Sunday Sept 5

This is Week 36 of 2010►Day 248 with 117 days left.

FREE RAMBLING THOUGHTS

The county fair started out hot, but cooled off as the clouds came in. On the main stage I saw the Flagstaff Community Band. What a group…they played a lot of Sousa and put everyone in the fair mood. The Southwest Skye Pipe and Drum Band performed. They too were great. This year, many wore different kilts instead of the band kilt. That was nice as they also told a little about each tartan. I wandered through the booths, the exhibits, and the food area. I didn’t eat breakfast, so figured I would chow down on some fair food. I surprised myself when I discovered that none of the greasy food appealed to me. I think it was just too hot. The food booths did do quite a business and all had lines. The demo building had the same ol’ same ol’ fair stuff. It all looks like something one might need one day. I was being very frugal and while I enjoyed the walk through but I didn’t get sucked into any of their sales pitches. I was surprised by the political booths—it is an election year, after all. The Dem booth and the Rep booth were across from each other on one of the aisles. At the end of that aisle, in a corner booth, was the Tea Party. Of course all three were decorated with red, white, and blue everything. I didn’t see any of the candidates, which was the surprise of the day. None of the booths had individual candidate information, but all had register-to-vote forms. I know it is considered an off year because we aren’t electing a President. It is bothersome that voter turnout is expected to be low. Don’t citizens realize that this election is just as important? In AZ we are electing a governor, the entire legislature, one of our senators and our US Congressperson. These offices, in many cases, do more to shape our country than the President.

Our non-elected Governor has finally informed the voters and the rest of the country that no one has been beheaded in AZ. In her apology she said while it hasn’t happened in AZ, it could. With that logic, the pirates off the coast of Somalia could arrive in AZ. I find it so unfortunate that her comment, made back in April, is just now getting corrected. Her beheading comment made international news. I don’t think her apology will do that. In my pre-retirement days, I would hear strange or scary stories about other countries and many would stick in my mind. Now that I have traveled outside the US, I read every news item from a country I have visited. I quickly learned that many of these stories are just a sensational isolated news story that does not represent the majority of the country. I hope people outside the US realize that the US is a great place to visit, a great place to live, and that we are not all crazies. Any politician who makes such a false incendiary comment, that people are being beheaded in their state, should not be running for public office. It is like yelling ‘fire’ in a crowded theater. Jan has also announced that she will not participate in any more public debates before the election. She seldom answers press questions following any of her appearances. Amazing that she is still ahead in the polls. Hopefully things will change while I am traveling.

Flag…H—82°; L—46°; Relative Humidity (RL)—35%; and only a breeze of 3mph—quite warm with that much humiditiy, but the afternoon clouds, though not giving us any moisture, made it great day to go to the fair.

QUOTE FOR THE DAY

Bunker Hunt: To be successful, you must decide exactly what you want to accomplish, then resolve to pay the price to get it.

HOLY MACKEREL: 1960 Cassius Clay captures the Olympic light heavyweight gold medal in Rome

SOMEWHAT USELESS INFORMATION about Billards

▬Billiards evolved from a lawn game similar to croquet played sometime during the 15th century in Northern Europe (probably in France).

▬The term “poolroom” now means a place where billiards is played, but in the 19th century a poolroom was a betting parlor for horse racing. Billiard tables were installed so patrons could pass the time between races.

▬The term “scratch”, as applied to a pocketing of the cue ball, was derived from the penalty assessed for such a foul.

▬In pool’s early days, the score was often kept on a chalkboard. When a player pocketed the cue ball, his opponent “scratched” a point off the shooter’s score.

▬In 1765 A.D., the first billiard room was built in England. Played there was One-Pocket, which was a table with one pocket and four balls.

▬Captain Mingaud, the inventor of the leather cue tip, was imprisoned for political reasons during the French Revolution. With the help of a fellow prisoner, he was able to have a billiard table installed in his cell, and was able to devise his invention.

▬The word “cue” is derived from the French queue, meaning tail. Before the cue stick was designed, billiards was played with a mace. The mace consisted of a curved wooden (or metal) head used to push the ball forward, attached to a narrow handle. Since the bulkiness of the mace head made shots along the rail difficult, it was often turned around and the “tail” end was used.

GREY MATTER PUZZLE 1—Jeopardy Answers

$200- Last season, this series mourned the loss of Sgt. Esterhaus

$400- He went from the Ponderosa to the prairie

$600- I n 1970 he had a "Goodtime Hour"

$800- Jackie Gleason show that rejected titles "The Lovers" & "The Couple Next Door"

$1000- In court, he'd always make mincemeat of Hamilton Burger

UNUSUAL NEWS ITEM

LINCOLN, England - A British man who posed as homeless and earned up to $36,038 per year while collecting government benefits was sentenced to pay a $154 fine. Daniel Terry, 31, who received $123 in weekly government assistance, pleaded guilty to a charge of begging after admitting to using a sleeping bag and a blanket to imply to passersby in Lincoln, England, that he was homeless, the Daily Mail reported. Terry, who was arrested last month during a crackdown on area vagrancy, was found to not be homeless and admitted to police that he collected up to $77 on a weekday and up to $154 per day on weekends. A spokesman for the Tax Payers Alliance called the $154 fine a "disgrace" and described Terry as a "charlatan" who was "earning more money begging than many taxpayers do from honest, hard-work."

A LITTLE LAUGH

Two political candidates were having a hot debate. Finally, one of them jumped up and yelled at the other ,"What about the powerful interest that controls you?"

And the other guy screamed back, "You leave my wife out of this!"

GREY MATTER PUZZLE 2--Riddle

What is the question you can ask all day, and no matter what the answers are, they would still be correct?

FOUND ON ‘YOU TUBE’

Cute Wizard of Oz song: Click Here..It is worth it!

GREY MATTER PICTURE

This is a close up of what object?

SOME CALENDAR INFORMATION

¤ Weekly Observances ¤

1-8: Self-University Week and International Enthusiasm Week

5-11: National Waffle Week AND Suicide Prevention Week AND National Payroll Week

¤ Today’s Observances ¤

Be Late For Something Day

Oatmeal Day

India: Teachers' Day

Iran: Iman Ali Day: First Sunnie Iman

¤ Hit Songs on this date ¤

1904...Meet Me in St. Louis, Louis...Billy Murray

1914...By the Beautiful Sea...Heidelberg Quintet [Disney Version: Click Here to See It ! ]

1944...Swinging on a Star...Bing Crosby Hear it Here!

1954...Sh-Boom...The Crew-Cuts

1964...The House of the Rising Sun...The Animals

1974... (You're) Having My Baby...Paul Anka with Odia Coates

1984...What's Love Got to Do with It...Tina Turner Hear it Here!

