Sunday 6-13

»Week 24 of 2010:164 days this year…201 days remain:

Day 55 of the BP oil spill≈  

» Something To Think About  

It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it.

~Aristotle

» Random Fact    

Dalmatians are born without spots.

¤ Holy Mackerel: On this day in 1934 ►Adolf Hitler and Mussolini meet in Venice, Italy; Mussolini later describes the German dictator as "a silly little monkey".

AND 1966 ►Chief Justice Earl Warren delivers The Supreme Court landmark Miranda vs. Arizona decision, "that criminal suspects must be informed of their right to consult with an attorney and of their right against self-incrimination prior to questioning by police"

» Free Ramblings    

I got an early morning email inviting me to lunch with some friends who are in town. Andy, Faith and I had lunch at La Fonda. Andy is the Superintendent of Navajo Nation Schools. I haven’t seen Andy since he took the job. He is such a dedicated educational leader. As always when I talk to him, he gave me much to think about. He asked about my thoughts of volunteering and a while later asked if I missed Tuba. Hmmm. Certainly some things to think about. As I told him, right now I’m enjoying not having to do a steady thing. For those of you who know Andy, his office has a new website: Click Here!

We had a great lunch, good conversation, and were able to watch England v USA in the World Cup. It was a decent game, a win would have been nice, but the tie keeps us in the running. When I watched the intro show before the game, I was surprised. They did a fly over of South Africa, showing its beauty. For some unknown reason they had several shots of Victoria Falls which is really on the Zimbabwe and Zambia border. South Africa has plenty of great countryside, and it’s a shame the American photogs didn’t honor that. After reading several SA news sites, it seems that most soccer fans in the world are blaming England for allowing the USA to score, saying the goalkeeper blew an easy stop. Yeah, maybe, but it tied the game. The goalkeeper is taking quite a bit of heat.

The clouds came, the clouds left, no moisture. We barely made it to 60° and the breeze/wind made it not that nice to be outside. Long pants and a jacket would have been fine, I guess, but this is late spring/early summer and after those 90°+ days, I’m not going to layer when I go outside. Flagstaff always keeps its residence guessing as to what the weather will be.

» Puzzle 1  

Using the grid below, how many words can you find? Each word must contain the central V and no letter can be used twice, however, the letters do not have to be connected. Proper nouns are not allowed, however, plurals are. There is at least one nine letter word.

O E R

D V B

R A O

Genius: 28 words. Excellent: 20 words. Good: 16 words. Average: 12 words. Some words are very obscure!

» A Quick Smile…    

Sitting through fire safety and prevention programs can make anyone nod off. So the instructor tried to lighten the mood by going around the room asking where all the guests were from. "Burnt Mattress, Arkansas," called out the friend sitting next to me.

"Burnt Mattress!" said the instructor, suppressing a laugh. "I've heard some unusual town names before, but never that one. Where's it located?"

My friend shot back, "Right above Hot Springs."

» Side Show Stories    

MILWAUKEE - A Milwaukee man known by locals for openly displaying his handgun on a hip holster says he is giving up open carry after he was robbed at gunpoint. The 34-year-old man, who asked not to be named, said he believes openly displaying his handgun as allowed by law made him a target for the robbery and he sees it as evidence of the need for a concealed carry law, WTMJ-AM, Milwaukee, reported.

Neighbors said the man was always carrying the weapon when they spotted him and he was known locally as "the guy with the gun." "It was kind of scary to just see him walking around all the time with that gun kind of just out in the open," neighbor Shambria Mayham Autman said. "I think he was trying to scare people off like, 'Yeah, don't mess with me,' kind of attitude, but it didn't work." Nik Clark, the president of Wisconsin Carry, said he has never heard of a similar incident happening to any of the hundreds of thousands of people in the state who open carry. "So it really is a very unusual situation, very unique," Clark said.

» Puzzle 2: Brain Food  

Weight in my belly, Trees on my back, Nails in my ribs, Feet do I lack.

What am I?

» Something you might enjoy…  

In 2005, YouTube changed the internet forever. It is now available in 22 languages. Check out this one…

Summer songs were big hits in my youth. Remember Chad and Jeremy? Click Here!

» Calendar Information    

¤ Today’s Number One Songs in…

For anyone interested, all these songs are available on iTunes.

"Music, once admitted to the soul, becomes a sort of spirit, and never dies." ~ Edward Bulwer-Lytton.

1941: Maria Elena; Jimmy Dorsey

1951: How High the Moon; Les Paul & Mary Ford

1961: Moody River; Pat Boone Click Here!

1971: I Feel the Earth Move; Carole King

1981: Bette Davis Eyes; Kim Carnes

¤ Observance Weeks in June

10-17: Superman Week and Nursing Assistants Week

13-19: National Flag Week

¤ Today’s Observances—US/UN/World

Abused Women and Children's Awareness Day

Kitchen Klutzes Of America Day

Multicultural American Child Awareness Day

National Juggling Day

Race Unity Day

¤ Today’s Observances—by country

Yemen Arab Rep : Reform Movement Day

¤ Today’s Births

Artists, Writers, and Composers

Christo, 75, conceptual artist (Running Fence, Valley Curtain), born Christo Javacheff at Babrovo, Bulgaria

William Butler Yeats, poet, born in 1865 Sandymount, County Dublin, Ireland

Athletes

Red (Harold) Grange Pro and College Football Hall of Fame, born in 1903 Forksville, PA

Entertainers

Tim Allen, 57, comedian, actor (“Home Improvement,” Galaxy Quest), born Denver, CO

Paul Lynde, comedian, born in 1926 Mt Vernon Ohio

Ashley Olsen and Mary-Kate Olsen, 24, actress (“Full House,” “Two of a Kind”), born Los Angeles, CA

Basil Rathbone (Philip St. John), actor (Sherlock Holmes) , born in 1892 Johannesburg S Africa

Richard Thomas, 59, actor (“The Waltons,” Roots: The Next Generations), born New York, NY

Mary Wickes , actress, born in 1912 St Louis Mo

Business, Education Persons

--

Political Persons

Ban Ki-Moon, 66, UN Secretary-General, born Eumseong, Korea

Scientists /Religious Persons

James Clerk Maxwell physicist, formulated electromagnetic theory, born in 1831 Edinburgh, Scotland

¤ Today’s Happenings

In The Arts

1789 ►Mrs. Alexander Hamilton served a new dessert treat for General George Washington. The highlight of the dinner party was ice cream!

In Athletics

1973 ►Garvey, Lopes, Cey & Russell play together for 1st time, set record of staying together as an infield for 8+ years (LA Dodgers)

In Business or Education

2002 ►After nearly 1 week forest fires which began in Pike National Forest on Saturday in Colorado have destroyed nearly 100,000 acres of land are coming under control by the 2,800 firefighters

In Politics

1660 ►Wamsetta, a WAMPANOAG, and his younger brother, Metacomet (various spellings), have requested "English" names from the Plymouth court. Today, their names will be officially be changed to Alexander and Philip Pokanoket. Philip would eventually be called "King Philip."

