Wednesday October 13

This is Week 40 of 2010►Day 286 with 79 days left.

FREE RAMBLING THOUGHTS

I am having some difficulty downloading my videos from my camera to my computer. The files are there, but the computer doesn’t recognize them. What a pain in the …. Technology can be great, then again, technology takes time and so tomorrow I will spend the time it takes to do it. I don’t get it right now, but a few hours at the computer should help. I have about 20 clips—each all less than one minute and I can watch them on the camera so I know they are there. I will conquer this.

I am totally fed up with the Airline business in the US. Every International carrier gives you one checked bag and one carryon, plus another small bag. You are treated very well on International Airlines—they seem to know that your comfort and care are what pay their salaries. All the internal carriers are much less customer friendly. US Carriers seem to figure—hey you want to get somewhere faster than driving, and we will do that; if you want anything else, you will pay, and if you aren’t in that seat, someone else will be. Then there is the food. On a three hour flight, oversees, here comes the free meal. On US carriers, here comes the credit card machine. Then there is the cost. Last year I flew to Chicago for $385. This year the same friggin’ flight on the same friggin’ days is $495. The hotel is the same price as last year. If I fly to Chicago for Christmas in either November or January, the flight is only $345. I realize that they have to make money, but this is crazy. I am sure that the extra $150 to fly near Christmas will allow the airlines to provide us with food, no charge for luggage, a Christmas drink or two, some home baked cookies or fudge, and a crew spreading holiday cheer. I can hardly wait to see what is in store for the now annual trip. I fly from Flagstaff for this trip, due to the uncertain weather. I have learned that the airlines do a decent job of getting passengers to their destination even if a flight is cancelled. One never knows what weather will happen in Flagstaff or on the road to Phoenix during this time of year. If I am late for a flight from Phoenix to Chicago, the airline doesn’t really care, so the shuttle or driving is risky. However if I am connecting in Phoenix, the airline will help.

I am getting very concerned about the changes in political funding. First of all, the total dollar amount spent on campaigns is staggering. I’m sure the media raises it ad prices during a political year, and where does all that money go? No one seems to be telling us. If a local Phoenix station runs campaign ad after campaign ad, where does the profit go? I know that there would probably be other mindless commercials, but campaign ads are getting ridiculous. Living in a small town, with no really local stations, we hear all the ads for people we never even get to vote for. What a waste of someone’s money. Now, with the recent Supreme Court decision, the politicians do not have to tell us who is giving them this money for the ads. Certainly corporations with specific agendas, and now foreign countries with specific agendas, can give money to a candidate and the candidate doesn’t have to tell anyone where the money came from. Corporations are not looking out for the little guy. The foreign donations—individual or governmental—may just be payback for the US interfering with other country’s politics in the past. A sort of tit for tat. Karzai, the ‘elected’ leader of Afghanistan, certainly had US backing—militarily and economically. Somehow we were lead to believe that by ‘backing’ him, we were helping the country—both the US and Afghanistan. When Hamas was the elected leadership in Gaza, we had a hard time justifying the election and spent much time saying that it was not a good election. Let’s say that Chinese businessmen want to have better trade with the US and they send money to US candidates who support those goals and the candidate gets elected, was it the best choice for America? If the candidate doesn’t get elected, what will the Chinese businessmen be saying? Will they claim that our election system was compromised?

I never saw myself as an International man. I can’t imagine getting involved in the politics of another nation. I know that many Americans, from many sectors, think that they should be involved. Isolationism has never worked, and certainly won’t work in today’s world of globalization. I do believe that we need to realize that the US didn’t get where we are overnight. Malaysia, Taiwan, Egypt, Scotland, South Africa all have their own form of democracy. They are wonderful places to visit. Unless one has lived there for an extended period of time, they have no business in their politics. As much as I abhor the practice of headhunters or of Apartheid, it is the people involved who have to change it. An artificial copying of another country’s customs or laws will only happen on the surface, not in the hearts and minds of the citizens. American economy would never accept the concept of bartering for essentials. It has been tried in small communities and has various degrees of success. For a country to suddenly outlaw bartering would cause complete chaos in their economy. A few months back there were two incidents in Congress that had Americans appalled. The first, when a Congressman yelled out ‘liar’ during one of Obama’s speech. The other when a Supreme Court Justice shook his head no during the State of the Union. The UK and many of its former colonies could not understand the outrage. This is common practice in their government. If and when a country wants to try our form of government, we should assist them. We should keep out otherwise. Other nations and citizens of other nations should stay out of our governmental process.

