Monday July 19

This is Week 29 of 2010►Day 200 with 165 days left.

It is Day 91 of the BP Mess.

FREE RAMBLING THOUGHTS

I had a lazy day today. A little cleaning around the house. A little cleaning on the deck. Read the Sunday paper on the deck. It was a great day to relax. Maybe it’s the heat.

NPR had a great piece today. It was talking about how the news has changed in the last generation. It was succinct as are most NPR stories. I grew up when TV news was just starting. They were in competition with newspapers. The people we saw on the news had spent time reporting for radio or newspapers. They all knew that their job was to report the news events of the day. It was much a ‘just the facts, sir’ from Dragnet. On occasion a reporter or even a news organization would want to state an opinion. Back in those days, someone would come on the screen and there would be voice over stating that ‘this is an editorial comment on whatever, and does not necessarily express the opinions of this station, its management, or its owners’. Newspapers still do that..it’s called the editorial page. Today the word ‘news’ has taken on a new meaning. The line between ‘editorial’ and ‘news’ has become very blurred. Many of the 24/7 news stations have an editorial agenda. The problem is, most of them still use the word ‘news’ in their name, they still call their on screen people ‘reporters’. Seldom, if ever, do these stations use the word ‘editorial’ or ‘opinion’. Back in the day, we heard the news and most of the time we were given an opportunity to make our own decision about that news. We trusted the ‘news’ and talked to others about what was happening.

Sidebar: The Kent State killings were a big moment in my life. I was at the Univ. of Colorado getting my bachelors degree. If the police or National Guard could shoot people for their opinion at Kent State, they might do the same at Boulder. I had just been to a speech where S. I. Hayakawa had decided that calling the Black Student Alliance a “bunch of jungle bunnies” was the best way to get his point across. The year before I had attended a speech by Buckminster Fuller where he decided to challenge his audience. Fuller did not use any words I did not know, however he put them into a structure that was difficult to understand. Both speeches were followed by numerous seminars on what was said. Fuller had a much broader view of the world and how to make it better. Hayakawa seemed to believe that confrontation, anger, and even violence was the way of the world. Those few months following the killings taught me about ‘agendas’ and more importantly ‘hidden agendas’, about a variety of ways to view our world, about the necessity of doing what is right for mankind.

Every person has a view about just about everything. Back in the day, the view was drawn from a number of places. Today there is no reason to search. If you have the belief that Obama is not a native born citizen, there is a news source for you. If you believe that killing foreigners will make us free, there is a news source for you. If you believe that Obama can do no wrong, there is a news service for you. If you believe that nature is basically violent, there is a news source for you. If you believe that animal life holds the same values about community, love, death, and all of life that you do, there is a news source for you. The bottom line to all this seems to be that as ‘news’ has changed the American citizens no longer need to think about what is happening. There is now a national news source that will support your beliefs, show you that others hold the same beliefs, and that will try to convince you that those who don’t agree is ignorant, stupid, confused, or unaware. Way too many citizens are happy that they no longer have to think.

What is going on regarding the Tea Party. I just don’t get it. I get that the Tea Party wants to go back to the glory days of the Boston Tea Party. I get that many conservatives embrace the Tea Party stuff. What I don’t get, is how does dressing up in tri-cornered hats makes one a patriot. So many people have started seeing the ‘Tea Party’ as an actual political party. Today, someone in the Tea Party said that the leader of the Tea Party Express is no longer part of the Tea Party. This reminds me so much of school cliques. The Popular Clique somehow convinced everyone they were the Popular Clique. If someone in that clique did something that as unpopular they were suddenly banned from the Clique and soon everyone in the school learned of the banishment. The power structure of the clique mentality will always be around. The general population determines the power fo each clique. From where I stand, the Tea Party needs to realize that they are a fringe element and actually start their own Political Party. Then, and it seems only then, will this fringe realize that they are little more than fringe—sometimes nice to see on a piece of furniture or on a woman’s shawl, but not adding anything to the comfort of the piece of furniture or adding warmth to the person wearing the shawl.

Parts of Flag got rain, just not the part I live in. My deck made it to 89°. There was a little breeze every so often. There were nice thunder clouds over the mountain. We had 60% humidity so it was sticky most of the day. I sure wish the rain had fallen so being outside could have been a little nicer. Our neighborhood was quiet until the sun set. Kids were not outside, adults were not outside. There were lots of cars in the parking lot, so I guess everyone was inside, hoping that a breeze would keep them cool.

MY QUOTE FOR THE DAY

Pearl S. Buck: The secret of joy in work is contained in one word–excellence. To know how to do something well is to enjoy it.

HOLY MACKEREL: On this date in 1941 ►While Britain is at one of its lowest points in World War II Churchill one of the most motivators and speech makers of his time launches the "V for Victory" campaign across Europe by telling those in Europe under Nazi control to use the letter "V" ( for Victory ) at every chance they got in speaking, writing and urges them to write in big letter the letter V to signify V for Victory and let the Germans know they still had spirit and believed they would overcome Nazi Rule.

SOMEWHAT USELESS INFORMATION

People who became blind after birth can see images in their dreams. People who are born blind do not see any images, but have dreams equally vivid involving their other senses of sound, smell, touch and emotion.

***

A full 12% of sighted people dream exclusively in black and white. The remaining number dream in full color. Studies from 1915 through to the 1950s maintained that the majority of dreams were in black and white, but these results began to change in the 1960s. Today only 4.4% of the dreams of under-25 year-olds are in black and white. Recent research has suggested that those changing results may be linked to the switch from black-and-white film and TV to color media.

GREY MATTER PUZZLE 1

What does this mean? VAD ERS

UNUSUAL NEWS ITEM

FORT WORTH, TX- A Texas woman said her father receives so much junk mail that his house is full of letters and on a recent day he received 96 pieces of mail. The Fort Worth Star-Telegram reported the Fort Worth woman and her 81-year-old father, whose names were not released by the newspaper, said the man's house is littered with junk mail, including a 3 1/2-foot pile of letters on his breakfast table. The woman said her father, who received 96 pieces of junk mail Monday alone, gives about $2,500 a year to various charities and began receiving junk mail in amounts too large to fit through his mail slot about a year ago. The daughter said she has been mailing the companies to ask them to take her father off their mailing lists, but the process has been slow. "How many others is this happening to?" the daughter asked. "This isn't right. Our seniors shouldn't be treated this way."

A LITTLE LAUGH

I was in the express lane at the store quietly fuming. completely ignoring the sign, the woman ahead of me had slipped into the checkout line pushing a cart piled high with groceries.

Imagine my delight when the cashier beckoned the woman to come forward looked into the cart and asked sweetly, 'So which six items would you like to buy?'

GREY MATTER PUZZLE 2

Returns tomorrow

FOUND ON ‘YOU TUBE’

Wicked Tinkers like Flagstaff. Click here to Hear!

GREY MATTER PICTURE

This is a close up of what common object?

SOME CALENDAR INFORMATION

► Weekly Observances ◄

15-21: Rabbit Week: to raise awareness of rabbits as pets

16-19: National Ventriloquism Week

18-25: Restless Leg Syndrome (RLS) Education & Awareness Week

………..Captive Nations Week

………..National Independent Retailers Week

► Today’s Observances ◄

Flitch Day: An old custom brought to America by the early settlers became the holiday we now call Flitch Day. Once a year, a slab of bacon was given to any married couple who could prove they had lived in harmony and fidelity for the past twelve months. Very few "took home the bacon".  

