Jul 3

FYI: Any blue text is a link. Click to check it out!

Jul 3, 2018 Week: 27\ Day: 194

86004 Today: H 88° \ L 52° \ Average Sky Cover: 35% 

Nearest Lightning:  302miles away

Wind ave.:   5mph\Gusts:  13mph Visibility: 10 mi

Record High: 93°[2007]   Record Low: 34°[1997]

Jul Averages: 82°\50°

Today’s Quote

Governments constantly choose between telling lies and fighting wars, with the end result always being the same. One will always lead to the other.     

    Thomas Jefferson

Harper’s Index

5/7

Portion of Maryland’s licensed medical-marijuana dispensaries that ran out of product within a week of opening

More Observances This Month

Juvenille Arthritis Awareness Month Link
National Black Family Month
National Blueberries Month
National Child-Centered Divorce Month Link
National Cleft & Craniofacial Awareness and Prevention Month Link
National Cord Blood Awareness Month Link
National "Doghouse Repairs" Month
National Grilling Month
National HIV Awareness Month  Link 
National Honey Month Link
National Ice Cream Month
National Horseradish Month
National Hot Dog Month
National Make A Difference to Children Month
National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month
National Parks & Recreation Month
National Roadside Traffic Safety Awareness Month
National Vacation Rental Month
National Watermelon Month
National Wheelchair Beautification Month

Observances This Week

1^st-7^th

Beans and Bacon Days Link 
National Unassisted Homebirth Week
Be Nice To New Jersey Week

Observances for Today

Compliment Your Mirror Day

Disobedience Day
Eat Beans Day

International Plastic Bag Free Day  Link
Stay out of the Sun Day
Superman Day Link  

Today’s Significant US Historical Events

Today’s Significant International Historical Events 

1600’s                                       

1608 Samuel de Champlain founds city of Quebec

1661 Portugal gives Tangier and Bombay to English King Charles II

1800’s                                         

1839 1st state normal school in US opens, Lexington, Massachusetts, with 3 students

1845 Pioneering French magician Jean Eugène Robert-Houdin opens his magic theatre in Paris

1861 Pony Express arrives in San Francisco with overland letters from NY

1864 Harpers Ferry, West Virginia - Federals evacuate in face of Early's advance

1886 1st NY Tribune printing using 1st commercial linotype machine

1900’s                                         

1930 US Veterans Administration created

1938 President Franklin Roosevelt dedicates the Eternal Light Peace Memorial and lights the eternal flame at Gettysburg Battlefield.

1952 Puerto Rico's constitution approved by US Congress

1970 The British Army impose curfew on Falls Road area of Belfast as they search for weapons; coming under attack from the Official IRA (OIRA) and republican rioters

1978 US Supreme Court rules 5-4, FCC had a right to reprimand NY radio station WBAI for broadcasting George Carlin's "Filthy Words"

1985 "Back to the Future" directed by Robert Zemeckis and starring Michael J. Fox and Christopher Lloyd is released

1986 US President Reagan presides over relighting of renovated Statue of Liberty

1989 US Supreme Court rules states do not have to provide funds for abortions

2000’s                                         

2012 Antonio Esfandiari wins a record $18.3 million in poker after winning the 2012 World Series of Poker $1,000,000 Buy-In

My Rambling Thoughts

Beautiful summer day. Monsoon clouds seem to be moving in, maybe I’m just too hopeful.

Went to Social Security Office to drop off some paperwork for a friend. Turns out, they don’t accept drop offs, I had to wait over an hour to see a human. The guard at the door asked me if I had any weapons. I said ‘no’ and he said OK. Go to the kiosk to sign in. I got a number. Turns out numbers have nothing to do with when you are called. Oh well. While there I checked on my Medicare as I had gotten an email that made no sense. The lady took the friend’s paperwork. Then looked me up. She checked and checked. Turns out I am double screwed by SS thanks to our great and wonderful congress. First, I was screwed because I worked for the Feds, so my SS benefit was cut from $300/month to $50/month. I’ve dealt with this since I turned 62. Now, my Medicare B increased because in 2017 I made too much money. Now my SS check, which I haven’t received since Feb, because the whole check goes to Part B payments. She said to call Medicare to figure out the email.

So, I was on the phone for 45 minutes with a very young girl in the SE US, somewhere. Then after the 10^th hold, we were disconnected. So, I started all over. Very frustrated to say the least. I did learn that SS never told Medicare that my payment came out of my SS benefits, so their records show I am billed quarterly.  Second phone call lasted 58 minutes and I ended up talking to a supervisor after the idiot said I should apply for Medicaid if I can’t make the necessary payments. Now I wait for a call back in the next 7 working days. This is insanity. Finally each call goes to the Medicare center and no one can ask for a specific person or extension, so each call you have to start all over.

Thank goodness, I am a Civil Service retiree and still get a nice check every month.

Birthdays Today

@-  indicates age at death

80’s

81- Tom Stoppard, Czech playwright (Rosencrantz & Guildenstern-1968 Tony), born in Zlín, Czechoslovakia

Birthdays Today

@-  indicates age at death

80’s

81- Tom Stoppard, Czech playwright (Rosencrantz & Guildenstern-1968 Tony), born in Zlín, Czechoslovakia

70’s

77- Gloria Allred, American feminist and civil rights attorney, born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

75- Geraldo Rivera, [Gerry Rivers], American news personality (20/20, Geraldo), born in NYC, New York

71- Dave Barry, American humorist and author

60’s

@64-George M. Cohan, American father of musical comedy (Phantom President, Give My Regards to Broadway), born in Providence, Rhode Island (d. 1942cancer)

@63- Jean-Claude Duvalier [Baby Doc], Deposed Haitian president-for-life (1971-86), born in Port-au-Prince, Haiti (d. 2014) heart attack

50’s

56- Tom Cruise, American actor (Risky Business, Jerry MaGuire, Rainman), born in Syracuse, New York

56- Thomas Gibson, actor (Dr Daniel Nyland-Chicago Hope)

40’s

47- Julian Assange, Australian founder of Wikileaks, born in Townsville, Queensland

@40- Franz Kafka, Czech author (Metamorphosis, Trial, Amerika), born in Prague, Austria-Hungary (d. 1924) cancer

Historical Obits Today

90’s

@95-2016 Noel Neill, American actress (Adventures of Superman)

80’s

@86-2012 Andy Griffith, American actor, comedian, television producer, Southern gospel singer, and writer (Andy Griffith Show, Matlock)

@83-1993 "Curly" Joe DeRita, American actor and comedian (The Three Stooges)

@81-1916 Henrietta (Hetty) Green, (Witch of Wall Street), dies at 81

70’s

@78-2017 Spencer Johnson, American author (Who Moved My Cheese?), pancreatic cancer

@76-1989 James "Jim" Backus, American actor (Mr Magoo, Rebel Without a Cause, Gilligan's Island), pneumonia

50’s

@53-1863 Little Crow, [Ta-oya-te-duta], Santee Sioux chief, scalped

20’s

@27-1971 Jim Morrison, American singer-songwriter (The Doors) and poet, heart failure

@25-1965 Trigger, horse (Roy Rogers)

Disclaimer: All opinions are mine…feel free to agree or disagree.

All ‘data’ info is from the internet sites and is usually checked with at least one other source, but I have learned that every site contains mistakes and sadly once the information is out there, many sites simply copy it and is therefore difficult to verify. Also for events occurring before the Gregorian calendar was adopted [1582] the dates may not be totally accurate.

☼☼☼☼…And That Is All for Now…☼☼☼☼