Thursday July 8

This is Week 27 of 2010, Day 189 with 176 days left. It is Day 80 of the BP Mess.

FREE RAMBLING THOUGHTS

Monsoons are so close I can smell the rain…nothing yet, but maybe tonight.

Spain and Germany had a good soccer game today. Spain triumphed in a good game. So the World Cup has just two games left: Uruguay and Germany play for 3rd and 4th place on Saturday; Netherlands and Spain play for the Championship on Sunday. Both games should be very good. Then everyone goes home and waits for four more years. South Africa seems to have done a good job as host, even with those very loud vuvuzelas.

First we hear that MMS is not really watching over oil companies, and some employees are snorting cocaine while they are at work. Then we find that they never really checked the process for handling deep water drilling. Today we learn that there are thousands of temporarily capped wells that are not ever monitored. Some are capped with metal caps, some with cement caps. They are called ‘temporary’ caps—some are still there since the 1950’s—to save money. If the oil company says the cap is a temporary cap that means two things: it can be reopened to pump more oil at a later date and they don’t have to write the potential oil off their books. Let’s say that a well has the potential of 100 barrels. The oil company pulls out 10 barrels and decides that it is not economically feasible to continue. If they permanently cap the well, they have to take 90 barrels off their books, and they have to be inspected to be sure it is not going to leak. However, if they put a temporary cap on the well, they keep the 90 barrels on their books and no one inspects it. When a well is drilled it has to have a temporary cap after the well is flowing so that the drilling rig can move out and the pumping rig can move in. The Gulf mess we have occurred when something went very wrong as the drillers were attempting to put on the temporary cap. To date we don’t know of any failed temporary caps. We can all hope that the thousands of temporary caps continue to hold and that somehow they get inspected every couple of decades or so.

Flag was very nice today. I did a long walk in the early morning coolness. Then our temperature climbed to 85° and there was basically no breeze. I have a hanging bird bath and I think a squirrel found it as when I left this morning for my walk, it was about ½ full. This afternoon it was bone dry. It was hot and it was dry, but don’t think the birds used that much water, nor do I think it all evaporated.

HOLY MACKEREL: On this date in 1947 ►There were a number of reports of a mysterious flying disc ( Spaceship ) landing in Roswell, New Mexico.

MY QUOTE FOR THE DAY

Victor Hugo: The human soul has still greater need of the ideal than of the real. It is by the real that we exist; it is by the ideal that we live.

SOMEWHAT USELESS INFORMATION

Camel’s milk does not curdle.

GREY MATTER PUZZLE 1

What phrase is represented below?

Sigh_

UNUSUAL NEWS ITEM

An alleged drug dealer in Minnesota called the police to his home after his stash of marijuana and $3,200 in cash were stolen. Once the police showed up the man conceded that the thief had made off with his marijuana stash, breaking into a locked closet to complete the deed.

An officer also reported scraps of paper with names, amounts and weights in another closet.

He questioned the homeowner, who then allegedly said the burglar made off with baggies of marijuana and $3,200 cash.

"He also implied that his drug dealing was all right, stating, 'I just sell to my friends,'" said the police report.

A LITTLE LAUGH

Some people grow old gracefully, while others fight and scratch the whole way.

Andy's wife, refusing to give in to the looks of growing old, goes out and buys a new line of expensive cosmetics guaranteed to make her look years younger.

After a lengthy sitting before the mirror applying the "miracle" products, she asks her husband - "Darling, honestly, if you didn't know me, what age would you say I am?"

Looking over her carefully, Andy replied,... "Judging from your skin, twenty; your hair, eighteen; and your figure, twenty five."

"Oh, you flatterer!" she gushed. Just as she was about to tell Andy his reward, he stops her by saying...

"WHOA, hold on there sweety!" Andy interrupted. "I haven't added them up yet!"

GREY MATTER PUZZLE 2

I went on a trip last week. The traffic was moderate and the journey took two and a half hours. On the return journey, the traffic was similar, but I made it back in 150 minutes. How come?

FOUND ON YOU TUBE

returns tomorrow

GREY MATTER PICTURE

This is a close up of what common object?

returns tomorrow

SOME CALENDAR INFORMATION

► Weekly Observances ◄

4-10: Freedom Week AND Be Nice To New Jersey Week

► Today’s Observances ◄

SCUD Day (Savor the Comic, Unplug the Drama)

US : Liberty Bell Day [1835]

Skagway: Soapy Smith Wake (): Jefferson Randolph "Soapy" Smith II was an American con artistand gangster who had a major hand in the organized criminal operations of Denver, Colorado, Creede, Colorado, and Skagway, Alaska, from 1879 to 1898

► Hit Songs on this date ◄

The Gypsy: The Ink Spots in 1946

The Wayward Wind: Gogi Grant in 1956

Paperback Writer: The Beatles in 1966

Afternoon Delight: The Starland Vocal Band in 1976

Holding Back the Years: Simply Red in 1986

► Born today ◄

…The Arts

Alec Waugh, novelist (Island in the Sun); brother of Evelyn born in 1898 London.

Roone Arledge, TV executive (ABC) born in 1931 in Polk County NC

+++

Kevin Bacon, 52, actor (The Woodsman, Mystic River, Apollo 13, Footloose), born Philadelphia, PA

Anjelica Huston, 59, actress (Oscar for Prizzi’s Honor; The Royal Tenenbaums, The Addams Family), born Los Angeles, CA

Toby Keith, 49, country singer, born Clinton, OK

Steve Lawrence, 75, singer (“Party Doll,” “Go Away Little Girl”), born Sidney Liebowitz at New York, NY

Craig Stevens, actor (Craig-Dallas, Peter Gunn) born in 1918 Liberty Mo

…Athletics

--

…Business & Education

Wolfgang Puck, 61, chef born in Sankt Veit an der Glan,Austria

John D Rockefeller, US capitalist; founded Standard Oil, born in 1839 Richford, New York

Alyce Faye Wattleton, 67, former executive director of Planned Parenthood Federation, born St. Louis, MO

…Politics

George W Romney (Gov-Mich)/US Secretary of HUD (1969-73) born in 1907 Colonia Dublán, Galeana, in the Mexican state ofChihuahua – one of the Mormon colonies in Mexico

Nelson A Rockefeller. (Gov-R-NY) 41st VP born in 1908 Bar Harbor, Maine

…Science / Religion

Count Ferdinand Graf von Zeppelin, invented rigid dirigibles born in 1838 Constance, Germany

► Obituaries today ◄

James Franciscus, actor, emphysema @ 57 in 1991

Dale Buisand & Chester Ovnand, 1st Americans killed in Vietnam War in 1959

► Events ◄

…The Arts

--

…Athletics

1953 ►Notre Dame announced that the following five years of its football games would be shown in theatres over closed circuit TV.

…Business & Education

1889 ►The Wall Street Journal is first published by Dow Jones & Company

…Indigenous People

1539 ►The Francisco de Ulloa Expedition is designed to explore the coast of Baja California. This expedition proves California is not an island. Three ships, the Santa Agueda, the Trinidad, and the Santo , leave Acapulco, Mexico.

…Politics (US)

1693 ►NYC authorizes 1st police uniforms in American colonies

1777 ►Vt becomes 1st state abolishing slavery, adopts male suffarage

1797 ►1st US senator (William Blount of Tennessee) expelled by impeachment

1835 ►Liberty Bell cracks (again)

1981 ►Senate confirms Sandra Day O'Conner to Supreme Court (99-0)

…Politics (outside US)

1959 ►Dale Buisand & Chester Ovnand 1st Americans killed in Vietnam War

…Science / Religion

1892 ►American Psychological Association organized, Worcester, Mass

GREY MATTER ANSWERS

…1

No end in sight.

…2

The times are the same!

