This is Week 25 of 2010, Day 175 with 190 days left. It is Day 66 of the BP Mess.
Free Rambling Thoughts
Fire Update: The fire is a little over 14,000 acres. Residents have been allowed back to their homes. Wind gusts decreased today. Heat increased. Humidity dropped to 6%. No new fires. Mountain view for many is now a blackened mountain. Forest Service it will take over a century for the forest area to recover since Ponderosa is a slow growing tree. Many of the trees burned were probably 150+ years old. All this was lost in a couple of days because some careless human didn’t ensure that their campfire was dead out. That jerk is the last human on earth to see the beauty of the area. I sure hope they find the person and that s/he discovers the results of this carelessness. Maybe a century of community service in the forest will help. It’s been over 30 years since our last big fire near Flagstaff. That area is still very barren compared to what it was before the 70’s fire or compared to the unburned area.
Thank you, Mr. President for the swift action and leadership regarding General McChrystal. Even the far right Senators are on your side. A first for sure. I’m a little confused as to what actually happened. Obama accepted his resignation for the Afghanistan post. Is he still going to be a general somewhere else? Reading about his military career, I don’t see him at a desk job somewhere. He was a special ops soldier, right in the middle of the action—or creating the action. I have heard of and seen people mess up in their government job and then get reassigned. Others have messed up and left the government or taken retirement. I’m not familiar with the military resignation from an assignment. I can’t see him overseeing soldiers after this. I just wonder where he will land.
We made it to 88° on my deck. Water is quickly evaporating from my bird baths. There was a lot of early morning smoke in my area, but it dissipated by about 9am. There was little breeze so time on the deck was limited. It will be another couple of weeks before the our area is smoke free. The hardest part of this is knowing that our nearby forest continues to be destroyed.
Holy Mackerel: On this date in 1997 ►The United States Air Force released a report on the 1947 'Roswell Incident,' in which a flying disc had reportedly crashed near Roswell, New Mexico. The report, in response to witnesses that claimed to see the military recovering alien bodies, stated that the bodies were actually life-sized dummies.
My Quote For The Day
Thomas Dunfee, Professor of Wharton Business School: A company that fails to take steps to produce a climate conducive to positive work-related ethical attitudes may create a vacuum in which employees so predisposed may foster a frontier-style, everyone for themselves mentality.
Somewhat Useless Information
Arnold Schwarzenegger's famous line in The Terminator 'I'll be back' was originally scripted as 'I'll come back'.
Grey Matter Puzzle 1
Take away my first letter and I am a store.
Take away the second and people who look at me adore.
Put all my letters back and read me in reverse if you are able.
I am now cars suspended from an overhead cable.
Take a letter away and I become male sheep.
Did you get it, or did the letters you try to keep?
Unusual News Item
WAREHAM, MA - A Massachusetts man said he was raking his yard when he came across a long-sought item -- a wedding ring lost by a firefighter during a blaze 11 years ago. Bruce Treadwell of Wareham said he initially thought the ring he found recently was a toy, or belonged to a family member, but he soon remembered the years-long search for the wedding ring lost outside his home by Wareham Fire Chief Robert McDuffy, WHDH-TV, Boston, reported. "When I got on the phone with him he was so excited," Treadwell's wife, Judith, said of McDuffy. McDuffy said he and his wife of 25 years were delighted to have the ring back.
"Sure enough as soon as I got there, it was my ring," McDuffy said. "I was in disbelief because 10 years, it was in the ground." "We looked for it for years and years and years. I kept looking, every time I'd rake the lawn or mow the lawn, we kept looking for it," Bruce Treadwell said.
A Little Laff
Jacob, age 92, and Rebecca, age 89, are all excited about their decision to get married. They go for a stroll to discuss the wedding and on the way they pass a drugstore. Jacob suggests they go in. Jacob addresses the man behind the counter:
‘Are you the owner?’ The pharmacist answers yes.
Says Jacob: ‘We’re about to get married. Do you sell heart medication?’
Pharmacist: ‘Of course we do.’
Jacob: ‘How about medicine for circulation?’
Pharmacist: ‘All kinds.’
Jacob: ‘Medicine for rheumatism, scoliosis? ‘
Pharmacist: ‘Definitely.’
