Sunday July 25

This is Week 30 of 2010►Day 206 with 159 days left.

It is Day 96 of the BP Mess.

FREE RAMBLING THOUGHTS

I have not forgotten about the BP mess. I am glad the oil is no longer spilling, but the cleanup has certainly gotten out of the news. The media has such a short attention span, some would say they have attention deficit. Focus on a story until you get bored and then move on to a new set of dramas. The tourists still aren’t coming to the Gulf. The fishing boats are still not fishing. The animals are still in peril. I guess the only way to know what is going on is to be there. The media builds of fear. For the spill, we were told by most news organizations that this was the worst spill in the history of our country—if not the world. Yet, after three months of so much oil spilling, it is hardly an afterthought now. It seems that once they have us scared, we, as humans, adapt somehow. So rather than keeping us informed, the media just finds a new thing to place fear in our minds. This is all very frustrating. I, for one, have not forgotten.

July 29 is the date set for 1070 to become law, and unless a Federal judge steps up, it will go into effect. The state claims that all officers in the state have been trained to prevent ‘racial profiling’. They got a 2 hour dvd training course. Today we learned that many officers are also getting ‘demonstration’ training. The news should local Phoenix cops in riot gear with big rifles, training for what appeared to be combat in Afghanistan. I’m hoping they accidently mixed up the video and story. Side note: I saw a comic on TV this week that was talking about terrorists. He pointed out that many times when the news media is talking about terrorist training camps they usually show the same video clip—terrorists climbing across monkey bars. He’s right. Then he pointed out, this is shown so we will have more fear of the terrorists. A terrorist can be easily spotted here if he is seen practicing on monkey bars. Forget shooting, forget blowing things up, just watch for them on monkey bars. Back to our cop’s training. I am praying that Arizona 2010 is not a repeat of Chicago 1968. Never, many say. But one side of this issue is using scare tactics to make us believe that, like a bad horror film, hoards of humans are coming across the border every night with drugs, guns, and mayhem on their minds. The other side, using statistics from independent, reliable sources say that crime is on the decrease in AZ, more crime is done by non-illegals both by actual number of crimes and by percentage of that group when compared to other groups. It just takes one overreaction in a tense situation to harm innocents. The 100+° temperatures down south makes everyone a little more quick tempered. Fear heightens the fight or flight response. Everything will have to be in place for no overreaction; one small misstep may set off something that no one wants or is prepared for. I can only hope that peace and sanity will prevail.

Flagstaff had a nice day. We climbed to 81° and with only 31% humidity; it was nice to be outside. I only did a short neighborhood walk this morning. It was nice, cool, and enjoyable.

MY QUOTE FOR THE DAY

William Arthur Ward: The mediocre teacher tells. The good teacher explains. The superior teacher demonstrates. The great teacher inspires.

HOLY MACKEREL:1918►Race riot in Chester Pennsylvania (3 blacks & 2 whites killed) 

SOMEWHAT USELESS INFORMATION

It takes about 540 peanuts to make a 12-ounce jar of peanut butter. There are enough peanuts in one acre to make 30,000 peanut butter sandwiches.

***

Peanut butter was first introduced to the USA in 1904 at the Universal Exposition in St. Louis by C.H. Sumner, who sold $705.11 ($17,000 in 2010 dollars) of the "new treat" at his concession stand.

GREY MATTER PUZZLE 1

Which word comes next in this sequence: India Victor X-Ray Lima Charlie ==?==

UNUSUAL NEWS ITEM

Paris, France--One enterprising flight attendant has actually been able to make a very good living relieving passengers of their cash and valuables.

French police investigating thefts over several months on flights between France and the Far East picked up the 47-year old attendant identified as Lucie R. She is under suspicion of stealing thousands of Euros in cash, cards and jewelry as passengers slept on long haul flights.

Police launched an investigation in January after about 4,000 Euros ($5,170) was stolen from five passengers. The robber took advantage of sleeping passengers, taking Euros, yen, and Swiss francs as well as watches, jewels, credit cards and even checkbooks!

"Her bank accounts showed an absurd gap between her lifestyle and her declared income," one newspaper quoted a police investigator as saying. Between that and the travelers' checks, blank checks and bank card numbers police found at her home, it seems like she had quite a little cottage industry going.

A LITTLE LAUGH

Some people might object to filling out the part of a company's job application form that asks "Race." Not one guy. He responded, "Only on the interstate."

GREY MATTER PUZZLE 2

I'm a tool. I'm long or short. I could be used for survival. I'm evil or good, by the way you use me.

FOUND ON ‘YOU TUBE’

Walter Brennan was a singer too? Click Here to Hear him!

GREY MATTER PICTURE

This is a close up of what object?

SOME CALENDAR INFORMATION

► Weekly Observances ◄

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

………..Captive Nations Week

………..National Independent Retailers Week

► Today’s Observances ◄

Carousel Day or Merry-Go-Round Day

Parents' Day

Thread The Needle Day--Pilgrim game much like "London Bridge"

Costa Rica : Annexation of Guanacaste Day

Luiza, Puerto Rico : Feast of Santiago Apostal (St. James)

Netherlands : Independence Day (since 1581 from Spain)

Puerto Rico : Constitution Day (1952)

Tunisia : Republic Day (1957)

► Hit Songs on this date ◄

Lazybones Ted Lewis in 1933 Hear It!

You'll Never Know Dick Haymes in 1943

I'm Walking Behind You Eddie Fisher in 1953

Surf City Jan & Dean in 1963 Hear It!

Bad, Bad Leroy Brown Jim Croce in 1973

Every Breath You Take The Police in 1983 Hear It!

► Born today ◄

…The Arts

Iman (Iman Mohamed Abdulmajid), 55, model, actress (Star Trek VI), born at Mogadishu, Somalia

+++

Walter Brennan, actor (Real McCoys, At Gun Point) , born in 1894 Swampscott MA

Estelle Getty, actress: Golden Girls, born in 1923 NYC, NY

…Athletics

John Pennel, pole-vaulter: 1st to break 17' barrier [1963] , born in 1940 Memphis, TN

…Business & Education

Midge Decter, 83, journalist, born St. Paul, MN

Flora Adams Darling, founded Daughters of American Revolution, born in 1840 Lancaster, PA

…Politics

Anna Harrison (Symmes), wife of 9th U.S. President William Henry Harrison, born in 1775 Flatbrookville, Walpack Township, NJ (now Morristown)

…Science/Religion

Davidson Black, doctor of anatomy (identified Peking Man) , born in 1884 Toronto, Canada

► Obituaries today ◄

Dr Isaac Halevi Herzog, chief rabbi of Israel (1936-59), @ 71 in 1959

Vincente Minnelli, movie director, @ 76 in 1986

► Events ◄

…The Arts

1965►Folk-rock begins, Dylan uses electricity at Newport Folk Festival

…Athletics

1992►25th Olympic Summer games opens in Barcelona, Spain

…Business & Education

1871►Carrousel patented by Wilhelm Schneider, Davenport, Iowa

1953►NYC transit - 1st use of subway tokens

…Indigenous People

1757►A war party of five dozen Shawnees stages an attack of farms along the James River in Virginia. At one farm they kill a settler and his child. They take his wife, Hannah Dennis prisoner. She is taken to the Shawnee village of Chillicothe. After ingratiating herself to the Shawnees, she is given run of the village. She eventually escapes. Her tale becomes widespread throughout the American colonies.