…Photo
Returns tomorrow

TODAY’S PHOTO SHOT

Returns tomorrow

 

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Wednesday July 7

This is Week 27 of 2010, Day 188 with 177 days left. It is Day 79 of the BP Mess.

FREE RAMBLING THOUGHTS

AZ has made it back to the headlines….again. The Attorney General has filed suit against SB 1070. The United States suit is claiming that AZ is trying to do the work of the US government…and AZ is saying that the US isn’t doing the job. This will be a lose-lose situation I’m afraid. If SB1070 is shot down, the vocals around the country will scream and yell with some radicals taking matters in their own hands. If SB1070 stands our legal immigrants will be harassed, jailed, and live in fear. The AZ tourist industry will fall apart. Our non-elected governor sure likes the publicity. In many of her national news interviews she talks about being re-elected. People outside AZ don’t realize she was never elected governor in the first place. She is Republican, our elected governor was Democratic. She didn’t have a plan when she took over. She didn’t have support from the Republican legislature when she took office. This one issue, started by people from outside AZ, gave her the support she has.

I saw a good news report on Afghanistan today. I now better understand why this war has gone on for so long. It is so simple. Afghanistan is a rural, multi-tribal culture. It has been for thousands of years. They have gained some modern technology over the years but they are still a very rural culture. The roads in the rural areas were not built by the government; they were built by the tribal leaders. Those traveling on that road have always had to pay a toll to travel on the road. The family has cared for the road since a great-great-great…grandfather built it. The travelers were told where the bad spots were, how to avoid parts that needed repair. The family that built the road made much of their income from the toll. A well kept dirt road gathered more toll than one that was always in disrepair. The press says the ‘war lords’ offered safe passage. Actually it was a family giving information about road problems on their part of the road. Now these road owning families are being paid by the troops instead of the travelers. This somehow is supposed to make the travelers into friends of the current Afghanistan government. The road owners are still getting paid and they probably don’t really care where the money comes from. If the Afghanistan government takes over the payments to the road owners, this might work. The roads are only one part of the war. But the entire war all boils down to the exchange of money within this centuries old culture. When a person is paid, that person will be a friend. When the money stops, so does the friendship. Living in a subsistence culture, little else matters.

Living in rural areas on the Rez, l know all too well the importance of well kept roads. Family disagreements over care of a road usually ended up with little cousins fighting at school. During bad weather or windy conditions many secondary roads became blocked, due to mud or sand. Relatives would ‘create’ a new road to get to their residence. Grandma doesn’t like the new roads path and complains that her daughter’s husband is lazy and he should have fixed the old road instead of making a new one. Grandma tells some of her grandkids that the son-in-law is lazy. They come to school and tell all their friends. Soon the father’s kids hear that their dad is lazy. This is followed by looks, then words of denial, and many times physical fights.

Many who have not lived in rural, subsistence areas will never understand. I don’t even understand much of it. I can acknowledge it, but will never understand it. I wish the American government would acknowledge it—either on the rez or anywhere else around the world. By doing that, rather than trying to change it, we might not have to spend so much time, energy, and money on things that people don’t want fixed.

I was out and about today, running some errands. It sure looked like the monsoon was going to drop some rain. The clouds came in, the clouds went out and dropped their much needed water somewhere else. It got to 85° on the deck. It was so nice to read the paper, listen to some music, and just enjoy the rest of the day. I picked up some thistle seed today and the finches didn’t seem to mind my presence while they fed. These little tiny seeds sure are expensive, compared to bird seed. They seem to attract a ‘better class’ of birds so it is worth it. I’m giving the hummingbirds one more chance to find their food, and then I’m going to replace the feeders with more thistle seeds.

HOLY MACKEREL: On this date in 1923 ►University of Delaware invents the "junior year abroad" (at Sorbonne)

MY QUOTE FOR THE DAY

Henry Ward Beecher: Every artist dips his brush in his own soul, and paints his own nature into his pictures.

SOMEWHAT USELESS INFORMATION

Beavers can hold their breath for 45 minutes under water.

GREY MATTER PUZZLE 1

Take the given words, and by moving a single letter from one word to the other, make a pair of synonyms, or near synonyms. For example, given: Boast - Hip, move the 's' from 'Boast' to 'Hip' creating two synonyms: Boat - Ship.

1. Rode - Can

2. Font - Farce

3. Tory - Stale

4. Dire - Cash

5. Self - Shill

UNUSUAL NEWS ITEM

TEHRAN — Women in Iran must cover their hair in public to comply with Sharia law, and men, too, are expected to have modest haircuts -- but what exactly does that entail?

A new set of hairstyles has gone on display aiming to guide barbers and their customers away from the temptations of decadent western coiffures.

"We don't have a backward attitude. We are trying to present new hairstyles while preserving tradition and observing Iranian culture," said Jaleh Khodayar, secretary of the Hijab (Islamic dress) and Chastity Festival where the approved haircuts will go on display.

"This is how we will fight back against the Western cultural invasion," she said, according to the semi-official ILNA news agency.

Photographs of the new styles shown to the media include a variety of cuts for curly or straight hair. None are long, but several have elements of style, including long sideburns and, in one instance, a quiff reminiscent of a 1960s Elvis Presley.

"These hairstyles were designed according to aesthetic science, the type of neck, beard, length of chin and the culture of the provinces," Khodayar said.

It was not clear if the haircuts were officially approved by the government.

As Iran deals with international sanctions over its nuclear activities and braces for potential economic upheaval when state subsidies start being phased out later this year, personal appearance remains one of Iranians' biggest preoccupations.

Since Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was first elected in 2005, annual summer crackdowns on immodest appearance have intensified. Women who reveal strands of hair run the risk of being stopped in the streets for failing to respect the dress code.

A LITTLE LAUGH

A woman was driving down the highway about 75 miles an hour, when she noticed a motorcycle policeman following her. Instead of slowing down, she picked up speed.

When she looked back again, there were two motorcycles following her. She shot up to 90 miles. The next time she looked around, there were three cops following her.

Suddenly, she spotted a gas station looming ahead. She screeched to a stop and ran into the ladies’ room. Ten minutes later, she innocently walked out.

The three cops were standing there waiting for her. Then, without batting an eye, she said coyly, “I’ll bet none of you thought I would make it.”

GREY MATTER PUZZLE 2

A ship is docked in the harbour. Over the side hangs a rope ladder with rungs a foot apart. The tide rises at a rate of 9 inches per hour. At the end of six hours, how much of the rope ladder will still remain above water, assuming that 9 feet were above the water when the tide began to rise?

FOUND ON YOU TUBE

Running of the Bulls with interviews: Click Here!

GREY MATTER PICTURE

This is a close up of what common object?