National Get Out of the Doghouse Day

National Hug Your Kid Day

Burma: Martyrs' Day

Laos: Independence Day (1949)

► Hit Songs on this date ◄

Peg O' My Heart: The Harmonicats in 1947

Teddy Bear: Elvis Presley in 1957 Click Here!

Windy: The Association in 1967 Click Here!

Looks Like We Made It: Barry Manilow in 1977

Alone: Heart in 1987

► Born today ◄

…The Arts

Edgar Degas (Hilaire-Germain-Edgar De Gas), impressionist painter, born in Paris, France 1834

+++

Vikki Carr (Florencia Bisenta deCasilla Martinez Cardona), 69, singer: It Must be Him, With Pen in Hand, The Lesson, born in El Paso, TX

Anthony Edwards, 48, actor (“ER,” Fast Times at Ridgemont High, Top Gun), born Santa Barbara, CA

Topher Grace, 32, actor (Spider-Man 3, In Good Company, Traffic, “That ’70s Show”), born New York, NY

Pat Hingle, actor (Baby Boom, Norma Rae, Bloody Mama), born in Miami, FL 1923

Kathleen Turner, 56, actress (Accidental Tourist, Jewel of Nile), born in Springfield, MO

…Athletics

Ilie Nastase, 64, tennis champion: French Open [1973], U.S. Open [1972], born in Bucharest,Romania

…Business & Education

Lizzie Borden, murderer, born in Fall River, MA 1860

Samuel Colt, inventor (colt revolver), born in Hartford, CN 1814

…Politics

George Stanley McGovern, 88, former US Senator and 1972 Democratic presidential nominee, born Avon, SD

…Science / Religion

--

► Obituaries today ◄

Joe Flynn, actor (McHale's Navy), drowned @ 59 in 1974 

Johnny Wayne, comedian (Wayne & Shuster), cancer @ 72 in 1990 

► Events ◄

…The Arts

1946 ►Marilyn Monroe acted in her first screen test.

…Athletics

1877 ►1st Wimbledon tennis championships held

1909 ►The first unassisted triple play in major-league baseball was made by Cleveland Indians shortstop Neal Ball in a game against Boston

1980 ►The Moscow Summer Olympics begins minus the United States and 64 other countries who were boycotting the games because of the Soviet military intervention in Afghanistan.

1996 ►The Centennial Olympics opened in Atlanta, Georgia.

…Business & Education

1976 ►Sagarmatha National Park in Nepal is created.

…Indigenous People

1701 ►Representatives of the Iroquois Confederacy signed the Nanfan Treaty, ceding a large territory north of the Ohio River to England.

1820 ►The Kickapoo sign a treaty (7 Stat., 208.) at St. Louis. Auguste Chouteau and Benjamin Stephenson represent the United States of America. Twenty-eight Kickapoo make their marks on the document.

…Politics (US)

1848 ►1st women's rights convention (Seneca Falls, NY)

1990 ►Richard Nixon library opens in Yorba Linda, CA

1984 ►Geraldine Ferraro was nominated by the Democratic Party to become the first woman from a major political party to run for the office of U.S. Vice President.

…Politics (outside US)

1553 ►15-year-old Lady Jane Grey deposed as England's Queen after 9 days

1870 ►France declares war on Prussia; the Franco-Prussian war begins

1956 ►The United States withdraws its offer of financial aid to Egypt to help with the construction of the Aswan Dam on the Nile River . The Soviet Union stepped in with aid which made a stronger alliance with the Soviet Union and was a contributing factor to the Suez Crisis later in 1956.

…Science / Religion

1939 ►1st use of fiberglass sutures, R.P. Scholz, St Louis, Mo

1983 ►The first three-dimensional reconstruction of a human head in a CT is published.

GREY MATTER ANSWERS

…1

Space Invaders

…2

Returns tomorrow

…Photo

Door on an old trailer-home

TODAY’S PHOTO SHOT

Aswan Dam, Egypt

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Sunday July 18

This is Week 29 of 2010►Day 199 with 166 days left.

It is Day 90 of the BP Mess.

FREE RAMBLING THOUGHTS

I had planned to head out for the Celtic Festival about 9:30 this morning, however; I got a call about 7:30 that chairs and tables were needed for the band ASAP. So I headed out, got the tables and chairs, and was at the games by a few minutes after 8. It was already a little warm, but there was a cool breeze—either off the mountain, or from the pipers who were tuning up. There was a good turnout at the event. I am always happy when band members remember and greet me. Larry and Karen, the Pipe Majors parents are always there and we always seem to have things to talk about. As the band warmed up, I walked though the exhibits. It sure seemed like there were more than last year, but then again, it was getting hotter and hotter so maybe I was just not into walking in the heat. Southwest Skye Pipes Major marched in the head of the McBain Clan. That was nice. Then the band played for the crowd while the massed bands organized themselves. That march in was also very impressive. There were lots of Clan Banners and marchers, but alas, still no Fraser of Lovett, or any Fraser banner. I walked by the Athletic Games and could only feel for the participants in the heat. Lots of tourists found that Flagstaff is a great place to come. Those from ‘down South’ weren’t even bothered by the heat. By 12:30 it was way hot, and clouds were only making it real muggy. I took off, and soon after I got home, the rain finally came. It wasn’t the hard rain of yesterday but it was rain.

I like my new Sony camera, but am not as excited as I had hoped. It takes great pictures, I like the Panorama feature. I am still not used to no view finder. It will take some work to get used to the big screen—there is lots of glare from my point of view. I have gone back to see if there is a hood or something to cut the glare. Sony doesn’t have a fix yet, but I have hope they will come up with something. I did get some nice pics today.

I saw Pat Carr while at the games. He was politicking in his usual way—walking though the crowd and talking to friends when he see them. I ask him a couple of questions about the upcoming election. He was little help. I did come home and look some stuff up on the Arizona Constitution. First I learned that we have 30 legislative districts in the state. I live in District 2, which I already knew. Then I found out that State Senate is made up of one elected individual from each district. The AZ House is made up of two individuals from each district. This seems backwards to me, but I wasn’t one of the cowboys who wrote the thing. I am still trying to figure out the ‘Clean Elections Law’. When I voted for it, about a decade ago, it sounded like a good way allow more candidates. Now I’m not so sure. Some of the candidates I am planning on supporting abide by the Clean Election funding, others don’t. I’m not real sure why some don’t. A Navajo is running for Secretary of State in AZ. He is using traditional funding—meaning, I think, not participating in the Clean Elections Funding. Both Reps that I will probably vote for are using Clean Election Funding. Pat was unable to explain it to me. That in itself was not surprising, but Pat is famous for talking and talking without saying a whole lot sometimes. In this case, he wasn’t even in the talkative mood. He couldn’t even send me to a source to learn more. Stranger than that, was that he says he is doing ‘workshops’ in the district on ‘How to run for elected office in Arizona’. All I got from our 10 minute conversation was that his years of Union work helped him prepare to run for state office. Hmmm.

We only got to 84° today, but the 47% humidity made it feel a whole lot hotter. We are the desert after all and are much more used to less than 20% humidity. Those in other states don’t really see our 47% as even humid and I am sure they are laughing when we complain. There was very little breeze today and that meant that we were just sticky. I took a cold shower early this evening, just to get rid of the stickiness. It worked and I am now a happy camper again.