1834►Crows, led by Rotten Belly begin a siege of Fort McKenzie, on the Missouri River, which ends in about one week.

…Politics (US)

1729►North Carolina becomes royal colony

1775►Maryland issues currency depicting George III trampling Magna Carta

1868►Territory of Wyoming created

1918►Race riot in Chester Pennsylvania (3 blacks & 2 whites killed)

1947►US Department of the Army created

…Politics (outside US)

1603►James VI of Scotland is crowned bringing the Kingdoms of England and Scotland into personal union. Political union would occur in 1707.

1917►Sir Thomas Whyte introduces the first income tax in Canada as a "temporary" measure (lowest bracket is 4% and highest is 25%).

1942►Norwegian Manifesto calls for nonviolent resistance to the Nazis.

1993►Israel launches a massive attack against terrorist forces in Lebanon in what the Israelis call Operation Accountability, and the Lebanese call Seven-Day War.

2007 – Pratibha Patil is sworn in as India's first woman president.

…Science / Religion

1854► The paper shirt collar was patented by Walter Hunt of New York City. The once-popular collar was very much a part of a clergyman’s wardrobe

1593►France's Protestant King Henri IV converts to Roman Catholic

1978► The first test-tube baby, Louise, was born -- in England.

1984►Cosmonaut Svetlana Savitskaya became 1st woman to walk in space

GREY MATTER ANSWERS

…1

Delta: these are the phonetic alphabet versions of the Roman numerals in sequence, 500 = D = Delta.

…2

A weapon

…Photo

A roll top desk

TODAY’S PHOTO SHOT

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Saturday July 24

This is Week 29 of 2010►Day 205 with 160 days left.

It is Day 96 of the BP Mess.

FREE RAMBLING THOUGHTS

Luckily there was no rain more flooding today. In fact, my place didn’t even get any rain. The flooding and the aftermath is really a mess. I got an email from a couple from our discussion group who lives in the area. Their house and out building with the amazing telescope survived, but their attached garage is worse for the wear. The black dirty smelly water got into the garage and did substantial damage. I’m going to go by their place tomorrow to see if there is anything I can do to help them. As a side note, this couple bought flood insurance during the fire, while they were evacuated and staying in a hotel. The insurance has a 30 day waiting period before it goes becomes effective. They are still in the waiting period. To add to that, since they have already been flooded, if another flood comes this season, it probably won’t be covered either, with the insurance company claiming that any subsequent flooding is based on the current flooding. The Phoenix news has reporters here in Flag and have been reporting daily. Families have lost everything. Once the dirty mess makes it inside the house, anything touching the floor seems to be lost. The smell just won’t go away. Carpet—gone. Furniture—gone. Wood floors—gone. In some cases, appliances—gone. The worst part of this flooding seems to be that no one knows when the next flash flood might come. For these residents, it isn’t like a hurricane or an overflowing river that leaves after a day or two. Every time it gets a little cloudy, another flash flood could be coming. And there seems to be nothing anyone can do to stop it. Some of residents have put up those cement barriers you see at highway construction sites. The problem, it protects their house and sends the water to other houses that might not have been in the path of the original flood. It’s the same story with digging trenches and ditches for the water. All that water has to go somewhere. I don’t recall ever hearing of this ‘neighborhood’ or ‘neighborly’ problem with other floods in other places. Now there is a question that if one puts up the barriers or backhoes a trench and the water floods someone downstream is the home owner who was protecting their property now responsible legally for the damage done to other homes? Turns out it is the same if the state or county tries and fails to divert the water from its ‘natural path.’ The fear is that the insurance companies will try to prove that the homeowner or county that diverted the water to protect their home are financially responsible for the damage to those downstream. In this crazy time and this financial crisis, many are concerned.

Tempe, a suburb of Phoenix had a lake. The damn that made this recreational area in the heart of the city was basically a series of huge rubber bladders that held back the water. A couple of nights ago, one of the bladders collapsed. The ensuing flood sent millions of gallons of water into a dry river bed. There was little or no damage from the flooding. However, the lake was full of fish. About 90% of the fish died. First problem is the smell of the dead fish, in a town that is usually over 100° each day and not much lower at night. The city has brought in a couple of alligators to help with that problem. Volunteers are also busy bagging up the dead fish and sending them to an alligator reserve nearby. The second problem is scavenger hunters walking around in the former lake to collect fishing poles and other junk that had been at the bottom of the river. The city worries that if someone is injured the city could be sued. Finally, the dead fish may attract birds—lots of them. Phoenix International Airport is close by and this could cause problems for flights coming and going.

This week has certainly had a lot of ‘water’ stories in Arizona—a desert state. Arizona has been in the international news spotlight: First it was SB1070 and how the state wants to deport illegals, then the fires in Flagstaff, now the flooding in Flagstaff. We are the 48th state. We are not a very populated state. We don’t like being in the international news. Everyone I know just wants to go back to being a quiet state where people come to see the ditch (Grand Canyon), the Indians, and the beauty of the landscape.

One final side note: Our non-elected governor is in a little trouble. Two of her top advisors have a financial interest in a private prison system here in Arizona. This private company has a contract with the Feds to house ‘illegal immigrants’. If 1070 actually goes into effect, those advisors are set up to make a lot of money. Many are wondering if the signing of the bill was encouraged by these advisors. They claim they didn’t. Duh. The 1070 signing moved our governor from fourth place in her party to be a candidate for governor to 1st place. She has been brought from a sidebar in National News—taking over from Napolitano—to daily interviews on National News. Her Facebook posts now state things like “I’ll be Gretta’s show tonight.” Of course she is claiming that the local station that broke the story is simply an example of left-wing media distortion, saying the story is a non-issue story.

It was a nice day here. There was virtually no breeze and it we only made it to 74°. A nice day for a long walk. The forest near my house is open again, except for campfires, so I spent about an hour wandering around. Great time. Just as I thought it was a day of no rain, it got dark and a light rainstorm cooled things off quite nicely. For the flood people, it looks pretty dark in that area. Prayers to all that no more flooding comes tonight.

MY QUOTE FOR THE DAY

Aristotle: Pleasure in the job puts perfection in the work.

HOLY MACKEREL: 1824►Harrisburg Pennsylvanian newspaper publishes results of 1st public opinion poll. Clear lead for Andrew Jackson

SOMEWHAT USELESS INFORMATION

The Number of possible ways of playing just the first four moves on each side in a game of chess is 318,979,564,000!

***

Playing Tetris after a post-traumatic stress event can actually help reduce flashbacks and bad memories of the event. They are even linking it to helping people with Alzheimer's and reducing people's stress levels.

GREY MATTER PUZZLE 1

Below, 10 nine letter words have been broken into chunks of three letters. These chunks have been mixed up, no chunk is used twice and all chunks are used. Can you determine what the 10 words are?

rbr tim sag tel lig ent

hea dli ble whi htn fer

car age esc ing ind wat

til hai ush dif eta new

rlw all erf ope ent ght

UNUSUAL NEWS ITEM

ANCHORAGE, Alaska — An Alaska police officer used his Taser to discourage a small black bear that had gotten into someone's fish fryer. Lt. Dave Parker delivered a 30-second burst of 100,000 volts to scare away the bear from a house.