1774 ►Rhode Island becomes 1st colony to prohibit importation of slaves

1798 ►Mission San Luis Rey de Francia founded in California

1888 ►Congress creates the Department of Labor

1986 ►Following the civil unrest in South Africa Bishop Desmond Tutu , winner of the 1984 Nobel Prize for Peace, meets with South African President P.W. Botha to discuss the nationwide state of emergency declared by Botha.

In Science/ Religion

1933 ►1st sodium vapor lamps installed (Schenectady NY): Now used by most Dark Sky cities

¤ Today’s Obits

Alexander the Great dies of fever at Babylon, assassinated @ 32 in 323 -BC-

Tom C Clark former Supreme Court Justice, @ 77 in 1977

Benny Goodman the clarinet playing King of Swing, @ 77 in 1986

Geraldine Page actress (Blue & Gray), heart attack @ 62 in 1987

» ANSWERS to Puzzle 1    

above, adverb, ave, aver, brave, braved, braver, bravo, bravoed, deva, dove, drove, drover, ova, over, OVERBOARD, OVERBROAD, overdo, rave, raved, raver, rev, rove, roved, rover, var, verb, voe.

» ANSWERS to Brain Food  

A ship

» PIC of the Day  

I have always been fascinated with ‘sky’ pictures. While traveling I always try to take pictures of clouds, sunrise, sunset, panoramas with mostly sky. These pics are not mine, but it’s nice to learn that others are also fascinated by the sky. During the month of June I’ll be doing ‘sun rays’. Click Here!

   «»«»«»«»«»«»«»  

Saturday 6-12

»Week 23 of 2010:163 days this year…202 days remain:

Day 54 of the BP oil spill

» Something To Think About  

You are educated. Your certification is in your degree. You may think of it as the ticket to the good life. Let me ask you to think of an alternative. Think of it as your ticket to change the world.

--Tom Brokaw

» Random Fact    

The largest producer of gold is South Africa.

¤ Holy Mackerel: On this day in 1975 ►Indira Gandhi , the prime minister of India, is found guilty of electoral corruption in her successful 1971 campaign. Gandhi refused to give up India's top office and later declared martial law in the country when public demonstrations threatened to topple her administration.

» Free Ramblings    

A friend of mine is painting a mural here in Flagstaff. I have known Redwing since he was Ted. He has been an artist since, well forever. He has been a well known Dine’ artist since he graduated from High School. He went the LA Olympics with us, to share his art with the world. He is an old fashioned artist with several patrons who have is art in California, the UK, and a few other countries. He started a foundation a few years ago to save the old Bitahochee Trading Post. [Bitahochee is a NAVAJO word meaning red rock running through].Back in the day, the trading post was the first stop from Holbrook on the rez. He spent many hours as a child there, meeting people, learning, experiencing life. He wrote and illustrated Forbidden Talent about growing up on the Rez. While I was at Tuba, he met with students and shared his book and the process of making the book. Great experience for our students. He has been credited in several movies that were filmed on the Rez. He is now busy setting up a gallery, artist-in-residence program, a learning center and much more at the old Trading Post. This year he turned 50. He started school with no English knowledge, was raised traditionally, and his art shows that background. The Flagstaff Visitors Center is having him paint a huge mural outside. He was selected from many other entries. It is exciting to watch the mural change daily. More exciting is to watch the many visitors who stop by and watch the work. Flagstaff made a good choice in selecting Redwing. When it is finished later this summer it will be yet another reason to visit Flagstaff. Click Here!

Interestingly, some Brits are upset with our President. They don’t like him or his staff referring to BP as British Petroleum. They changed their name a few years back from British Petroleum to BP. Their ads back then included the tag line “BP—Beyond Petroleum”. I get that BP is the largest company in the UK; it is one of the largest companies in the whole world. Failure of the company would cause the UK, and the world, to face another financial crisis. Of course, the BP oil spill is already causing a global environmental crisis that continues to worsen. I have to wonder how the Brits would feel if the spill had been in the North Sea, in their back yard.

The World Cup has begun. There was great kick-off concert on TV tonight. ESPN will be carrying games for the next month. My South African FB friends are in a frenzy over this event. I am lucky enough to have seen the stadium in J-burg and the one in Cape Town. I sure hope they got the traffic situation figured out. When I was there they were busy building several highways in both towns, but many in SA were concerned that they wouldn’t be ready. The US team is not expected to win, but should make it through at least two rounds. The Cup is only played every played every 4 years. This year has 55 countries sending a team. It is estimated that 2.2 billion people watched the final game in 2006. Many black South Africans are hoping these games will be another step to move past apartheid. Sadly, I read that many immigrants in the poorest areas of J-burg and Cape Town are being told that they need to return to their neighboring homeland when the games are over, or face violence. Sad.

Another breezy day here in Flag. It was nice to have a day with a high of only 68°. It looked like it was going to rain several times today, but alas, the 20mph wind with gusts of 35mph, did little more than blow the rain clouds out of the area. Then suddenly, out of nowhere we had some lightning, some thunder, and some huge rain drops. The smell of fresh rain now permeates the area. Very nice shower!!!

» Puzzle 1  

Given below are five pairs of words. Each pair sounds similar, but have different meanings (they are homonyms). Can you figure out the pairs?

Lift high - Bring down, destroy

Plant with ears - Labyrinth

Burial/Cremation formalities - Uses a pen and paper and forms legible words

To communicate with God - Carnivore's target

Watery part of milk that separates when milk turns to curds - The route or the course traveled from one place to another

» A Quick Smile…    

My wife and I were having a very hypothetical discussion: In the unlikely event that Hollywood made a movie based on our lives, we wondered what stars would play us.

"Who would you pick to portray you?" she asked me.

I thought about it for a minute, then answered, "George Clooney."

"In that case," she said, "I'll play myself."

» Side Show Stories    

USA Today: Betty Lou Lynn, 83, was mugged and had her wallet stolen in her new hometown of Mount Airy, N.C., in April. Lynn is the actress who played Barney Fife's best girl, Thelma Lou, in the Andy Griffith TV show and had lived in Los Angeles until she became alarmed at the city's crime rate. She decided in 2007 to move to the quieter, peaceful Mount Airy, which was Griffith's birthplace and the model for the TV town of Mayberry.

» Puzzle 2: Brain Food  

Glittering points that downward thrust,

Sparkling spears that never rust.

What is it?

» Something you might enjoy…  

In 2005, YouTube changed the internet forever. It is now available in 22 languages. Check out this one…

This is an aerial view of Flagstaff’s San Francisco Peaks. The peaks are sacred to many AZ native tribes, and can be seen for miles around Flagstaff. Click Here!

» Calendar Information      

¤ Today’s Number One Songs in…

For anyone interested, all these songs are available on iTunes.

"Music, once admitted to the soul, becomes a sort of spirit, and never dies." ~ Edward Bulwer-Lytton.

1930: When It's Springtime in the Rockies; Ben Selvin

1940: Tuxedo Junction; Glenn Miller

1950: 'The Third Man' Theme; Anton Karas

1960: Cathy's Clown; The Everly Brothers

1970: The Long and Winding Road; The Beatles

1980: Funkytown; Lipps, Inc.