EXTRA: THINGS ABOUT LIFE I LEARNED FROM A JIGSAW PUZZLE

1. Don't force a fit. If something is meant to be, it will come together naturally.

2. When things aren't going so well, take a break. Everything will look different when you return.

3. Be sure to look at the big picture. Getting hung up on the little pieces only leads to frustration.

4. Perseverance pays off. Every important puzzle went together bit by bit, piece by piece.

5. When one spot stops working, move to another. But be sure to come back later (see #4).

6. The creator of the puzzle gave you the picture as a guidebook.

7. Variety is the spice of life. It's the different colors and patterns that make the puzzle interesting.

8. Working together with friends and family makes any task fun.

9. Establish the border first. Boundaries give a sense of security and order.

10. Don't be afraid to try different combinations. Some matches are surprising.

11. Take time often to celebrate your successes (even little ones).

12. Anything worth doing takes time and effort. A great puzzle can't be rushed.

SOME CALENDAR INFORMATION

► Weekly Observances ◄

4-10: Freedom Week AND Be Nice To New Jersey Week

► Today’s Observances ◄

National Strawberry Sundae Day

Chocolate Day

Father-Daughter Take A Walk Together Day

Tell The Truth Day

Bhutan: Guru Rinbochy: The Lotus Born: Guru who brought Buddhism to Bhutan

Equatorial Guinea: P.U.N.T. Anniversary

Japan: Star Festival/Tanabata

Pamplona, Spain: Fiesta de San Fermin-running of the Bulls

Tanzania: Saba-Saba Day-founding of TANU party (1954)

► Hit Songs on this date ◄

Sentimental Journey: Les Brown in 1945

Rock Around the Clock: Bill Haley & His Comets in 1955

(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction: The Rolling Stones in 1965

Love Will Keep Us Together: The Captain & Tennille in 1975

A View to a Kill: Duran Duran in 1985

► Born today ◄

…The Arts

Robert A Heinlein, sci-fi author (Stranger in a Strange Land) born in 1907 Butler MO

Jean Kerr, novelist (Please Don't Eat the Daisies) born in 1923 Scranton PA

Gustav Mahler, composer/conductor born in 1860 Kalischat Bohemia Austria

Gian Carlo Menotti, composer (Amahl & Night Visitors) born in 1911 Cadegliano-Viconago, Italy

Doc Severinsen, 83, composer, conductor, musician (former band-leader on “The Tonight Show”), born Arlington, OR

Ringo Starr (Richard Starkey), 70, singer, musician (The Beatles), born Liverpool, England

+++

Shelley Duvall, 61, actress (Popeye, Nashville), born Houston, TX

Vincent Edwards, actor (Dr Ben Casey, Death Stalk, Firehouse) born in 1928 Brooklyn, NY

…Athletics

Michelle Kwan, 30, figure skater, born Torrance, CA

Lawrence O’Brien, former head of U.S. Postal Service; National Basketball Association Commissioner born in 1917 Springfield, MA

Satchel Paige, baseball pitcher, ‘never look back’--born in 1906 Mobile, AL

Joe Sakic, 41, hockey player, born Burnaby, BC, Canada

…Business & Education

Pierre Cardin, 88, fashion designer, born Venice, Italy

Joseph-Marie Jacquard, invented programmable loom born in 1752 Lyon, France

…Politics

William Kunstler, defense attorney: Tom Hayden, Chicago Seven, Jack Ruby, Martin Luther King Jr., Adam Clayton Powell, Abbie Hoffman, Angela Davis, John Gotti, Sheik Omar Abdel-Rahman, born in 1919 NYC, NY

…Science / Religion

Theodore Edgar McCarrick, 80,American Cardinal, Archbishop of Washington, born in NYC, NY

► Obituaries today ◄

Vivian Leigh, Scarlet in Gone with the Wind, TB @ 53 [born in Darjeeling, Bengal India to English parents] in 1967

Veronica Lake, actress, hepatitis @ 58 in 1973

William Lawrence Francis ‘Bill’ Cullen, game show host (Price is Right), cancer @ 70 in 1990

► Events ◄

…Another Extra 2007► New Wonders of the World were announced in Portugal

The New Wonders of the World Are

1. The Great Wall of China ( It is the largest man made monument ever to have been built and is visible from space. )

2. Petra, Jordan ( Petra On the edge of the Desert, was the glittering capital of the Nabataean empire of King Aretas IV )

3. Christ Redeemer Rio de Janeiro, Brazil ( Statue of Jesus stands some 38 meters tall, atop the Corcovado mountain overlooking Rio de Janeiro )

4. Machu Picchu, Peru ( Ancient Inca City built by the Incan Emperor Pachacútec halfway up the Andes Plateau, and deep in the Amazon jungle )

5. Pyramid at Chichén Itzá, Mexico ( the most famous Mayan temple city, served as the political and economic center of the Mayan civilization )

6. The Roman Colosseum, Italy ( This great amphitheater in the centre of Rome to celebrate the glory of the Roman Empire )

7. The Taj Mahal, India ( This immen'se mausoleum by the fifth Muslim Mogul emperor, to honor the memory of his beloved late wife. )

For those who don’t remember

The original 7 wonders of the world were

1. Great Pyramid of Giza Egypt ( Built as the tomb of Fourth dynasty Egyptian pharaoh Khufu.) still standing

2. Hanging Gardens of Babylon ( Multi-levelled gardens reaching 22 metres (75 feet) high, ) destroyed by earthquake

3. Temple of Artemis at Ephesus ( took 120 years to build Dedicated to the Greek goddess Artemis ) destroyed by Arson

4. Statue of Zeus at Olympia Greece ( 40 feet tall ) destroyed by fire or earthquake.

5. Mausoleum of Maussollos at Halicarnassus ( Stood approximately 45 meters (135 feet) tall with each of the four sides adorned with sculptural reliefs ). disassembled by European Crusaders

6. Colossus of Rhodes ( giant statue of the Greek god Helios roughly ) Destroyed by Earthquake

7. Lighthouse of Alexandria ( between 383 - 440 ft tall it was among the tallest man-made structures on Earth for many centuries. ) Destroyed By Earthquake

…The Arts

--

…Athletics

1972 ►Billie Jean King beats Evonne Goolagong to win Wimbeldon

1990 ►Greg Lemond wins his 3rd Tour de France

…Business & Education

1668 ►Isaac Newton receives MA from Trinity College, Cambridge

1891 ►Travelers cheque patented

…Indigenous People

1540 ►Coronado attacks the Zuni village of Hawikuh in what becomes New Mexico.

1598 ►Oñate’s expedition is at the village of the San Domingo Pueblos. According to their journals, leaders from seven different Pueblo groups meet in a council with Oñate. The journals also says the tribal leaders pledge allegiance to Spain.

…Politics (US)

1846 ►US annexes California

1898 ►US annexes Hawaii

1981 ►Arizona Judge Sandra Day O'Connor is nominated by President Ronald Reagan to become the first female justice on the U.S. Supreme Court.

…Politics (outside US)

1967 ►Beginning of the civil war in Biafra

2005 ►A series of four explosions occurs on London's transport system killing 56 people, including four alleged suicide bombers and injuring over 700 others.

…Science / Religion

1946 ►Mother Frances Xavier Cabrini canonized as 1st American saint

GREY MATTER ANSWERS

…1

1. Rod - Cane

2. Front - Face

3. Story - Tale

4. Die - Crash

5. Shelf - Sill

…2

Still 9 feet because the ladder will rise with the ship!

…Photo

Domino tiles

TODAY’S PHOTO SHOT

A Spanish Bull

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July 6 Tuesday

This is Week 27 of 2010, Day 187 with 178 days left. It is Day 78 of the BP Mess.

FREE RAMBLING THOUGHTS

A holiday Monday doesn’t mean a lot when you are retired. That does not mean it is not a day to get things done. I washed the car this morning. I am a little tired of my brown ride being covered with sticky yellow pollen dust. It looks like powder, but doesn’t really brush off or blow off. It means the trees in our area must be healthy, so that is good. I also cleaned up the deck area and realized I need to get more food for the birds. I added a bag of some little black seeds and amazingly tiny and very colorful finches have flocked to it. It is now empty. The finches certainly add color to the area while they eat.

The spy stories stay in the news: Russians in American neighborhoods, American in China, hikers in the war zone. I’m surprised our non-elected governor hasn’t said that the hordes of immigrants she sees infiltrating our state aren’t spies. She has stuck with her drug runner story.