MY QUOTE FOR THE DAY

Alfred Hitchcock: These are bagpipes. I understand the inventor of the bagpipes was inspired when he saw a man carrying an indignant, asthmatic pig under his arm. Unfortunately, the man-made sound never equaled the purity of the sound achieved by the pig.

HOLY MACKEREL: On this date in 2006 ►The final withdraw of Japanese troops from Iraq. The Japanese troops could only contribute on humanitarian and reconstruction fronts during their stay in Iraq because of their constitution, which disallows the use of force in international disputes. Some Japanese believed that their involvement in the Iraq war violated their constitution, which was created by the United States in 1947 after World War II.

SOMEWHAT USELESS INFORMATION

The blue whale’s heart is the size of a VW Beetle. The Blue Whale female—larger than a male—weighs about 150 tons, the heart weighs about 1000 lbs. These baleens eat about 4-6 tons of krill (like tiny shrimp) every day.

GREY MATTER PUZZLE 1

Which is the odd couple? Find how these pairs were formed, then decide which does not belong with the other four.

1. HIS and MIST

2. LUSH and PULP

3. LOFT and SOUND

4. WIDE and NINE

5. HIKE and SEED

Hint below

Hint: Each couple is a well-known pairing of words, with one letter swapped.

UNUSUAL NEWS ITEM

GIG HARBOR, WA - Authorities in Washington state said a man facing theft and assault charges told deputies he did not need the tweezers he allegedly tried to steal. Pierce County sheriff's deputies said Troy Montgomery, 48, walked into a pharmacy Friday in Gig Harbor and placed a pair of the store's tweezers in his pocket, The (Tacoma) News Tribune reported Thursday. Montgomery threw the tweezers and tried to leave when a store employee confronted him and said she was calling police. Deputies said Montgomery shoved a pharmacist, who was blocking the door, causing the man to fall to the ground and incur a 3-inch cut to his arm. Deputies said the suspect was detained by customers until they arrived. Montgomery was asked whether he wanted to answer questions about the incident. "Not really," Montgomery told deputies. "Besides being stupid, I don't even need the thing, about the dumbest thing I ever did." He was arrested and charged with third-degree theft and third-degree assault.

A LITTLE LAUGH

A mechanic who worked out of his home had a dog named Mace. Mace had a bad habit of eating all the grass on the mechanic's lawn, so the mechanic had to keep Mace inside.

The grass eventually became overgrown. One day the mechanic was working on a car in the backyard and dropped his wrench, losing it in the tall grass. He couldn't find it for the life of him, so he decided to call it a day.

That night, Mace escaped from the house and ate all the grass in the backyard. The next morning the mechanic went outside and saw his wrench glinting in the sunlight.

Realizing what had happened he looked toward the heavens and proclaimed, "A grazing Mace, how sweet the hound, that saved a wrench for me!"

GREY MATTER PUZZLE 2

What is represented by this BrainBat? O R S E M A N

FOUND ON ‘YOU TUBE’

First Perfect 10 Click Here!

GREY MATTER PICTURE

This is a close up of what common object?

SOME CALENDAR INFORMATION

► Weekly Observances ◄

15-21: Rabbit Week: to raise awareness of rabbits as pets

16-19: National Ventriloquism Week

18-25: Restless Leg Syndrome (RLS) Education & Awareness Week

………..Captive Nations Week

………..National Independent Retailers Week

► Today’s Observances ◄

National Ice Cream Day

National Caviar Day

Spain: Labor Day/National Day

Uruguay: Constitution Day/Jura de la Constitucion (1951)

► Hit Songs on this date ◄

The Gypsy: The Ink Spots in 1946 HEAR IT!

The Wayward Wind: Gogi Grant in 1956

Hanky Panky: Tommy James & the Shondells in 1966 HEAR IT!

Kiss and Say Goodbye: The Manhattans in 1976

Invisible Touch: Genesis in 1986 HEAR IT!

► Born today ◄

…The Arts

James Brolin (Bruderlin), 69, actor (Emmy for “Marcus Welby, MD”; “Hotel”), born Los Angeles, CA

Hume Blake Cronyn, actor (World According to Garp, Cocoon) —born in London Ontario 1911

Vin Diesel (born Mark Vincent), 43, actor (XXX, The Fast and the Furious, Pitch Black), born New York, NY

Dion DiMucci, 71, singer (Dion and the Belmonts), born the Bronx, NY

Harriet Nelson, actress (Adventures of Ozzie & Harriet) —born in Des Moines, IA 1909

Martha Reeves, 69, lead singer (Martha & the Vandellas), born Detroit, MI

Ricky Skaggs, 56, musician (bluegrass guitar), singer, born Cordell, KY

Richard Red Skelton, comedian (Clem Kadiddlehopper, Freddie the Freeloader) —born in Vincennes, IN 1913

Chill Wills, actor (Fronteir Circus, Rounders) —born in Seagoville TX 1903

…Athletics

Richard Totten (Dick) Button, 81, sportscaster, Olympic gold medal figure skater, born Englewood, NJ

Nick Faldo, 53, golfer, born Welwyn Garden City, England

Anfernee Deon “Penny” Hardaway, 38, basketball (Magic, Suns, Nicks, Heat), born Memphis, TN

Joe Torre, 70, baseball (Mets, Braves, Cardinals: Yankees, Dodgers—Mgr) born New York, NY

…Business & Education

Steve Forbes, 63, publisher, chairman, Forbes Newspapers, born Morristown, NJ

Samuel Ichiye S.I. Hayakawa, Senator & educator (Language in Action) —born in Vancouver, British Columbia 1906

…Politics

Andrei Gromyko, diplomat/USSR President (1985-89) —born in Staryja Hramyki, Russian Empire (now in Sviatsilavitski Sielsaviet,Vietkauski Rajon, Homiel Voblast, Belarus) 1909

Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela, 92, political prisoner—born in Mvezo, Umtata, Transkeian Territories, Cape Province, South Africa

Feargus O'Connor, leader of the English Chartists—born in County Cork, Ireland 1796

…Science / Religion

John Glenn, 89, astronaut, first American to orbit Earth, former US Senator (D, Ohio), born Cambridge, OH

Gilbert White, "father of British naturalists"—born in Selborne, Hampshire, England 1720

► Obituaries today ◄

Horatio Alger Jr American clergyman & author, heart disease @ 67 in 1899

Bobby Fuller, rocker (I Fought the Law), murder or suicide @ 24 in 1966

Karl Menninger, psychiatrist (Menninger Clinic), cancer @ 96

► Events ◄

…The Arts

1334 ►The bishop of Florence blesses the first foundation stone for the new campanile (bell tower) of the Florence Cathedral, designed by the artist Giotto di Bondone.

... Athletics

1976 ►The first perfect 10 ever recorded in Olympic gymnastics was achieved up by Romania's 4-foot-11, 88-pound Nadia Comaneci

1999 ►David Cone pitched a perfect game for the New York Yankees

…Business & Education

1853 ►1st train to cross the US-Canada boundary, Portland, Me.-Montreal

…Indigenous People

1759 ►British Superintendent for Indian Affairs in the Southern Department, Edmund Atkins, meets with Choctaws in the upper Creek villages. They sign a treaty which establishes trade, and a promise of mutual aid in case of war. This treaty angers the Choctaw’s former allies, the French.