Parker told the Anchorage Daily News the bear flipped on its back, flailing its feet in the air, growling and crying until it rolled off the porch. Parker says it shook its head and then quickly bolted away.

Parker hopes the stun gun tactic will keep the bear out of further mischief.

A LITTLE LAUGH

More Morons:

A man spoke frantically into the phone: 'My wife is pregnant and her contractions are only two minutes apart'. 'Is this her first child?' the Doctor asked. 'No!' the man shouted, 'This is her husband!'

***

In Modesto , CA , Steven Richard King was arrested for trying to hold up a Bank of America branch without a weapon. King used a thumb and a finger to simulate a gun. Unfortunately, he failed to keep his hand in his pocket.. (hellooooooo)!

***

Last summer, down on Lake Isabella, located in the high desert, an hour east of Bakersfield, CA, some folks, new to boating, were having a problem. No matter how hard they tried, they couldn't get their brand new 22 foot boat, going. It was very sluggish in almost every maneuver, no matter how much power they applied. After about an hour of trying to make it go, they putted into a nearby marina, thinking someone there may be able to tell them what was wrong. A thorough topside check revealed everything in perfect working condition The engine ran fine, the out-drive went up and down, and the propeller was the correct size and pitch. So, one of the marina guys jumped in the water to check underneath. He came up choking on water, he was laughing so hard. Under the boat, still strapped securely in place, was the trailer!

GREY MATTER PUZZLE 2

A person has one tiger, one sheep and a bundle of grass. He wants to cross a river but there is only one boat and it can't sustain the weight of more than two articles at time. Also, he has to make sure that the tiger doesn't eat the sheep and the sheep doesn't eat the grass. How will he get to the other side of the river with all three intact?

FOUND ON ‘YOU TUBE’

George Strait honors cowboys: Click Here!

GREY MATTER PICTURE

This is a close up of what object?

SOME CALENDAR INFORMATION

► Weekly Observances ◄

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

………..Captive Nations Week

………..National Independent Retailers Week

► Today’s Observances ◄

Cousins Day

National Drive-Thru Day

Tell An Old Joke Day

National Day of the Cowboy

Denmark: Midsummer Day

Ecuador, Venezuala: Bolivar Day (1783)

Idaho, Utah : Pioneer Day (1847)

Spain: Valencia Fair Day-Battle of the Flowers

Stirling, Alberta: Stirling Settler Days (for the mormons in Salt Lake)

► Hit Songs on this date ◄

Jingle Jangle Jingle Kay Kyser in 1942

Auf Wiederseh'n Sweetheart Vera Lynn in 1952

Roses Are Red Bobby Vinton  in 1962

Alone Again (Naturally) Gilbert O'Sullivan in 1972

Eye of the Tiger Survivor in 1982

► Born today ◄

…The Arts

Alexandre Dumas (Dumas Davy de la Pailleterie), author (3 Musketeers) , born in 1802 Picardy, France

Robert Graves, poet/historical novelist (I, Claudius) , born in 1895 Wimbledon, London, England

+++

Ruth Buzzi, 74, comedienne, actress (“Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In,” “Sesame Street”), born Westerly, RI

Lynda Carter, 59, actress (“Wonder Woman,” “Partners in Crime”), former Miss World–USA, singer, born Phoenix, AZ

Jennifer Lopez, 40, actress (Maid in Manhattan, The Cell, Out of Sight), singer, born the Bronx, NY

Anna Paquin, 28, actress (“True Blood,” X-Men films, The Piano, Fly Away Home), born Winnipeg, MB, Canada

…Athletics

Barry Bonds, 46, baseball player, born Riverside, CA

Karl Malone, 47, former basketball player, born Summerfield, LA

…Business & Education

--

…Politics

Bella Abzug (Stavitsky), feminist, attorney, U.S. Congresswoman, born in 1920 NYC, NY

Simon Bolivar (Simón José Antonio de la Santísima Trinidad Bolívar Palacios y Blanco) freed 6 Latin American republics from Spanish rule, born in La Puebla de Bolívar, Basque Country, Spain

Charlie Crist, 54, Governor of Florida (R), born Altoona, PA

…Science/Religion

Amelia Earhart, aviator, born in 1898 Atchison, KS

► Obituaries today ◄

Martin Van Buren, 8th pres, @ 80 in 1862

Mary Church Terrell, educator/civil rights leader, dies at 90 in 1954

Montgomery Clift, actor, heart attack @ 45 in 1966

Peter Sellers, actor, heart attack @ 54 in 1980

Isaac Bashevis Singer, Nobel prize winning author, dies at 87 in 1991

► Events ◄

…The Arts

1956►After a decade together as the country’s most popular comedy team, Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis called it quits

…Athletics

1979►Red Sox Carl Yastrzemski hits his 400th HR

…Business & Education

1799►William Clark (of Lewis & Clark) is willed the slave York

1847► Richard M. Hoe of New York City patented the rotary-type printing press.

1925►Scopes guilty of teaching evolution in a Tn HS, fined $100 & costs

…Indigenous People

1534►Jacques Cartier erects a thirty-three foot high cross on a small island in Gaspe Harbor. He then claims the area for France.

1836►Georgia militia and Creek Indians have a brief fight near Wesley Chapel in Stewart County, Georgia. The Creeks appear to have won.

…Politics (US)

1866►Tennessee becomes 1st Confederate state readmitted to Union

…Politics (outside US)

1701►French make 1st landing at site of Detroit

…Science / Religion

1847►Brigham Young & his Mormon followers arrive at Salt Lake City, UT

1934►1st ptarmigan hatched & reared in captivity, Ithaca, NY

1987►IBM-PC DOS Version 3.3 (updated) released

GREY MATTER ANSWERS

…1

Telescope, timetable, hairbrush, different, waterfall, lightning, headlight, whirlwind, cartilage, newsagent

…2

Take the sheep across, then the bundle of grass. Take the sheep back across and then take the tiger across. Then take the sheep back across and they are all unharmed.

…Photo

A book with gilded page

TODAY’S PHOTO SHOT

ptarmigan

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Friday July 23

This is Week 29 of 2010►Day 204 with 161 days left.

It is Day 95 of the BP Mess.

FREE RAMBLING THOUGHTS

Oops, yes, it was FDR, not Churchill who talked about fear. Senior moment. He said it in his inaugural address: “… So, first of all, let me assert my firm belief that the only thing we have to fear is fear itself—nameless, unreasoning, unjustified terror which paralyzes needed efforts to convert retreat into advance….”

My doctor says I am doing fine. He is doing fine. He wants to re-run some of my blood tests but said it’s nothing to be concerned about. He said I was probably a little dehydrated when I took the test. Well it was a fasting test, and I didn’t drink much water before the test—at 8am when they opened. So maybe. I got the prescription for anti-malaria which I take once a week for two weeks before and five weeks after the trip.

Cheryl called this morning and she was back from Alaska and headed for town. We had lunch with Faith too. Cheryl and the two kids had a good time on their trip. Cheryl got a bad cough, as did the oldest grandkid. The other kid spent 4 hours in the hot tub one day and got a good rash. The doctor said the sign said that you should only be in the tub for 20 minutes and then take a shower. Live and learn. Faith has been working most of the summer and finally got a short term contract. She goes back full time in two weeks. She and Andy spent a week on St. Martin and she said they spent each day walking the beaches and relaxing. Good for them.