Flag had another nice fall day. Not a lot of wind, nice temperatures, and enjoyable. I even took time to clear the deck of pine needles, something I haven’t done since I left for holiday. The deck looks much better, I am happier, and the birds seem to be enjoying their food and water. Soon it will be time to pack up some of the deck furniture to prepare for the snow that will be coming.

Flag…H—69°; L—31°; RH—54%; and no breeze recorded. The NWS calls this a ‘fair’ day…I call it an outstanding day.

QUOTE FOR THE DAY—Malay Proverbs

To bend a bamboo, while it's still a shoot

(meaning of proverb: If you want to teach your child, it is better to do when he is still young)

Like a candle, burning itself to light the people

(meaning of proverb: someone has sacrificed himself just to help others)

Whoever eats chili gets burned

(meaning of proverb: people who make mistake should get the consequences)

If you chop water, it won't separate

(meaning of proverb: members in a family will close to each other even though they encountered problems in the past)

HOLY MACKEREL: 1982 IOC restores 2 gold medals from 1912 Olympics to Jim Thorpe

SOMEWHAT USELESS INFORMATION

^ In many Latin American nations, the anniversary of Columbus' landing has traditionally been observed as the Dia de la Raza ("Day of the Race"), a celebration of Hispanic culture's diverse roots. In 2002, Venezuela renamed the holiday Dia de la Resistencia Indigena ("Day of Indigenous Resistance") to recognize native peoples and their experience.

^In many parts of the United States, Columbus Day has evolved into a celebration of Italian-American heritage. Local groups host parades and street fairs featuring colorful costumes, music and Italian food. In cities and towns that use the day to honor indigenous peoples, activities include pow-wows, traditional dance and lessons about Native American culture.

GREY MATTER PUZZLE 1—Double Jeopardy Answers—U.S. States

$200-ts Mormon founders called it Deseret

$400-The only state beginning with "A" that does not end in "A"

$600-The only state to touch 4 of the Great Lakes

$800-1 of 4 states that's officially a commonwealth

$1000-never asked, never answered

UNUSUAL NEWS ITEM

ST. CLOUD, FL — Most people growing marijuana illegally at least try to hide it from authorities. One man in central Florida was allegedly growing the plants in his front yard. Agents with the Osceola County Investigative Bureau arrested and charged Bryan Hartman on Monday for cultivation of cannabis. Authorities said Hartman had 17 marijuana plants — some as big as seven feet — that could "easily be seen from the roadway." The roots were growing in planters in the front of his St. Cloud house, just south of Orlando. Hartman was booked into the Osceola County Jail. It was not immediately known if he had an attorney.

A LITTLE LAUGH

The difference between "Men" and "Guys"

Men: know what they want to be doing five years down the road.

Guys: are not sure what they want to be doing later tonight.

Men: read Crichton, watch Rather, play golf.

Guys: read King, watch Seinfeld, play poker.

Men: wear ties with stripes, shirts with buttons, and shoes with laces.

Guys: wear high school T-shirts they've actually owned since high school.

Men: balance their checkbooks.

Guys: balance their loans so that they never hit up the same buddy twice in a row.

Men: claim to be feminist but still insist on opening doors, driving, and paying for dinner.

Guys: claim to be feminists so they can let YOU open doors, drive, and pay for dinner.

Men: are afraid of becoming their fathers.

Guys: are afraid of becoming men.

Men: put you on the phone when their mothers call.

Guys: pretend you're not there when their moms call.