1764 ►According to some reports, an agreement regarding peace and alliances is reached by representatives of Great Britain and the Hurons.

…Politics (US)

1969 ►A car driven by Senator Edward "Ted" Kennedy plunged off a narrow wooden bridge into a tidal pond after leaving a party

1984 ►Walter F Mondale wins Democratic presidential nomination in SF

…Politics (outside US)

64 ►Rome burned on this day -- while Nero fiddled, literally.

1936 ►Spanish Civil War began, Gen Francisco Franco led uprising

1981 ►10,000 take part in a march through Dublin in support of republican hunger strikers in the Maze Prison, Northern Ireland

…Science / Religion

1870 ►The First Vatican Council decrees the dogma of papal infallibility

1998 ►A tidal wave of 23ft runs along the coast of Papua New Guinea wiping out Low lying fishing villages that were completely washed away and killing over 3,000 people

GREY MATTER ANSWERS

…1

The original couples, before the exchange of a letter, were:

1. HIT and MISS

2. PUSH and PULL

3. LOST and FOUND

4. WINE and DINE

5. HIDE and SEEK

The odd couple is 'WINE and DINE'. All the others are antonym pairs.

…2

A headless horseman: the word HORSEMAN is missing the initial H.

…Photo

Tortoise Shell

TODAY’S PHOTO SHOT

Southwest Skye Pipe and Drum Band, Flagstaff, AZ

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Saturday July 17

This is Week 28 of 2010, Day 198 with 167 days left. It is Day 89 of the BP Mess.

FREE RAMBLING THOUGHTS

We had a powerful Monsoon today. It came fairly quickly. About 11 this morning it was suddenly dark, then the thunder and lightning, and finally a 40 minute hard rain. It was tense for those at the bottom of the fire area. All that rain—about ¼”—came fast and with no vegetation to stop it, headed for the homes saved during the fire. Lots of community organizers and the Feds had put hay and other ground cover over the burn area. Most residents in danger were given sandbags. No homes were harmed, but while this is the biggest monsoon this year, more and bigger monsoons are on the horizon. Still no published news on the idiot who left the campfire that started this mess. Nothing in the paper today about our neighborhood incident last night. Guess it was NBD—no big deal.

State test scores came out this week. Flagstaff scores are down, again. Tuba Boarding continues to do better than most of the Flag schools. Finding the Tuba Boarding scores is more difficult, because while the Bureau requires every school in AZ to take the test, the state continues to refuse to post the scores. A teacher from TCBS sent me the scores. I have to say, the state scores, from whatever state, don’t really mean too much because they can’t be compared to other states. Since AZ is in the bottom 5 states in just about every area of K-12 public instruction, falling test scores is much more serious than many realize. There sure is some kind of disconnect here in AZ. The state sets the curriculum, the state sets the test questions based on that curriculum, and the state sets the protocol for the test. So why aren’t the scores rising? No wonder we are so low on the national scale.

The lack of new oil in the Gulf is certainly encouraging. It will take decades, if not a century for the Gulf to recover, but at least no new oil is spewing into the water. The great emergency plan that dealt with the little known and never seen Gulf Walrus only took 88 days to stop. And today, the leading Republican in Congress has proposed that no new Federal regulations of any kind be instituted—so that business people can see a light in the future. Great, go back to the 1950’s where there were many fewer regulations. Yeah, like minorities banned from stores and housing. Wearing sunglasses while watching a nuclear explosion. ‘Duck and Cover’ to live through an atomic blast. No control of auto emissions. No air quality standards. No handicapped access. No new safe medical technology. It’s not for me. I like living with today’s technology. I like that life expectancy is now 78.4 rather than the 65.2 of 1950.

Today started out to be another hot day. At 10:30 my deck was already 84°. The rain came and within 10 minutes it was 72° and by the time the rain stopped it was 65°. After the rain is climbed back up to 78º and while the humidity was high, it was still a nice day.

HOLY MACKEREL: On this date in 1954 ►"Operation Wetback" is launched by the United States Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) to remove about four million illegal immigrants from the southwestern United States, with a focus on Mexican nationals. The operation began in California and Arizona sweeping northward through agricultural areas with a goal of 1,000 apprehensions a day.

MY QUOTE FOR THE DAY

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle: Mediocrity knows nothing higher than itself, but talent instantly recognizes genius.

SOMEWHAT USELESS INFORMATION

China only has one time zone. The land covers 5 time zones, but uses only the Beijing zone. The claim is that most of the country is agriculture and has no need for more time zones. In parts of the country the sun doesn’t rise until 10am. China also has no summer or daylight savings time. OMG, neither does Arizona. Maybe it’s a communist plot. I better notify the non-elected governor.

GREY MATTER PUZZLE 1

Can you decipher this phrase? T _ _ E

UNUSUAL NEWS ITEM

WENATCHEE, WA — Don't call him Lucky. Wenatchee police arrested a 47-year-old Tacoma man for investigation of first-degree theft after he ran out of gas as he was leaving a store where Native American collectibles were stolen.

Alerted to the thefts by the store owner, police found the man on foot Wednesday after his car stalled about 50 feet from its original parking spot. Sgt. John Kruse said the man is suspected of stealing several Indian collectibles from the Discount Center.

Kruse says he was also in possession of several necklaces stolen from the Antique Mall — and is suspected of stealing a beaded Native American ceremonial garment bearing a price tag of $10,500. Police are calling him the "Bad Luck Bandit".

A LITTLE LAUGH

A blonde decided to try horseback riding, even though she had no prior experience.

She mounted the horse unassisted, and the horse immediately sprang into motion. It galloped along at a steady and rhythmic pace, but the blonde began to slip from the saddle. In terror, she grabbed for the horse's mane, but couldn't seem to get a firm grip. She tried to throw her arms around the horse's neck, but she slid down the side of the horse anyway.

The horse galloped along, seemingly impervious to its slipping rider. Finally, giving up her frail grip, she leapt away from the horse to try and throw herself to safety. Unfortunately, her foot became entangled in the stirrup and she was at the mercy of the horse's pounding hooves as her head struck the ground over and over.

As her head was battered against the ground, she was mere moments away from unconsciousness. Then, to her great fortune, the Wal-Mart manager saw her and shut the horse off.

GREY MATTER PUZZLE 2

Using the BrainTracker grid below, how many words can you find? Each word must contain the central H 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. Excellent: 63 words. Good: 45 words. Average: 35 words.

IWR

SHT

EEO

FOUND ON YOU TUBE

Guerilla Theater: Click Here!

GREY MATTER PICTURE

This is a close up of what common object?

SOME CALENDAR INFORMATION

► Weekly Observances ◄

11-17: National Farrier’s Week: Horseshoe People

…………Sports Cliché Week

15-21: Rabbit Week: to raise awareness of rabbits as pets

16-19: National Ventriloquism Week

► Today’s Observances ◄

National Peach Ice Cream Day

Wrong Way Corrigan Day: He flew from LA to NY; then on the return flight, due to a navigational error flew from NY to Ireland.

Yellow Pig Day: at Hampshire College Summer Studies in Mathematics, it’s a math geek thing.