¤ Observance Weeks in June

6-12: National Headache Awareness Week

10-17: Superman Week and Nursing Assistants Week

¤ Today’s Observances—US/UN/World

Crowded Nest Awareness Day

Loving Day since 1967 when Supreme Court allowed interracial marriage

Raggedy Ann & Andy Day

Ride The Wind Day, Ride For Wind Day or World Wind Day

The Wicket World of Croquet Day

World Day Against Child Labor

¤ Today’s Observances—by country

Brazil: Dia dos Namorados, Brazilian Valentine's Day

Finland: Helsinki Day (1550)

Paraguay: Chaco Armistice Day (1935 over territory with Bolivia)

Philippines: Independence Day (1898 from Spain)

Turk & Cacios Island: Constitution Day

¤ Today’s Births

   Artists, Writers, and Composers

Annelies Marie "Anne" Frank, diarist/Nazi victim, born in 1929 Frankfurt am Main in Weimar Germany

Charles Kingsley, clergyman/novelist (Westward Ho!), born in 1819 Holne, Devon, England

   Athletes

Marv Albert, 67, sportscaster, born Marvin Philip Aufrichtig at New York, NY

   Entertainers

Irwin Allen, “The Master of Disaster ” producer, director: Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, The Towering Inferno, Beyond the Poseidon Adventure, born in 1916 New York City

Vic Damone [Vito Farinola], 82, singer (“On the Street Where You Live”), born Brooklyn

Kent Jones, 46, American journalist (The Rachel Maddow Show) born in Missouri

Jim Nabors, 78, actor (“The Andy Griffith Show,” “Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.”), singer, born Sylacauga, AL--and he can sing: Click Here! (My HS Class Song)

   Business, Education Persons

David Rockefeller, 95, banker, born New York, NY

   Political Persons

George Herbert Walker Bush, 86, 41st president of the US, born Milton, MA

   Scientists /Religious Persons

Fritz Albert Lipmann, American biochemist, Nobel laureate born in 1899 Königsberg, Germany

Bert Sakmann, 68,German physiologist, Nobel laureate born in Stuttgart, Germany

¤ Today’s Happenings

   In The Arts

1947 ►People gathered around the radio to listen to Sergeant Preston of The Yukon for the firsttime. The show, with the Canadian Mountie and his trusty dog, King, continued on the radio until 1955 (and on TV from 1955-1958). Sgt. Preston was created by George W. Trendle and Fran Striker, who also created The Lone Ranger and The Green Hornet.

   In Athletics

1839 ►1st baseball game played in America

1939 ►The Baseball Hall of Fame opens in Cooperstown, New York.

1981 ►Larry Holmes, 31, defended his heavyweight boxing title by earning a third-round TKO(technical knockout) over Leon Spinks

   In Business or Education

1997 ►Queen Elizabeth II reopens the Globe Theatre in London.

   In Politics

1665 ►English rename New Amsterdam, New York, after Dutch pull out

1756 ►DELAWARE Indians, led by King Beaver, will attack the fortified garrison in Juniata County, Pennsylvania, called Bingham's Fort. The number of settlers killed or captured was estimated to be as many as two dozen.

1903 ►Niagara Falls, Ontario incorporated as a city

1964 ►South Africa sentences Nelson Mandela to life imprisonment

1987 ►While standing in front of the Berlin Wall President Ronald Reagan challenges Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev to tear down the Wall.

1994 ►Nicole Brown Simpson, O.J. Simpson's ex-wife, and her friend Ron Goldman are brutally stabbed to death outside Nicole's home in Brentwood, California

   In Science/ Religion

2004 ►A 1.3 kilogram chondrite type meteorite strikes a house in Ellerslie, New Zealandcausing serious damage but no injuries.

¤ Today’s Obits

Medgar Evers, NAACP official, murdered in Jackson, Miss @ 37 in 1963

Saul David Alinsky, radical writer, founder of modern community action, heart attack @ 63 in 1972

Milburn Stone, actor (Doc-Gunsmoke), @ 75 in 1980

» ANSWERS to Puzzle 1    

Raise - Raze

Maize - Maze

Rites - Writes

Pray - Prey

Whey - Way

» ANSWERS to Brain Food  

an icicle

» PIC of the Day  

I have always been fascinated with ‘sky’ pictures. While traveling I always try to take pictures of clouds, sunrise, sunset, panoramas with mostly sky. These pics are not mine, but it’s nice to learn that others are also fascinated by the sky. During the month of June I’ll be doing ‘sun rays’.

Click Here!

   «»«»«»«»«»«»«»  

Friday 6-11

»Week 23 of 2010: 162 days this year...203 days remain:
Day 53 of the BP Oil Spill

» Something To Think About  

You cannot help but learn more as you take the world into your hands. Take it up reverently, for it is an old piece of clay, with millions of thumbprints on it.

--John Updike

» Random Fact    

A turkey can run at 20 mph.

¤ Holy Mackerel: On this day in 1987 ►Margaret Thatcher wins general election after another landslide victory over the Labour Party—1st time in 160 years for PM to be elected 3 times in a row

» Free Ramblings    

What the hell is going on in AZ? Many of us are aware of SB1070 and are against it. Many in this state are behind it. Now we learn that many of the pro-1970 rallies have been infiltrated by various hate groups. These hate groups are against any immigration—legal and illegal. The Southern Poverty Law Center says there is twice the number of hate groups operating in AZ today than there were a decade ago. Many who attend these rallies may not be ‘haters’ but they are hearing from members of hate groups. The head guy from FAIR, who actually wrote the bill for AZ is considered a member of a hate group by SPLC. Our governor, our legislature, and many of our citizens are being used to spread the message of hate. No matter where you stand on immigration, remember, this country was built by immigrants. Thanks to Ancestory.com and other sites, every non-full blood Native American can trace their family to an arrival on the shore. Many came legally, many did not. Those who were brought from Africa to work the fields as slaves may or may not have been ‘legal’, but back then, they were not counted as whole human beings. Immigration is and always has been a problem. Those in power always want to control those not in power. Quotas have always been one of our ‘legal’ way of deciding who will be good for the country and who won’t be. It is time to look at the big picture. We do need to know who is here. We don’t need to make people wait up to 20 years to get here legally. As a young child I was involved in a couple of immigration issues. First, one of my dad’s Army buddies was stationed in England when the war ended. Long story short, his English girl friend got pregnant. Robert came home and started working on getting Marjorie over here. By the time it was over, Julian, their son, was two. My parents had to stand up for Bob and Marjorie so she could become an American citizen. It was a big deal. My grandparents rented the basement of their large home in the 50’s. Somehow, they got on a list that provided Eastern European families housing. These families were refugees from the communist take-over. Each family had a sponsoring family in Denver. Over the years, there were five or six different couples who rented. They had trouble communicating, trouble learning the American culture, but they all succeeded. Finally our neighbors sponsored a German couple who eventually got their citizenship and bought the house of their sponsors. They became good friends and I was the one who suggested the names for their twin boys. Years later, Lilo brought her sister over. The sister had a hard time adjusting to American values and after being here several years, waiting to get her citizenship, got hooked up with a bad crowd. Sadly, the sister was murdered a few months before she got her citizenship.