Lots of rain today. More flash floods for those in the path of the fire. Lots of cleanup going on in the whole area. I was all around town today, and everywhere I went, it was wet. Not as much as in the burn area, but lots of rain. Our high was only 72° and late in the afternoon we hit 90% humidity. I don’t quite get that humidity, since it was raining most of the day and I thought that meant 100%. It was nice to see the dew point was 57° so all that water on the ground and dirt and grass and the streets was rain and not with dew. Good to know.

MY QUOTE FOR THE DAY

Emil Cioran, Romanian philosopher and essayist: Anyone can escape into sleep, we are all geniuses

when we dream, the butcher's the poet's equal there.

HOLY MACKEREL: 1827► The first swimming school in the U.S. opened in Boston, MA. Actually, the first lesson proved interesting: A student was suspended from a pole on a rope while “learning the use of his limbs.” Famous people who were students: John Quincy Adams, James Audubon.

SOMEWHAT USELESS INFORMATION

Rapid eye movement (REM) sleep is a normal stage of sleep characterized by rapid movements of the eyes. REM sleep in adult humans typically occupies 20-25% of total sleep, about 90-120 minutes of a night’s sleep. During REM sleep the body is paralyzed by a mechanism in the brain in order to prevent the movements which occur in the dream from causing the physical body to move.

GREY MATTER PUZZLE 1

In Aberland, you cannot take a picture of a man with a wooden leg. Why not?

UNUSUAL NEWS ITEM

MIDWEST CITY, OK — A woman wearing underwear on her head robbed an Oklahoma McDonald's restaurant and remained at large as authorities sought to identify her, police said on Wednesday.

Authorities said a surveillance video shows a middle-aged woman, wearing black pants and a black shirt, gloves, and a blond wig walking up to a McDonald's drive-through window. The woman has what appears to be a pair of men's underwear wrapped around her face and held in place with paper clips, according to Midwest City Police Chief Brandon Clabes. Midwest City is a suburb of Oklahoma City. She reached inside the drive-through window when employees had stepped away for a moment, slid open a cash register drawer apparently using a key and took an undisclosed sum of money.

"It was pretty brazen. There were employees inside the business when all this was going on," Clabes told Reuters.

A LITTLE LAUGH

My husband and I had been trying to have a third child for a while. Unfortunately, the day I was to take a home pregnancy test, he was called out of town on business.

I had told our young daughters about the test, and they were excited. We decided if it was positive, we would buy a baby outfit to surprise their father when he got home.

The three of us stood in the bathroom eagerly waiting for the telltale line to appear. When it did not, my thoughtful seven-year-old gave me a hug. "It's okay, Mom," she said. "The next time Daddy goes out of town, you can try and get pregnant again."

GREY MATTER PUZZLE 2

A man was in a car accident and sent to the hospital. Another man wanted to see him. The nurse said that only family is allowed. She asked if he was family. He answered: Brothers and Sisters I have none, but this man's father is my father's son. Is he allowed in?

FOUND ON ‘YOU TUBE’

Probably never heard “Hey Jude” this way: Click Here!

GREY MATTER PICTURE

This is a close up of what object?

SOME CALENDAR INFORMATION

► Weekly Observances ◄

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

………..Captive Nations Week

………..National Independent Retailers Week

► Today’s Observances ◄

Gorgeous Grandma Day

Hot Enough For Ya’ Day

Egypt, Libya, Ethiopia, Oman: National Day (1952)

Egypt: Revolution Day

► Hit Songs on this date ◄

I Found a Million-Dollar Baby (in a Five-and-Ten-Cent Store) Fred Waring's Pennsylvanians in 1931

I'll Never Smile Again Tommy Dorsey in 1941

Come On-a My House Rosemary Clooney in 1951 Click Here to Hear!

Tossin' and Turnin' Bobby Lewis in 1961

Indian Reservation (The Lament of the Cherokee Reservation Indian) Paul Revere & the Raiders in

1971 Click Here to Hear!

The One That You Love Air Supply in 1981

► Born today ◄

…The Arts

Arthur Treacher, announcer, born in 1894 Brighton England

+++

Bert Convy, actor (Snoop Sisters, Win Lose or Draw), born in 1933 St Louis Mo

Gloria DeHaven, 85, actress (Two Girls and a Sailor, “Nakia”), born Los Angeles, CA

Woody Harrelson, 49, actor (Emmy for “Cheers”; White Men Can’t Jump, Natural Born Killers), born Midland, TX

Don Imus, 70, controversial radio talk show host, media icon and author, born Riverside, CA

Daniel Radcliffe, 21, actor (Harry Potter films), born London, England

Marlon Wayans, 38, actor (“In Living Color,” Scary Movie), born New York, NY

…Athletics

Don Drysdale, pitcher (LA Dodgers-Cy Young 1962), born in 1936 Van Nuys, CA

Pee Wee Reese, Hall of Fame shortstop (Dodgers), born in 1919 Ekron, Meade County, KY

…Business & Education

Charles S Frazier, my father, in 1914 New Bruswick, Maine
Vincent Sardi, Jr., restaurateur: Sardi’s Restaurant, born in 1915 New York, NY

…Politics

Anthony M. Kennedy, 74, Associate Justice of the US Supreme Court, born Sacramento, CA

Haile Selassie (Tafari Makonnen), emperor of Ethiopia, born in 1892 Ejersa Goro, Harar province of Ethiopia: His Haile Selassie name means "Power of the Trinity” and his full title in office was "His Imperial Majesty Haile Selassie I, King of Kings, Lord of Lords, Conquering Lion of the Tribe of Judah, and Elect of God"

► Obituaries today ◄

Ulysses S Grant, 18th US pres, dies destitute of throat cancer @ 63 in 1885

Van Heflin, actor (Great Adventure), heart attack @ 60 in 1971

Vic Morrow, killed during filming of "Twilight Zone" @ 53 in 1952

► Events ◄

…The Arts

--

…Athletics

--

…Business & Education

1715► The first lighthouse in America was authorized for construction at Little Brewster Island, MA

1829► The first typewriter was patented -- by William Burt of Mt. Vernon, MI

1903►The Ford Motor Company sells its first car.

1984►Vanessa Williams, 1st black Miss America, resigns

…Indigenous People

1766►According to some reports, a peace conference between representatives of Great Britain and the Huron, Ojibwa, Ottawa, Potawatomi and "Six Nations" tribes is held for the next nine days.

1832►The Eastern Cherokees hold a council, in Red Clay, Tennessee, to discuss President Jackson's special envoy Elisha Chester's proposals for their removal to Indian Territory (present day Oklahoma). They reject the proposal out-of-hand.

…Politics (US)

1632►Three hundred colonists bound for New France depart from Dieppe, France

…Politics (outside US)

  636►Arabs gain control of most of Palestine from the Byzantine Empire

1253► Jews are expelled from Vienne France by order of Pope Innocent III

1798►Napoleon captures Alexandria, Egypt

1920►Kenya becomes a British crown colony

1931►France announces they can't afford to send a team to 1932 LA Olympics

1958►1st 4 women named to peerage in House of Lords

…Science / Religion

1962► The Telstar communications satellite sent the first live TV broadcast to Europe.

1995►Comet Hale-Bopp is discovered and becomes visible to the naked eye nearly a year later.

GREY MATTER ANSWERS

…1

You cannot take pictures with a wooden leg, you use a camera.

…2

Yes. The man wants to see his son, he is the father.