¤ Today’s Births ¤

╬ THE ARTS

Carol Lawrence, 75, singer, actress (West Side Story), born Carol Maria Laraia at Melrose Park, IL

Bob Newhart, 81, comedian (“The Bob Newhart Show,” “Newhart”), born Chicago, IL

Freddie Mercury (Farrokh Bulsara), rock vocalist (Queen-We are the Champions Hear It Here!) …born 1946… Stone Town, Zanzibar

John Stewart , rocker (Kingston Trio-Fire in the Wind) …born 1939…San Diego Ca

Dweezil Zappa, 41, rocker/son of Frank Zappa/MTV VJ…born Los Angeles, CA

Darryl F Zanuck, Hollywood producer & motion picture executive…born 1902…Wahoo, NE

♦♦♦♦♦♦

William Devane, 71, actor (“24,” “Knots Landing”), born Albany, NY

Rose McGowan, 37, actress (Jawbreaker, “Charmed”), born Florence, Italy

Raquel Welch, 68, actress (The Three Musketeers, Woman of the Year), model, born Chicago, IL

╬ ATHLETICS

Julius Keye, basketball: ABA Denver Rockets…born 1946… Toccoa, Georgia

╬ BUSINESS & EDUCATION

Jesse James, outlaw…born 1847…Clay County, MO

Arthur C Nielsen, market researcher (TV's Nielsen's Ratings) …born 1897…Chicago, IL

Jack Valenti, Pres of Motion Picture Assn of America…born 1921…Houston, TX

╬ POLITICS

Louis XIV the great, king of France (1643-1715) …born 1638… Saint-Germain-en-Laye, France

Paul Volcker, 83, Federal Reserve chairman…born Cape May, NJ

╬ SCIENCE & RELIGION

Francisco Javier Errázuriz Ossa, 77, Chilien Catholic archbishop…born Santiago, Chile

Konstantin Tsiolkovsky, rocket scientist and inventor…born 1857… Izhevskoye, Ryazan Province, Russia

¤ Today’s Obituaries ¤

Mother Teresa (Agnes Gonxhe Bojaxhiu), Albanian-born missionary and humanitarian, recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize @ 87 in 1997

D. James Kennedy, American televangelist @ 76 in 2007

Gisele MacKenzie, Canadian-born singer, cancer @ 76 in 2003

Crazy Horse (Tȟašúŋke Witkó--"His-Horse-Is-Crazy" or "His-Horse-Is-Spirited"), Lakota (Sioux) chief stabbed while in custody @ 28 in 1877

¤ Today’s Events ¤

╬ THE ARTS

1958 Doctor Zhivago by Boris Pasternak published in the US

╬ ATHLETICS

1906 1st legal forward pass (Brandbury Robinson to Jack Schneider)

1918 Due to WW I, 15th World Series begins a month early

1972 11 Israeli athletes are slain at Munich Olympics

╬ BUSINESS & EDUCATION

1885 1st gasoline pump is delivered to a gasoline dealer (Ft Wayne, Ind)

╬ INDIGENOUS PEOPLE

1785 Georgians continue to trespass on Creek lands. Chief Alexander McGillivray writes Congress demanding that they protect his people from the settlers which previous treaties has promised.

1814 Today sees the start of the two day battle of Credit Island, near present day Davenport, Iowa

╬ POLITICS (US)

1774 1st Continental Congress assembles, in Philadelphia

1836 Sam Houston elected president of the Republic of Texas

1882 The first Labor Day holiday parade was held in New York City

1975 Lynette "Squeaky" Fromme attempts to assassinate Ford in Sacramento

╬ POLITICS (International)

1978 Sadat, Begin & Carter began peace conference at Camp David, Md

╬ SCIENCE & RELIGION

1953 1st privately operated atomic reactor-Raleigh NC

GREY MATTER ANSWERS

↔ 1

This series mourned the loss of Sgt. Esterhaus: What is Hill Street Blues?

He went from the Ponderosa to the prairie: Who is Michael Landon?

In 1970 he had a "Goodtime Hour": Who is Glenn Campbell?

Jackie Gleason show that rejected titles "The Lovers" & "The Couple Next Door": What is The Honeymooners?

In court, he'd always make mincemeat of Hamilton Burger: Who is Perry Mason?

↔ 2

What time is it?

↔ PICTURE

A suit of armor

TODAY’S NATIONAL PARK PHOTO SHOTS

Shenandoah National Park, Virginia, 21st National Park since date May 22, 1926: Shenandoah's Blue Ridge Mountains are covered by hardwood forests that are home to tens of thousands of animals. The Skyline Drive andAppalachian Trail run the entire length of this narrow park that has more than 500 miles (800 km) of hiking trails along scenic overlooks and waterfalls of the Shenandoah River.

     <> <> <> <>      

Saturday Sept. 4

This is Week 35 of 2010►Day 247 with 118 days left.

FREE RAMBLING THOUGHTS

So much to do before I leave, so little time. The joy of travel. I finally got in contact with my bank and found that my ATM, VISA and MC all work on my trip. Good news and I asked them to verify that they would work. I guess the info I got earlier was wrong. Good news for me. I also charged all the electronic stuff. I know I will need to recharge on the trip, but want to start out charged up. I am going to start a campaign when I get back. All electronics need to have a universal charging system. My camcorder, camera, laptop, iPod, and phone all use a different cord. The cords take up more room than necessary in a tightly packed suit case. I thought about taking a power strip so I could charge everything at night, but that really takes up way too much room. Of course, each country we visit has a different plug. Just crazy.

My talks-to-herself neighbor finally got her hot tub hooked up and running today. She is a tiny person and appears to have scoliosis or some other problem that makes it hard for her to walk a straight line. She is going to have quite a time taking the lid off the hot tub. My upstairs window looks right down on her tub. She had quite a time while the installer was showing her how to use the tub. It sure is impressive and I hope she gets a lot of use out of it. I was cleaning my bedroom and am not a peeping Tom. My bedroom window was open and their voices really carried.

The city council finally voted on the selling of drinking water to a ski lodge in our high desert town. By a 5-2 vote they decided not to sell drinking water to make snow. Good for them. Our mayor voted to sell the drinking water, and I can only say that she just doesn’t get it. Oh well, it means I was correct in believing this vote would not be the end of the water issue. The lawsuit against the ski area for putting reclaimed water on the sacred peaks is still in court. So no machine made snow next season for sure. Right now only golf courses can use reclaimed water on their turf. Lot of letters are appearing in the paper with homeowners wanting to use reclaimed water on their turf. That’s the water that is not drinkable and may contain higher than safe amounts of various contaminants, including flushed prescriptions. We’ll see where that goes.

I’m headed to the County Fair tomorrow. Always an interesting and enjoyable time. The bagpipers will be playing, lots of politicians will be at their booths, some free stuff, and lots of carnival food. I’ll probably see lots of Rez friends around too. Weather forecast is good.

Flag…H—81°; L—44°; Relative Humidity (RL)—17%; and only a breeze of 5mph—a really nice day.

QUOTE FOR THE DAY

William McDougall, from The Group Mind, printed in 1920: It is well recognized that almost any emotional excitement increases the suggestibility of the individual, though the explanation of the fact remains obscure.

HOLY MACKEREL: 1864 Bread riots in Mobile, Alabama

SOMEWHAT USELESS INFORMATION on Spiders

§The Goliath Birdeater Tarantula from South America has been known to be 10-11 inches wide. Even though it is so big, the Goliath Birdeater Tarantula is not dangerous to humans.

§The majority of spiders will only live for a year or two. However, some tarantulas can live to be 30 years old.

§The spitting spider, a small spider that could be living in your basement, can catch it's prey (such as a fly) through spitting. It sends a gummy glue-like substance in a zig-zag pattern to trap its prey like strapping tape. There are over 150 species of spitting spiders.

§While many spiders only lay a few eggs, some spiders can lay up to 2,000 eggs. The wolf spider will carry her young on her back for a few days.

§In the 1970's, P.N. Witt, a spiderologist and other scientists sent spiders into space on Skylab to see how spiders would build their webs without any gravity. Even though they had complete weighlessness (zero gravity), the spiders still built normal webs.

GREY MATTER PUZZLE 1—Jeopardy Answers: 1789

-Washington proclaimed Nov. 26, 1789 this first national holiday

-Why April 28th was a bad day for Capt. Bligh

-Now totaling over $1 trillion, it began 11 days after Treasury was established in 1789

UNUSUAL NEWS ITEM

AURORA, OR -- A small plane crashed into a house near the Aurora Airport Friday afternoon and the pilot walked away with minor injuries.

Marion County deputies said 70-year-old George Bahrman was doing touch and go landings at the Aurora Airport when the plane veered off course and crashed into the mobile home on 14071 N. Cessna Street just after noon.

Bahrman was able to climb up on the roof and was taken to a local hospital, but should be fine, deputies said. He was listed in serious condition at OHSU. No one else was aboard. A small fire broke out, but was soon put out by emergency crews The Federal Aviation Administration said they sent investigators to the scene.