While I realize this is a small sample and is totally anecdotal, I can’t shake it from my thought process. All these people came to the US for a better life. They had to accept the harsh reality that living in America was not easy. More importantly they learned that much of what they had been told in their home country about the glory of America was something that had to be worked for and it was hard work. I find it hard to believe that the immigrants of today are not coming here for a better life. Most will succeed and make our country richer, a few will fail. I sure hope the hate groups that are aligning with the pro-1070 folks don’t become more powerful.

PAC 10 is going to be PAC 11, or maybe more. I’m excited, living here in AZ and still having loyalty to my alma mater, University of Colorado. When I was at CU we were in the Big 8, which later become the Big 12. If too many other teams join the old PAC 10, as is expected, the Big 12 may be no more. This new alignment will allow me to see a lot more CU games, maybe some in person down at ASU. Go Buffs. Much of this major realignment of teams across the country is for the money the Universities receive for TV rights. I’m not real happy about that, but this change will be good for the many CU fans in AZ. Our local Lumberjacks never get TV time, except away games on the local cable channel. No big bucks there. I usually attend one game a year for NAU. The university is remodeling the Skydome—our indoor field, and I will probably attend a few more games when the Skydome reopens—just to see what they have done. For the first few years after the Dome opened, I attended most home games, the NAU team was never that good, and after getting my Masters, I really cut back on games.

We had our weekly lunch today. Cheryl had a great visit with her son, daughter-in-law and grandkids last weekend. She is about 6 hours from them so she can go just about any time she the mood hits her. She had some really cute school pictures. Digital photography has really improved the school picture business. This photographer did full body shots with a great background. Technology does make some things easier. I was also happy to find out that both Cheryl and Mary are having problems with AOL. My freeze ups and inability always open email on the first try are obviously not my computer. AOL used to be the leader in email technology. They got too big and forgot about their customers. I am ready to drop my AOL accounts but will give them a little more time before I do that.

Flag was really breezy today. I was awakened several times by the wind blowing though my open bedroom window. Finally about 4am I was fed up with waking up and closed the window. That was too late, and I have been tired all day. It only got to 79° which was nice, if I didn’t mind the 20mph steady wind with gusts up to 35mph. The good part of this—the wind is blowing in some moisture. Sure would be nice it it was the beginning of the monsoons—which aren’t due until July. A light shower every afternoon would sure be nice.

» Puzzle 1  

When do you start on red and stop on green?

» A Quick Smile…    

A man and his wife are sitting in the living room and he says to her, "Just so you know, I never want to live in a vegetative state dependent on some machine. If that ever happens, just pull the plug."

"OK," says his wife as she gets up and unplugs the TV.

» Side Show Stories    

NAPERVILLE, Il: - An Illinois student accused of throwing condoms filled with vomit at a college security officer said the liquid was actually a mixture of ketchup and water. Tyler Wilfley, 19, a student at North Central College, was charged with battery and disorderly conduct for allegedly lobbing the liquid-filled condoms at the security officer from a parking deck in Naperville at about 2 a.m. May 28, the Arlington Heights (Ill.) Daily Herald reported Tuesday.

Police said at least two "vomit-filled condoms" were thrown at the officer during the incident, splashing their contents on his car and clothing. Police "thought it was vomit because it had a foul odor, but in reality it was ketchup and water," Wilfley told the Daily Herald. "I didn't throw it at the officer, either. It was thrown at the hood of the car and ended up splashing him in the process." North Central spokesman Ted Slowik said officials will schedule a disciplinary hearing for Wilfley allegedly "violating the college's conduct policies."

» Puzzle 2: Brain Food  

If a man carried my burden, / He would break his back.

I am not rich, / But I leave silver in my track.

What am I?

» Something you might enjoy…  

In 2005, YouTube changed the internet forever. It is now available in 22 languages. Check out this one…

John Wayne’s Tribute to America  Click HERE!

» Calendar Information    

¤ Today’s Number One Songs in…

For anyone interested, all these songs are available on iTunes.

"Music, once admitted to the soul, becomes a sort of spirit, and never dies." ~ Edward Bulwer-Lytton.

1949: Riders in the Sky (A Cowboy Legend)-- Vaughn Monroe Click Here to hear Orignial!

1959: The Battle of New Orleans-- Johnny Horton Click Here!

1969: Get Back-- The Beatles

1979: Hot Stuff-- Donna Summer

1989: I'll Be Loving You (Forever)-- New Kids on the Block

¤ Observance Weeks in June

6-12: National Headache Awareness Week

10-17: Superman Week and Nursing Assistants Week

¤ Today’s Observances—US/UN/World

Corn on the Cob Day

National Hug Holiday

National Impressionists Day

King Kamehameha Day--Hawaii

¤ Today’s Observances—by country

Nova Scotia, Canada: Davis Day (To honor Wm Davis, killed in 1925) now to honor all miners who have died on the job in Nova Scotia.

¤ Today’s Births

   Artists, Writers, and Composers

Frank O. King, "Gasoline Alley" cartoonist, born in 1883 Cashton, WI

Richard Strauss, composer (Till Eulenspiegel), born in 1864 Munchen Germany

   Athletes

Vincent Thomas Lombardi NFL coach (Green Bay Packers), born in 1913 Brooklyn , NY

Joseph C. (Joe) Montana, Jr, 54, former sportscaster and Hall of Fame football player (49ers, Chiefs), born New Eagle, PA

Risë Stevens (Risë Steenberg), mezzo-soprano: New York Metropolitan Opera, born in 1913 NYC

Jackie Stewart, 71, former auto racer, born Dunbartonshire, Scotland

   Entertainers

Tab Hunter (Arthur Andrew Kelm), 79, actor, born in NYC

Hugh Laurie, 51, actor (“House,” “Jeeves & Wooster”), born Oxford, Oxfordshire, England

Gene Wilder (Jerome Silberman), 71, actor (The Producers, Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory, Blazing Saddles, Young Frankenstein), director, born Milwaukee, WI

   Business, Education Persons

Lawrence (Edmund) Spivak, TV host: Meet the Press, born in 1900 Brooklyn, NY

   Political Persons

Dame Millicent Garrett Fawcett, leader of English women's movement, born in 1847 Aldeburgh, Suffolk

Jeannette Rankin, 1st woman elected to US Congress (from Montana), born in 1880 Missoula, MT

   Scientists /Religious Persons

Jacques-Yves Cousteau, oceanic explorer / photographer aboard Calypso, born in 1910 Saint-André-de-Cubzac, Gironde, France

Maurice Paul Auguste Charles Fabry, found ozone layer in upper atmosphere, born in 1867 Marseille, France

¤ Today’s Happenings

   In The Arts

1937 ►Marx Brothers' "A Day At The Races" released

1982 ►Steven Spielberg’s E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial opened.

1993 ►Steven Spielberg’s Jurassic Park opened

   In Athletics

1919 ►Sir Barton becomes 1st horse to win the Triple Crown

1977 ►Seattle Slew wins Triple Crown

In Business or Education

1977 ►Main Street Electrical Parade premiers in Disneyland and Disney World

   In Politics

1770 ►Capt Cook runs aground on Australian Great Barrier Reef

1859 ►Comstock silver load discovered near Virginia City, Nevada

1896 ►US Assay Office in Deadwood, South Dakota authorized

1939 ►The King George VI and Queen Elizabeth (Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon; later known as the Queen Mother) of Great Britain were in America to visit with President and Mrs. Franklin D. Roosevelt.