…Photo

A corn flake in cereal

TODAY’S PHOTO SHOT

Little Brewster Island Lighthouse

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Thursday July 22

This is Week 29 of 2010►Day 203 with 162 days left.

It is Day 94 of the BP Mess.

FREE RAMBLING THOUGHTS

I spent an interesting day learning Windows 7. Some of the stuff is cool. Other parts are not yet understood by me. Learning a new computer operating system or software program doesn’t happen overnight, it takes practice, practice, practice. I think the hardest part for me is unlearning the old XP shortcuts. But Bill seems to understand that and has put a few videos on the computer to show me how to do stuff. One 5 minute video explained about 5 new things. I watched it twice then on the third time I stopped it to practice the new thing. It worked for me. Then I left my computer for the rest of the day. Surprise, when I did the startup I had forgotten most of the stuff and tried to do the things the old way. There is something to the phrase ‘can’t teach an old dog new tricks’. More practice is certainly in order.

Our Land of the Free just can’t get past the race issue. All parties seemed to have overreacted to the Black Federal employee in DOA. One thing I find hard to believe is that you can resign your Federal position with a Blackberry. Just a few years ago, you had to sign any government document in black ink. Now you can resign while driving down the road. Another interesting thing, since she was on government business during a regular work day she must have been driving a GSA vehicle. How could anyone allow her to resign and still drive the vehicle? In all the craziness, I surprised they didn’t tell her to park the vehicle and wait for some gopher to come pick it up, on the side of the road. Then, since she would be a private citizen on the side of the road, she would have to find her own way home.

The division of race in this country is still being swept under the carpet or kept in the closet. Every so often it sneaks out and everyone freaks. Many in our country continue to say: Watch Out! The [insert minority] are here and they want your job, your home, and your money. On the other side: Watch Out! The [insert the current politically correct term for the people who are not people of color] are here to keep you in your place. They are all against you. Such a sad state of affairs. Winston Churchill rallied a nation with ‘we have nothing to fear but fear itself.’ In this case there are some minorities that are out to get us and there are some whites that are out to keep the minorities in their place—wherever that is. Both sides build on fear. It is unfortunate that people are afraid to listening to either fringe. It’s time to remember: United we stand, divided we fall.

After my rant on Flagstaff’s Pow Wow and parades I was reminded that memory and the facts are seldom the same. On the Pow Wow—many organizations (including AIM and the ACLU) pointed out to the leaders of Flagstaff that the Pow Wow had become a way for Flagstaff to make money off Natives with less and less benefits for the Natives who attended. On the many parades no longer crossing US 89, it was the State and the Feds who stopped it. If the highway continued to be closed for parades and the like, the money to repair that road, and other roads would be turned off. It turns out that at the same time, Sedona had to change their parade routes too. Life in a small town is nice, and when a state or Federal highway divides your town, compromises must be made. I guess the nostalgia of the good ol’ days was just too strong to be bothered by the actual facts.

Yesterday the rain brought flooding to many of the homes saved from the fire. To add to the mess, a waterline in the burn area leaked and added over one million gallons of water to the rain fall. Many spent their night and day watching the sky while cleaning up. One family was interviewed from their flooded living room and they had just found out that their renter’s insurance did not cover their personal loss of property because the water came inside the house. They said that if a water pipe had burst and done damage that would have been covered. Lots of homes were flooded with water, mud, soot, and hay that were placed on the land after the fire. My place didn’t get any rain today, but I too was watching the clouds. There was a couple of rainstorms during the night, but not much lightning or thunder. The only way I knew it had rained was that the sidewalk and deck were wet this morning. We climbed to 85°with 45% humidity. Thankfully a slight breeze kept things cooler than I had expected. I ran some errands and enjoyed a short walk early this morning.

MY QUOTE FOR THE DAY

Gandhi: What difference does it make to the dead, the orphans, and the homeless, whether the mad destruction is wrought under the name of totalitarianism or the holy name of liberty and democracy?

HOLY MACKEREL: 1969►Aretha Franklin arrested for disturbing the peace in Detroit

SOMEWHAT USELESS INFORMATION

In George Washington's days, there were no cameras. One's image was either sculpted or painted. Some paintings of George Washington showed him standing behind a desk with one arm behind his back while others showed both legs and both arms. Prices charged by painters were not based on how many people were to be painted, but by how many limbs were to be painted. Arms and legs are 'limbs,' therefore painting them would cost the buyer more. Hence the expression, 'Okay, but it'll cost you an

arm and a leg.' (Artists know hands and arms are more difficult to paint)

GREY MATTER PUZZLE 1

What is represented by this BrainBat?

DD

OO

OO

GG

OO

NN

UNUSUAL NEWS ITEM

HAGATNA, Guam — Authorities in the U.S. territory of Guam have turned away a ship after thousands of spiders overflowed from its cargo.The Guam Department of Agriculture says hundreds of large spiders and thousands of smaller ones were seen when stevedores began offloading insulation and beams for housing units from the ship, the M.V. Altavia.

The cargo was returned to the ship, and the Agriculture Department on Friday ordered that the ship not be allowed to dock. It was last ported in South Korea. Agriculture officials say they don't know what type of spiders were on the ship, but said it's a type that isn't normally found on the island. They said there was concern the spiders could damage Guam's environment.

The ship was carrying housing units and accessories for a work force village expected to house up to 18,000 temporary workers.

A LITTLE LAUGH

A red neck walks into a hardware store and asks for a chain saw that will cut 6 trees in one hour. The salesman recommends the top of the line model. The red neck is suitably impressed, and buys it.

The next day he brings it back and says, "This chainsaw is defective. It would only cut down one tree and it took all the gosh-darned day!"

The salesman takes the chain saw, starts it up to see what's wrong, and the red neck asks, "What's that noise?

GREY MATTER PUZZLE 2

If you're in 3rd place and you passed the person in 2nd, what place are you in?

FOUND ON ‘YOU TUBE’

Carl Sandburg: Click Here!

GREY MATTER PICTURE

This is a close up of what object?

SOME CALENDAR INFORMATION

► Weekly Observances ◄

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

………..Captive Nations Week

………..National Independent Retailers Week

► Today’s Observances ◄

National Penuche Fudge Day

Rat-catchers Day

Spooners (Spoonerism) Day

Pakistan : Bank Holiday

Poland : Liberation Day (1944)

Swaziland : King's Birthday

► Hit Songs on this date ◄

I'll Never Smile Again Tommy Dorsey in 1940

Mona Lisa Nat "King" Cole in 1950

I'm Sorry Brenda Lee in 1960

(They Long to Be) Close to You The Carpenters in 1970

It's Still Rock and Roll to Me Billy Joel in 1980

► Born today ◄

…The Arts

Emma Lazarus, poet ("The New Colossus"-base of Statue of Liberty), born in 1849 NYC

Stephen Vincent Benet, US, writer (The Devil & Daniel Webster), born in 1898 Bethlehem, PA

+++

Orson Bean, 82, actor (“To Tell the Truth,” “Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman”), born Dallas Frederick Burroughs at Burlington, VT

Albert Brooks (Albert Lawrence Einstein), 63, comedian, director, actor (Finding Nemo, Broadcast News, Mother), born  Los Angeles, CA

Rob Estes, 47, actor (“Melrose Place,” “Silk Stalkings”), born Norfolk, VA

Danny Glover, 63, actor (Honeydripper, Beloved, Lethal Weapon, The Color Purple), born San Francisco, CA