FOUND ON ‘YOU TUBE’

Lenny Bruce was crass, and astute Click Here to View!

GREY MATTER PICTURE

This is a close up of what object?

SOME CALENDAR INFORMATION

¤ Weekly Observances ¤

10-16: Build Your Business with Business Cards Week ^ Emergency Nurses Week ^ Home-based Business Week ^ National Chestnut Week ^ National Food Bank Week ^ National Metric Week ^ Take Your Medicine Americans Week ^ World Rainforest Week

11-17: Fall Astronomy Week ^ National School Lunch Week

17-23: Food and Drug Interaction Education and Awareness Week ^ Getting The World To Beat A Path To Your Door Week ^ International Credit Union Week ^ Teen Read Week ^ National Chemistry Week ^ National Hospital and Health-System Pharmacy Week ^ YWCA Week without Violence ^ National Character Counts Week ^ National Forest Products Week ^ National Lead Poisoning Prevention Week ^ National School Bus Safety Week

18-24: Freedom From Bullies Week ^ Freedom of Speech Week ^ Medical Assistants Recognition Week ^ National Food Bank Week ^ National Infertility Awareness Week ^ National Massage Therapy Week ^ National Businesswomen's Week

24-31: Disarmament Week ^ Give Wildlife a Break Week ^ Pastoral Care Week ^ Peace, Friendship and Good Will Week ^ Prescription Errors Education & Awareness Week ^ International Magic Week ^ National Respiratory Care Week

27-11/3: World Hearing Aid Awareness Week

¤ Today’s Observances ¤

Navy Birthday

Emergency Nurses Day

International Day for Natural Disaster Reduction

International Top Spinning Day

National Bring Your Teddy Bear To Work & School Day

Burundi: Hero of the Nation Day: for assassination of Prince L Rwagasore in 1961

Thailand:National Police Day

UK: English Language Day: In 1362 the English language was first heard in the Open Parliament.

¤ Hit Songs on this date ¤

1890...Washington Post / U.S. Marine Band Click Here to View!

1910...Every Little Moment / Harry MacDonough & Lucy Isabelle Marsh

1930...Body and Soul / Paul Whiteman

1940…Only Forever / Bing Crosby Click Here to View!

1950…Goodnight Irene / Gordon Jenkins & the Weavers Click Here to View!

1960…Save the Last Dance for Me / The Drifters Click Here to View!

1970…I'll Be There / The Jackson 5 Click Here to View!

1980…Another One Bites the Dust / Queen Click Here to View!

¤ Today’s Births ¤

╬ THE ARTS

Herblock (Herbert L Block), political cartoonist, in 1909

Arna Bontemps, black author (100 years of negro freedom) in 1902

Lenny Bruce(Leonard Alfred Schneider), comedian, arrested on obscenity charges, in 1925

Chris Carter, 53, creator of “The X-Files,”

Sammy Hagar, 61, singer, musician

Conrad Richter, writer (The Light in the Forest) in 1890

Nipsey Russell, comedian (Car 54, Barefoot in the Park), in 1920

Paul Simon, 69, singer (Simon and Garfunkel), musician

Burr Tillstrom, puppeteer (Kukla, Fran & Ollie), in 1917 Click Here to View!

♦♦♦♦♦♦

Ashanti, 30, singer, actress (The Muppets’ Wizard of Oz), born Ashanti Sequoiah Douglas

Sasha Baron Cohen, 39, comedian, actor (“Da Ali G Show,” Borat), born London, England

Yves Montand, actor/singer (Z, Napoleon, Grand Prix), in 1921

Marie Osmond, 51, actress, singer

Cornel Wilde, actor (High Sierra, 5th Musketeer), in 1915

╬ ATHLETICS

Lou Saban, football: Indiana Univ QB; Cleveland Browns LB; Head Coach: NE Patriots, Buffalo Bills, Denver Broncos, in 1921