Homeowner Sally Jones said she came outside just before the crash and eventually turned around to find the conscious, but dazed pilot sitting on top of her garage. She was not injured. Her 18-year-old dog also escaped injury.

"I had just checked on my little dog, she was OK, sleeping on the couch on the side of the house," Jones said, "I went out my door and closed it and then I was on the ground ... bang!"

"It blew me off the porch and on the ground," she said.

A LITTLE LAUGH

The problem - There's a box with a hole at each end and there's a rabbit in the box. The rabbit sticks his head out of the hole in one end, and a minute later he sticks it out the other end. Half a minute later, his head appears at the opposite end, a fourth of a minute later it appears at the end opposite to that one, an eighth of a minute later... etc., etc.

How long will it take before the rabbit sticks its head out of both ends of the box at the same time?

In theory, two minutes. In practice, no answer is possible unless you split hares.

GREY MATTER PUZZLE 2--Riddle

A woman walks into a cafe. She goes to the cashier and asks for a glass of water. The man pulls out a gun. A few moments later she thanked him and left. What happened?

FOUND ON ‘YOU TUBE’

Mutiny on the Bounty 1935 movie trailer: Click Here to View!

GREY MATTER PICTURE

This is a close up of what object?

SOME CALENDAR INFORMATION

¤ Weekly Observances ¤

-9/4: Minority Enterprise Development Week

1-8: Self-University Week and International Enthusiasm Week

¤ Today’s Observances ¤

Newspaper Carrier Day

Vatican City: Triumph of the Cross

Lutherns: Commemoration of Albert Schweitzer, missionary

Argentina: Immigrant's Day: to honor all immigrants who have made Argentina what it is today.

¤ Hit Songs on this date ¤

1913...When Irish Eyes Are Smiling...Chauncey Olcott

1923...Swingin' Down the Lane...Isham Jones

1943...In the Blue of Evening...Tommy Dorsey

1953...Vaya con Dios (May God Be with You) ...Les Paul & Mary Ford

1964...The House of the Rising Sun...The Animals http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mmdPQp6Jcdk

1974... (You're) Having My Baby...Paul Anka with Odia Coates

¤ Today’s Births ¤

╬ THE ARTS

Beyoncé Knowles, 29, singer, actress (Dreamgirls, Austin Powers in Goldmember), born Houston, TX

Richard Wright, US, author (Native Son, Uncle Tom's Children) …born 1908…Roxi, MI

♦♦♦♦♦♦

Damon Wayans, 50, actor, comedian (“In Living Color”), born New York, NY

╬ ATHLETICS

Ken (Kenneth Smith) Harrelson, 69, ‘Hawk’: baseball: Athletics, Senators, Red Sox, Indians; baseball broadcaster: WSBK-TV, Boston; GM: White Sox…born Woodruff, SC

Michael Joseph (Mike) Piazza, 42, former baseball player (Dodgers, Marlins, Padres, Mets, Athletics), born Norristown, PA

Tom Watson, 61, PGA golfer…born KC Mo

╬ BUSINESS & EDUCATION

Daniel Burnham, architect: Railway Exchange Building [Chicago, one of the 1st skyscrapers in U.S.] …born 1846…Henderson, NY

Paul Harvey, news commentator (The rest of the story) …born 1918… Tulsa OK

╬ POLITICS

Thomas Eagleton, (Sen-D-Mo, Dem VP candidate 1972) …born 1929… St. Louis, MO

Sarah Childress Polk, 1st lady…born 1803…Murfreesboro, TN

╬ SCIENCE & RELIGION

Nyota Uhura, communications officer (Star Trek) …born 2179…Nairobi Kenya

Marcus Whitman, missionary, led to US securing Oregon…born 1802…Federal Hollow, NY

¤ Today’s Obituaries ¤

Irene Dunne, actress (5 oscars), heart failure @ 91 in 1990

Albert Schweitzer, humanitarian @ 90 in 1965

Walter Tetley, voice (Sherman-Bullwinkle Show), 5 yrs after serious motorcycle accident @ 60 in 1975

Dottie West, country singer, car crash @ 58 in 1991

¤ Today’s Events ¤

╬ THE ARTS

--

╬ ATHLETICS

1966 Houston Oilers holds Denver Broncos to no 1st downs winning 45-7

1972 US swimmer Mark Spitz becomes 1st athlete to win 7 olympic gold medals

1988 Phoenix Cardinals play 1st regular-season NFL game

╬ BUSINESS & EDUCATION

1781 Los Angeles founded in Bahia de las Fumas by 44 settlers, (Valley of Smokes)

1833 1st newsboy hired (Barney Flaherty-NY Sun)

1864 Bread riots in Mobile, Alabama

1866 1st Hawaiian daily newspaper published

1885 1st cafeteria opens (NYC)

1888 George Eastman patents 1st roll-film camera & registers "Kodak"

[Both the Kodak camera and the name were the invention of founder George Eastman. The letter "K" was a favorite with Eastman; he felt it a strong and incisive letter. He tried out various combinations of words starting and ending with "K". He saw three advantages in the name. It had the merits of a trademark word, would not be mis-pronounced and the name did not resemble anything in the art. There is a misconception that the name was chosen because of its similarity to the sound produced by the shutter of the camera.]

1951 NBC extends to become a 61 station coast-to-coast network

1957 Ford Motor Co introduces the Edsel

╬ INDIGENOUS PEOPLE

1863 The Concow-Maidu had ancestral homes in the Butte County area of northern California. They were forced to move to different lands. One group of 461 Concows leaves Chico, but only 277 will survive the two-week trip to Round Valley

1886 Geronimo is captured, ending last major US-Indian war

╬ POLITICS (US)

1945 US regains possession of Wake Island from Japan

1950 1st helicopter rescue of American pilot behind enemy lines

╬ POLITICS (International)

 626 Li Shimin, posthumously known as Emperor Taizong of Tang, assumes the throne over the Tang Dynasty of China.

1609 Navigator Henry Hudson discovers island of Manhattan

1884 The United Kingdom ends its policy of penal transportation to New South Wales in Australia.

1964 Scotland's Forth Road Bridge over the "Firth of Forth"  near Edinburgh officially opens.

╬ SCIENCE & RELIGION

1956 The IBM RAMAC 305 is introduced, the first commercial computer to use magnetic disk storage.

1998 Google is founded by Larry Page and Sergey Brin, two students at Stanford University.

GREY MATTER ANSWERS

↔ 1

Washington proclaimed Nov. 26, 1789 this first national holiday: What is Thanksgiving?

Why April 28th was a bad day for Capt. Bligh: What is Mutiny on the Bounty?

Now totaling over $1 trillion, it began 11 days after Treasury was established in 1789: What is the National Debt?

↔ 2

The man pulled out a gun to scare her so her hiccups would go away. She got the glass of water to try and get rid of her hiccups.

↔ PICTURE

A milk can

TODAY’S NATIONAL PARK PHOTO SHOTS

Great Smoky Mountains National Park, North Carolina, 20th National Park since May 22, 1926: The Great Smoky Mountains, part of the Appalachian Mountains, have a wide range of elevations, making them home to over 400 vertebrate species, 100 tree species, and 5000 plant species. Hiking is the park's main attraction, with over 800 miles (1,300 km) of trails, including 70 miles (110 km) of the Appalachian Trail. Other activities are fishing, horseback riding, and visiting some of nearly 80 historic structures.

    ---------    

Friday Sept. 3

This is Week 35 of 2010►Day 246 with 119 days left.