1963 ►Gov Wallace tries to prevent blacks registering at U of Alabama

1990 ►UN appoints Olivia Newton-John environmental ambassador

In Science/ Religion

1936 ►Presbyterian Church of America founded at Philadelphia

1944 ►1st Serbian Orthodox cathedral in US, Cathedral of St Sava, NYC

2009 ►The World Health Organization declares H1N1 influenza strain, commonly referred to as "swine flu", as a global pandemic

¤ Today’s Obits

Quang Duc, Buddhist monk, immolates himself on a street in Saigon @ 66 in 1963

Frank Laubach, founded internat’l reading through phonetics program (Each One, Teach One), @ 86 in 1970

John Wayne, actor, dies of cancer @ 72 in 1979

Karen Ann Quinlan, right to die patient @ 31 in 1985

» ANSWERS to Puzzle 1    

When you are eating a watermelon.

» ANSWERS to Brain Food  

A snail

» PIC of the Day  

I have always been fascinated with ‘sky’ pictures. While traveling I always try to take pictures of clouds, sunrise, sunset, panoramas with mostly sky. These pics are not mine, but it’s nice to learn that others are also fascinated by the sky. During the month of June I’ll be doing ‘sun rays’.

Not sure where this was taken: Click Here!

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Thurs 6-10

»Week 23 of 2010: 161 days this year…204 days remain:

Day 52 of the BP oil spill≈

» Something To Think About  

Sooner or later we all discover that the important moments in life are not the advertised ones, not the birthdays, the graduations, the weddings, not the great goals achieved. The real milestones are less repossessing. They come to the door of memory unannounced, stray dogs that amble in, sniff around a bit and simply never leave. Our lives are measured by these.

--Susan B. Anthony (1820-1906) American reformer

» Random Fact    

The tongue is the fastest healing part of the body.

¤ Holy Mackerel: On this day in 1980 ►Nelson Mandela the imprisoned leader of the African National Congress (ANC) makes public a statement from a letter written by Nelson Mandela and smuggled out of prison "UNITE! MOBILISE! FIGHT ON! BETWEEN THE ANVIL OF UNITED MASS ACTION AND THE HAMMER OF THE ARMED STRUGGLE WE SHALL CRUSH APARTHEID!"

» Free Ramblings    

Flagstaff has serious financial problems. The local School Board has been working for months to decide which schools to close, how to realign the school structure to save bucks and still offer an appropriate AZ education to the students. The newest high school building is closing. They graduated their first class in 1992. Now they are no more. South Beaver Elem is also closing. It was one of the first schools in the city. Another elem. school is closing as is a middle school. Students will now attend K-5, then a 6-8 school, then a 9-12 school. I grew up in a K-6, 7-9, 10-12 system and it worked. The bureau has a K-8, 9-12 system and that works too. I’m sure this one will work too. There are several disturbing things about this realignment. First, the board and the central office administration is so uninformed that they tried to do this back in February, but found out that the state has laws about closing schools. Duh. Secondly, kids are home and won’t find out for sure what school they will attend until ‘late summer.’ Hopefully the older kids will know before summer athletic activities get started. Student Government has already been elected, cheerleaders have been selected. The ‘new’ kids will be left out in the cold. Also, those students elected to serve the closing schools are out too. Very poor planning. Thirdly, the jobs are also an issue. Teachers, aides, administrators, nurses, janitors, and kitchen staff won’t know where they are working, or even if they are working until later in the summer. Seniority will play its role, but since our town pays low salaries this adds to the problem. As a university town, with many education majors, there is always a big pool of ‘locals’ to fill positions. It is well known around town that a teacher’s salary doesn’t provide adequate income to raise a family—not uncommon in tourist towns or university towns with a school of education. I know several people who live in Flagstaff and work in schools on the reservation or the nearest town, Winslow. Finally the closing of these schools is only a bandage to the real problem in Flagstaff—finding the best teachers to teach the students from a good curriculum. Flagstaff will lose some good hard working educators and support staff by this move. They have not even talked about what this decision will do for the education of students—only that it will save money.

BP continues to lie. The National Guard and the state of LA are now using low tech vacuums to suck up the oil at the shore and in the wetlands. They work. The amount of oil leaking has gone from BP’s estimate of 1000 barrels (42,000 gallons) a day to now somewhere around 25,000 barrels (2 million gallons) per day. BP continues to say there are no plumes, yet numerous scientists say the plumes are everywhere. BP’s website continues to say on its website that their cut and paste response talks about how they will protect the walrus. Walrus do not live in the Gulf, they live in the North Sea. I say it is time to take the Tony Hayward—the CEO—commercials OFF THE AIR. They are nothing but lies. Every piece of information delivered to news agencies and the US Congress are delivered by lawyers. CNN has had a gallon counter on its channel for about two weeks. They removed it today, because they admit they now realize that it is not accurate. Not accurate because it is high, but not accurate because is low. BP also refuses to be interviewed on CNN.

Flagstaff had a great weather day. We were a bit breezy, but the 82° was quite nice. It is nice to be able to enjoy the great weather.

» Puzzle 1  

D

N

A

T

S , D

» A Quick Smile…    

When my boss returned to the office, he was told that everyone had been looking for him. That set him off on a speech about how indispensable he was to the company.

"Actually," interrupted his assistant, "you left with the key to the stationery closet."

» Side Show Stories    

SYDNEY - The owner of a Sydney restaurant said he set a world record by making a 210-pound hamburger from 178 pounds of beef and 120 eggs. Joe El-Ajouz, owner of Ambrosia On The Spot, said it took 24 hours to create the burger, including 12 hours just to cook the patty, and it required four men to flip, The (Sydney) Daily Telegraph reported Monday. "I've always wanted to break a world record and this is a bit of fun and a marketing tool to get people in here and get them talking," El-Ajouz said.

The patty was topped with 16 tomatoes, 120 slices of cheese, four pounds of lettuce, a pound of barbecue sauce and placed between 46 pounds of bread. The previous record holder for the world's largest burger was made in the United States and weighed 185 pounds.

» Puzzle 2: Brain Food  

If you break me, / I do not stop working.

If you touch me, / I may be snared.

If you lose me, / Nothing will matter.

What am I?

» Something you might enjoy…  

In 2005, YouTube changed the internet forever. It is now available in 22 languages. Check out this one…

Remember this song? Click Here!

» Calendar Information    

¤ Today’s Number One Songs in…

For anyone interested, all these songs are available on iTunes.

"Music, once admitted to the soul, becomes a sort of spirit, and never dies." ~ Edward Bulwer-Lytton.