Nancy Kerrigan, 41, former figure skater

Jerry Lee Rice, 48, football player, 49ers, Raiders, Broncos, Seahawks

Glenn Anton “Doc” Rivers, 49, basketball coach and former player: Hawks, Clippers, Knicks, Spurs

╬ BUSINESS & EDUCATION

--

╬ POLITICS

Molly Pitcher (Mary Ludwig Hays McCauley), America Revolution heroine, in 1754

Margaret Hilda Roberts Thatcher, 85, former Prime Minister of England

╬ SCIENCE & RELIGION

Horace H Hayden, cofounded 1st dental college, in 1769

¤ Today’s Obituaries ¤

Claudius, Roman Emperor, poisoned @ 64 in 54AD

Clarence Muse, actor (Sam-Casablanca), @ 90, in 1979

Ed Sullivan, TV host (Ed Sullivan Show), @ 73, in 1974

Jay Ward, animator (Rocky & His Friends), cancer @ 69, in 1989

¤ Today’s Events ¤

╬ THE ARTS

1947 "Kukla, Fran & Ollie" premieres

╬ ATHLETICS

1971 1st world series night game (Pittsburgh 4-Baltimore 3) (World Series #68)

╬ BUSINESS & EDUCATION

1860 1st aerial photo taken in US (from a balloon), Boston

1953 Burglar alarm-ultrasonic or radio waves-patented-Samuel Bagno

1984 John Henry becomes 1st thoroughbred to win $6 million

╬ INDIGENOUS PEOPLE

1864 Little Buffalo, with 700 of his fellow COMANCHEs, and KIOWAs, launched a series of raids along Elm Creek, ten miles from the Brazos River, in north-western Texas, today. Sixteen Texans and perhaps, twenty Indians will be killed in the fighting with the settlers, and the rangers, in the area.

╬ POLITICS (US)

1775 Continental Congress orders construction of a naval fleet

1792 The cornerstone of what was termed the President’s House was laid by George Washington in Washington, DC. The name, White House, was not officially adopted until 1902

1919 Race riot at Elaine Arkansas

1970 Angela Davis arrested in NYC

1980 Unprovoked slayings of 6 blacks in Buffalo, NY

╬ POLITICS (International)

1987 Costa Rican Pres Oscar Arias wins Nobel Peace Prize

╬ SCIENCE & RELIGION

1483 Rabbi Issac Abarbanel starts his exegesis on the Bible

1843 B'nai B'rith founded in NY

1987 1st military use of trained dolphins (US Navy in Persian Gulf)

GREY MATTER ANSWERS

↔ 1

$200-ts Mormon founders called it Deseret: What is Utah?

$400-The only state beginning with "A" that does not end in "A": What is Arkansas?

$600-The only state to touch 4 of the Great Lakes: What is Michigan?

$800-1 of 4 states that's officially a commonwealth: What is MA, KY, PA, or VA?

$1000-never asked, never answered

↔ PICTURE

A cocktail drink umbrella

^   ^   ^   ^   ^

Tuesday October 11

This is Week 41 of 2010►Day 285 with 80days left.

FREE RAMBLING THOUGHTS

As I look back over my latest trip, it is hard to talk about THE highlight. Every destination brought its own excitement, its own wonder, its own highlight. The Pawdaw Cruise was certainly in a class of its own. Each evening we met on the sun deck for free drinks and Louie informing us of the next day’s activities. He was brilliant in the way he prepared us. He would only talk about ‘the next day’ and never about upcoming days. This was good as each day was filled with so many things, it would have been easy for anyone to get confused. The one difficult activity on the ship was dinner. As an American, and as a single guy, I am not used to eating at 7pm. Nor am I used to having a two hour plus dinner each night with three or four courses. Also, it was hard not to eat all of the food presented, for fear the chef would think the dish wasn’t enjoyed. Of course, if I would have gained way too much weight if I had eaten everything. Tough choice when the food was sooooooo good. Some evenings there was a program after dinner, other times we could relax on the sun deck or just head for bed. I always tried to at least walk the sun deck several times after dinner, as I know that going to bed on a full stomach is not a good idea. My roommate, Steve, was always teasing me that I was asleep before my head hit the pillow. Thankfully we were both quiet sleepers, or at least that’s what Steve told me. I wouldn’t know, as besides going to sleep rapidly, I go into a very deep sleep and I probably wouldn’t have awakened during an emergency.