FREE RAMBLING THOUGHTS

Just as I was pulling into the parking lot for lunch, I heard on the news that another explosion had occurred in the Gulf—Vermillion 380. Thankfully it wasn’t a drilling rig but a platform that somehow moves oil from the well to land and appears to be no environmental disaster. It was a shallow well rig. I have learned so much about our drilling for oil in the past 6 months. Had I been asked last year the difference between deep water or shallow water wells, I would have been at a loss. Had I been asked how many oil wells were producing in the Gulf, my answer would have been nowhere near the 4,000 I now know. Just frightening to hear.

We had a good lunch. Sadly, Mary’s 98 year old mom has been diagnosed with cancer. She fought off breast cancer at 80, but has said no treatment this time. Even at 80 she said she was ready to go. She lives in Oregon and has been in a place much like where my mom was. Strangely, the facility told the family that she should be put in hospice now. If she gets sick and is taken to the hospital, the hospital will treat her. She has a DNR and a living will but somehow that doesn’t matter. Anyway, her mom is not in pain and has told the family she is ready. Mary is heading up there right after her trip to see her grandson in Chicago. Cheryl is busy, deciding that she will tile a couple of her end tables. Sounds like a very cool project.

I was watching the news and found that Hurricane Earl is headed for NC. Camille, a former colleague, lives in the mountains of NC after spending most of her life in Florida. She came to Tuba on a tour and stayed for almost 10 years. She lived through all hurricanes in Florida and headed home a several times in the middle of the school year to check on her house after a hurricane. Now she is in NC and now they are getting hurricanes. She must be some kind of magnet for them. Anyway, she is doing fine. She and her grown daughters and their hubbys took a very cool bus tour from Rapid City to Utah this summer. They had a great time and opted out coming to the rez while ‘out west’. We had a good talk and both wondered how I Care was doing. That is a parent involvement program Camille brought to TCBS and I became a cheerleader for. We were both asked to be presenters at their national conferences. Camille did a bunch, and I did three. It was a great time and we certainly helped the program grow. When I retired, they called, talked about continuing our relationship, and then never another call. Camille was much more involved, and when she retired she also never heard another word. We both agreed that we put a lot of energy into the program and were happy to be its cheerleaders. The strange part is that after our retirement, we suddenly didn’t exist anymore. We get the part that cheerleaders need to be in the school system. We are both curious as to why we never got a phone call, card, letter, note or something that said thanks for all your work with I Care, have fun in your new life, but I Care only uses active educators in its presentations. I have to say that the vast majority of I Care staff was Southern Blacks. The owner of the company was a math teacher before setting up I Care. He developed a parental involvement that really had no color barrier. His research held no matter the ethnic group. The Rez schools made it work with dorm aides. In the beginning of my BIA career I worked with a number of southern Black teachers and administrators. Many had been heavily recruited by the Bureau to come to the Rez after the 1964 Civil Rights Act. Most were very good at their jobs. Many stayed their entire careers on the Rez. While I worked side by side these teachers, there was always a distance I never understood. I will never forget the time I was headed to Flag one Saturday. A Black neighbor stopped by as I was getting ready to leave. She asked if I could pick up an order that was waiting for her at JC Penny’s. I told her I would be happy to. When I delivered the package the next day, she gave me $5 (in 1972 money) for my trouble. I tried to refuse it, but she insisted. I always felt guilty as it was not a big deal. I Care and the Flag trip seem to remind me that although I have always considered myself color-blind, many people don’t see the world that way. I don’t now, nor have I ever had a ‘black friendship’. Hmmm. I have always known Blacks since I was in college, just none that I considered I had a true friendship with. Is that something I should work on? Maybe.

Our Non-elected Governor has made it in the National News….again. Her shocking inability to make an opening statement has been all over the news. I am concerned about her health. I don’t agree with most of her political stands, but I hate to see any human being under so much stress. I hope that she has seen a medical professional regarding her very unusual behavior. I am not being sarcastic in this situation.

What a hot day in Flag…H—85°; L—39°; Relative Humidity (RL)—14%; and only a breeze of 8mph. It’s still summer during the day, and certainly fall at night in our little mountain desert town.

QUOTE FOR THE DAY

Gerald Good: If you want to turn your life around, try thankfulness. It will change your life mightily.

HOLY MACKEREL: 1752 This day never happened nor the next 10 as England adopts Gregorian Calendar. People riot thinking the gov’t stole 11 days of their lives.

SOMEWHAT USELESS INFORMATION—Clean Up Friday

§Queen Victoria's first act after her coronation (at age 18) was to remove her bed from her mother's room!

§Queen Berengaria of England, who married Richard I (the Lion-Hearted) in 1191, never lived in or even visited England. She was from Navarre, a region in Northern Spain. They met and were married during one of Richard’s campaigns.

§Mozart married Constanze Weber in 1782. He had first proposed to Constanze’s older sister, who had rejected his suit. In spite of this earlier proposal and financial difficulties, their marriage was a happy one until Mozart’s death in 1791 at the age of 35.

§Despite his reputation for being rude and angry, Beethoven had many friends and was well liked. More than 20,000 people attended his funeral.

GREY MATTER PUZZLE 1—Jeopardy Answers: Homonyms

$200-Hindu hierarchy or a play's actors

$400-Near or a purchase

$600-A fixed look, or Ginger Rogers' partner

$ DD-Didn't see the fog

$1000-Where ships dock or what a jury consists of

UNUSUAL NEWS ITEM

HELENA, Mont. — Two young goats wandered onto the thin ledge of a railroad bridge and spent nearly two days high above the ground until rescuers in a towering cherry picker plucked them from their perch, hungry but safe.

The rescue occurred Wednesday 60 feet above a little-trafficked rural roadway in southern Montana between Billings and Roundup, after a caller told the Rimrock Humane Society the goats were stranded on the 6-inch ledge.

The young female animals weighing 25 and 35 pounds mostly stayed on the angled ledge, even though there was a wider surface area on a pillar just a few feet away.

"The whole time, we thought they were going to fall off," said Sandy Church, humane society president. "These guys are just babies."

Church said it wasn't clear how the nimble-footed animals got into the predicament, but she speculated they wandered onto the ledge at night then froze after the sun rose and they discovered where they were.

A LITTLE LAUGH

The proud father brought home a backyard swing set for his children and immediately started to assemble it with all the neighborhood children anxiously waiting to play on it.

After several hours of reading the directions, attempting to fit bolt A into slot B, etc., he finally gave up and called upon an old handyman working in a neighboring yard.

The old-timer came over, threw the directions away, and in a short while had the set completely assembled.

It's beyond me," said the father, "how you got it together without even reading instructions."

"To tell the truth," replied the old-timer, "I can't read, and when you can't read, you've got to think."

GREY MATTER PUZZLE 2--Riddle

What do you need to open a door?

FOUND ON ‘YOU TUBE’

Frank and Tommy: Click Here to See and Hear!

GREY MATTER PICTURE

This is a close up of what object?

SOME CALENDAR INFORMATION

¤ Weekly Observances ¤

-9/4: Minority Enterprise Development Week

1-8: Self-University Week and International Enthusiasm Week

¤ Today’s Observances ¤

Skyscraper Day

National Lazy Mom's Day

Australia: Flag Day

Canada: Merchant Navy Remembrance Day

Monaco: Liberation Day

Qatar: Independence Day (1971 from UK)

San Marino: Founding Day celebrates the foundation of the Republic of San Marino in 301.

Taiwan: Armed Forces Day

Tunisia: Memorial Day (1934)

¤ Hit Songs on this date ¤

1892...The Old Folks at Home...Len Spencer

1902...Bill Bailey, Won't You Please Come Home...Arthur Collins

1912...Ragtime Cowboy Joe...Bob Roberts

1942...Jingle Jangle Jingle...Kay Kyser

1952...Auf Wiederseh'n Sweetheart...Vera Lynn

1962...Sheila...Tommy Roe Click Here to Hear!

