are many more. While the politicians babble about how the US 35% corporate tax rate--higher than any nation—is the reason for this recession, they want to cut the rate to about 12%, more in line with other developed nations. I’ll bet those other nations don’t have all the loopholes. If the tax rate is cut, and a huge corporation is already paying zero, does that mean that the government will have to give the corporation money to make up the difference? Before we give any big business a lower tax rate, let’s close the loopholes and make them pay their fair share.
Flag…H—50°; L—29°; RH—87%; and 10 mph It rained on and off most of the day. It was sure a day where a light jacket was needed when I was outside.
QUOTE FOR THE DAY—Albert Einstein
The important thing is not to stop questioning. Curiosity has its own reason for existing.
HOLY MACKEREL: 4004-BC Universe created at 8:00 PM, according to the 1650 pronouncement of Anglican archbishop James Ussher
SOMEWHAT USELESS INFORMATION—Dragonflies
→Dragonflies have a very short lifespan. They usually only live for about a month or less. However, some dragonflies can exist for up to half a year.
→Dragonflies begin their lives in water, and because they have such a short lifespan, you will usually see them near water. Some dragonflies do wander off into forest and fields to search for food, but will return to the water to mate and lay eggs.
→Dragonflies are often hunted by spiders, snakes, birds, frogs and other animals. They are often eaten in mid-air by birds. They can also become the meals for spiders when they get trapped in a spider web.
→The majority of dragonflies have an average wingspan of about three to four inches. Some have a wingspan of about six inches long. Some of the smallest dragonflies have a wingspan of only 7/10 of an inch.
→Etymologists have discovered over 5,000 species of dragonflies. Some bug experts believe there may be as many as 6,500 types of dragonflies in the world.
→Dragonflies go through three separate stages in a process called incomplete metamorphosis.
Interesting video of the metamorphosis: Click Here to View!
GREY MATTER PUZZLE 1—Jeopardy Answers (1984) World Leaders
$100-During '80s hostage crisis, dart boards bearing his face were a big seller
$200-Britain's first female P.M., her popularity soared after Falklands war
$300-Ronald Reagan was also president of this union
$400-D'Aubisson claimed Duarte fixed his election win in this country
$500-Olympic pullout was ordered by this successor to Andropov
UNUSUAL NEWS ITEM
NEW RICHMOND, WI — Talk about a great gourd: Guinness World Records has confirmed that a massive pumpkin grown in Wisconsin is officially the world's heaviest.
The pumpkin grown this year by Chris Stevens of New Richmond tips the scales at 1,810.5 pounds. That's 85 pounds heavier than the previous record, a 1,725-pound pumpkin grown last year in Ohio.
Stevens' pumpkin has a circumference of 186.5 inches, or more than 15 feet. When turned on its side, the pumpkin is more than waist-high to an average-size person.
Stevens unveiled his pumpkin earlier this month at the Stillwater Harvest Fest in Minnesota. He said at the time his secret is a precise mixture of sunshine, rain, cow manure, fish emulsion and seaweed.
A LITTLE LAUGH
"I bet your girlfriend would love it if you bought her something." she suggested.
"I don't have a girlfriend," I answered.
"No girlfriend? Why not?"
"My wife won't let me."
FOUND ON ‘YOU TUBE’
Two of our guides were in Toastmasters. Here is the world winner: Click Here to View!
GREY MATTER PICTURE
This is a close up of what object?
Hint: Think back to the 1990's
SOME CALENDAR INFORMATION
¤ Weekly Observances ¤
17-23: Food and Drug Interaction Education and Awareness Week ^ Getting The World To Beat A Path To Your Door Week ^ International Credit Union Week ^ Teen Read Week ^ National Chemistry Week ^ National Hospital and Health-System Pharmacy Week ^ YWCA Week without Violence ^ National Character Counts Week ^ National Forest Products Week ^ National Lead Poisoning Prevention Week ^ National School Bus Safety Week
18-24: Freedom From Bullies Week ^ Freedom of Speech Week ^ Medical Assistants Recognition Week ^ National Food Bank Week ^ National Infertility Awareness Week ^ National Massage Therapy Week ^ National Businesswomen's Week
24-31: Disarmament Week ^ Give Wildlife a Break Week ^ Pastoral Care Week ^ Peace, Friendship and Good Will Week ^ Prescription Errors Education & Awareness Week ^ International Magic Week ^ National Respiratory Care Week
27-11/3: World Hearing Aid Awareness Week
¤ Today’s Observances ¤
National Nut Day: To honor the people who are just a little crazy.
Caps Locks Day: Only used to show anger
International Stuttering Awareness Day
India, Mauritius, Singapore: Deepavali Day: Hindi celebration
Japan: Jidai Matsuri/Festival of the Eras (1895)
Puerto Rico: Veterans Day
Vatican City: National Day
¤ Hit Songs on this date ¤
1899...Curse of the Dreamer / Dan Quinn
1909...I Wonder Who's Kissing Her Now / Henry Burr Click Here to View!
1919...I'm Forever Blowing Bubbles / Ben Selvin's Novelty Orchestra Click Here to View!
1929...Tip Toe Through the Tulips / Nick Lucas Click Here to View!
1939...Over the Rainbow / Glenn Miller Click Here to View!