Don Henley, 63, musician (The Eagles), songwriter, born Linden, TX

John Leguizamo, 46, actor, performer (Moulin Rouge!, Summer of Sam, Freak, stage: Mambo Mouth), born Bogotá, Colombia

Bobby Sherman, 65, singer, actor, born Santa Monica, CA

David Spade, 45, actor (“Saturday Night Live,” “Just Shoot Me,” Tommy Boy), born Birmingham, MI

Alex Trebek, 70, game show host (“Concentration,” “Jeopardy!”), born Sudbury, ON, Canada

…Athletics

--

…Business & Education

Oscar De La Renta, 78, fashion designer, born Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic

Amy Vanderbilt, authority on etiquette (Complete Book of Etiquette), born in 1908 NYC

…Politics

Robert J. Dole, 87, retired US Senator (R, Kansas), born Russell, KS

Kay Bailey Hutchison, 67, US Senator (R, Texas), born Galveston, TX

Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy, mom of JFK, RFK & Ted, born in 1890 Boston, MA

…Science/Religion

Gustav Hertz, German quantum physicist (Nobel 1925), born in 1887 Hamburg, Germany

Gregor Mendel, monk/geneticist, discoverer of the laws of heredity, born in 1822 Heinzendorf bei Odrau, Silesia, Austrian Empire (now Hynčice, Czech Republic)

Rev William Archibald Spooner, London, invented "spoonerisms", born in 1844 London, England

► Obituaries today ◄

John Dillinger, gangster, shot dead at Biograph Theater in Chicago @ 31 in 1934

Carl Sandburg, poet (Abraham Lincoln: The Prarie Years), @ 89 in 1967

► Events ◄

…The Arts

1933►Caterina Jarboro became the first black prima donna of an opera company.

…Athletics

1912►5th Olympic games in Stockholm closes

1990► Greg LeMond won his third Tour de France.

…Business & Education

--

…Indigenous People

1790►The United States enacts a law for the formal regulation of trade with Indians titled "An Act providing for Holding a Treaty or Treaties to Establish Peace with Certain Indian Tribes." It also enacts "An Act to Regulate Trade and Intercourse With the Indian Tribes."

1814►A Treaty (7 Stat., 118.) with the Wyandots, Delawares, Shawanoese, Senecas, and Miamies is signed. The United States declares peace. It is signed by dozens of Indians.

…Politics (US)

1686►City of Albany, NY chartered

1796►Cleveland, Ohio, founded by Gen Moses Cleaveland

1975►Confederate General Robert E. Lee had his U.S. citizenship restored by the U.S. Congress. 1998► U.S. President Bill Clinton signed a bill designed to mold the IRS (Internal Revenue Service) into a friendlier, fairer tax collector.

…Politics (outside US)

1298►English defeat Scots at Battle of Falkirk

…Science / Religion

1951►Dezik (Дезик) and Tsygan (Цыган, "Gypsy") were the first dogs to make a sub-orbital flight.

GREY MATTER ANSWERS

…1

Up to no good.

…2

2nd.

…Photo

A spray can button/nozzle

TODAY’S PHOTO SHOT

M81 spiral galaxy

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Wednesday July 21

This is Week 29 of 2010►Day 202 with 163 days left.

It is Day 93 of the BP Mess.

FREE RAMBLING THOUGHTS

I got up this morning ready for the day. My computer would not turn on. I took it to a computer repair shop on the other side of town. After 45 minutes of free diagnostic testing, I learned that the motherboard had moved to some other plane. I had been having trouble with that computer for several weeks. When it shut down, it took forever and I got lots of error messages. Most of the programs in the background wouldn’t shut down automatically. Anyway the guy said that was the motherboard in trouble. The warranty had expired and a new motherboard would have cost way too much, and who knows what would go wrong next. So it was off to Sam’s for a new computer. I found one to meet my needs, and spent about three hours setting up new one, loading software, setting up shortcuts, etc. Tomorrow I will take the documents and pictures off the old hard drive. Then comes the challenge to learn the new Windows Operating System. I’ve been using XP so the change won’t be too difficult. It is amazing how we get used to using one computer. Some of the common things I did on XP are now different; we are never too old to learn. This one has a new keyboard, which is just enough different to feel strange. The best thing about the new computer is that is starts real fast. I know that won’t last long, but it will be nice for a while.

The Iroquois Lacrosse Team has been in the news and not for inventing the game. The British, holding the world lacrosse championships will not recognize their Iroquois Passports. They, like all Native Tribes in the US consider themselves a sovereign nation. The British will not honor their passports so they didn’t play. This reminds me of the Oglala Nation trying to get their own automobile license plates. South Dakota refused to allow it. Finally, the Feds stepped in and tribal members can get a tribal plate. Many talk about how the tribes are sovereign nations, until that nation does something locals might not like. The same thing happened when some tribes started gambling establishments. Britain claims that the passport does not meet the necessary security standards. The games are over now, the Iroquois didn’t play, but they won by standing up for their nation.

I didn’t get any rain, but the news says that the burn area got a lot, and many areas are flooded. The pictures look pretty bad for the residents of the area—lots of waves of water heading down the streets and very close to houses. Sadly, it appears that a young girl drowned in the area. So sad and everyone hopes they find that careless camper.

Without any rain here, but with rain so close, it is still very humind—62%. My deck was 85°and there was basically no breeze.

MY QUOTE FOR THE DAY

John Lennon: Our society is run by insane people for insane objectives. I think we're being run by maniacs for maniacal ends and I think I'm liable to be put away as insane for expressing that. That's what's insane about it.

HOLY MACKEREL: 1861 ►1st major battle of Civil War

SOMEWHAT USELESS INFORMATION

In the seventh month of fetal life the adrenal glands, located just above the kidneys, are about the same size as the kidneys. At birth they are slightly smaller, and they continue to shrink throughout life. By the time a person reaches old age, the adrenals are so small they can hardly be seen.

GREY MATTER PUZZLE 1

Can you find something which has keys that open no locks, with space but no room, and allows you to enter but not to go in?

JAKARTA, Indonesia — Indonesia's top Islamic body declared Tuesday that Muslims can drink civet coffee — the world's most expensive coffee, which is extracted from the dung of civet cats.

A preacher recently suggested the beverage might not be "halal" — or religiously approved — because its provenance makes it unclean. But after a long discussion Tuesday, the influential Indonesian Ulema Council said that the coffee, known locally as Kopi Luwak, could be consumed as long as the beans were washed.

Kopi Luwak, which takes it name from the Indonesian word for civets, is made from hard beans that have been eaten by the nocturnal critters and then fermented in their stomachs before being pooped out and roasted. Civet cats are mongoose-like animals.

The coffee is highly prized for its smooth flavor and bitterless aftertaste, sometimes fetching well over $200 a pound online.

"Kopi Luwak can be declared 'halal' after passing through a washing process," said Maruf Amien, acting head of the council. "Producing, selling and drinking it is allowed."

In Indonesia, the world's most populous Muslim nation, Kopi Luwak is produced in the main Java island, Sumatra and Sulawesi. It is also found under different names elsewhere in Southeast Asia. Only 1,000 pounds are said to be produced annually worldwide.