I heard a very disheartening story on NPR today. A scientist who did a study during the Valdez spill followed oil-coated birds to see what happened. Hundreds of volunteers rushed to Alaska to clean birds. His study showed that about 50% of the birds lived through the trauma of the cleaning. The average life span after the survivors were released back into the wild was six days. As if this isn’t bad enough, Exxon petitioned the courts to let them deduct the money they spent on rehabbing birds be removed from their pay back costs. The courts granted that billion dollar deduction. The hope of the scientist is that this doesn’t happen again in the gulf. I have always been a ‘quality over quantity of life’ person. I have a hard time understanding why those poor animals have to be put through such trauma for such a short life of freedom. I think that BP should have to set up bird sanctuaries and replace every bird that is lost due to their incompetence. Another distressful story is the tourist business. For many gulf area small businesses their 4th of July weekend business (their busiest) is down 60% over last year, and last year was not a good one. Somehow I fear that BP will wiggle out of any payments to these people. All Americans will end up paying. We are now at day 78 and the oil just keeps coming out.

We had a nice warm day here in Flagstaff—not like the East Coast. We climbed to 84° but didn’t have a lot of breeze so it wasn’t as nice as yesterday. The monsoon rain is expected this weekend—and none too soon for the forest, the residents, and I guess the tourists.

Note: Thanks to Martha for catching a couple of stupid errors in yesterday’s blog. Sometimes my brain goes faster than my typing and my rambling takes on some very strange twists.

HOLY MACKEREL: On this date in 1912 ►Jim Thorpe (Wa-Tho-Huk) gained fame as the world’s greatest athlete when the Olympic Games opened in Stockholm, Sweden. Thorpe, a Sac and Fox Indian, was known as Bright Path, his given Indian name. When the King of Sweden called Thorpe “the greatest athlete in the world,” Thorpe replied by saying, “Thanks, King.”

MY QUOTE FOR THE DAY

Henry David Thoreau: Thank God men cannot fly, and lay waste the sky as well as the earth.

Robert Redford, Yosemite National Park dedication, 1985: I think the environment should be put in the category of our national security. Defense of our resources is just as important as defense abroad. Otherwise what is there to defend?

SOMEWHAT USELESS INFORMATION

Not all members of the Continental Congress supported a formal Declaration of Independence, but those who did were passionate about it. One representative rode 80 miles by horseback to reach Philadelphia and break a tie in support of independence.

GREY MATTER PUZZLE 1

It's a rebus; you know the drill:

stEvE EldEr -- smiling and benevolent

bEn mEEkEr -- gregarious and generous

frEd fErbEr -- a snarling old coot

nEll nEff -- penny-pinching

EdgEr bErgEn -- entertaining and law-abiding

UNUSUAL NEWS ITEM

CARSON CITY, NV — State prison officials are investigating reports that a fundraiser at the Nevada State Prison featured scantily clad female band members and a motorcycle that was brought into the yard for inmate pictures.

Nevada Department of Corrections spokeswoman Suzanne Pardee says the agency's inspector general's office is interviewing staff to find out what happened during the June 26 barbecue and fundraiser hosted by the Vietnam Veterans of America. It was unclear what the event was raising money for, and a message left Sunday at the Vietnam Veterans of America state headquarters wasn't immediately returned.

A copy of the minutes from a Tuesday prison staff meeting referred to the barbecue as a "fiasco." The minutes say the band members wore appropriate attire to enter the prison but later changed.

The Nevada State Prison is a medium security prison and houses about 700 inmates.

A LITTLE LAUGH

A man is stumbling through the woods totally drunk when he comes upon a preacher baptizing people in the river. The drunk walks into the water and subsequently bumps into the preacher. The preacher turns around and is almost overcome by the smell of booze. Whereupon he asks the drunk, "Are you ready to find Jesus?"

"Yes I am" replies the drunk, so the preacher grabs him and dunks him in the river. He pulls him up and asks the drunk, "Brother have you found Jesus?"

The drunk replies, "No, I haven't." The preacher, shocked at the answer, dunks him into the water again, but for a bit longer this time. He pulls him out of the water and asks again, "Have you found Jesus, my brother?"

The drunk again answers, "No, I have not found Jesus."

By this time the preacher is at his wits end so he dunks the drunk in the water again, but this time he holds him down for about 30 seconds.

When the drunk begins kicking his arms and legs, the preacher pulls him up.. The preacher asks the drunk again, "For the love of God, have you found Jesus?"

The drunk wipes his eyes and catches his breath and says to the preacher,

"Are you sure this is where he fell in?"

GREY MATTER PUZZLE 2

Name an ancient invention, which is still used in some parts of the world today, that allows people to see through walls.

FOUND ON YOU TUBE

Dali Lama speaks at UC-Berkeley Click Here!

GREY MATTER PICTURE

This is a close up of what common object?

SOME CALENDAR INFORMATION

► Weekly Observances ◄

4-10: Freedom Week AND Be Nice To New Jersey Week

► Today’s Observances ◄

National Fried Chicken Day

Take Your Webmaster to Lunch Day

Earth at Aphelion

Cayman Islands: Constitution Day : Independence Day (1964)/Republic Day (1966)

Comoros(island in Indian Ocean): Independence Day (from France in 1975)Malawi

Tibet: Birthday of the 14th Dalai Lama

► Hit Songs on this date ◄

Moon Glow: Benny Goodman in 1934

I'll Get By (As Long as I Have You): Harry James in 1944

Little Things Mean a Lot: Kitty Kallen in 1954

I Get Around: The Beach Boys in 1964

Rock the Boat: The Hues Corporation in 1974

When Doves Cry: Prince in 1984

► Born today ◄

…The Arts

Allyce Beasley, 56, actress (“Moonlighting”), born Brooklyn, NY

Ned Beatty, 73, actor (“Homicide,” Hear My Song, Deliverance), born Louisville, KY

Gene Chandler (Eugene Dixon), 73, singer: Duke of Earl born in Chicago, IL

Merv Griffin, TV host (Merv Griffin Show) born in 1925 San Mateo, CA

Bill Haley (William John Clifton Haley), (& the Comets-Rock Around the Clock) born in 1925 Highland Park, MI

Janet Leigh, actress, She's in the shower (Psycho, Harper) born in 1927, LA, CA

Pat Paulsen, comedian, presidential candidate (Smothers Bros Show) born in 1927 South Bend, WA

Della Reese, 78, singer, actress (“Touched by an Angel”), born Deloreese Patricia Early at Detroit, MI

Sylvester Stallone, 64, actor (Rocky and Rambo films), director, born New York, NY

Burt Ward, 65, actor (“Batman”), born Los Angeles, CA

…Athletics

Willie Randolph, 56, baseball: Pirates, Yankees, Dodgers, Athletics, Brewers, Mets born in Holly Hill, SC

Harold Vanderbilt, America Cup (1930,34,37)/invented contract bridge born in 1884 Oakdale, NY

…Business & Education

--

…Politics

George W. Bush, 64, 43rd President of the US, former Governor of Texas (R), born New Haven, CT

John Paul Jones, naval hero ("I have not yet begun to fight") born in 1747 Kirkcudbright, Scotland

Nancy Davis Reagan(Anne Robbins-Davis), 89, former First Lady, born New York, NY

…Science / Religion

Dalai Lama, 75, Tibet’s spiritual leader and Nobel Peace Prize winner, born Taktser, China

► Obituaries today ◄

Louis "Satchmo" Armstrong, jazz musician (Hello Dolly), heart attack @ 70 in 1971

William Faulkner. author, inventor of Yoknapatawpha Co, heart attack @ 64 in 1962

Sir Thomas More. executed for treason @ 57 in 1535

► Events ◄

…The Arts

1928 ►The New York Strand Theatre was the scene of a sneak, midnight preview of the film, The Lights of New York. The Warner Bros. film was the first talkie (a talking motion picture).

1947 ►Allen Funt was the host of the ABC radio show, the forerunner of the long-running TV version, Candid Camera.

