This is Week 33 of 2010►Day 227 with 138 days left.
FREE RAMBLING THOUGHTS
What a great Saturday. I went for a forest walk about 6:30 this morning. The quiet and calm forest is a great way to start the day. I really need to take either my phone or my camera on these walks. I’m lucky to get out the door with the iPod. This morning I did see the remnants of a party from last night. I know that quite a few homeless spend the night in the forest during this nice weather. That is not a problem. I am discouraged that they choose to leave their cans and bottles strewn around. I never head into the forest until the sun has been up for quite a while as the party people do take off at sunrise. I’m sure they stash their stuff around, but I don’t look for it, and it certainly is not out in the open. This morning part of the trail reminded me of the hobo stories I grew up with. I’m sure there were markers throughout telling others where there is a safe place to meet, and where it isn’t safe. I think I will avoid the forest area on weekends…too depressing to see the mess. I’m not sure who cleans it up, but during the week, there is seldom any trash.
I was glad to hear Obama come out yesterday with his freedom of religion comments about the Mosque in NYC. I’m sure the far right will turn it into more fodder for the ‘fact’ that he is a Muslim in disguise. And I just thought he was to stand and protect the US Constitution. As we all know, many of the founders came here to get away from religious persecution. This is no time to start any persecution because a few who believe in Islam have chosen to pick and choose the parts of the Quran they will follow. Don’t get me wrong, the people who planned, the people who carried out any of the killings around the world in the name of Islam need to be found and punished. Let’s not put all Muslims into a nice little box and label it ‘terrorist’
I read several articles yesterday about American Muslims. There is a great deal of discussion going on by the Imams regarding this year’s Ramadan. This month, based on the lunar cycle, is Ramadan. It starts when there is no moon and ends when the first sliver of the new moon appears. For this entire month Muslims around the world fast all day and pray more than usual. As soon as the sun sets, they can feast. When that sliver of moon appears, there are great festivities. Some celebrate for three days; others celebrate on the first weekend. Families gather together. Presents are exchanged. Everyone looks for a good year ahead. This year Ramadan will end on Sept. 9 or 10, or 11. Since it the local Imam who announces the end, no one knows for sure when he will announce it. It has been that way since its inception. American Muslims are concerned, justifiably, that non believers who see the celebration, the cheering, the exchanging of gifts as an affront to America. Many American Muslims also do not want to celebrate anything so close to 9-11 as it also changed their lives—and not for the better. Local law enforcement has been notified. Educational programs are being delivered to non Muslims. Some Imams are suggesting that celebration be very low key. I won’t be in the US at the end of Ramadan, but will be in another Muslim country. While I was working, we always did something on 9-11 at the school. It was always voluntary and very low key—after all we were working with children. Since I retired, Flagstaff has always had some kind of remembrance at a local park. I was always there. I’m wondering what our group will do that day and what will be happening in the local community we are in whenever Ramadan ends.
Football Preseason started today. The Cards didn’t do that well until the last few minutes, then they came alive and won. They have been in Flag for the past few weeks and return on Monday for more camp. This win will pump up Flag fans for sure. Better find a jersey.
Flagstaff was really nice today. I guess I am getting used to the warm weather, as it was 87° on the deck, there was no wind, but wasn’t really hot. There was even 35% humidity and still I didn’t feel that hot. The birds did spend a lot of time in the bird bath.
QUOTEs FOR THE DAY--Football
Vince Lombardi: Individual commitment to a group effort -- that is what makes a team work, a company work, a society work, a civilization work.
Merle Kessler: Football players, like prostitutes, are in the business of ruining their bodies for the pleasure of strangers.
Eugene J. McCarthy: Being in politics is like being a football coach. You have to be smart enough to understand the game and dumb enough to think it's important.
John Heisman: When in doubt, punt!
Barry Sanders: Maybe a good rule in life is never become too important to do your own laundry.
Elbert Hubbard: College football is a sport that bears the same relation to education that bullfighting does to agriculture.
HOLY MACKEREL: 1911 Procter & Gamble Company of Cincinnati, OH introduced Crisco hydrogenated shortening
SOMEWHAT USELESS INFORMATION about candy
~ Hershey's Kisses are called that because the machine that makes them looks like it's kissing the conveyor belt.
~ The Baby Ruth candy bar was actually named after Grover Cleveland's baby daughter, Ruth.
GREY MATTER PUZZLE 1—Jeopardy Answers--Biology
Genus Rana; frequent victim of biology class dissections
L.B.J.'s hound dog or Darwin's ship
The basic unit of life; 3 billion die every minute in your body
It puts the green in greenery
Deoxyribonucleic acid
UNUSUAL NEWS ITEM
FAYETTEVILLE, NC— Court is no laughing matter as far as one North Carolina judge is concerned. A Fayetteville man who was waiting for his case to be heard Friday drew the ire of Judge Toni King after starting to laugh in a Cumberland County courtroom. Authorities said King asked 47-year-old Johnny Montgomery why he was laughing, but the man refused to say.
King ordered Montgomery to jail on a misdemeanor charge. As deputies were preparing to take Montgomery to jail, they searched him and found more than 3 grams of crack cocaine.
Montgomery was charged with felony drug possession. Authorities said he was being processed Friday evening and does not yet have a court date nor an attorney.
A LITTLE LAUGH
Congress received a call asking the meaning of the phrase "without recourse." He consulted a legal dictionary and furnished this definition, "Said of a signer of a document when he takes no responsibility for the face of the document."