Jacob: ‘How about Viagra?’
Pharmacist: ‘Of course.’
Jacob: ‘Medicine for memory problems, arthritis, jaundice?’
Pharmacist: ‘Yes, a large variety. The works.’
Jacob: ‘What about vitamins, sleeping pills, Geritol, antidotes for Parkinson’s disease?’
Pharmacist: ‘Absolutely.’
Jacob: ‘You sell wheelchairs and walkers?’
Pharmacist: ‘All speeds and sizes.’
Jacob says to the pharmacist: ‘We’d like to register here for our wedding gifts, please.
Grey Matter Puzzle 2
When I am filled, I can point the way;
When I am empty, Nothing moves me.
I have two skins, One without and one within.
What am I?
My You Tube Site of the Day
Clinton on UFO’s Click Here!
Grey Matter Picture--This is a close up of what common object?
It can turn off and on.
Some Calendar Info
► Weekly Observances ◄
20-26: Carpenter Ant Awareness Week and National Mosquito Control Awareness Week
24-27: Watermelon Seed Spitting Week
► Today’s Observances ◄
Museum Comes To Life Day
Celebration of the Senses
International Fairy Day
National Bomb Pop Day—the frozen summer treat
National Hand Shake Day
Europe : Midsummer Day
Peru : Countryman's Day/Day of the Indian/Dia del Indio
Scotland : Bannockburn Day (1314) Robert the Bruce defeats English—major turning point in independence for Scotland
Venezuala : Army Day/Carabobo Day (1821) Bolivar defeats Spanish for independence
Zaire : Constitution Day (1967)
► Hit Songs on this date ◄
Sleepy Lagoon: Harry James in 1942
Here in My Heart: Al Martino in 1952
I Can't Stop Loving You: Ray Charles in 1962
Candy Man: Sammy Davis, Jr. in 1972
Ebony and Ivory: Paul McCartney & Stevie Wonder in 1982
I'll Be There: Mariah Carey in 1992
► Born today ◄
…The Arts
Claude Chabrol, 80, filmmaker (La Femme Infidèle, The Cousins), born Sardent, France
Norman Cousins, 1912, editor (Saturday Review), born in Union City, NJ
Mick Fleetwood, 68, musician (drummer with Fleetwood Mac, “Dreams,” “Don’t Stop”), born Cornwall, England
Michele Lee, 68, actress (“Knots Landing”), born Los Angeles, CA
…Athletics
Billy Casper, 79, golf champion: Masters [1970], born in San Diego,CA
William Harrison ‘Jack’ Dempsey, 1895, heavyweight boxing champion (1919-26) (Manassa Mauler), born in Manassa, CO
Phyllis George, 61, former sportscaster, former Miss America, born Denton, TX
Sam Jones, 77, Basketball Hall of Famer: Boston Celtics, born in Wilmington, NC
…Business & Education
Gustavus Franklin Swift, 1839, founded Swift & Co, born in Sagamore, MA
…Politics
David Fraser McTaggart, 1932, cofounded Greenpeace, born in Vancouver, British Columbia
…Science / Religion
E I Du Pont, 1771, chemist/scientist (Du Pont), born in France
► Obituaries today ◄
Grover Cleveland, 22nd & 24th Pres, @ 71, in 1908
Jackie Gleason, actor (Honeymooners), @ 71 in 1987
► Events ◄
…The Arts
1949 ►"Hopalong Cassidy" becomes 1st network western (NBC)
…Athletics
1894 ►Decision to begin modern Olympics every 4 years
…Business & Education
1817 ►1st coffee planted in Hawaii on Kona coast
…Politics (US)
1861 ►Tennessee becomes 11th (& last) state to secede from US
1940 ►TV cameras were used for the first time in a political convention: Republicans
…Politics (outside US)
1441 ►Eton College founded by Henry VI
1497 ►John Cabot claims eastern Canada for England
1509 ►Henry VIII crowned King of England
1948: Berlin Airlift begins
…Science / Religion
1610 ►Membertou (MICMAC) becomes the 1st Indian Catholic.
Grey Matter Answers
…1
Smart! In order: mart, art, trams, rams
…2
A glove
Grey Matter Photo
TV
Today’s Photo Shot
Today’s Photo Shot