1948: Nature Boy; King Cole

1958: Purple People Eater; Sheb Wooley

1968: Mrs. Robinson; Simon & Garfunkel

1978: You're the One That I Want; John Travolta & Olivia Newton-John

1988: One More Try; George Michael

¤ Observance Weeks in June

6-12: National Headache Awareness Week

10-17: Superman Week and Nursing Assistants Week

¤ Today’s Observances—US/UN/World

National Yo-Yo Day

Ball Point Pen Day

Iced Tea Day

Nursing Assistants Day

¤ Today’s Observances—by country

Argentina: Affirmation of Argentina's Rights over the Malvinas

Azore: Camoes Day (1580)

Cape Verde, Maderia: National Day (1580)

French Guiana: Abolition Day

Portugal: Day of Portugal (1580)

Republic of the Congo: Reconciliation Day

¤ Today’s Births

Artists, Writers, and Composers

Saul Bellow, author (Mr Sammler's Planet), born in 1914 Lachine, Quebec

Frederick Loewe, composer/partner of Learner, born in 1904 Berlin, Germany

Maurice Sendak, 82, author/illustrator (Where The Wild Things Are), born in Brooklyn, NY

Athletes

Dan Fouts, 59, Pro Football Hall of Famer: Chargers quarter back, born in San Francisco , CA

Tara Lipinski, 28, figure skater, born Philadelphia, PA

Ken (Kenneth Wayne) Singleton, 63, baseball: Mets, Expos, Orioles, born in Manhattan, NYC
Entertainers

Judy Garland [Frances Gumm], Mich, actress/singer (Wizard of Oz), born in 1922 Grand Rapids, MI

Hattie McDaniel, Academy Award-winning actress: Gone with the Wind [1939]: 1st African-American to win Oscar, born in 1895 Wichita, Kansas

Business, Education Persons

F. Lee Bailey, 77, lawyer, born Waltham, MA

Political Persons

John Edwards, 57, former US Senator (D, North Carolina), born Seneca, SC

Bobby Jindal, 39, Governor of Louisiana (R), born Piyush Jindal at Baton Rouge, LA

Rose Moffard, 88, former non-elected AZ Governor, born in Globe, Arizona

Prince Philip, 89, Duke of Edinburgh, husband of Queen Elizabeth II, born Corfu, Greece

Scientists /Religious Persons

John Morgan, American physician-in-chief of Continental Army, born in 1735

¤ Today’s HappeningsIn the Arts

1939►Chales S Frazier and Beryl Louise Webster began a successful 55 year marriage in Denver, CO

In Athletics

1981 ►Pete Rose of the Philadelphia Phillies singled off of Houston pitcher Nolan Ryan to tie Stan Musial’s baseball career-hit total at 3,630

In Business or Education

1854 ►The U.S. Naval Academy at Annapolis, MD graduated its first class

1902 ►Patent for window envelope granted to H.F. Callahan

1935 ►In New York City, two recovering alcoholics, found Alcoholics Anonymous (A.A.), a 12-step rehabilitation program that eventually helps countless people cope with alcoholism (Dr. Robert Smith & Bill Wilson)

1977 ►Apple Computer ships its 1st Apple II

In Politics

1610 ►1st Dutch settlers arrive (from NJ), to colonize Manhattan Island

1639 ►1st American log cabin at Fort Christina (Wilmington Delaware)

1924 ►1st political convention broadcast on radio-Republicans at Cleveland

1943 ►FDR becomes 1st US pres to visit a foreign country during wartime

1977 ►James Earl Ray (Martin Luther King's killer) escapes from max security prison; recaptured three days later

In Science/ Religion

1752 ►Ben Franklin's kite is struck by lightning

¤ Today’s Obits

Jack Johnson, 1st black heavyweight champion, car accident @ 68 in 1946

Michael Rennie, actor (Day the Earth Stood Still), heart attack @ 61 in 1971

Louis L'Amour, western writer, cancer @ 80 in 1988

» ANSWERS to Puzzle 1    

Stand up comedy (stand up comma D)

» ANSWERS to Brain Food  

One's heart

» PIC of the Day  

I have always been fascinated with ‘sky’ pictures. While traveling I always try to take pictures of clouds, sunrise, sunset, panoramas with mostly sky. These pics are not mine, but it’s nice to learn that others are also fascinated by the sky. During the month of June I’ll be doing ‘sun rays’.

Double sun rays through an arch at Arches National Park, Utah

Click Here!

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Wednesday 6-9

»Week 23 of 2010: 160 days this year…205 days remain:

Day 51of the BP oil spill

» Something To Think About  

It is not a disgrace not to reach the stars, but it is a disgrace to have no stars to reach for.

--Benjamin Elijah Mays, American educator

» Random Fact    

More than half of the coastline of the entire United States is in Alaska.

¤ Holy Mackerel: On this day in 1966 ►5 Minn Twins (Rich Rollins, Zolio Versailes, Tony Oliva, Don Michner, & Harmon Killebrew) all homer in the 7th inning to beat Athletics 9-4

» Free Ramblings    

Our first fire of the season started today—man caused. The fire is near the road that encircles San Francisco Peaks. Luckily it is not a windy day, and the fire is only about 6 acres. I understand that the National Forest needs to be open to the public. I, like many others, enjoy our forest. Whenever I head to the forest, I make sure that all I leave are footprints. I find it so hard to believe that people aren’t more careful. The forest is for all to enjoy and for none to destroy. I hope that the fire starter is found and pays for the damage to the forest and the man-hours it takes to stop the fire. Once a fire starts, it takes years to rebuild that part of the forest. In 2010 carelessness should be punished. Everyone knows that the forest is dry from the spring winds just after a wet winter encouraged spring growth. Our town, our county, and our state are broke. There was in interesting letter to the editor today regarding families that have second homes here in Flagstaff. The writer suggested either a course or a handbook on Flagstaff 101. The plan would be to inform visitors and part-time residents of concerns, facts, and ordinances that are in effect in our town. It never hurts to remind or teach people about our town. I realize that reading material is not always read but it does give an opportunity to learn. If the person chooses to ignore the literature, that is their choice. If they break an ordinance or a restriction, then they pay. For the forest, kids playing with matches, adults tossing cigarettes, anyone not making sure their fire is dead out, or just tossing a bottle in the forest will be responsible for any damage that occurs. Much of this is already law, but the forest killer always seems to find a way to not be held responsible. We will always have fires in our forest, but we just have to be vigilant and pay for any mistakes.

My office is carpeted. About two years ago I bought one of those plastic chair mats that keeps my rolling chair from damaging the carpet. The thing has dried out and cracked and is now probably doing more harm to the carpet that not having the mat. I stopped by ye olde office supply store today, and discovered that they now make chair mats that are guaranteed not to crack. Very cool. While it looks like the old mat, it feels different. I sure hope it really works.

My deck was 86° which is a sure lot nicer than the past few days. I finally got both bird baths set up. One hangs from the tree, the other is on the deck. High winds are always a problem for the hanging one, but the other one is fine in the wind. At some point in time I will be putting up my hummingbird feeders. I know there are hummingbirds around, but for some reason, they have a hard time finding my back area. Other units in the complex seem to always have hummingbirds. Maybe it is the barking of the neighbor dogs, or the size of the tree, or maybe it’s just me. I’ll keep trying.

» Puzzle 1  

Who? [Thanks Wes, these are good]

1. sun jack, rue and;

2. con link, ham bra a;

3. sun hairy, yum will;

4. wren boo van, ten mart;

5. land cleave, veer grow;

6. ma bomb oh, rock bah.

» A Quick Smile…    

A woman meant to call a record store, but dialed the wrong number and got a private home instead. "Do you have 'Eyes of Blue' and 'A Love Supreme?'" she asked.