The Ulema Council has often issued fatwas, or edicts, including several controversial rulings against smoking and yoga. Its edicts are not legally binding, but many devout Muslims abide by them.

A LITTLE LAUGH

A guy comes home completely drunk one night. He lurches through the door and is met by his scowling wife, who is most definitely not happy. "Where in tarnation have you been all night?" she demands.

"At this fantastic new bar," he says. "The Golden Saloon. Everything there is golden. It's got huge golden doors, a golden floor, the works - heck, even the urinal's gold!"

The wife still doesn't believe his story, and the next day checks the phone book, finding a place across town called the Golden Saloon. She calls up the place to check her husband's story.

"Is this the Golden Saloon?" she asks when the bartender answers the phone.

"Yes it is," bartender answers.

"Do you have huge golden doors?"

"Sure do." "Do you have golden floors?"

"Most certainly do."

"What about golden urinals?"

There's a long pause, then the woman hears the bartender yelling, "Hey, Duke, I think I got a lead on the guy that peed in your saxophone last night!"

GREY MATTER PUZZLE 2

Returns tomorrow

FOUND ON ‘YOU TUBE’

Cat Stevens’ Song: Click Here!

GREY MATTER PICTURE

This is a close up of what object?

SOME CALENDAR INFORMATION

► Weekly Observances ◄

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

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

………..Captive Nations Week

………..National Independent Retailers Week

► Today’s Observances ◄

Legal Drinking Age Day

Belgium : Independence Day (1831 from Netherlands)

Bhutan : 3rd King of Bhutan's Death

Bolivia : Martyr's Day

Guam : Liberation Day (1944)

Singapore:Racial Harmony Day

► Hit Songs on this date ◄

Stairway to the Stars-> Glenn Miller in 1939

Riders in the Sky (A Cowboy Legend) -> Vaughn Monroe in 1949

Lonely Boy-> Paul Anka in 1959

In the Year 2525 (Exordium & Terminus) -> Zager & Evans in 1969

Bad Girls-> Donna Summer in 1979

► Born today ◄

…The Arts

Ernest Hemingway, writer (Nobel 1954) born in 1899 Oak Park, IL

Isaac Stern, violinist (debut SF Symph) born in 1920 Kremenetz, Russia

Cat Stevens (born Stephen Demetri Georgiou; chosen Muslim name is Yusuf Islam), 62, singer, songwriter, London, England

Garry Trudeau, 61, political cartoonist (“Doonesbury”), born New York, NY

+++

Josh Hartnett, 32, actor (Pearl Harbor, Halloween H2O), born San Francisco, CA

Jon Lovitz, 53, actor (A League of Their Own, “NewsRadio”), born Tarzana, CA

Jesse Donald "Don" Knotts, actor (Andy Griffith Show, 3's Company) born in 1924 Morgantown WV

Robin Williams, 58, comedian, actor (“Mork and Mindy,” Mrs Doubtfire, Dead Poets Society, Good Will Hunting), born Chicago, IL

…Athletics

--

… Business & Education

Paul Julius Baron von Reuter, founded Reuters news service, born in 1816 Kassel, Germany

…Politics

Frances Folsom Cleveland, 1st lady born in 1864 Buffalo, NY

Janet Reno, 72, former US Attorney General (Clinton administration), born Miami, FL

► Obituaries today ◄

Robert Burns, Scottish poet, rheumatic heart condition @37 in 1796

James Fixx, runner & author, heart attack @ 43 in 1984

Dave Garroway, TV host (Today Show), suicide @ 69 in 1982

Basil Rathbone, Johannesburg S African actor, dies at 75 in NYC, NY in 1967

Bernard Spooner, US inventor of bulletproof jacket, in 1957

► Events ◄

…The Arts

--

…Athletics

--

…Business & Education

--

…Indigenous People

1806 ►Crow Indians steal twenty-four of Lewis and Clark’s horses.

1832 ►General James Henry's forces defeat Black Hawk and his followers in the "Battle of Wisconsin Heights." According to military records, Black Hawk loses sixty-eight warriors; however, Black Hawk says he only loses six men.

…Politics (US)

1846 ►Mormons found 1st English settlement in CA (San Joaquin Valley)

1861 ►1st major battle of Civil War ends (Bull Run), Va-South wins

1930 ►US Veterans Administration established

…Politics (outside US)

1588 ►English fleet defeats Spanish armada

…Science / Religion

1976 ►1st outbreak of "Legionnaire's Disease" kills 29 in Philadelphia

GREY MATTER ANSWERS

…1

A keyboard

…2

Returns tomorrow

…Photo

s-video connector on computer

TODAY’S PHOTO SHOT

New York City
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Tuesday July 20

This is Week 29 of 2010►Day 201 with 164 days left.

It is Day 92 of the BP Mess.

FREE RAMBLING THOUGHTS

This morning one of my FB ‘friends’ posted a debate from a couple of weeks ago It was put on by the Clean Elections Committee for District 2 state candidates. The debate had two who were running for Representative and three running for Senator. When it started I had no idea it would be over an hour long, but it was well worth listening to. All five candidates pointed out how Arizona has always been known for Diversity. I’m sure most were talking about the 23 Native Tribes we have here in AZ, but they also touched on the larger issue of diversity with the immigration problem. As I listened, I did remember a time when we embraced certain diversity. For sure it was on the surface level—with the old Flagstaff Pow Wow that brought many Natives to town for a week of celebration, family reunions, dances, parades, horse races and the rodeo. Too many Flagstaff residents didn’t embrace the great cultural experience and only looked at the hard work and the alcohol problems to end the annual event. Back in the day, the NAU homecoming was a city wide event. The Homecoming Parade went through downtown, lots of blue and gold adorned the store fronts. That too was a lot of work. Our small mountain town with one main road decided that closing that road for a couple of hours was not worth the hassle. So, for many years now, the Homecoming Parade is now limited to the Campus and South Side streets. I get that times change and so do traditions. I also get that these two events took a lot of coordination which led to a lot of work. The Pow Wow quietly died after being moved outside Flagstaff proper. The Homecoming is now little more than an NAU event. Our State Legislative District is very diverse. The district is not color blind. Many in the district are more liberal than the rest of the state, but there are many conservatives living in the district too. I hope that all the candidates who talked about the greatness of diversity will carry their message to the halls and chambers of our state government and work equally hard to keep diversity as one of our state’s strengths.

Another day of clouds without any rain. We were 88° with only 33% humidity. Not a muggy but still warm. My hope is for more rain tomorrow.

MY QUOTE FOR THE DAY

Maya Angelou: “We all should know that diversity makes for a rich tapestry, and we must understand that all the threads of the tapestry are equal in value no matter what their color.”

HOLY MACKEREL: On this date in 1942 ►The first members of the WAACS, the Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps began training at Fort Des Moines, IA. In 1943, the name was changed to WACS (Women’s Army Corps) and the organization became a part of the U.S. Army. All WAACS were given the choice of joining the new WACS (and joining the army) or returning to civilian life (75% stayed on).

SOMEWHAT USELESS INFORMATION

Studies have been done on many different animals, and they all show the same brain waves during dreaming sleep as humans. That means if Fido barks or moves his paws in his sleep, he is probably having a dream!

GREY MATTER PUZZLE 1

Your task here is to change one letter in each of the following words, in order to find three (3) words with a common theme.