1972...Alone Again (Naturally)...Gilbert O'Sullivan

1982...Abracadabra...Steve Miller Band

¤ Today’s Births ¤

╬ THE ARTS

Kiran Desai, 39, author (The Inheritance of Loss, Hullabaloo in the Guava Orchard), born New Delhi, India

Alison Lurie, 84, author (Foreign Affairs, The War Between the Tates), born Chicago, IL

Al Jardine, 68, rocker (Beach Boys-In My Room)…born Lima, OH

Mort Walker (Addison Morton Walker), 87, cartoonist (Beetle Bailey), born at El Dorado, KS

♦♦♦♦♦♦

Eileen Brennan, 73, actress (The Last Picture Show, Private Benjamin), born Los Angeles, CA

Mitzi Gaynor, 79, actress (South Pacific) …born Chicago IL

Alan Ladd, actor (Shane, Carpetbaggers, Boy on a Dolphin) …born 1913…Hot Springs, AR

Charlie Sheen (Carlos Irwin Estevez), 45, actor (Two and a Half Men, Wall Street, Platoon), born at New York, NY

Terry Wilson, Calif, actor (Bill-Wagon Train) …born 1923… Huntington Park,CA

╬ ATHLETICS

Cristobal Huet, 35, hockey player(Blackhawks, Canadiens, Capitals, Kings), born Saint-Martin-d’Héres, France

Damon Stoudamire, 37, basketball player (Raptors,Trail Blazers, Grizzlies, Spurs), born Portland, OR

╬ BUSINESS & EDUCATION

Edward Albert Filene, merchant, established US credit union movement …born 1860…Salem MA

Ferdinand Porsche, auto designer…born 1875…Maffersdorf near Reichenberg, Austria-Hungary (now Czech Republic)

╬ POLITICS

John Humphrey Noyes, founded Oneida Community (Perfectionists-socialist Utopians), coined term ‘free love’…born 1811… Brattleboro, VT

╬ SCIENCE & RELIGION

Louis Henri Sullivan, father of modern US architecture…born 1856… Boston MA

¤ Today’s Obituaries ¤

Frank Capra, director (It's a Wonderful Life), @ 94 in 1991

Oliver Cromwell, the Lord Protector of England, septicaemia @ 59 in 1658

e. e. cummings, poet, stroke @ 67 in 1962

James I, king of England (1603-25), @ 92 in 1658

Vince Lombardi, football coach, colon cancer @ 57 in 1970

Ho Chi Minh, North Vietnamese president, heart failure @ 79

Duncan Renaldo, actor (Cisco Kid), @ 80 in 1984

¤ Today’s Events ¤

╬ THE ARTS

1942 Frank Sinatra bid adieu to the Tommy Dorsey Band as he started his solo singing career.

1967 After 17 years, What’s My Line aired for the final time on CBS-TV

╬ ATHLETICS

1981 Longest game in Fenway Park, completed in 20, Mariners-8, Red Sox-7

╬ BUSINESS & EDUCATION

1833 NY Sun begins publishing (1st daily newspaper) cost a penny

╬ INDIGENOUS PEOPLE

523: Maya King Ahkal Mo' Naab' II is born. Eventually, he rules over Palenque, Mexico

1680: Don Antonio de Otermin is the Governor of the province which contains modern Santa Fe, New Mexico. The Pueblo Indians staged a revolt in August. Otermin enters Isleta Pueblo and discovers it is abandoned.

╬ POLITICS (US)

1783 Treaty of Paris signed (ending the US Revolutionary War)

1971 Watergate team breaks into Daniel Ellsberg's doctor's office

╬ POLITICS (International)

1189 England's King Richard I (the Lion-Hearted) crowned in Westminster

1852 Anti Jewish riots break out in Stockholm

1900 British annex Natal (South Africa)

╬ SCIENCE & RELIGION

1935 1st automobile to exceed 300 mph, Sir Malcolm Campbell (301.337 mph)

1964 Wilderness Act signed into law by President Lyndon B Johnson

GREY MATTER ANSWERS

↔ 1

Hindu hierarchy or a play's actors: What is caste/cast?

Near or a purchase: What is by/buy?

A fixed look, or Ginger Rogers' partner: What is a stare/Astaire?

Didn't see the fog: What is missed/mist?

Where ships dock or what a jury consists of: What is piers/peers?

↔ 2

The door needs to be closed!

↔ PICTURE

A wagon wheel

TODAY’S NATIONAL PARK PHOTO SHOTS

Hot Springs National Park, Arkansas. 19th National Park since March 4, 1921: The only National Park in an urban area, this smallest National Park is based around the natural hot springs that have been managed for public use. Bathhouse Row preserves 47 of these with many beneficial minerals.

<> <> <> <>

Thursday Sept. 2

This is Week 35 of 2010►Day 245 with 120 days left.

FREE RAMBLING THOUGHTS

Note: I have been having trouble with the color of the internet links on this template. I have it set for the standard blue, but it gives me a light blue which I have to manually change. So today I am trying hot pink so I won’t have to spend time changing them. As each blog has been having four or more links, it became too cumbersome. So while hot pink is not a standard, they will still work. If I have to change that color to get a bright color, I will try some other color tomorrow. So for readers who expect certain standardizing on this blog, I’ll just say that I don’t know how to do it. I did finally figure out how to drop the posting of the day of the week I post and now you will only see the date. I’m sure it was confusing when there was a tiny Tuesday under the title, and then a title in larger print that read Wednesday m/d/y. I can fix some things but not everything.

One short week from today I will be sitting at LAX waiting for my plane and my traveling friends. I am now spending time each day getting stuff ready for the trip. We will be in Taipei, Taiwan for five day trips to local markets, temples, a daylong river cruise and the scenic countryside and a National Park. Then it’s off to Malaysia. We travel all around, and I learned today that VISA will not approve card use there. They say that there is too much fraud in that country. Master Card doesn’t have such a barrier so I will be OK, except that my ATM card also has a VISA logo, so I will find out tomorrow if the ATM card will work. Very few countries take traveler’s checks any more as they too are too easy to forge. We visit many temples, National Parks, countryside, and markets. We fly off to Borneo for a river cruise, and a couple of walking tours in the jungle—where the leeches reside. There will be many chances to see wildlife—orangutans, other monkey species, water birds, more temples, more markets, and more National Parks. I know I am overcompensating for the leech issue, the cash issue, and some other stuff. But what is a great trip without some over-preparedness? This part of the world has always fascinated me, so I know I will get lots of great pictures, videos, and see many great things—many of them will surprise me. All of the countries enjoy the art of bartering. My dad would have really enjoyed it. I don’t, but try—so as not offend. When I find something I like, and it costs $50 and the vendor asks for $75 I don’t mind bartering. When the object is $10 and I only want to pay $7 I have a hard time bartering. These people work hard for their money and I hate looking cheap. After Egypt and South Africa, I have learned it is expected. I have traveled with people who brag about how they really got a good deal by cutting the price by as much as 75%. I can’t do that, knowing that the vendor really needed that sale for some reason. Culturally, it is considered a sign of good luck when you make your first sale of the day. A vendor who hasn’t sold anything by noon will just about give that item away for the sale. The next customer won’t be able to get anywhere near that good a price. So, here I go, ready to barter—or as my dad said ‘dicker’.

Our non-elected governor and the other candidates held a debate tonight. It is interesting to listen to her continual interruptions. Four candidates debated—Republican, Democratic, Green, and Libertarian party. Some good ideas about how to fix our state’s problems. Sad to see such an angry Jan Brewer.

Flagstaff had another great day. High: 79°, Low: 44° with only the slightest breeze. Our humidity is back to a more normal 22% for our high desert.

QUOTE FOR THE DAY

Jimi Hendrix: When the power of love overcomes the love of power, the world will know peace.

HOLY MACKEREL: 1949 Alben W. Barkley, the Vice President of the United States under President Harry S Truman, wrote a letter that made reference to his office as the Veep. The term stuck.