1949…That Lucky Old Sun / Frankie Laine Click Here to View!
1959…Mack the Knife / Bobby Darin Click Here to View!
1969…I Can't Get Next to You / The Temptations Click Here to View!
1979…Rise / Herb Alpert Click Here to View!
1989…Miss You Much / Janet Jackson Click Here to View!
¤ Today’s Births ¤
╬ THE ARTS
Jan De Bont, 67, director (Speed, Twister)
Franz Liszt, romantic composer/virtuoso pianist, born in 1811
Leslie West [Weinstein], rocker (Mountain-Mississippi Queen), born in 1945
♦♦♦♦♦♦
Sarah Bernhardt, silent film actress (Camille, Queen Elizabeth), born in 1845
Catherine Deneuve, 67, actress (Repulsion, Indochine), born Catherine Dorleac
Joan Fontaine (de Havilland), Academy Award-winning Actress: Suspicion [1941], born in 1917
Annette Funicello, 68, singer, actress (“Mickey Mouse Club,” Beach Party movies)
Jeff Goldblum, 58, actor (The Big Chill, The Fly, Jurassic Park)
Jerome Lester "Jerry" Horwitz Curly Howard, comedian, actor: The Three Stooges, born in 1903
Christopher Lloyd, 72, actor (“Taxi,” Back to the Future films)
Carlos Mencia, 43, comedian (“Mind of Mencia”)
╬ ATHLETICS
Brian Anthony Boitano, 47, Olympic gold medal figure skater
Ichiro Suzuki (鈴木 一朗, Suzuki Ichirō), 37, baseball player, born Kasugai, Japan
Harry (William) Walker, ‘Harry the Hat’: baseball: Cardinals Phillies, Cubs, Reds; manager: Astros, born in 1918
╬ BUSINESS & EDUCATION
Timothy Leary, Harvard prof, LSD taker, born in 1920
╬ POLITICS
Lynette Fromme, 62, American attempted assassin of Gerald Ford
╬ SCIENCE & RELIGION
George Beadle, Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine [1958]: genetic research, born in 1903
Charles Glenn King, biochemist (discovered vitamin C), born in 1896
¤ Today’s Obituaries ¤
Red Barber, American sportscaster @ 82 in 1992
Charles "Pretty Boy" Floyd shot dead by FBI @ 29 in 1934
Soupy Sales, American comedian and television personality, born Milton Supman @ 83 in 2009
¤ Today’s Events ¤
╬ THE ARTS
1883 Original Metropolitan Opera House (NYC) grand opening (Faust)
1964 Jean-Paul Sartre is awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature, but turns down the honor.
╬ ATHLETICS
1975 World Football League disbands
1976 Rick Barry (SF), begins then longest NBA free throw streak of 60
1984 NFL quarterback Ken Stabler retires
╬ BUSINESS & EDUCATION
1746 Princeton University (NJ) received its charter
1924 Toastmasters International is founded.
1936 1st commercial flight from mainland to Hawaii
1938 1st Xerox copy made
1979 Walt Disney World's 100-millionth guest
╬ INDIGENOUS PEOPLE
1784 Richard Butler, Arthue Lee, and Oliver Walcott, representing the United States, and 12 Iroquois Indians sign a treaty today ceding much of their lands in New York, Pennsylvania, and west of the Ohio River, and reestablishing peace after the Revolutionary War. The treaty signed at Fort Stanwix, near modern Rome, New York, will be repudiated by most of the Iroquois.
1804 Lewis & Clark visit a SIOUX war party today.
╬ POLITICS (US)
1836 Sam Houston inaugurated as 1st elected pres of Republic of Texas
1928 Pres Hoover speaks of "American system of rugged individualism"
1962 U.S. President John F. Kennedy informed the world that the Soviet Union was building secret missile bases in Cuba
╬ POLITICS (International)
2007 Raid on Anuradhapura Air Force Base is carried out by 21 Tamil Tiger commandos. All except one died in this attack. Eight Sri Lankan Air Force planes are destroyed and 10 damaged.
2008 India launches its first unmanned lunar mission Chandrayaan-1.
╬ SCIENCE & RELIGION
1797 Andr‚-Jacques Garnerin makes 1st parachute jump from balloon (Paris)
1976 Red Dye No. 4 is banned by the US Food and Drug Administration after it is discovered that it causes tumorsin the bladders of dogs.
1978 Pope John Paul II was inaugurated as Universal Pastor of the Roman Catholic Church. He was the first non-Italian Pope since Adrian VI (1522-1523), the first Polish Pope, and the youngest Pope since Pius IX (1846-1878).
GREY MATTER ANSWERS
↔ 1 Jeopardy
$100-During '80s hostage crisis, dart boards bearing his face were a big seller: Who was Ayatollah Khomeini?
$200-Britain's first female P.M., her popularity soared after Falklands war: Who was Thatcher?
$300-Ronald Reagan was also president of this union: What is the Screen Actor's Guild?
$400-D'Aubisson claimed Duarte fixed his election win in this country: What is El Salvador?
$500-Olympic pullout was ordered by this successor to Andropov: Who is Chernenko?
↔ PICTURE
"Write Protect Tab" from Floppy Disk
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