…Athletics

1912 ►5th Olympic games in Stockholm opens

…Business & Education

1858 ►The shoe manufacturing machine was patented by Lyman Blake of Abington, MA.

…Indigenous People

1825 ►The Cheyenne sign a "friendship" treaty (7 stat. 255) with the United States at the mouth of the Tongue River.

…Politics (US)

1785 ►Congress resolves US currency named "dollar" & adopts decimal coinage

1798 ►US law makes aliens "liable to be apprehended, restrained,... & removed as alien enemies"

1983 ►Supreme Court rules retirement plans can't pay women less

…Politics (outside US)

1923 ►Union of Soviet Socialist Republics formed

…Science / Religion

1885 ►1st inoculation (for rabies) of a human being, by Louis Pasteur

1924 ►A large Meteor Shower lands on Johnstown, Colorado with the largest weighing approximately 14 pounds

1955 ►The Federal Air Pollution Control Act was implemented for research into causal analysis and control of car-emission pollution.

1988 ►An explosion on the Piper Alpha oil rig 120 miles off the north east coast of Scotland in the North Sea caused a fireball 350 feet high and engulfed the platform killing 167 workers.

1994 ►Fourteen firefighters were killed while battling a several-day-old blaze on Storm King Mountain in Colorado.

GREY MATTER ANSWERS

…1

4 E's -- a jolly good fellow

(For He's a Jolly Good Fellow)

…2

A window

…Photo

two eggs in carton

TODAY’S PHOTO SHOT Returns tomorrow

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July 5 Monday

This is Week 27 of 2010, Day 186 with 179 days left. It is Day 77 of the BP Mess.

FREE RAMBLING THOUGHTS

I had planned to go to the horse races this afternoon, but better things came along. Some friends from the Rez stopped by on their way to a cookout in Foxglenn. Never could turn down ribs, fry bread, potato salad, corn on the cob, and curly fries. It was nice to see a lot of people I hadn’t seen for quite a while. Some of the elementary kids I remember were now high schoolers with a main squeeze boyfriend or girlfriend. Parents are now grandparents. Some grandparents are gone, but others are now great-grand parents. A lot happens in four years. I had a great time. Rez families are so nice to welcome old teachers to their gatherings.

It was a great day for a cookout or just about anything else people had planned in Flag today. Sunblock seems to be doing its job. I’ve been outside, in the hot sun for most of the last two days and am just a little pinker than normal. In my youth, I really liked a deep golden tan in the summer. Back then the only sunblock was zinc oxide—the white stuff—that light skinned people used on their nose. No one talked about permanent skin damage, skin cancer, or wrinkles as we got older. We all just wanted to have fun in the sun and let everyone know we had been out there for long days. Youth of today don’t have that experience—now or when they reach my age.

I just watched a repeat of 60 minutes—Migration in Kenya and Elephant Dictionary. Sure would like to get back to that part of Africa. Someday, I’m sure I will pull it off. The migration of large animals is almost gone from this planet. For millennia they just happened. Man has taken over so much territory that the only known large animal migration is in Africa. No one will ever see the American Bison migrations, so this is the closest thing anyone can see of those times. Sadly, the local tribes have grown and are destroying the forest, which destroys the river and that will eventually destroy the animals of the migration. It will probably happen within my lifetime. The tribal life there is subsistence living. It is a hard life and certainly can be made easier with modern technology. The cost may be too great. Our planet is so fragile and we all have so much to learn about it.

Flagstaff beautiful forest plays into this whole fragile earth thing every day. Lots of letters to the editor are wondering why a local environmental group has filed several suits to stop forest cleaning in the area that subsequently burned. They are concerned that cutting will cause more damage than not cutting. The forest service claims that thinning and clean up would have helped prevent the size and devastation of the burn. Hide sight is always pretty good but in this case, no one really seems to know. Obviously to some is that closing the forest to any campfires would have prevented this fire. There are too many people who don’t follow the rules. [Our complex has a twenty something couple in the commons area right now, lighting firecrackers and taking pictures of it.] I want to see the idiot that started our fire caught, but also realize that devastating fires are part of living in the forest. That dry forest could have been ignited by just about anything. Nature will win out.

My deck was 79° today with only a little breeze. The monsoon didn’t even make clouds today, so it must be farther away than we all hoped.

HOLY MACKEREL: On this date in 1996 ►The first cloning of an animal by scientists was revealed by the Roslin Institute in Scotland when DOLLY THE SHEEP

MY QUOTE FOR THE DAY

Ronald Reagan: We must reject the idea that evey time a law’s broken, society is guilty rather than the lawbreaker. It is time to restore the American precept that each individual is responsible for his actions.

SOMEWHAT USELESS INFORMATION

There are 3 colors that don’t rhyme with anything: silver, orange, and purple

GREY MATTER PUZZLE 1

Take the given words, and by moving a single letter from one word to the other, make a pair of synonyms, or near synonyms. For example, given: Boast - Hip, move the 's' from 'Boast' to 'Hip' creating two synonyms: Boat - Ship.

1. Inks - Tiles

2. Ride - Relive

3. Gaze - Freed

4. Snail - Pike

5. Snag - Cold

UNUSUAL NEWS ITEM

MAIDSTONE, England - Workers at a British farm said cows exposed to a theater group performing renditions of a Shakespeare play increased milk production by 4 percent. Farmers at Pleasant Farm, near Maidstone, England, said the Changeling Theater Co.'s renditions of "The Merry Wives of Windsor," a comedy about recurring William Shakespeare character Falstaff attempting to seduce two women, caused the cows to increase their milk yield by 4 percent, The Daily Telegraph reported. "Anything that calms the animals and reduces their stress is good and Shakespeare ticks all the right boxes," farm worker Liam Batt said. "Perhaps there is something in the language of Shakespeare -- we don't know, but it seems to work and milk production has gone up 4 percent." Rob Forknall, artistic director for the Changeling Theater Co., said the "bizarre experiment" was born of wondering whether Shakespeare would have a relaxing effect on cows similar to that of classical music. "We were all slightly surprised when it did," Forknall said. "Since then we've done several rehearsals with the cows. It saves us having to book rehearsal space and the farmer's very pleased to get more milk."

A LITTLE LAUGH

A Cow, an Ant and an Old Fart are debating on who is the greatest of the three of them.

The Cow: I give 15 quarts of milk every day and that's why I am the greatest!

The Ant: I work day and night, summer and winter, I can carry 12 times my own weight and that's why I am the greatest!

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Why are you scrolling down? It's your turn to say something...

GREY MATTER PUZZLE 2

What jumps when it walks and sits when it stands?

FOUND ON YOU TUBE

Isle of Man Folk Music: Click Here!

GREY MATTER PICTURE

This is a close up of what common object?

SOME CALENDAR INFORMATION

► Weekly Observances ◄

28 -7/5: Fish Are Friends, Not Food! Week AND National Prevention of Eye Injuries Awareness

4-10: Freedom Week AND Be Nice To New Jersey Week

► Today’s Observances ◄

Workaholics Day

Algeria: Independence Day (1962)

Isle of Man: Tynwald Day (1266)

Laos: Boun Festival

Rwanda: Peace & National Unity Day

Venezuela: Independence Day (1811)

► Hit Songs on this date ◄

Shadow Waltz: Bing Crosby in 1933

Comin' In on a Wing and a Prayer: The Song Spinners in 1943

The Song from Moulin Rouge (Where Is Your Heart): Percy Faith in 1953

Easier Said than Done: The Essex in 1963

Will It Go Round in Circles: Billy Preston in 1973

Every Breath You Take: The Police in 1983 Click Here!