National Hot Dog Day

Toss Away the "Could Haves" and "Should Haves" Day

Woodie Wagon Day: to remember those great station wagons on the 40’s and 50’s

World Day for International Justice

Iraq: Revolution Day/National Day (1968)

Korea: Constitution Day

Puerto Rico: Muñoz Rivera Day (birthday 1859) autonomy for PR

South Korea: Constitution Day (1948)

Mexico: Day of National Mourning (Benito Juarez)

► 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

Listen to What the Man Said: Paul McCartney & Wings in 1975

A View to a Kill: Duran Duran in 1985

► Born today ◄

…The Arts

Erle Stanley Gardner, author (created Perry Mason), born in 1889 Hyde Park, NY, pseudonyms A.A. Fair, Kyle Corning, Charles M. Green, Carleton Kendrake, Charles J. Kenny,Les Tillray and Robert Parr.

+++

James Francis Cagney, actor, A yankee doodle dandy, born in 1900 Manhattan, NY

Diahann Carroll (Carol Diahann Johnson), 75, singer, actress (“Julia,” “Dynasty”), born New York, NY

Phyllis Diller (Phyllis Driver), 93, comedienne, actress (Boy, Did I Get a Wrong Number!), born Lima, OH

David Hasselhoff, 58, actor (“Knight Rider,” “Baywatch”), born Baltimore, MD

Art Linkletter, TV host, born in 1912 Saskatchewan Canada

Phoebe Snow, 58, singer (“Poetry Man”), born New York, NY

Donald Sutherland, 75, actor (M*A*S*H, Klute, Backdraft), born St. John, NB, Canada

…Athletics

Jason Jennings, 32, baseball player (A’s), born Dallas, TX

…Business & Education

John Jacob Astor, richest man in US, banker/fur trader, born in 1763 Walldorf, Germany

Aaron Lansky, 55, founder of National Yiddish Book Center, born New Bedford, MA

…Politics

Elbridge Gerry, 5th VP, MA-Gov, invented gerrymandering, born in 1744 Marblehead, MA

…Science / Religion

Esma'il I,  shah who converted Iran from Sunni to Shi'ah, born in 1487

► Obituaries today ◄

Walter Cronkite, newsman @ 92 in 2009

Ty Cobb, Detroit Tiger hall of fame baseball player, @ 75 in 1961

Billie Holiday, blues singer, liver failure @ 44 in 1959

► Events ◄

…The Arts

1841 ►British humor magazine "Punch" 1st published

…Athletics

1976 ►21st modern Olympic games opens in Montreal

1976 ►The 21st Olympic Games in Montreal opening ceremony is marred by the withdrawal of 25 African countries over New Zealand's All Black Rugby Union team touring South Africa who were banned from Olympic Competition

…Business & Education

1867 ►1st permanent university dental school in US, Harvard

1879 ►1st railroad opens in Hawaii

1901 ►Dr. Willis Carrier installed a commercial air conditioning system at a Brooklyn, NY printing plant

1955 ► Disneyland opens its doors in rural Orange County

1981 ►Humbar Estuary Bridge, UK, world's longest span (1.4 km), opens

1981 ►Two sky bridges collapsed onto the lobby floor at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Kansas City

1997 ►F.W. Woolworth's, the original five-and-dime store that started in 1879, announced today that its last 400 US stores would close.

…Indigenous People

1781 ►The Mission San Pedro Y San Pablo De Bicuner is established, in modern Imperial County, California, on January 7, 1781. It is where the Anza Trail crosses the Colorado River. This is land claimed by the Quechan (Yuma) Indians. After unsuccessful talks, the Quechans attack and take over the Mission and surrounding pueblo today.

…Politics (US)

1861 ►Congress authorizes paper money

1862 ►National cemeteries were authorized by the U.S. government on this day. Arlington National Cemetery, located just outside Washington, D.C. in Virginia, is one of the most honored in the country.

…Politics (outside US)

1959 ►Tibet abolishes serfdom

1968 ►Revolt in Iraq

…Science / Religion

1775 ►1st military hospital approved

1955 ►Arco, Idaho becomes 1st US city lit by nuclear power

1959 ►Dr Leakey discovers oldest human skull (600,000 years old)

GREY MATTER ANSWERS

…1

I'm out of time. I M are out of T I M E. Think: what the white rabbit said in Alice in Wonderland.

…2

Common words: eh, either, ether, ethos, he, heir, heist, her, here, hereto, hero, hew, hi, hire, his, hit, hoe, hoist, horse, hose, host, hot, how, oh, other, OTHERWISE, rho, she, sheer, sheet, shire, shirt, shoe, shore, short, shot, show, shower, shrew, the, thee, their, theories, there, these, this, those, three, threw, throw, where, whet, whit, white, whiter, who, whose, wish, with, wither, worth, worthies, writhe.

All words: eh, either, eth, ether, ethers, ethos, eths, he, heir, heirs, heist, heister, her, here, heres, hereto, heriot, heriots, hero, heroes, heros, hers, hes, hest, het, hetero, heteros, hets, hew, hewer, hewers, hews, hi, hie, hies, hire, hires, his, hist, hit, hits, ho, hoe, hoer, hoers, hoes, hoise, hoist, hoister, horse, horst, horste, hose, hosier, host, hot, hots, how, howe, howes, hows, isothere, ither, oh, ohs, other, others, OTHERWISE, resh, reshoe, reshot, reshow, rho, rhos, rowth, rowths, sh, she, sheer, sheet, shew, shewer, shier, shire, shirt, shoe, shoer, shore, short, shortie, shot, shote, show, shower, showier, shrew, shri, sith, soth, swith, swithe, swither, the, thee, their, theirs, theories, theorise, there, theres, these, thew, thewier, thews, thio, thir, this, tho, those, three, threes, threw, thro, throe, throes, throw, throws, tosh, towhee, towhees, wether, wethers, whee, where, wheres, whereto, whet, whets, whir, whirs, whist, whit, white, whiter, whites, whits, who, whore, whores, whort, whorts, whose, wish, wisher, with, withe, wither, withers, withes, worth, worthies, worths, writhe, writhes, wroth.

…Photo

Meat grinder

TODAY’S PHOTO SHOT

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Friday July 16

This is Week 28 of 2010, Day 197 with 168 days left. It is Day 88 of the BP Mess.

FREE RAMBLING THOUGHTS

Finally some good news. The latest oil plug seems to be working. Late this morning the oil quit leaking into the Gulf. It is not permanent. It is not a fix. But it is holding for now, the first time in 88 days. Lots still has to be done, but this is the first positive thing in many days. More good news, my PCP’s office called and he is back to practicing medicine. I see him next week for my 6 month check up. Winnie, his receptionist sure sounded peppy today, much like she usually does. So glad I don’t have to change PCP right now. I guess she is relieved that she doesn’t have to look for a new job. She is a good receptionist, she keeps things running. She knows the Dr.’s quirks and she has a work-around for most of them. Glad both events occurred today.

Saturday is the annual Celtic Festival here in Flagstaff. I’ll be over there for some fish and chips, good music, interesting games and checking out the vendors. I plan to go early, as Flag has been getting very warm the last few days and the rain usually comes in the afternoon, if at all.