"Well, no," answered the puzzled homeowner. "But I have a wife and nine children."

"Is that a record?" the caller inquired, puzzled in her turn.

"I don't think so," replied the man, "but it's as close as I want to get."

» Side Show Stories    

LONDON, United Kingdom: British Airways has apologized for a picture in a company magazine that showed a boarding pass in the name of Osama bin Laden.

The company said Thursday that the image of the fake boarding pass appeared in LHR News, a biweekly publication for British Airways employees at London Heathrow airport.

"A mistake was made and we are working to find out how this occurred. Apologies for the error," British Airways said in Twitter messages replying to Tweeters who raised the issue.

» Puzzle 2: Brain Food  

All about, but cannot be seen, / Can be captured, cannot be held, / No throat, but can be heard.

What is it?

» Something you might enjoy…  

In 2005, YouTube changed the internet forever. It is now available in 22 languages. Check out this one…

This isn’t Donald Duck’s first, but is still great…from 1952

Click HERE!

» Calendar Information    

¤ Today’s Number One Songs in…

For anyone interested, all these songs are available on iTunes.

"Music, once admitted to the soul, becomes a sort of spirit, and never dies." ~ Edward Bulwer-Lytton.

1947 Mam'selle Art Lund

1957 Love Letters in the Sand Pat Boone

1967 Respect Aretha Franklin

1977 I'm Your Boogie Man K.C. & the Sunshine Band

1987 Always Atlantic Starr

¤ Observance Weeks in June

6-12: National Headache Awareness Week

¤ Today’s Observances—US/UN/World

Donald Duck Day

Oklahoma : Senior Citizens Day

¤ Today’s Observances—by country

Uganda: National Heroes' Day

¤ Today’s Births

Artists, Writers, and Composers

George Axelrod, playwright: Breakfast at Tiffany’s, Bus Stop, The Seven Year Itch, The Manchurian Candidate, born in 1922 New York City

Patricia Cornwell, 54, mystery writer (All That Remains, Postmortem), born Miami, FL

John Howard Payne, US, author/actor/diplomat (Home Sweet Home),born in 1791 New York City

Cole Porter, composer/lyricist (Anything Goes, Kiss Me Kate) ,born in 1893 Peru, Indiana

Athletes

Wayman Tisdale, basketball: Olympic Gold medalist [1984], Univ of Oklahoma [all-American], Pacers, Kings, Suns, born in 1964 Fort Worth, Texas

Dick Vitale, 71, sportscaster, ESPN and ABC analyst, born East Rutherford, NJ

Entertainers

Johnny Depp (John Christopher Depp III), 47, actor (Pirates of the Caribbean films; Public Enemies, Sweeney Todd, Ed Wood), born Owensboro, KY

Michael J. Fox, 49, actor (“Family Ties,” “Spin City,” Back to the Future films), born Edmonton, AB

Jackie Mason, 76, comedian (“Chicken Soup,” The World According to Me), born Yacov Moshe Maza at Sheboygan, WI

Bonnie Tyler [Gaynor Hopkins], 59, rocker (Total Eclipse of the Heart) ,born in Skewen, Neath, South Wales

Business, Education Persons

Marvin Kalb, 80, educator, journalist, born New York, NY

Luis Kutner, attorney: responsible for release of unjustly-held prisoners; wrote the living will concept, born in 1908 Chicago, Illinois

Political Persons

Robert McNamara, U.S. Secretary of Defense in the Kennedy & Johnson administrations; president of World Bank, born in 1916 San Francisco, CA

Scientists /Religious Persons

Les Paul, guitarist/inventor (Les Paul guitar) ,born in 1915 Waukesha WI

George Stephenson, inventor: developer of steam locomotive, born in 1781 Wylam, Northumberland, UK

¤ Today’s Happenings

In The Arts

1934 ►1st showing of a Donald Duck cartoon

1980 ►Comedian Richard Pryor suffers burns from free basing cocaine

In Athletics

1973 ►Secretariat became horse racing's first Triple Crown ( Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes and the Belmont Stakes ) winner in 25 years

In Business or Education

1790 ►1st book copyrighted under the constitution, Philadelphia Spelling Book

1869 ►Charles Elmer Hires sells his 1st root beer (Phila)

In Politics

1534 ►Jacques Cartier 1st sails into mouth of St Lawrence River

1628 ►1st deportation from what is now US, Thomas Morton from Mass

1732 ►Royal charter for Georgia granted to James Oglethorpe

1943 ►New laws are passed which require employers to withhold federal taxes from weekly paychecks. This changed the earlier format where taxes were paid in one lump sum at the end of each year, and has been called "Pay As You Go tax" or “withholding tax”

1969 ►Warren Burger confirmed as US Chief Justice

1970 ►Harry A Blackmun becomes a Supreme Court Justice

In Science/ Religion

1772 ►1st Protestant church west of Penn (in Ohio) holds communion

¤ Today’s Obits

Charles Dickens, author, stroke @ 58 in 1870

Allen Ludden, game show host (Password), cancer @ 63 in 1981
Nero, Roman Emperor commits suicide @ 31 in 68 

» ANSWERS to Puzzle 1

1. Andrew Jackson

2. Abraham Lincoln

3. William Harrison

4. Martin Van Buren

5. Grover Cleavland

6. Barack Obama

» ANSWERS to Brain Food

The wind

» PIC of the Day

I have always been fascinated with ‘sky’ pictures. While traveling I always try to take pictures of clouds, sunrise, sunset, panoramas with mostly sky. These pics are not mine, but it’s nice to learn that others are also fascinated by the sky. During the month of June I’ll be doing ‘sun rays’.

Click HERE!

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Tuesday 6-8

»Week 23 of 2010: 159 days this year…206 days remain

Day 50 of the BP oil spill≈

» Something To Think About  

Imagination is the living power and prime agent of all human perception.

-- Samuel Taylor Coleridge

» Random Fact    

At Boston's Fenway Park, amidst all of the green bleacher seats behind the right field bullpens lies one red seat, signifying the spot where Ted Williams’ mammoth 502-foot home run landed on June 9, 1946.

¤ Holy Mackerel: On this day in 1786 ►1st commercially-made ice cream sold (NY)

» Free Ramblings    

It’s been a busy news day: 1. And the oil continues to flow into the Gulf. I heard today that head of BP just ordered the 1st season DVD of McGyver. Until this order went through, BP has been sending all their research people to the new movie MacGruber—the SNL satire. 2. Obama said he is getting all the information possible on the spill so he will be pissed off at the right people. 3. Steve Jobs announced today the new iPhone and you can have an ‘oil spill’ app for that as soon as someone figures out what to do. 4. BP has paid money to Google and Yahoo so that any ‘oil spill’ related search will list their website in the first 5 to 10 results—not the ads at the top for ‘sponsored links’, but in the actual results. 5. A group of environmental scientists have said that it would be better to euthanize the oiled pelicans, rather than trying to clean them. Why? Because even though they are being taken from LA wetlands and islands, cleaned, and released in eastern Florida, the adults will find their back to their nesting areas and be re-oiled. 6. Helen Thomas has been forced to retire at 89 years old for comments that Israelis should give back Palestinian land and then move back to Europe and America. [I met Ms Thomas back in the 70’s at a small meeting with Pat Nixon while I was in college. She was a firecracker back then, and still seems to be one. She has been sitting in the front row of White House press conferences since JFK.]