► Born today ◄

…The Arts

Huey Lewis [Hugh Anthony Cregg III[, 60, singer (Huey Lewis and the News), born New York, NY

+++

Edie Falco, 47, actress (“The Sopranos”), born Brooklyn, NY

Katherine Helmond, 76, actress (stage: The House of Blue Leaves; “Soap,” “Who’s the Boss?”), born Galveston, TX

Milburn Stone, actor (Doc-Gunsmoke) born in Bruton Ks 1904

…Athletics

Dwight Filley Davis, donated tennis' Davis Cup born in 1879 St. Louis, MO

Richard Michael “Goose” Gossage, 59, Hall of Fame baseball player, born Colorado Springs, CO

…Business & Education

Phineas Taylor Barnum, circus promoter (Barnum & Bailey) born in 1810 Bethel, CT

Sylvester Graham, developed graham cracker born in 1794 Suffield, CT

Sir Stamford Raffles, founded Singapore born in 1781on the ship Ann off the coast of Port Morant, Jamaica

…Politics

David G Farragut, naval hero born in 1801 Knoxville, TN

Henry Cabot Lodge, Jr, politician/ambassador VP nominee in 1960 born in 1902 Nahant, MA

Cecil John Rhodes, diamond tycoon; founded Rhodes Scholarships at Oxford University; the African country of Rhodesia [now Zimbabwe] was named after him born in 1853 Hertfordshire, United Kingdom

…Science / Religion

Dr Andrew Ellicott Douglass, Dendrochronologer (study of tree rings) born in 1867 Windsor, VT

John Northrop, biochemist, crystallized enzymes (Nobel 1946) born in 1891 Yonkers, NY

► Obituaries today ◄

Harry James, swing-era bandleader/trumpet player, cancer @ 67 in 1983

Ted Williams, American baseball player @ 84 in 2002

► Events ◄

…The Arts

--

…Athletics

1921 ►Players from The Chicago White Sox Baseball team are accused of throwing the World Series

1975 ►Arthur Ashe becomes the first black man to win the Wimbledon men's singles

…Business & Education

1946 ►The Bikini swimsuit (a daring 2 piece swimming costume for ladies ) was introduced by French designer Louis Reard at a popular swimming pool in Paris.

…Indigenous People

1831 ►N. William Colquhoun is appointed Special Agent to the Choctaws, by Secretary of War, Lewis Cass. Colquhoun is ordered to go to the Choctaw Nation and consult with their leaders about their removal to Indian Territory

…Politics (US)

1865 ►United States Secret Service was created.

1971 ►The Voting Age in the United States is lowered to 18 yrs old

1986 ►Nancy Reagan cuts red, white & blue ribbon; reopens Statue of Liberty

1989 ►Former White House aide Oliver North has been found guilty received a three-year suspended prison sentence and a $150,000 fine for three charges relating to illegal United States' support for the Contra rebels in Nicaragua in the mid-1980s.

…Politics (outside US)

1811 ►Venezuela, 1st South American country to gain independence from Spain

1973 ►Isle of Man begins issuing their own postage stamps

…Science / Religion

1643 ►1st recorded tornado in US (Essex County, MA)

1865 ►William Booth founded Salvation Army in London

2003 ►Following an outbreak of the deadly SARS ( Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome )which had killed about 775 people in 29 countries the World Health Organization (WHO) announces that SARS is now contained.

GREY MATTER ANSWERS

…1

1. Links - Ties

2. Rid - Relieve

3. Graze - Feed

4. Nail - Spike

5. Nag - Scold

…2

A kangaroo

…Photo

tiddlywinks pieces

TODAY’S PHOTO SHOT

Ponderosa Pine Trees--like the ones we lost in our recent fire

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July 4 Sunday

This is Week 27 of 2010, Day 185 with 180 days left. It is Day 76 of the BP Mess.
FREE RAMBLING THOUGHTS

Happy Independence Day! Hope everyone is having a great celebration with friends and family.

Small towns have a problem when it comes to Sunday holidays. When do you have the parade? Well Flag picked Saturday morning. It was a typical parade for a small town—minus a HS band or two. Firefighters got lots of cheers, Dems got lots of cheers, GOP got lots of cheers, Tea Party go very little—even in their 1776 attire. It was a nice long parade and the only glitch was when the airbrakes on an out of town fire engine locked up on the hill. People and floats worked their way around it for about 10 minutes until the brakes worked again. This parade seemed to have more spectators than usual; at least the parking was harder. For four years I have been able to park in the same area. Today I had to go about a block farther to find a place. Parades, even a day early are a lot of fun.

We had a great summer day here in Flag. It was only 79° and a nice 15mph made it really nice anywhere you were around town. Great day to be outside, soakin up the rays with plenty of sunblock.

HOLY MACKEREL: On this date in 1054 ►A supernova is observed by the Chinese, the Arabs and possibly Amerindians near the star Tauri. For several months it remains bright enough to be seen during the day. Its remnants form the Crab Nebula.

MY QUOTE FOR THE DAY

Woodrow Wilson: The American Revolution was a beginning, not a consummation. ~

Franklin D. Roosevelt: In the truest sense, freedom cannot be bestowed; it must be achieved. ~

Albert Camus: Freedom is nothing but a chance to be better. ~

SOMEWHAT USELESS INFORMATION

Cookout information:
~Florida led the nation in watermelon production last year (818 million pounds)
~Florida or California, which combined accounted for 70 percent of U.S. fresh market tomato production last year.
~Half of the nation's spuds were produced in Idaho or Washington state in 2009.
~North Dakota produced 34 percent of the nation's dry, edible beans in 2009

GREY MATTER PUZZLE 1

What animal completes this series? fly, spider, bird, cat, dog, goat, cow,

UNUSUAL NEWS ITEM

ROME Some women in Naples said they won't make love if their men shoot off dangerous fireworks on New Year's Eve.
"Se Spari, Niente Sesso" (If you shoot, no sex), as the group calls itself, claims to have signed up hundreds of women in the Naples area to combat celebrations that injure or maim hundreds each year.

A LITTLE LAUGH

Mrs Whyte, his teacher advises the class that each school day starts with the "Pledge of Allegiance"*** and instructs them to put their right hand over their heart and repeat after her.
As Mrs Whyte starts the recitation she looks around the room, 'I pledge allegiance to the flag........', when her eyes are drawn to Andy who has his hand over the right cheek of his bottom.
'Andy, I cannot continue till you put your hand over your heart,' she demands.
Andy looks up and replies, 'It is over my heart.'
After several more attempts to get Andy to put his hand over his heart, Mrs Whyte enquires, 'Why do you think that is your heart, Andy?'
'Well Miss,' answers Andy, 'because every time my Grandma comes to visit she pats me there and says, "Bless your little heart," and my Grandma never lies.'
+++
Nicholas took his four-year-old son, Bryan, to several baseball games where "The Star-Spangled Banner" was sung before the start of each game.
Later, Nicholas and Bryan attended St Bartholomew's church on the Sunday before Independence Day. The congregation sang The Star-Spangled Banner, and after everyone sat down, Bryan suddenly yelled out at the top of his voice, 'Play ball.'

GREY MATTER PUZZLE 2

You do not want to have me, But when you have me, You do not want to lose me.
What am I?

FOUND ON YOU TUBE
Happy Birthday, America Click Here!

GREY MATTER PICTURE

This is a close up of what common object?