SOMEWHAT USELESS INFORMATION on the US Open Tennis Championship

§ The U.S. Open originated in 1881 in Newport, RI. Back then it was named the US National Singles Championship for men.

§ The women's side of the tournament was held in Philadelphia, PA and started six years after the men's tournament. The event entered a new era in 1968 when both the men's and women's tournaments merged and was renamed the U.S. Open.

§ The youngest men's singles champion in US Open history was Pete Sampras, who was 19 years old when he won it in 1990.

§ The youngest women's singles champion was Tracy Austin, who won it in 1979 at the age of 16.

§ Serena and Venus Williams became the first sisters to play for a U.S. singles championship - and did so in the very first Grand Slam tournament final ever scheduled for a prime time national network telecast.

§ Jimmy Connors is the only player to win the U.S. Open on three surfaces: grass at Forest Hills in 1974, clay at Forest Hills in 1976, and hardcourt in 1978 at Flushing Meadows.

§ The U.S. Open Trophy is made by Tiffany & Co.

§ In 2002, Serena Williams made a fashion statement - and headlines - by wearing a black PVC cat suit during play throughout the U.S. Open.

GREY MATTER PUZZLE 1—Jeopardy Answers: “JACKS" OF ALL TRADES

$100-He celebrated his 39th birthday 41 times

$200-Between him & his wife, they licked the platter clean

$300-He didn't find gold in the Klondike, so he wrote "The Call of the Wild"

$400-His nickname was the "Manassa Mauler"

$500-2nd generation pop singer, he's sung on every "Love Boat" voyage

UNUSUAL NEWS ITEM

SYDNEY — An Australian school principal has asked students to stop using the word "gay" when singing a classic children's song, but said Thursday no offense was intended — he was simply trying to keep the kids from laughing.

Principal Garry Martin of Le Page Primary School in Melbourne said he instructed students to substitute the line "Fun your life must be" for the original "Gay your life must be" when singing "Kookaburra Sits in the Old Gum Tree." The song about a native Australian bird is a favorite around campfires from New Zealand to Canada.

Martin said he was playing a recording of the song for the students about a month ago when the line "gay your life must be" produced a flurry of giggles throughout the classroom. Some of the students use the word "gay" as a schoolyard taunt, he said, but don't understand its true meaning. And so, to calm them down, he told them to swap in the word "fun" for "gay."

"It wasn't misplaced political correctness, it wasn't homophobia, there was nothing really calculated in doing it," he told The Associated Press. "I could've stopped the whole class and gone into a very caring, supportive explanation of gay being quite a reasonable choice in lifestyle that some people make, but I was only talking with 7- and 8-year-olds and I think that sort of thing is better explained more fully with parents."

His decision erupted into a controversy, he said, after one of the students told his parents about Martin's change to the song. Word then spread from the parents to friends to the local newspaper, which ran a story — and Martin found himself being bombarded with angry e-mails.

"Some think I'm the devil incarnate," he said.

Crusader Hillis, CEO of the gay and lesbian advocacy group The Also Foundation, didn't go that far — but he did call the lyrical swap an overreaction.

"It sends a signal to people that just because a word has two meanings, that one of those meanings is unacceptable and that's really putting us backwards," Hillis said. "Even if it's done for good intentions because 'gay' is being used in schoolyards as a slur, I think they need to use the word as a conversation rather than banning it."

Martin said his decision was a mistake made with the best of intentions, and he plans to speak to the students about how different words hold different meanings across generations.

He also plans to ask students to sing the original version of the song.

But, he added, "We might not sing it that often now."

A LITTLE LAUGH

Manning the computer help desk for the local school district was my first job. And though I was just an intern, I took the job very seriously. But not every caller took me seriously.

"Can I talk to a real person?" a caller asked.

"I am real," I said.

"Oh, I'm sorry," the caller said. "That was rude of me. What I meant to say was, could I talk to someone who actually knows something?"

GREY MATTER PUZZLE 2--Riddle

What two questions can you be asked that you can never say yes to and be correct?

FOUND ON ‘YOU TUBE’

Jan Brewer ran this commercial: See It Here!

GREY MATTER PICTURE

This is a close up of what object?

SOME CALENDAR INFORMATION

¤ Weekly Observances ¤

-9/4: Minority Enterprise Development Week

1-8: International Enthusiasm Week: Self-University Week

¤ Today’s Observances ¤

Victory over Japan: signing end of war on USS Missouri

Vietnam: Independence Day (1945 from France)

Namibia & South Africa: Settlers' Day

¤ Hit Songs on this date ¤

1891...The Mocking Bird...John Yorke Atlee

1911...Mother Machree...John McCormack Hear It Hear!

1921...Cherie...Paul Whiteman

1941...Green Eyes (Aquellos Ojos Verdes) ...Jimmy Dorsey Hear It Hear!

1951...Because of You...Tony Bennett Hear It Hear!

1961...Michael...The Highwaymen Hear It Hear!

1971...Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey...Paul & Linda McCartney Hear It Hear!

¤ Today’s Births ¤

╬ THE ARTS

Laurindo Almeida, Grammy Award-winning composer, musician: guitar: Guitar from Ipanema [1964]; Viva Bossa Nova; underscore: Viva Zapata…born 1917… São Paulo, Brazil

Cleveland Amory, conservationist/TV reviewer (TV Guide) …born 1917… Nahant, MA

Allen Drury, Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist: Advise and Consent [1960] …born 1918…Houston, TX

♦♦♦♦♦♦

Mark Harmon, 59, actor (“NCIS,” “St. Elsewhere,” “Chicago Hope”), born Burbank, CA

Salma Hayek, 44, actress (Ask the Dust, Bandidas, Frida), born Veracruz, Mexico

Keanu Reeves, 46, actor (The Matrix, Speed), born Beirut, Lebanon

╬ ATHLETICS

Terry Paxton Bradshaw, 62, sportscaster, Hall of Fame football player (Steelers), born Shreveport, LA

Dorothy May Bundy-Cheney, winner of more than 141 US tennis titles…born 1916…Los Angeles, CA

Jimmy Connors, 58, former tennis player, born East St. Louis, IL

╬ BUSINESS & EDUCATION

Guy Laliberté, 51, founder of Cirque du Soleil…born Quebec City, Canada

Albert Goodwill Spaulding, baseball player/founded Spaulding sports company…born 1850…Byron, IL

Peter Victor Ueberroth, 73, former commissioner of baseball and Olympic organizer, born Evanston, IL

╬ POLITICS

Joan Kennedy, 74, 1st wife of Mass Senator, Ted…born Bronx, NY

Queen Lydia Kamekeha Liliuokalani, last queen of Hawaii…born 1838…Honolulu, HI

╬ SCIENCE & RELIGION

--

¤ Today’s Obituaries ¤

Hernán Cortés de Monroy y Pizarro, Spanish general defeated Aztec Indians, dysentery @ 62 in 1547

Baron Pierre de Coubertin, revivor of Olympics, @ 74 in 1937

¤ Today’s Events ¤

╬ THE ARTS

1995 The Concert for the Hall of Fame was presented at Cleveland Municipal Stadium. It was the grand-opening celebration for the $92-million, I.M. Pei-designed Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum.

╬ ATHLETICS

490 -BC Phidippides runs 1st marathon, seeking aid from Sparta vs Persia

1999 Cal Ripken, Jr. hit his 400th home run as the Baltimore Orioles beat the Tampa Bay Devil Rays at Oriole Park at Camden Yards, Baltimore.

╬ BUSINESS & EDUCATION

1859 Gas lighting introduced to Hawaii

1897 The first issue of McCall’s magazine was published.

1930 1st non-stop airplane flight from Europe to US (37 hrs) OMG!!!