STEER CRASS PESTER

UNUSUAL NEWS ITEM

JACKSONVILLE, FL— Let them eat cake. The wedding cake eating contest may have been a bit unconventional, but what else would guests expect when the groom is one of the world's top competitive eaters. Hall Hunt, who can down 63 Krystal burgers in eight minutes, and Emily Wright served burgers at their wedding reception in north Florida last month in a nod to Hunt's past time. The civil engineer has eaten his way to $60,000 in the past five years.

The No. 1-ranked competitive eater in the world, Joey Chestnut was also a guest at the wedding. The hot dog eating champs' presence was too good to pass up. The bride, groom and Chestnut were challenged to a cake eating contest — using forks — at the reception. The bride won.

A LITTLE LAUGH

Morons?

1. AT&T fired President John Walter after nine months, saying he lacked Intellectual leadership. He received a $26 million severance package. Perhaps it's not Walter who's lacking intelligence.

2. Police in Oakland , CA spent two hours attempting to subdue a gunman who had barricaded himself inside his home. After firing ten tear gas canisters, officers discovered that the man was standing beside them in the police line, shouting, 'Please come out and give yourself up.'

3. An Illinois man, pretending to have a gun, kidnapped a motorist and forced him to drive to two different automated teller machines, wherein the kidnapper proceeded to withdraw money from his own bank accounts.

4. A man walked into a Topeka , Kansas Kwik Stop and asked for all the money in the cash drawer. Apparently, the take was too small, so he tied up the store clerk and worked the counter himself for three hours until police showed up and grabbed him.

5. Police in Los Angeles had good luck with a robbery suspect who just couldn't control himself during a lineup. When detectives asked each man in the lineup to repeat the words: 'Give me all your money or I'll shoot', the man shouted, 'that's not what I said!'

GREY MATTER PUZZLE 2

During the recent BrainBashers cipher convention, a binary code contest took place. The contest consisted of a binary code transmission where the spaces between the letters were missing and there was no punctuation. Each letter of the alphabet was translated into its binary equivalent based on its position in the alphabet.

a=1 b=10 c=11 d=100 e=101 f=110 g=111 h=1000 i=1001 j=1010 k=1011 l=1100

m=1101 n=1110 o=1111 p=10000 q=10001 r=10010 s=10011 t=10100 u=10101 v=10110 w=10111 x=11000 y=11001 z=11010

Can you find 10 boy's names?

11010010111101011

10101110110110011

101011001111111110

100111010010110110101

1001101101001100

100001011010010110010

11100010010100110011

1010111111110

10111011011010011110

1010010100111110

Hint below:

Hint: The first letters of the names are F, J, J, S, D, P, C, J, k, B.

FOUND ON ‘YOU TUBE’

Alcatraz Island: AIM takeover believing an old treaty returned the land to Natives when the Prison closed: Click Here for Pics!

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

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

………..Captive Nations Week

………..National Independent Retailers Week

► Today’s Observances ◄

Ugly Truck Contest Day

National Lollipop Day

Argentina: Friend's Day
Columbia( from Spain)-1819; Tunisia( from France)-1956: Independence Day

US : Moon Day (1969)

► Hit Songs on this date ◄

Woody Wood-Pecker Kay Kyserin 1948 Click Here to Hear It!

Hard-Headed Woman Elvis Presley in 1958 Click Here to Hear It!

Grazing in the Grass Hugh Masekela in 1968 Click Here to Hear It!

Shadow Dancing Andy Gibb in 1978

Hold On to the Nights Richard Marx 1988

► Born today ◄

…The Arts

Thomas Berger, 86, novelist (Vital Parts, Little Big Man), born in Cincinnati, OH

Kim Carnes, 64, singer, songwriter, born Hollywood, CA

Judy Chicago, 71, artist, feminist, born Judy Cohen at Chicago, IL

Cormac McCarthy, 77, author (The Road, No Country for Old Men, All the Pretty Horses), born Providence, RI

Carlos Santana, 63, musician, born Autlan, Mexico

+++

Diana Rigg, 72, actress (Tony for Medea; King Lear, Bleak House, “The Avengers”), born Doncaster, Yorkshire, England

Natalie Wood [Natasha Gurdin Zacharenko], actress, born in San Francisco, CA, 1938

…Athletics

Michael Ilitch, 81, sports executive, former minor league baseball player, born Detroit, MI

…Business & Education

Nelson Doubleday, Jr, 77, publisher(Doubleday)/owner(NY Mets), born in Long Island, NY

…Politics

Barbara Ann Mikulski, 74, US Senator (D, Maryland), born Baltimore, MD

…Science / Religion

Sir Edmund Hillary, one of 1st 2 men to scale Mt Everest, born in Auckland, New Zealand 1919

► Obituaries today ◄

Abdullah Ibn Hussein, Jordan's King assassinated in Jerusalem @ 69 in 1951

Frank Reynolds, news anchor (ABC Evening News), hepatitis @ 59 in 1983

Francisco Villa (Pancho Villa), Mexican Revolutionary, assassinated in car @ 45 in 1923

► Events ◄

…The Arts

1950 ►"Arthur Murray Party" premiers on ABC TV (later DuMont, CBS, NBC)

…Athletics

--

…Business & Education

1878 ►1st telephone introduced in Hawaii

…Indigenous People

1528 ►After spending almost a month in the Apalachee village of Ivitachuco, the Narvaez expedition leaves. They set out in their quest for gold looking for the village of Aute, near present day St. Marks. Accompanying Narvaez is Aztec Prince Tetlahuehuetzquititzin. The Prince, also known as Don Pedro, fought with the Spanish against Montezuma. He is killed by Apalachee warriors during this search for gold.

1676 ►Captain Benjamin Church has been joined by the Sakonett Indians, in the war with King Philip. They attack Philip's main camp, and almost capture Philip. His wife and child are captured. They are sold as slaves. As many as 170 Indians are killed in the fighting.

1881 ►Sioux Indian leader Sitting Bull, surrenders to federal troops

1970 ►1st baby born on Alcatraz Island: Wovoka was born during the AIM occupation

1995 ►Native Canadian Indians are blocking roads, threatening sit-ins and challenging government authorities. They are angry that Government Departments are bypassing the Chiefs and going to local bands to negotiate treaty rights because they are not as strong. The Indian Chiefs believe the government should negotiate with the chiefs which represent 500,000 Indians in Canada, and not take their fishing and hunting rights by using a divide and conquer strategy.

…Politics (US)

1861 ►Confederate state's congress began holding sessions in Richmond, Va

1948 ►President Harry Truman issued a proclamation today calling for a peacetime military draft because of rising tensions between the United States and the Soviet Union

…Politics (outside US)

1773 ►Scottish settlers arrive at Pictou, Nova Scotia (Canada)

1871 ►British Columbia becomes 6th Canadian province

1982 ►Bombs planted by Irish Republican Army explode in 2 London parks

…Science / Religion

1872► Mahlon Loomis receives patent for wireless ... the radio is born

1969 ►1st men on Moon, Neil Armstrong & Edwin Aldrin, Apollo 11

GREY MATTER ANSWERS

…1

Each new word is an alloy. STEER --> STEEL: CRASS --> BRASS: PESTER --> PEWTER

…2

Frank, James, Jason, Steve, David, Peter, Chris, Jacob, Kevin, Brian.

…Photo

Engine on back of jet fighter plane.

TODAY’S PHOTO SHOT

Scottish Highland Cow
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