Our day excursions from the ship included the two rainforest walks I already discussed. When I was growing up and learning geography a rainforest was called a jungle. I guess the term rainforest shows that it is more alive and vibrant. We also visited the Tau ek Kong Pagoda in Sibu and Fort Emma and Fort Slyvia—a museum from the days of the Brits. We also ‘ran the rapids’. At first we were going to take the Baby Pandaw on its inaugural ride. It was decided that it was too small for the rapids. While we are on a larger boat, the Pandaw crew really needs to come to the Western US to see real rapids. If you blinked you would have missed the biggest ones. The ride down that part of the river was beautiful, but ‘rapids’ it was not. We also visited a school and a clinic deep in the rainforest. Due to the high river, we got to the boarding school after the students had left for the weekend. These kids come in every Sunday, usually on the family boat, spend the week, and leave Friday afternoon. Teachers and administrators live on the campus in private quarters. No matter where I go, I boarding school is so much like the reservation boarding schools of the 1970’s. At the dorm, each child had a mattress and a small locker. Cleaning and upkeep was of course done by the students. All the mattresses were neatly stacked for the weekend. Tiny fans were near the windows to keep the air moving, but those large open areas must get very hot, even at night. The main dining room was like any other school cafeteria on the Rez. All the buildings are on stilts, as flooding is an issue. Each classroom also had many bright orange life jackets near the door. The assistant principal said they haven’t been used, and there due to safety regulations. The short walk from the school to the clinic was like any outpost clinic on the Rez. Everyone can be treated for one ringet—about 30 cents. Most of their work is on injuries that happen in the forest. They have a radio system where they can get transportation for a patient needing more care. They also have a birthing room and a midwife there to assist. I learned that traditionally the placenta is buried at the longhouse or kept in a jar inside the longhouse. Again, not that different than the traditional Rez. All the workers wore a uniform jacket, color-coded by their job. I am still amazed how much it operated like an IHS clinic. Many in our group were surprised about that, and some didn’t believe that such a primitive operation still happened on US soil. Our lunch that day was all food that was steamed in bamboo poles in a pit. We had chicken, beef, and rice. Each pole was stuffed with one of the ingredients and then steamed in a pit. Upon completion, the bamboo pole was split and the cooked food taken out. Amazing. The high river had hidden our beach so the food had to be prepared on the school campus, where the kitchen staff dug the pit, cooked the food, and returned the grounds to its original way.

One morning we cast off in long boats—four to six to a boat—at 5:30am. The boat had a small 15hp motor that was used to take us up a tributary as the sun rose. We then silently floated back down the tributary as the river slowly became alive with activity. Before I could take any video or still shots, the camera lens had to be dried off from the mist that formed. Turned out I had to dry the lens before just about every picture that morning. The camera could never capture the awesome view from the middle of the river, in total silence, hearing only the roosters, other birds, and the children running around in the morning light. As we floated down the river, more and more residents were out, loading their boats, and heading out onto the river. Throughout of entire river trip, the people on the shore and on the river always waved and smiled. We returned the gesture.