1987 Donald Trump takes out a full page NY Times ad lambasting Japan

╬ INDIGENOUS PEOPLE

1862 Santee Sioux engage in another fight in the Minnesota Uprising. Called the "Birch Coulee Battle," it happens three miles north of Morton, Minnesota. The Minnesota forces are led by Major Joseph Brown. The Sioux are led by Big Eagle, Mankato, and Red Legs. The army has been on a burial detail. At dawn, the Siouxattack. The soldiers lose thirteen killed and forty-seven wounded.

╬ POLITICS (US)

1789 US Treasury Department established by Congress

1901 VP Theodore Roosevelt advises, "Speak softly & carry a big stick"

1944 During WW II, George Bush ejects from a burning plane

1978 John McClain performs 180 outside loops in an airplane over Houston

╬ POLITICS (International)

1752 Last day of Julian calendar in Britain, British colonies

╬ SCIENCE & RELIGION

1666 Great Fire of London starts; destroys St Paul's Church

GREY MATTER ANSWERS

↔ 1

He celebrated his 39th birthday 41 times: Who was Jack Benny?

Between him & his wife, they licked the platter clean: Who was Jack Spratt?

He didn't find gold in the Klondike, so he wrote "The Call of the Wild": Who is Jack London?

His nickname was the "Manassa Mauler": Who is Jack Dempsey?

2nd generation pop singer, he's sung on every "Love Boat" voyage: Who is Jack Jones?

↔ 2

1. Are you sleeping?

2. Are you dead?

↔ PICTURE

Paper money - the back of a US $5 bill

TODAY’S NATIONAL PARK PHOTO SHOTS

Zion National Park, Utah, 18th National Park as of November 19, 1919: This geologically unique area has colorful sandstone canyons, high plateaus, and rock towers. Natural arches and exposed formations of the Colorado Plateau make up a large wilderness of four ecosystems

<> <> <> <>

Wednesday Sept. 1

This is Week 35 of 2010►Day 244 with 121 days left.

FREE RAMBLING THOUGHTS

Once a teacher, always a teacher. It’s the first day of the month and time to look ahead to see what the month has in store. Each and every month just about anyone or any group with a cause select a month to make people aware of their cause. I always like to list the causes I am aware of, just to give them a little more attention. They are listed in the Calendar Information below. I am sure there are more, but these are the ones I know about.

Obama gave his ‘end of combat’ speech tonight. It was short and sweet. Somehow I don’t feel like the war is over. We all studied Mesopotamia in elementary school. It was known as the ‘fertile land’. We learned that it was the ‘cradle of civilization.’ That empire has been invaded many times. Each invader left the country in shambles and each time the people of the area rebuilt. We are no different. Someday, I hope within my lifetime, foreigners will be able to visit Iraq and learn about its greatness throughout history. Some of the news organizations have had journalists walking the streets of Iraq in the past few weeks. While the damage from the war is apparent, the locals are rebuilding. The war has done damage that will take generations to rebuild. Innocent families have lost many relatives in bombings and raids—from all military in the war. Our country, just like all countries of the world, will not ever give us full details on the number of innocents were killed. I recall my father talking about how, during the war [WWII] the military taught them that the ‘only good Jap was a dead Jap’. I’m sure it has been hard for today’s soldiers to determine if a person walking by them is an innocent or a terrorist. Now that the combat troops are out, I hope the locals will be able to figure out a peace they can live with. It will be several generations before any Iraqi government can be a threat to any of the world powers. The country has very sporadic electricity, few schools that hold classes on a regular basis, and few if any family units exist that have not been devastated by the war. Most elementary aged students have known nothing but war in their lives. High school aged students know little but war. As in every society, the children are the future for Iraq. I only hope that they can find a way to figure out what is ahead is up to them.

The City Council listened to lots of people last night about selling drinking water to a recreation site. It had been touted as the ‘end all’ meeting to make a decision. Hey, it’s Flagstaff. The meeting was loud, emotional, and lots of people got their say. It lasted until almost midnight—way past most of the council’s bed time. Only the local gadfly had to be asked---told to leave the meeting. Comments had a time limit, but not everyone had to meet the time limit. The council, in all its wisdom, decided not to decide. It was not a good idea, according to them, to make a decision at such a late hour. Maybe. They will meet again to make the decision, but also decided not to decide when that would be. The snowmaking thing will not increase the size of the ski area, it will just assist nature in having snow on its 32 trails and 4 lifts. Breckenridge in Colorado has 150 trails and 30 lifts. That is a ski town. Purgatory just outside Durango, Colorado has 85 trails and 9 lifts. Many of the business people here describe skiing in Flagstaff as a ski destination. After listening to the problems of Snowbowl for more than 30 years, it is time to recognize that visitation will not increase with more snow on the tiny mountain. It may increase the number of days the trails are open, but will not bring skiers to Flagstaff. We do not have the infrastructure for a ski resort. The road to the ski area is treacherous after a storm. The ski lines are basically empty during the week, and when the snow is good, the lines are long. The owners can’t expand the trails or add more lifts. They just want to have long lines on more days.

Flagstaff was very nice today. We had no wind. Imagine that. My deck made it to 74° making it a good day for a walk. We dropped to 43° last night, so fall is certainly in the air. My early morning [7am] walk was in long pants—the first time since May. I can still wear my Tevas, but my toes did get a little chilly. Flag is beautiful in the fall, and I guess it’s time to start realizing that fall is almost here.

QUOTE FOR THE DAY

Hindu Prince Gautama Siddharta, the founder of Buddhism: Peace comes from within. Do not seek it without.

HOLY MACKEREL: 1923 Earthquake strikes Tokyo & Yokohama, kills 106,000

SOMEWHAT USELESS INFORMATION in Science

§The idea of the atom was first introduced by Leucippus of Miletus around 450 B.C.. Leucippus and his pupil, Democritus, theorized that all matter was composed of atoms, or bits of matter too small to be seen. The word "atom" comes from a Greek word, "atomos", meaning uncuttable.

§In 2004, on the island of Flores in Indonesia, a team of Australian and Indonesian researchers discovered the remains of a hobbit-sized human,one that stood no more than a meter tall.

§Atoms are most tightly packed in a solid.

§At 4,160 miles (6,693 kilometers), the Nile is the longest river in the world.

§Although it was a long-held belief that the Stegosaurus had three brains: One in its head, one in its back, and one in its tail, recent studies have shown that these extra "brains" were actually energy stores for muscles.

GREY MATTER PUZZLE 1—Jeopardy Answers: Geography

$100-Formerly Formosa

$200-Dutch is still an official language in what is now called Suriname

$300-8th most populous country in the world, this "Bengal Nation" was once East Pakistan

$-400First colony since 1776 to break from Britain without consent, it is now Zimbabwe

$500-About 1/3 of Africa's Pygmy population lives in what was once Belgian Congo

UNUSUAL NEWS ITEM

KERNERSVILLE, N.C. - A North Carolina collector is auctioning "The Catcher in the Rye" author J.D. Salinger's toilet on eBay with an asking price of $1 million. Rick Kohl of Kernersville-based webuytreasure.com said he might be open to accepting a smaller sum for the commode, which was taken from a New Hampshire home the notoriously reclusive author moved out of in the mid-1980s, the Charlotte News & Observer reported Thursday. "I bet it's worth $100,000," Kohl said. "Come on, it's J.D. Salinger's throne! We're talking 'Catcher in the Rye' here!" The auction runs for about 2 1/2 weeks.

A LITTLE LAUGH

At the school where my mother worked, the two first-grade teachers were Miss Paine and Mrs. Hacking. One morning the mother of a student called in the middle of a flu epidemic to excuse her daughter from school.

"Is she in Paine or Hacking?" the school secretary asked.

"She feels fine," said the confused mom. "We have company, and I'm keeping her home."

GREY MATTER PUZZLE 2--Riddle

A man with no drivers license went the wrong way and turned left at a corner with a "no left" sign. A policewomen saw him but didn't do anything. Why?