SOME CALENDAR INFORMATION

► Weekly Observances ◄

28 -7/5: Fish Are Friends, Not Food! Week AND National Prevention of Eye Injuries Awareness

4-10: Freedom Week AND Be Nice To New Jersey Week

► Today’s Observances ◄

National Country Music Day
Tom Sawyer Fence-Painting Day
Fourth of July or Independence Day
Independence From Meat Day
Indivisible Day
International Drive Your Studebaker Day
Rhode Island : Providence Day (1636)
Bahamas : Queen's Birthday
Cayman Islands : Constitution Day
Italy : Garibaldi Day (1807)
Philippines : Philippine-American Friendship Day (1946)
Rwanda: Liberation Day
Tonga : King's Birthday
Yugoslavia : Fighter's Day
► Hit Songs on this date ◄
In a Shanty in Old Shanty Town: Ted Lewis in 1932
Sleepy Lagoon: Harry James in 1942
Delicado: Percy Faith in 1952
The Stripper: David Rose & His Orchestra in 1962
Lean on Me: Bill Withers in 1972
► Born today ◄
…The Arts
Stephen Foster, composer (Oh! Susanna, Swanee River), born in 1826 Lawrencevil, Pa
Nathaniel Hawthorne, author (House of 7 Gables, Scarlet Letter), born in 1804 Salem MA
Mitch Miller, sing along with Mitch (Yellow Rose of Tx), born in 1911 Rochester NY
Neil Simon, 83, playwright (The Odd Couple, Barefoot in the Park), born New York, NY
Abigail Van Buren (Pauline Esther Friedman), 92 & Ann Landers (Eppie Lederer), twin sisters, advice columnists, born in 1918 Sioux City, IA
+++
Gina Lollobrigida, 82, actress (Belles de Nuit; Bread, Love and Dreams), born Auviaco, Italy
Eva Marie Saint, 86, actress (Oscar for On the Waterfront; North by Northwest, Exodus), born Newark, NJ
…Athletics
Horace Grant, 45, former basketball player, born Augusta, GA
Floyd Little, 62, College Football Hall of Famer: Broncos: rushed for 6,323 yards on 1,641 carries & 43 touchdowns, born in New Haven, , CT
George Michael Steinbrenner III, 80, baseball executive, born Rocky River, OH
Rosey (Roosevelt) Taylor, 73, football: Grambling College, Bears, Chargers, 49ers, Redskins, born in New Orleans, LA
…Business & Education
James Anthony Bailey circus impresario (Barnum & Bailey), born 1847 in Detroit
Leona Helmsley (wife of Harry), real estate billionaire, born in 1920 Marbletown, NY
…Politics
Tokyo Rose (Iva Toguri D'Aquino) WW II propagandist, born in 1916 Los Angeles, CA
John Calvin Coolidge, 30th pres (1923-29), born in 1872 Plymouth Notch,
Giuseppe Garibaldi, unified Italy, born in 1807 Nice, France
…Science / Religion
Reuben Lucius ‘Rube’ Goldberg, made the easy outrageously difficult, cartoonist and sculptor, born in 1883 San Francisco
Stephen Mather, organized US National Park Service, born in 1867 San Francisco, CA
► Obituaries today ◄
John Adams, 2nd President in 1826 @ 91
Thomas Jefferson, 3rd President, die 1826 @ 83
James Monroe, 5th president, in 1831 TB @ 73
► Events ◄
…The Arts
1832 ►"America" 1st sung publicly
1862 ►Lewis Carroll creates Alice in Wonderland for Alice P Liddell
1865 ►1st edition of "Alice in Wonderland" is published
1855 ►The first edition of Leaves of Grass, by Walt Whitman, was published in Brooklyn, NY
…Athletics
1888 ►1st organized rodeo competition held, Prescott, AZ
…Business & Education
1881 ►Booker T Washington establishes Tuskegee Institute
…Indigenous People
1636 ►Boston’s "Standing Committee" gives orders to John Winthrop, Jr. to give to the Pequots, two murder suspects, as required by the treaty of 1634, or face a war.
…Politics (US)
1636 ►City of Providence, Rhode Island form
1802 ►US Military Academy officially opens (West Point, NY)
1817 ►Construction on Erie Canal begins
1863 ►Boise, Idaho founded (now capital of Idaho)
1884 ►Bullfighting was introduced in America in Dodge City, Kansas.
1884 ►Statue of Liberty presented to US in Paris
1966 ►LBJ signs Freedom of Information Act
…Politics (outside US)
1942 ►1st American bombing mission over enemy-occupied Europe (WW II)
…Science / Religion
1997 ►NASA's Pathfinder space probe lands on the surface of Mars.
2005 ►The Deep Impact collider hits the comet Tempel 1

GREY MATTER ANSWERS
…1
These are all the animals swallowed by the old lady in the nursery rhyme: There was an old lady who swallowed a fly. I don't know why she swallowed a fly. Perhaps she'll die!
- She swallowed a spider to catch the fly.
- She swallowed a bird to catch the spider.
- She swallowed a cat to catch the bird.
- She swallowed a dog to catch the cat.
- She swallowed a goat to catch the dog.
- She swallowed a cow to catch the goat.
The rhyme concludes with:
- There was an old lady who swallowed a horse. She's dead, of course.
…2
A lawsuit
…Photo
Pool chalk tip

TODAY’S PHOTO SHOT

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Saturday 7-3

This is Week 26 of 2010, Day 184 with 181 days left. It is Day 75 of the BP Mess.

FREE RAMBLING THOUGHTS

Allergies in July. I’m not used to that, but sure had them today. Something must be in the air that likes to mess with my head. I haven’t had an attack like this since my youth. I guess I’m just being reminded of what a great life I have most of the time.

This is the holiday weekend. If I wasn’t aware of that, all I had to do was go out on the street. I went to get some groceries at 11 this morning. Highway 89 was already much more crowded than usual. In the short drive to the store—less than a mile—I must have seen 10 super motor homes—some probably had a dance hall and Jacuzzi on the first level, and three bedrooms upstairs. I should mention that I did have to pass the local KOA campgrounds and many of these monsters were turning in or out of the campground. Upon arrival at Safeway I discovered the parking lot was basically filled. Inside was little better. There were three intercom calls for all available people to open registers. The shortest line had two people ahead of me. The guy checking out looked like a summer camp counselor. He had four kids with him. All four teenagers stood there reading magazines while the groceries were being cleared from the belt. They were too involved to move out of the way so the next lady could empty her cart onto the belt. She was elderly and had a portable oxygen tank in her cart. It took her extra time, but wasn’t her fault. I felt sympathy for her because she unloaded all her stuff, then put her personal shopping bags on the belt. The clerk simply put the plastic bags in her bags…kinda defeating the purpose. The good thing out of this was that Safeway was accepting donations for the American Prostate Cancer Society. Even better, Safeway would match the donation. I gladly donated $10. Safeway does this kind of donation stuff fairly often. You punch a couple of buttons, it’s added to your bill and they get on the intercom and yell out WHOOOO HOO!. Not a bad gimmick for many a worthy cause. I was out again later in the afternoon, and the Safeway lot was jammed with cars looking for parking places. Every one of their spaces was filled—sure glad I went early.

This holiday weekend will sure be a busy one. Flag wisely isn’t doing fireworks, but there is a parade, the horse races, the Hopi show, and lots to do. The only real problem is moving around town. I expect to make the parade and the horse races at least once. Should be nice as I always see people at both places. Usually it’s people I only see once a year.

I heard on the news today that Mike Steele, the head of the Republican something or other, rewrote history today when he stated that Afghanistan is Obama’s War. How dumb does he think everyone is? Even Republican politicians are saying he is misinformed. Now let’s see if and how he wiggles out of this.

No rain, a few early clouds, 85°, but it sure felt warmer. Last night we dropped to 72° so I think that’s why it seemed hotter.

HOLY MACKEREL: On this date in 1966 ►Race riots in Omaha Nebraska 

MY QUOTE FOR THE DAY

George Bernard Shaw: Liberty means responsibility. That is why most men dread it

Abraham Lincoln: Those who deny freedom to others deserve it not for themselves.

William J. Clinton: There is nothing wrong with America that cannot be cured by what is right with America.