On the ship we had demonstrations of how men and women wear a sarong, how to use a blowpipe, how to make several exotic mixed drinks, how to make ‘pulled tea’—very hot tea with Eagle-brand condensed milk, and two lengthy and informative lectures about the longhouse and the Native Customary Rights Laws. About a dozen high school students came on board at Song Town came on board to entertain us with song and dance. They were very good, but the most amazing thing was that after the show each cast member shook hands with each passenger. After shaking a hand, they would take both their hands and pull them toward their body. It was very impressive and obviously part of their culture. Henry later told us that it was a way of saying that each person was being drawn into their heart. Very cool. One night the crew entertained us with traditional songs and activities. Another night was disco night, with crew and passengers remembering the great songs of that era. Two of the songs must have been British Disco, as none of the Americans had ever heard them, but the Brits were up there dancing and singing along. Due to a heavy rainstorm a lion dance was moved from a huge dock to our sun deck. This was only the second time the rain had moved the dancers to the deck. The entire crew and many of the male passengers assisted in getting the rain off the tarp covering the sun deck and putting up tarps on both sides of the ship to keep the rain off the deck. I remembered how the snow had crushed several business roofs in Flagstaff last winter, and was more than happy to use a broom handle to lift the sagging tarp to get the building pools to run off into the already high river. The Chinese lion dance is a story about life. Two lions want to eat a papaya, but it is protected by a snake. The lions dance around and lure the snake away from the fruit, then one lion gets to the fruit and break it open while the other lion eventually kills the snake. The lesson is that the good things in life will always have barriers and that by working together; the good things in life can be obtained. The dance was very entertaining, and I can only image how great it would have been in a larger and more open space.

I will soon be posting some videos and movies on my Facebook page. I have to pull them together and find a theme so it will take a few weeks.

Flagstaff started a cool thing a couple of years ago, and it is spreading around the country. It is called 10-15. On October 15 at 10:15am the residents of Flagstaff take 15 minutes to clean up outside, wherever they are. It helps keep the city cleaner, and only takes 15 minutes. Flag will be doing it again on Friday. Maybe other communities will pick up this practice.

I go to Sams every couple of weeks. I don’t have to buy lots of bulk stuff, but their prices are so good, I do stock up on some stuff. Our local Sams started a remodeling project a few months ago. Parking is really a problem as fences around the construction have produced many one way parking lanes with no exit. Then there is the inside of the store. Every time I go in, things have moved. I don’t mean to a new place, they move to a new temporary place. It’s like each aisle is a chess piece and as the remodeling game proceeds, everything moves, and sometimes it moves back to where it was before the project. Shopping at Sams is becoming a much longer process as you have to go down almost every aisle to find anything. Even things that have always been on one aisle are now on two or three different aisles. Soda was always on the same outside wall, then it moved to an aisle, now it is on the opposite outside wall. The only thing that hasn’t moved are the tires. Office supplies have had many many new homes. The project still has a couple of months to go before every jar of pickles finds its best home. I am really glad to be retired, so that the extra time doesn’t really matter.

Flag…H—68°; L—31°; RH—50%; and only not a breeze anywhere.

QUOTES FOR THE DAY—Malaysian Proverbs

^ When there is sugar, there are ants

(meaning of proverb: where there is prosperity in a place, outside people will come to join)

^ Friends to laugh with are many, friends to cry with are few

(meaning of proverb: you will know the sincere friends, when you are in trouble!)

^ If there is no rattan, roots will do

(meaning of proverb: if the things or tools cannot functioning, sometimes you can use other things/tools as altenative)

HOLY MACKEREL: 1960 Nikita Khrushchev pounds his shoe at UN General Assembly session 

SOMEWHAT USELESS INFORMATION

^ The first recorded sandwich was by the famous rabbi, Hillel the Elder, who lived during the 1st century B.C. He started the Passover custom of sandwiching a mixture of chopped nuts, apples, spices, and wine between two matzohs to eat with bitter herbs. The filling between the matzohs served as a reminder of the suffering of the Jews before their deliverance from Egypt and represented the mortar used by the Jews in their forced labor of constructing Egyptian buildings.

^ Potato chips are American's favorite snack food. They are devoured at a rate of 1.2 billion pounds a year.

GREY MATTER PUZZLE 1—Jeopardy Answers—Begins with “L”

$100- Erich Segal's "story"

$200- An air bubble tells a carpenter if he's on it

$300- The L in L.P.G.A.