One of the neighbors in my complex, about four doors away, is loud. She has or 7 kids from 6-17. Now that we have very warm days, the kids are usually outside playing. Every evening, when things cool off a little, she loads them into a car and takes off. Around 10 or 11 each night they return. I know they return because I am usually upstairs in my office. They get out of the car and run around with lots of energy. As she gets out, she starts yelling her tirade about how she does all the work, the kids never help, and on and on. The kids don’t really cause any problems around the neighborhood. She gets them all inside in about 5 minutes, so while her tirade is not good parenting, we only have to listen a few minutes each day. About 6pm tonight I looked out my office window and saw a police car entering the complex from the north side. This is unusual, but not unheard of. They always just cruise through and never stop. No idea why. This cop was followed by another, and another, and another. Yep four cop cars—no lights, no sirens, no speeding. The first one stopped in the middle of the road just past my place and the second, right behind him. The third one parked in an empty parking space and the fourth one in another parking place. The first one looked at my neighbor’s address and you could tell he was counting to see how far the suspect unit was from him. By this time our entire parking area is blocked in by the cop cars. All the neighbors, including myself are now out on the sidewalk to see what is going on. Not a whole lot, but of course almost everyone likes speculating. I was the first go back in, since there was no screaming, no ambulance, and no gun fire. About 10 minutes later two cops emerge with a skinny young kid, about 15, handcuffed and put in the first cop car. A little later a neighbor meanders past the cop car. Then two cops walk with her back to her place across the complex. Then the lady of the house comes out to the cop car and starts yelling at the kid. Two cop cars leave. The lady goes back inside. She comes back out and actually talks to the kid. Then the neighbor, the lady, two cops and the kid have a discussion. Then the cops and the kid left, everyone went back inside. Maybe tomorrow’s paper will tell me what really happened. Whatever it was, it looked like a few too many police answered the call—but I’m not a cop and I don’t know what the original caller said. One thing I did learn, cops now use cell phones for all their outside communication these days. This call didn’t have any blaring police two-ways updating the world on what was happening. I used to have a police scanner when I was in Tuba. I still have it somewhere and if something like this happens again, I will find it. Four years here and nothing like this before, and hopefully, not again.

No rain here today, but it was HOT. My deck was 96° about 3pm. I ran some errands earlier today but wasn’t outside much. I so hate going from a cool car to the heat, to the cold stores, back to the hot car. I now have so many colorful finches that my thistle feeders have to be refilled almost daily. They also really enjoy the bird bath and that water now has to be changed daily as my birds have not been taught to not poop in the water. I put a sign out to tell them, I talked to them, I even threatened to tell their parents, but they either don’t listen or they are just defiant. I have a battery powered water wiggle thing that keeps the water in the bath moving. Everything I read says the birds prefer moving water and that sure seems to be true.

HOLY MACKEREL: On this date in 1775 ►John Adams graduates Harvard

MY QUOTE FOR THE DAY

Terry Josephson, 21st-century motivational author: Stop thinking in terms of limitations and start thinking in terms of possibilities.

SOMEWHAT USELESS INFORMATION

The very first Apple logo featured Sir Isaac Newton sitting under a tree, with an apple about to hit his head. This logo, designed by the lesser-known Apple founder Ronald Wayne, was used only for a short period in 1976. The rainbow apple, designed by Rob Janoff, replaced Newton and remained the symbol of the company for many years until the simpler monochromatic apple logo was introduced in 1998.

***

In order to raise enough money to buy parts and build the first few orders of the Apple I, Steve Jobs sold his Volkswagen van and Wozniak, then an HP employee, sold his Hewlett-Packard 65 scientific calculator for $500.

***

The very first Apple computer was priced at $666.66, not for any Satanic connotations, but rather for more practical reasons. Steve Wozniak's explanation was that the retail price ran around $667, and it was easier to type one repeating digit - $666.66.

GREY MATTER PUZZLE 1

Homer had suffered a bizarre accident that affected his eyesight. The doctor said it would be temporary, but for the next 4 weeks, he had to adjust how he did some things. The accident had affected his focal length. He was only able to focus on objects that were 6 or more feet away from him, anything closer than 6 feet was just a blur.

Homer was used to shaving up close in front of his bathroom mirror. Now after the accident, how close could Homer get to the mirror to see his face clearly enough to shave?

UNUSUAL NEWS ITEM

EL MONTE, CA — Los Angeles County authorities say a mummified body found under an empty home may be the remains of a man who went missing five years ago. County coroner's Capt. John Kades says there's no sign of foul play. Construction workers remodeling a back house in El Monte found the remains Wednesday in a crawl space.

He says family and friends reported the man was known to hide or hang out in enclosed spaces such as closets. Kades says a pillow was found with the remains and it appears the man may have been resting in the crawl space when he died of natural causes. Kades says the body hasn't been officially identified but is believed to be the missing man.

NEW YORK – Workers at the World Trade Center site are excavating a 32-foot-long ship hull that apparently was used in the 18th century as part of the fill that extended lower Manhattan into the Hudson River. It was hoped that the artifact could be retrieved by the end of Thursday, said archaeologist Molly McDonald. A boat specialist planned to look at it.

"We're mostly clearing it by hand because it's kind of fragile," she said, but construction equipment could be used later in the process. McDonald and archaeologist A. Michael Pappalardo were at the site of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks when the discovery was made Tuesday morning.

The two archeologists work for AKRF, a firm hired to document artifacts discovered at the site. They called the find significant but said more study was needed to determine the age of the ship.

A 100-pound anchor was found a few yards from the ship hull on Wednesday, but they're not sure if it belongs to the ship. It's 3 to 4 feet across, McDonald said. The archaeologists are racing to record and analyze the vessel before the delicate wood, now exposed to air, begins to deteriorate.

A LITTLE LAUGH

A redneck family from outside Little Rock was visiting a city in the North and they were in a mall for the first time in their lives. The father and son decided to stroll around while the wife shopped. They were amazed by almost everything they saw, but especially by two shiny, silver walls that could move apart and then slide back together again.

The boy said, Pa, What's'at? Pa (never having seen an elevator) said, Dunno, son. Ain't never seen nothing like 'at in my whole dang life. Ain't got no idea'r what 'tis.

Then, all of a sudden, while the two watched in amazement, a fat old lady in a wheel chair rolled up to the moving walls and pressed a button. The walls opened and she rolled between them into a small room. The walls closed and the boy and his father watched as small circular numbers above the walls light up sequentially. They continued to watch until the number at the top lit up. And then the small lights commenced to work their way down again.

When the walls opened the next time, out stepped a gorgeous, voluptuous, turbo 24-year-old blonde woman.

Reverently, and without taking his eyes off the babe, Pa said, quietly, Boy . . . go . . . git . . .yo . . . Momma.

GREY MATTER PUZZLE 2

Which number, when written as words, makes this true:

Cleverly, there are exactly _?_ E's in this sentence.

FOUND ON YOU TUBE

Hot Town, Summer in the City Click Here to Hear It!

GREY MATTER PICTURE

This is a close up of what common object?