FOUND ON ‘YOU TUBE’

Solar Flare Mystery: Click Here To See!

GREY MATTER PICTURE

This is a close up of what object?

SOME CALENDAR INFORMATION

¤ S E P T E M B E R      M O N T H L Y      O B S E R V A N C E S ¤

§September gets its name from Latin [septem] which means seven as in the Roman calendar it was the seventh month. Charlemagne’s calendar called it ‘harvest month’; the Anglo-Saxon called it Gerstmonath (barley month); and in Switzerland it is called Herbstmonat (harvest month). The birthstone is the sapphire—for clear thinking. The flowers are the forget-me-not, aster, and morning glory.

§AKC Responsible Dog Ownership Month--Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Month--Apple Month

§Baby Safety Month--Backpack Safety America Month--Be Kind To Editors & Writers Month

§Childrens' Good Manners Month--Childhood Cancer Awareness Month Link--College Savings Month

§Fall Hat Month

§Go Wild During California Wild Rice Month--Great American Low-Cholesterol, Low-fat Pizza Bake Month--Gynecology Cancer Awareness Month

§Healthy Aging Month

§International People Skills Month--International Self-Awareness Month--International Strategic Thinking Month

§Leukemia and Lymphoma Awareness Month--Library Card Sign-up Month

§National:

Alcohol & Drug Addiction Recovery Month--Mold Awareness Month-- Chicken Month-- Childhood Injury Prevention Month-- DNA, Genomics & Stem Cell Education Month--Coupon Month--Head Lice Prevention Month-- Hispanic Heritage Month--Honey Month--Mushroom Month--Organic Harvest Month Link--Osteopathic Medicine Month Link--Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month (Gov't)--Prime Beef Month Link--Sickle Cell Month--Piano Month--Preparedness Month--Prostate Cancer Awareness Month--Rice Month-- Skin Care Awareness Month

§One-on-One Month--Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month

§Pediatric Cancer Awareness Month--Pleasure Your Mate Month

§Reunion Planning Month

§Self Improvement Month--Shameless Promotion Month--Sports and Home Eye Health & Safety Month--Subliminal Communications Month

§Update Your Resume Month

§Women's Friendship Month--World Animal Remembrance Month

¤ Weekly Observances ¤

-9/4: Minority Enterprise Development Week

1-8: International Enthusiasm Week: Self-University Week

¤ Today’s Observances ¤

Building and Code Staff Appreciation Day

Calendar Adjustment Day: used to make the adjustment from Gregorian to Julian Calendar

Emma M. Nutt Day: to honor 1st female telephone operator

National No Rhyme (Nor Reason) Day

Toy Tips Executive Toy Test Day: A day for adults to buy a toy and try it out.

Brunei: Revelation of the Koran

Lybia, Egypt : Revolution Day (1969)

Malaysia:  National Day

Mexico: Presidental Message Day/Opening of congress

¤ Hit Songs on this date ¤

1910...Casey Jones...Billy Murray & American Quartet

1930...Little White Lies...Fred Waring's Pennsylvanians

1940...I'll Never Smile Again...Tommy Dorsey

1950...Goodnight Irene...Gordon Jenkins & the Weavers Click Here to Hear!

1960...It's Now or Never...Elvis Presley Click Here to Hear!

1970...War...Edwin Starr Click Here to Hear!

¤ Today’s Births ¤

╬ THE ARTS

Edgar Rice Burroughs, novelist (Tarzan, Mars Saga) …born 1875…Chicago, IL

Gloria Estefan, 53, singer…born Havana, Cuba

Barry Gibb, 64, singer (with the Bee Gees, “Staying Alive”), song-writer…born Manchester, England

Lydia Sigourney, religious author (How to Be Happy) …born 1791…Norwich, CT

Conway Twitty [Harold Lloyd Jenkins], country singer (Hello Darlin') …born 1933…Friars Point, MS

Boxcar Willie (Lecil Martin), ‘The Singing Hobo’: songwriter, singer…born.1931 …Ellis County, TX

♦♦♦♦♦♦

Yvonne De Carlo , actress (10 Commandments, Munsters) …born 1922…Vancouver BC

George Maharis (Maharias), 82, actor: Route 66…born Astoria, NY

Lily Tomlin, 71, actress, comedienne…born Detroit, MI

╬ ATHLETICS

James "Gentleman Jim" Corbett, heavyweight champion boxer…born 1866 …San Francisco, CA

Timothy Duane (Tim) Hardaway, 44, former basketball player(Warriors, Heat, Magic, Nuggets, Pacers)…born Chicago, IL

╬ BUSINESS & EDUCATION

Elizabeth Harrison, educator (Natl Congress of Parents & Teachers) …born 1849 …Athens, GA

Alan Dershowitz, 72, attorney, author…born Brooklyn, NY

╬ POLITICS

Sir Roger David Casement, martyr (IRA) …born 1864… Dublin, Ireland

╬ SCIENCE & RELIGION

Dr. Phil McGraw, 60, psychologist, author, television personality (“The Oprah Winfrey Show,” “Dr. Phil”)…born Vinita, OK

¤ Today’s Obituaries ¤

Jacques Cartier, French explorer, plague @ 65 in 1557

William Clark, 2nd lt of Lewis & Clark Expedition, @ 68 in 1838

Louis XIV, King of France (1643-1715), @ 76 in 1715

Henry "Scoop" Jackson, (Sen-WA), aortic aneurysm @ 71 in 1983

Ethel Waters, actress (Beulah)/singer (Stormy Weather), @ 76 in 1977

¤ Today’s Events ¤

╬ THE ARTS

1975 Gunsmoke goes off the air

╬ ATHLETICS

1890 1st baseball tripleheader-Boston vs Pittsburgh

1906 Joseph Harris (Boston) & Jack Coombs (A's) pitch complete 24 inning game

1972 Bobby Fischer (US) defeats Boris Spassky (USSR) for world chess title

╬ BUSINESS & EDUCATION

1859 The Pullman sleeping car was placed into service.

╬ INDIGENOUS PEOPLE

1640 A treaty agreement cover land cessions between the Mohegan and Connecticut will be reached today.

1866 Manuelito and twenty-three of his Navajo followers surrender to the army at Fort Wingate.

╬ POLITICS (US)

1799 Bank of Manhattan Company opens in NYC (forerunner to Chase Manhattan)

1807 Aaron Burr acquitted of charges of plotting to set up an empire

╬ POLITICS (International)

  69 Traditional date of the destruction of Jerusalem

1666 Great London Fire begins in Pudding Lane. 80% of London is destroyed

1914 St Petersburg, Russia changes name to Petrograd

1939 The beginning of World War II; the invasion of Poland by Nazi troops and planes.

╬ SCIENCE & RELIGION

1859 RC Carrington & R Hodgson make 1st observation of solar flare

1865 Joseph Lister performs 1st antiseptic surgery

GREY MATTER ANSWERS

↔ 1

Formerly Formosa: What is Taiwan?

Dutch is still an official language in what is now called Suriname: What is Dutch Guiana?

8th most populous country in the world, this "Bengal Nation" was once East Pakistan: What is Bangladesh?

First colony since 1776 to break from Britain without consent, it is now Zimbabwe: What is Rhodesia?

About 1/3 of Africa's Pygmy population lives in what was once Belgian Congo: What is Zaire?

↔ 2

The man was walking.

↔ PICTURE

A bicycle cargo rack

TODAY’S NATIONAL PARK PHOTO SHOTS

Grand Canyon, Arizona, the 17th National Park as of February 26, 1919: The Grand Canyon, carved out by the Colorado River, is 277 miles (446 km) long, up to 1 mile (1.6 km) deep, and up to 15 miles (24 km) wide. Millions of years of exposure has formed colorful layers of the Colorado Plateau in mesas and canyon walls.

     <> <> <> <>