It was much cooler today—only 84° on my deck. This was a great relief. It’s amazing how a few degrees makes so much difference. I got my vehicle washed and cleaned up. I was able to take a walk while it was still in the low 70’s. Good day. I want more days like this, and no more days like the past few.

» Puzzle 1  

General Custer is surrounded by Indians and he's the only cowboy left.

He finds an old lamp in front of him and rubs it. Out pops a genie. The genie grants Custer one wish, with a catch. He says, "Whatever you wish for, each Indian will get two of the same thing."

Custer ponders a while and thinks:"If I get a bow and arrow they get two. If I get a rifle they get two!" He then rubs the bottle again and out pops the genie. "Well," the genie asks "have you made up your mind?"

What did Custer ask for to help him get away?

» A Quick Smile…    

When I was a child, I remember my Mom telling me, "Son, when you grow up, you can marry any girl you please."

When I became a young man, I learned the sad fact was that I could not please any of them.

» Side Show Stories    

MOORESVILLE, N.C. - A North Carolina grocery store's highway billboard for a new line of beef is drawing the attention of commuters by radiating the smell of grilling steak. The Mooresville billboard for Bloom grocery stores is wafting the scent of steak along River Highway, using a system created by ScentAir of Charlotte, N.C. Bloom spokeswoman Christy Phillips-Brown said the sign is scheduled to emit the scent every day from 7 to 10 a.m. and 4 to 7 p.m. until June 18. ScentAir marketing director Murray Dameron said the project represents the first roadside advertisement for the custom-scent company, which has designed fragrances and delivery systems for facilities including casinos and hotel lobbies. He said the steak smell is created using a high-powered fan that blows air over cartridges containing fragrance oil. "It's basically a blend of black pepper and kind of a charcoal grilling smell," Dameron said. "It smells like grilled meat with a nice pepper rub on it."

» Puzzle 2: Brain Food  

In a marble hall white as milk / Lined with skin as soft as silk /

Within a fountain crystal-clear / A golden apple doth appear.

No doors there are to this stronghold, Yet thieves break in to steal its gold.

» Something you might enjoy…  

In 2005, YouTube changed the internet forever. It is now available in 22 languages. Check out this one…

Here are some great shots of Norfolk Island (see below)

Click HERE!

» Calendar Information    

¤ Today’s Number One Songs in…

For anyone interested, all these songs are available on iTunes.

"Music, once admitted to the soul, becomes a sort of spirit, and never dies." ~ Edward Bulwer-Lytton.

1946: The Gypsy / The Ink Spots

1956: Heartbreak Hotel / Elvis Presley

1966: Paint It Black / The Rolling Stones

1976: Silly Love Songs / Paul McCartney & Wings

1986: On My Own / Patti LaBelle & Michael McDonald

¤ Observance Weeks in June

6-12: National Headache Awareness Week

¤ Today’s Observances—US/UN/World

Name Your Poison Day

Upsy Daisy Day

World Brain Tumor Day

World Ocean Day

¤ Today’s Observances—by country

Norfolk Island: Bounty Day for the HMS Bounty

Temotu Province or Santa Cruz Islands in Solomon Islands Province Day

¤ Today’s Births

Artists, Writers, and Composers

Scott Adams, 53, cartoonist (“Dilbert”), born Windham, NY

Frank Lloyd Wright, master builder, born in 1867 Richland Center, WI

Athletes

Lindsay Davenport, 34, tennis player, born Palos Verdes, CA

Willie Davenport Olympic Gold Medalist: 110 meter hurdles , born in 1943 Troy, AL

Entertainers

Kathy Baker, 60, actress (“Picket Fences,” The Right Stuff), born Midland, TX

James Darren, 74, singer (“Goodbye Cruel World”), actor (Gidget), born Philadelphia, PA

Don Grady, 66, actor (“My Three Sons,” “Mickey Mouse Club”), born San Diego, CA

Julianna Margulies, 44, actress (“ER”), born Spring Valley, NY

Robert Preston (Meservey), actor: Victor Victoria, The Music Man, born in 1918 Newton, MA

Joan Rivers (Joan Alexandra Molinsky), 77, comedienne, talk show host, born New York

Boz Scaggs, 66, singer, musician, songwriter (Silk Degrees, Middle Man), born Dallas, TX

Nancy Sinatra, 70, singer (“These Boots Are Made for Walkin”), born Jersey City, NJ

Jerry Stiller, 81, comedian, actor (Hairspray, “Seinfeld,” “The King of Queens”), born Brooklyn, NY

Keenen Ivory Wayans, 52, actor (“In Living Color”), born New York, NY

Business, Education Persons

--

Political Persons

Barbara Pierce Bush, 85, former First Lady, wife of George H.W. Bush, 41st president of the US, born Rye, NY

Lt. William Calley, 73, American war criminal—My Lai, Viet Nam,

Ida McKinley (Saxton) First Lady: wife of 25th U.S. President, William McKinley, born in 1847 Canton, OH

Byron R (Whizzer) White , NFLer/Supreme Court Justice, born in 1917 Ft Collins CO

Scientists /Religious Persons

Tim Berners-Lee, 55, inventor of the World Wide Web, born London, England

¤ Today’s Happenings

In The Arts

1998 ►Actor Charlton Heston formally assumed the presidency of the National Rifle Association.

In Athletics

1961 ►A major-league baseball record was set. Four Milwaukee Braves batters hit consecutive home runs in the seventh inning of a game against the Cincinnati Reds.

In Business or Education

1786 ►1st commercially-made ice cream sold (NY)

1824 ►Washing machine patented by Noah Cushing of Quebec

1869 ►Ives W McGaffey of Chicago patents 1st vacuum cleaner

In Politics

452 ►Italy invaded by Attila the Hun

In Science/ Religion

570 ►Relgion of Islam (submission) founded in Mecca

1937 ►World's largest flower blooms in NY Botonical Garden, 12' calla lily

1978 ►Naomi James breaks the solo round-the-world sailing record by two days with her 53 ft yacht Express Crusader when she crossed the finish line in Dartmouth taking 272 days to complete the record.

¤ Today’s Obits

Cochise, Chiricahua Apache leader, stomach cancer @ 69

Mohammed, prophet of Islam (Koran), dies (according to tradition), headache @ 63 in 632

Thomas Paine, writer (Age of Reason, Common Sense), @ 72 in 1809

Robert Taylor, actor (Death Valley Days), lung cancer @ 57 in 1969

» ANSWERS to Puzzle 1    

One Glass Eye

» ANSWERS to Brain Food  

an egg

» PIC of the Day  

I have always been fascinated with ‘sky’ pictures. While traveling I always try to take pictures of clouds, sunrise, sunset, panoramas with mostly sky. These pics are not mine, but it’s nice to learn that others are also fascinated by the sky. During the month of June I’ll be doing ‘sun rays’.

Sun Rays hitting the Alps and Lake Thun on a summer afternoon

Click Here!

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