SOME CALENDAR INFORMATION

► Weekly Observances ◄

11-17: National Farrier’s Week: Horseshoe People

…………Sports Cliché Week

15-21: Rabbit Week: to raise awareness of rabbits as pets

16-19: National Ventriloquism Week

► Today’s Observances ◄

International Juggling Day

Hot Dog Night

Bolivia: La Paz Day (1548)

Wash DC: District of Columbia Day (1790)

► Hit Songs on this date ◄

I'll Be Seeing You: Bing Crosby in 1944

Little Things Mean a Lot: Kitty Kallen in 1954

Rag Doll: The Four Seasons in 1964

Rock Your Baby: George McCrae in 1974

When Doves Cry: Prince in 1984

► Born today ◄

…The Arts

Michael Flatley, 52, dancer (Lord of the Dance, Feet of Flames), born Chicago, IL

+++

Corey Feldman, 39, actor (Stand by Me, The Lost Boys), born Reseda, CA

Will Ferrell, 43, comedian, actor (Semi-Pro, Blades of Glory, Stranger Than Fiction, Anchorman), born Irvine, CA

Ginger Rogers [Virginia Katherine McMath], dancer/actress, born in 1911 Independence MO

Barbara Stanwyck, actress (Dynasty II, Big Valley, Thorn Birds), born in 1907 Brooklyn, NY

…Athletics

Barry Sanders, 42, football player (Lions), born Wichita, KS

…Business & Education

Orville Redenbacher, popcorn king (Orville Redenbacher's Gourmet), born in 1907 Brazil, IN

…Politics

Bess Myerson, 86, former Miss America (1945), former government official, born New York, NY

…Science / Religion

Roald Amundsen, explorer, discovered South Pole, born in 1872 Borge, Norway

Mary Baker Eddy, founded Christian Science (Science & Health), born in 1821 Bow, NH

► Obituaries today ◄

Harry Chapin, songwriter, singer heart attack when his car is rear-ended @ 39

John F. Kennedy, Jr, dies in plane crash @ 39

Nicholas II, Russian tsar, his tsarina & their 5 kids executed in 1918

► Events ◄

…The Arts

1951 ►Novel "Catcher in the Rye" by JD Salinger published

…Athletics

1950 ►The largest crowd in sporting history -- 199,854 -- watched the World Cup soccer finals in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

1970 ►The Pittsburgh Pirates played their first game at Three Rivers Stadium

…Business & Education

1956 ►Last Ringling Bros, Barnum & Bailey Circus under a canvas tent

…Indigenous People

1585 ►After yesterday's first encounter between the Roanoke colony and Algonquain Indians in the village of Aquascogoc, in Hyde County North Carolina, colonists discover one of their silver cups is missing. Today, led by colony Governor Ralph Lane, the colonists return to the village, and demand the return of the cup. When the cup is not returned, "we burned and spoiled all their corn'" according to the Governor's journal. This is one of the first significant conflicts in the area between the Europeans and the native inhabitants.

…Politics (US)

1935 ►1st automatic parking meter in US installed, Oklahoma City, Ok

…Politics (outside US)

1439 ►Kissing is banned in England

1548 ►La Paz, Bolivia is founded

1775 ►John Adams graduates Harvard

1798 ►US Public Health Service established & US Marine Hospital authorized

1862 ►David G Farragut became 1st rear admiral in US Navy

…Science / Religion

1769 ►Father Serra founds Mission San Diego, 1st mission in CA

1926 ►National Geographic takes 1st natural-color undersea photos

1936 ►1st x-ray photo of arterial circulation, Rochester, NY

1945 ►The world's first atomic bomb was detonated near Alamogordo, New Mexico

GREY MATTER ANSWERS

…1

3 feet--Your focal length in a mirror is your distance away from the mirror, plus the distance of the object away from the mirror. When you look at an object in a mirror, you are seeing a virtual image the exact distance it is away from the mirror. So, if you are standing 3 feet away from a mirror, and focus on your face, you are actually focusing at 6 feet.

To try this out, put a piece of tape on a mirror, about eye level. Standing in front of the mirror, focus your eyes on the tape, now your face is out of focus. Focus now on your face, and the tape is out of focus.

…2

Twelve: "Cleverly, there are exactly twelve E's in this sentence."

…Photo

Uno Cards—the card game

TODAY’S PHOTO SHOT

Pow Wow Season is upon us

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Thursday July 15

This is Week 28 of 2010, Day 196 with 169 days left. It is Day 87 of the BP Mess.

FREE RAMBLING THOUGHTS

The hot days of summer are supposed to close down much of the news frenzy. Not this summer. 1. Every time I turned on the news yesterday we were told that the oil spill cap would be in effect within a couple of hours. Then this morning, some Feds stopped that testing of the cap due to ‘issues’. They were concerned that the cap might either rupture the pipe or possible open up new leaks from the ocean bottom. I must say I can’t even imagine what 6000 pounds per sq inch must be. My old 10 speed bike tires wanted 90 pounds per sq in. and I thought that was a lot. As scary as that is, why didn’t they know this before yesterday? More disappointment for the Gulf residents. 2. Some strange group in Utah published the list of some 1100 illegal immigrants with names, addresses, and for the women on the list—pregnancy status. The ‘concerned citizens’ wanted these people deported immediately. Authorities are pretty sure that some state or federal worker stole the list from a database. Turns out that many of the names are not illegals and those legals are terrified. All the last names are of Hispanic origin. The ‘concerned citizens’, if they figure out who they are, can be prosecuted under privacy laws in Utah or on the Federal level. This frenzy is crazy. 3. We can all expect to start hearing more about polygamy soon, as the border town communities in AZ and UT (Colorado City and Hillsdale) are not following some court ordered rules on offering services to all citizens, instead of just members of the cult. This is another issue that just won’t go away. Where is Jan on this issue? Polygamy is illegal in AZ. Not paying taxes is illegal. The idea that a young girl can be forced to marry a man and that young men are kicked out of the community because they are a threat to older men is not enough to get her attention. AZ set up a conservator for all their funds a few years back. Countless dollars were spent on that case, and even more on trying to apprehend Warren Jeffs, the leader. The FLDS cult just doesn’t meet her criteria. 4. Buz Mills, a Republican, was running against our non-elected Governor here in AZ. I guess he was a one-issue candidate. Today he withdrew from the primary because his ‘fix the AZ economy’ platform has become a non-issue, to be taken over by the pseudo-issue, illegal immigrants. He is rich and was personally financing his campaign. Since the Republicans have grabbed onto immigration, not the fact that our state is fiscally broke, he saw that he was not going to get much Republican support in the Primary. While I don’t agree with some of his ways to fix the economy, his withdrawal from the race shows that the media and non-elected Governor have taken the immigration issue as the number one problem in our state. 5. It isn’t. Jobs, Housing, Education are much more important. On a side note, a few years back the Legislature passed legislation that gave scholarships to high school students who scored the highest on our state test. This was to keep the brightest in our state for their college education. Now the Board of Regents has said the program is way too successful and should be dropped. It is costing too much money. Duh…I would have thought that was a good thing.

The clouds came in, stayed all day, but didn’t give us any moisture. We made it to 88° and had 30% humidity, with only a slight breeze. It did feel hot today. Let the monsoons flow.

HOLY MACKEREL: On this date in 1922 ►The humble chimney sweep is being swept away by machines with the advent of giant vacuum cleaners which do the job quicker, cleaner and cheaper than the traditional chimney sweep.

MY QUOTE FOR THE DAY

Lord Chesterfield, English man of letters (1694-1773): Know the true value of time; snatch, seize and enjoy every moment of it.

SOMEWHAT USELESS INFORMATION

You have to play ping-pong for 12 hours to lose one pound.

GREY MATTER PUZZLE 1

When you behead a word, you remove the first letter and still have a valid word. You will be given clues for the two words, longer word first. Example: Begin -> Sour, acidic Answer: The words are Start and Tart.