SOMEWHAT USELESS INFORMATION

The population in July, 1776 was about 2.5 million

Last year China exported $2.5 million in American flags to the US

Last year Mexico imported $333,000 worth of American Flags

GREY MATTER PUZZLE 1

Start with the letter 'U', and then each time add a letter and shuffle it to make a new word. You need to continue this process until you reach the word 'SUPPORT'. Not including 'U', you must do this in six (6) turns.

U

_ _

_ _ _

_ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _

S U P P O R T

UNUSUAL NEWS ITEM

ATLANTA — Maggots falling from an overhead bin from a spoiled container of meat forced a US Airways flight to return to the gate so the bin could be cleaned.

Passenger Donna Adamo said she noticed a couple of flies on the Monday flight when she got to her seat but didn't think much of it. Then, as the plane was taxiing, she heard a passenger behind her causing a commotion and refusing to take her seat.

"Then I heard the word 'maggot' and that kind of got everybody creeped out," she said. "All of a sudden, I felt somebody flick the back of my hair and on the front of me came a maggot, which I flicked off me."

A passenger had the container in a carry-on bag and brought it on Monday's flight heading from Atlanta to Charlotte, N.C., said US Airways spokesman Todd Lehmacher. The pilot announced that they were returning to the gate because of a "minor emergency on board" and the flight attendants told everyone to sit down and be calm, Adamo said.

"I felt like they were crawling all over me because it only takes one maggot to upset your world," she said. "And as they're telling us to stay calm and seated, I see a maggot looking back at me and I'm thinking, 'These are anaerobic, flesh-eating larvae that the flight attendants don't have to sit with.' "

A shaky cell phone video shot by Adamo as passengers deplaned shows a small white maggot wriggling across a seat.

Once the plane returned to the gate, the passengers were asked to get off, and a crew boarded to clean up the mess, Lehmacher said. The flight then continued on to Charlotte, where the plane was taken out of service and fumigated "out of an abundance of caution."

A LITTLE LAUGH

One day an Irishman, who had been stranded on a deserted island for over 10 years, saw a speck on the horizon.

He thought to himself, "It's certainly not a ship".

As the speck got closer and closer, he began to rule out even the possibilities of a small boat or a raft.

Suddenly there strode from the surf a figure clad in a black wet suit. Putting aside the scuba tanks and mask and zipping down the top of the wet suit stood a drop-dead gorgeous blonde!

She walked up to the stunned Irishman and said to him, "Tell me, how long has it been since you've had a good cigar?"

"Ten years," replied the amazed Irishman.

With that, she reached over and unzipped a waterproof pocket on the left sleeve of her wet suit and pulled out a fresh package of cigars and a lighter.

He took a cigar, slowly lit it, and took a long drag. "Faith and begorrah," said the castaway, "that is so good! I'd almost forgotten how great a smoke can be!"

"And how long has it been since you've had a drop of good Bushmill's Irish Whiskey?" asked the blonde.

Trembling, the castaway replied, "Ten years."

Hearing that, the blonde reached over to her right sleeve, unzipped a pocket there and removed a flask and handed it to him.

He opened the flask and took a long drink. " 'Tis nectar of the gods!" shouted the Irishman. " 'Tis truly fantastic!!!"

At this point the gorgeous blonde started to slowly unzip the long front of her wet suit, right down the middle. She looked at the trembling man and asked, "And how long has it been since you played around?"

With tears in his eyes, the Irishman fell to his knees and sobbed, "Jesus, Mary and Joseph! Don't tell me that you've got golf clubs in there too!

GREY MATTER PUZZLE 2

What kind of coat can only be put on when wet?

FOUND ON YOU TUBE

Lou Gehrig’s speech: Click Here!

GREY MATTER PICTURE

This is a close up of what common object?

SOME CALENDAR INFORMATION

► Weekly Observances ◄

28 -7/5: Fish Are Friends, Not Food! Week AND National Prevention of Eye Injuries Awareness

► Today’s Observances ◄

Stay Out Of The Sun Day

Compliment Your Mirror Day

International Day of Cooperatives
Idaho: Admission Day (1890)

Algeria: Independence Day (1962)

Belarus: Independence Day, celebrates the liberation of Minsk from Nazi occupation by Soviet troops in 1944.

United States Virgin Islands: Emancipation Day since 1848

► Hit Songs on this date ◄

Maria Elena: Jimmy Dorsey in 1941

Too Young: Nat "King" Cole in 1951

Quarter to Three: Gary U.S. Bonds in 1961

It's Too Late/I Feel the Earth Move: Carole King in 1971

Bette Davis Eyes: Kim Carnes in 1981

► Born today ◄

…The Arts

Dave Barry, 63, humorist, author, born Brooklyn, NY

George M. (Michael) Cohan, 1878, actor, singer, composer: Over There, The Yankee Doodle Boy, born in Providence, RI

Pete Fountain, 80, jazz musician, born New Orleans, LA

Franz Kafka, 1883, author (Metamorphosis, Trial, Amerika), born in Prague, Bohemia now Czech Republic

Montel Williams, 54, talk show host, born Baltimore, MD

+++

Tom Cruise (Thomas Cruise Mapother IV), 48, actor (Mission: Impossible films, Collateral, Jerry Maguire, Top Gun), born in Syracuse, NY

Tony Curtis [Bernard Schwartz], 86, actor, born in Bronx NY

George Sanders, 1906, Russia, actor (All About Eve-Academy Award 1950), born in Saint Petersburg, Imperial Russia to English diplomats

…Athletics

Cesar (Leonardo) ‘Pepito’ Tovar, 1940, baseball: Twins, Phillies, Rangers, Athletics, Yankees, born in Caracas, Venezuela

…Business & Education

Geraldo Rivera aka Gerry Rivers, 1943, newsman, born in Brooklyn, NY

…Politics

Earl L Butz, 1909, US Secretary of Agriculture , born in Albion, IN

…Science / Religion

Samuel de Champlain, 1567, explorer (Lake Champlain), born in Brouage, in the FrenchProvince of Saintonge

► Obituaries today ◄

Jim Backus, actor (Magoo, Gilligan's Island), pneumonia @ 76 in 1989

Andrei Gromyko, Soviet diplomat, dies just short of his 80th birthday in 1989

Ross Martin, actor (Mr Lucky, Wild Wild West), heart attack playing tennis @ 61 in 1981

Jim Morrison, rocker (Doors), heart failure @ 28 in 1971

Rudy Vallee, singer (Vagabond Dreams), @ 84 in 1986

► Events ◄

…The Arts

1981 ►First mention in the New York Times of a disease that would later be called AIDS

…Athletics

1939 ►Lou Gehrig day; Gehrig makes "luckiest man" speech

…Business & Education

1839 ►1st state normal school in US opens

…Politics (US)

1775 ►Washington takes command of Continental Army

1863 ►Battle of Gettysburg Pa ends

1930 ►Veterans Administration created

2009 ►Sarah Palin, former running-mate for John McCain, announced that she will resign from her office of governor of Alaska

…Politics (outside US)

1608 ►City of Quebec founded by Samuel de Champlain

1915 ►US military forces occupy Haiti, remain until 1934

1976 ►103 hostages were rescued by an Israeli commando unit in a raid on Entebbe airportin Uganda

…Science / Religion

1913 ►Common tern banded in Maine; found dead in 1919 in Africa (1st bird known to have crossed the Atlantic)

…Indigenous people

1761 ►Northwest Confederacy is created at a council near Detroit. Its members include the Delaware, Miami, Ojibwa, Ottawa, Potawatomi, Shawnee and the Wyandot.

GREY MATTER ANSWERS

…1

U

UP

PUT

POUT

SPOUT

STUPOR or SPROUT

SUPPORT

…2

A coat of paint

…Photo

Roulette Table

TODAY’S PHOTO SHOT

A day early, I know.

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