"Thank you," said the voice at the other end of the wire. "I have an autographed photograph of Coolidge. It's signed, "Without recourse, Calvin Coolidge."
GREY MATTER PUZZLE 2--Riddle
I’m sometimes full, but I never overflow. What am I?
FOUND ON ‘YOU TUBE’
The capture of Carlos the Jackal: Click Here!
GREY MATTER PICTURE
This is a close up of what object?
SOME CALENDAR INFORMATION
♦ Weekly Observances ♦
10-16: Elvis Week
15-21: National Aviation Week
……….Weird Contest Week
♦ Today’s Observances ♦
National Failures Day
National Relaxation Day
Chad and Congo(from France-1960), India-(from UK-1947) : Independence Day
Costa Rica: Mother's Day
Egypt and Coptic Church: The first day of Flooding of the Nile, a commemoration of the belief that the star Sirius would appear when the Nile River flooded.
Grenada, Liechtenstein, Corsica: National Day
Laos: Memorial Day
Korea: Gwangbokjeol, "Liberation Day" (South Korea), Jogukhaebangui nal, "Fatherland Liberation Day" (North Korea)
♦ Hit Songs on this date ♦
Meet Me in St. Louis, Louis Billy Murray 1904
By the Beautiful Sea Heidelberg Quintet 1914 Here the Original Version Click Here!
Swinging on a Star Bing Crosby 1944 Click Here to Hear!
Sh-Boom The Crew-Cuts 1954
Everybody Loves Somebody Dean Martin 1964
The Night Chicago Died Paper Lace 1974 Click Here to Hear!
Ghostbusters Ray Parker, Jr. 1984
♦ Today’s Births ♦
• The Arts
Sir Walter Scott, novelist/poet (Lady of Lake) …born 1771…Edinburgh, Scotland
~~~
Ben Affleck, 38, actor (Hollywoodland, The Sum of All Fears, Pearl Harbor), director (Gone Baby Gone), born Berkeley, CA
Mike Connors (Krekor Ohanian), 85, actor (Joe Mannix-Mannix) …born Fresno CA
Joe Jonas, 21, singer (The Jonas Brothers), actor (“J.O.N.A.S.”), born Casa Grande, AZ
Rose Marie Mazetta, 87, actress (Sally Rogers-Dick Van Dyke Show) …born NYC,NY
Debra Messing, 42, actress (“Will & Grace”), born Brooklyn, NY
• Athletics
Brendan Hansen, 29, American swimmer…born Havertown, PA
• Business & Education
Julia Child, chef (French Chef) …born 1912…Pasadena, CA
Linda Ellerbee, 66, journalist, born Bryan, TX
• Politics
Princess Anne(Anne Elizabeth Alice Louise), 60, Princess Royal of the UK, horsewoman, born London, England
Napoleon Bonaparte, French Emperor…born 1769… Ajaccio, Corsica
Stephen G. Breyer, 72, Associate Justice of the US Supreme Court, born San Francisco, CA
Sir James Douglas, father of British Columbia…born 1803… Demerara (now part of Guyana)
Vernon Jordan, Jr, 75, civil rights leader, born Atlanta, GA
Phyllis Schlafly, 86, right-winger/Eagle Forum president…born St Louis, MO
Maxine Waters, 72, American politician…born St. Louis, MO
• Science/Religion
Oscar Romero (Óscar Arnulfo Romero y Galdámez), Roman Catholic priest, Bishop…born 1917…San Miguel, El Salvador
♦ Today’s Obituaries ♦
Wiley Post, aviator, @ 37
& Will Rogers, 56, cowboy, comedian, humorist @ , killed in plane crash in Alaska in 1935
♦ Today’s Events ♦
• The Arts
1939 "Wizard of Oz" premiers at Grauman's Chinese Theater, Hollywood
1969 The Woodstock Music and Art Festival opens.
1991 750,000 attend Paul Simon's free concert in Central Park
• Athletics
1987 US beats Cuba in the Pan-Am baseball
• Business & Education
1914 A male servant of American architect Frank Lloyd Wright sets fire to the living quarters of the architect's Wisconsin home, Taliesin, murders seven people and burns the living quarters to the ground.
1948 CBS-TV inaugurated the first nightly news broadcast, with anchorman Douglas Edwards
• Indigenous People
1514 Spanish Bishop Bartoleme de las Casas releases the Indians he holds as serfs in Hispaniola.
• Politics (US)
1748 United Lutheran Church of US organized
1858 Regular mail to the Pacific coast begins
• Politics (International)
1057 Macbeth, King of Scotland, slain by son of King Duncan
1519 Panama City founded
1620 Mayflower sets sail from Southampton with 102 Pilgrims
1914 Panama Canal opens (under cost)
1994 Llich Ramirez Sanchez, the terrorist known as Carlos the Jackal was captured in Sudan, taken to Paris and jailed.
• Science / Religion
1848 M. Waldo Hanchett of Syracuse, NY patented the dental chair.
GREY MATTER ANSWERS
↔ 1
Genus Rana; frequent victim of biology class dissections: what is frog?
L.B.J.'s hound dog or Darwin's ship: What is beagle?
The basic unit of life; 3 billion die every minute in your body: What is a cell?
It puts the green in greenery: what is chlorophyll?
Deoxyribonucleic acid: What is DNA?
↔ 2
The Moon
↔ Picture
An avacado
TODAY’S PHOTO SHOT
Falling Water: Frank Lloyd Wright
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