1. Pleasant -> Frozen water

2. More recent -> Pitcher for water

3. Noble gas -> Indefinitely long period of time

4. Almost -> Ahead of time; at the beginning of a period of time

5. Not at any time -> At any time

6. None of two choices -> One of two choices

7. Limited width or scope -> Projectile shot from a bow

8. One, for example -> Brown, earthy colour

UNUSUAL NEWS ITEM

GURNEE, Il—Police said authorities at Six Flags Great America ejected two off-duty employees from the theme park after they allegedly attacked a female colleague dressed as "Porky Pig."

Gurnee Police Sgt. Jon Ward says two young men took a photo with Porky on Monday afternoon, and then punched the mascot in the head 10 to 15 times.

Ward said park security detained the men until police arrived. He said the men were issued local ordinance citations for battery.

He said the suspects denied the attack, but witnesses confirmed the story. The 24-year-old woman inside the mascot costume suffered headaches and a stiff neck.

A LITTLE LAUGH

There is a story about a monastery in Europe perched high on a cliff several hundred feet in the air. The only way to reach the monastery was to be suspended in a basket which was pulled to the top by several monks who pulled and tugged with all their strength. Obviously the ride up the steep cliff in that basket was terrifying.

One tourist got exceedingly nervous about half-way up as he noticed that the rope by which he was suspended was old and frayed.

With a trembling voice he asked the monk who was riding with him in the basket how often they changed the rope.

The monk thought for a moment and answered brusquely, "Whenever it breaks."

GREY MATTER PUZZLE 2

Below you will find 15 well-known six letter words, with only their endings remaining. Can you determine the words?

...rix

...osy

...iff

...oze

...uum

...ryo

...nda

...nis

...tem

...pod

...reo

...hom

...gan

...amt

...gen

FOUND ON YOU TUBE

Computers promised a lot in the 1980’s. Apple did this ad for its IIC Click Here to see it!

GREY MATTER PICTURE

This is a close up of what common object?

SOME CALENDAR INFORMATION

► Weekly Observances ◄

11-17: National Farrier’s Week: Horseshoe People

…………Sports Cliché Week

15-21: Rabbit Week: to raise awareness of rabbits as pets

► Today’s Observances ◄

National Tapioca Pudding Day

Respect Canada Day

Gummi Worm Day

Get to Know Your Customers Day

Brunei: Sultan's Birthday

Winchester, England: Saint Swithin's Day:

'St. Swithin's day if thou dost rain

For forty days it will remain

St. Swithin's day if thou be fair

For forty days 'twill rain nae mair.'

Folklore says St. Swithin wanted to be buried outdoors. Many years after his death his remains were moved indoors. On the day of the move, it rained, showing his dissatisfaction for being moved indoors.

Japan: Bon Festival/Feast of Lanterns/Black Ship Day (1853)

Pakistan: Mohammed's Ascension

► Hit Songs on this date ◄

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

Surf City: Jan & Dean in 1963 Click Here to Hear It!

Bad, Bad Leroy Brown: Jim Croce in 1973

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

► Born today ◄

…The Arts

Thomas Bulfinch mythologist (Bulfinch's Mythology), born in 1796 Newton, MA z

Clement Clarke Moore, author ('Twas the Night Before Xmas), born in 1779 New York City, NY

Rembrandt van Rijn, painter (Night Watch), born in 1606 Leiden, Netherlands

+++

Willie Aames, 50, actor (“Eight Is Enough,” “Charles in Charge”), born Newport Beach, CA

Ken Kercheval, 75, actor (“Dallas,” “Search for Tomorrow”), born Wolcottville, IN

Linda Ronstadt, 64, singer, songwriter, born Tucson, AZ

Jan-Michael Vincent, 66, actor (“The Winds of War,” “Airwolf”), born Denver, CO

Forest Whitaker, 49, actor (Oscar for The Last King of Scotland; “The Shield,” Bird, The Crying Game), director (Waiting to Exhale), born Longview, TX

…Athletics

Alex George Karras, 75, former football player (Lions), actor (“Webster,” Babe, Victor/Victoria), born Gary, IN

John Stallworth, 58, football: Steelers wide receiver: Super Bowl IX, X, XIII, XIV, born in Tuscaloosa, AL

…Business & Education

Arianna Huffington, 60, author, journalist (“The Huffington Post”), born Athens, Greece

Maggie Lena Walker, first woman bank founder and president: opened St. Luke Penny Savings Bank [Richmond VA: Nov 2, 1903]; women's rights/black pride advocate, born in 1867 Richmond, VA

…Politics

Jesse Ventura, 59, former professional wrestler, former Governor of Minnesota (I), born Minneapolis, MN

…Science / Religion

St Frances Xavier Cabrini [Mother Cabrini], 1st US saint, born in 1850 Sant'Angelo Lodigiano, Italy

► Obituaries today ◄

George Cleveland, actor (Grampa-Lassie), @74 in 1957

Bert Convy, actor, game show host (Snoop Sisters, Win Lose or Draw), brain tumor @ 57 in 1991

John J Persing, US General (WW I), @ 87 in 1948

Robert Wadlow, world's tallest man (8'11.1"), blood poisoning @ 22 in 1940

► Events ◄

…The Arts

--

…Athletics

1876 ►Baseballs 1st no-hitter, St Louis' George W Bradley no-hits Hartford

1912 ►Jim Thorpe won the decathlon in the Olympic games in Stockholm, Sweden.

…Business & Education

1869 ►Margarine is patented in Paris, for use by French Navy

1976 ►36-hr kidnap of 26 schoolchildren & their bus driver in CA

…Indigenous People

1539 ►Hernando de Soto, and his troops, begin their march inland from Tampa Bay.

1806 ►Pike expedition: near St. Louis, Missouri, United States Army Lieutenant Zebulon Pike with twenty-three whites, and fifty-one Osage and Pawnee begins an expedition from Fort Belle Fountaine to explore the west.

…Politics (US)

1964 ►Barry M Goldwater (Sen-R-Az) nominated for president by Republicans

…Politics (outside US)

1893 ►Commodore Perry arrives in Japan

1995 ►Ethnic Cleansing by Bosnian Serbs in the "SAFE AREA" of Srebrenica with tales of rape, massacres and psychological torture, the 40,000 women, children and elderly people flee.

…Science / Religion

1904 ►1st Buddhist temple in US established, Los Angeles

1922 ►1st duck-billed platypus publicly exhibited in US, at NY zoo

1929 ►First weekly radio broadcast of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir radio show,

1941 ►Florey & Heatley present freeze dried mold cultures (Pencillin)

1965 ►The unmanned spacecraft Mariner 4 passes over Mars at an altitude of 6,000 feet and sends back to Earth the first close-up images of the red planet.

GREY MATTER ANSWERS

…1

1. Nice -> Ice

2. Newer -> Ewer

3. Neon -> Eon

4. Nearly -> Early

5. Never -> Ever

6. Neither -> Either

7. Narrow -> Arrow

8. Number -> Umber

…2

Matrix, choosy, tariff, snooze, vacuum, embryo, agenda, tennis, system, tripod, stereo, fathom, slogan, dreamt, oxygen.

…Photo

Trivial Pursuit Card

TODAY’S PHOTO SHOT

LA Buddhist Temple
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