$400- A, B, M, P, or Z, for example

$500- It's what bread has & matzo hasn't

UNUSUAL NEWS ITEM

INDIANAPOLIS - Motorists and passersby took to an Indianapolis street to retrieve money that spilled onto the road from the back of an armored car, officials said. Indianapolis police said they do not know what caused the armored car to drop bundles of cash on the street at about 7:30 a.m. Wednesday in the city's downtown. There have been no official estimates on how much cash was originally in the vehicle and how much was lost, the Indianapolis Star reported. Police credited Timothy Wentworth, 53, and his wife, Viki, for calling 911 and helping to secure the money in their van until police arrived. "People were having a field day when I pulled up," Timothy Wentworth said. 'At first I didn't know what it was but when I saw it was cash I figured I better call police." He said officers told him about $20,000 was lost during the incident.

A LITTLE LAUGH

I believe my little daughter wants a pair of glasses. I don't know why she does. Perhaps glasses are now "cool" to have in school? But though she sees just fine, she still says she needs glasses.

I took her to the eye doctor just to check it out though.

She was asked to read the bottom row of letters on the eye chart. She said, "All right, I can see the 'O' and the 'P' and the 'T,' but not the 'N' and the 'Z.'"

FOUND ON ‘YOU TUBE’

The Lion Dance it turns out, has world competition. Here is one from a few years ago. No story with this one, but lots of great acrobatics. Click Here to View

GREY MATTER PICTURE

This is a close up of what object?

SOME CALENDAR INFORMATION

¤ Weekly Observances ¤

6-12: Physicians Assistant Week

8-12: Kids' Goal Setting Week

10-16: Build Your Business with Business Cards Week ^ Emergency Nurses Week ^ Home-based Business Week ^ National Chestnut Week ^ National Food Bank Week ^ National Metric Week ^ Take Your Medicine Americans Week ^ World Rainforest Week

11-17: Fall Astronomy Week ^ National School Lunch Week

17-23: Food and Drug Interaction Education and Awareness Week ^ Getting The World To Beat A Path To Your Door Week ^ International Credit Union Week ^ Teen Read Week ^ National Chemistry Week ^ National Hospital and Health-System Pharmacy Week ^ YWCA Week without Violence ^ National Character Counts Week ^ National Forest Products Week ^ National Lead Poisoning Prevention Week ^ National School Bus Safety Week

18-24: Freedom From Bullies Week ^ Freedom of Speech Week ^ Medical Assistants Recognition Week ^ National Food Bank Week ^ National Infertility Awareness Week ^ National Massage Therapy Week ^ National Businesswomen's Week

24-31: Disarmament Week ^ Give Wildlife a Break Week ^ Pastoral Care Week ^ Peace, Friendship and Good Will Week ^ Prescription Errors Education & Awareness Week ^ International Magic Week ^ National Respiratory Care Week

27-11/3: World Hearing Aid Awareness Week

¤ Today’s Observances ¤

International Moment Of Frustration Scream Day

Free Thought Day

National Face Your Fears Day

Brazil: Children's Day or Feast of Our Lady of Aparecida

Equatorial Guinea: Independence Day (1968 from Spain)

Malawi: Mother's Day

Mexico, Latin America: Dia de la Raza/Day of the Race

Spain: National Day

Sudan: Republican Anniversary Day

United Kingdom: National Coming Out Day

¤ Hit Songs on this date ¤

1899...A Picture No Artist Can Paint / Steve Porter

1909...I Wonder Who's Kissing Her Now / Henry Burr Click Here for Audio

1919...A Pretty Girl Is Like a Melody / John Steel

1929...Am I Blue? / Ethel Waters Click Here for Audio

1949…That Lucky Old Sun / Frankie Laine Click Here for Audio

1959…Mack the Knife / Bobby Darin

1969…I Can't Get Next to You / The Temptations

1979…Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough / Michael Jackson

¤ Today’s Births ¤

╬ THE ARTS

George W Cable, American writer (Northampton Years), in 1844

Dick Gregory, 78, comedian, author, activist

Luciano Pavarotti, Modena Italy, operatic tenor (Yes, Giorgio), in 1935

Chris Wallace, 63, broadcaster (“Dateline”), White House correspondent

♦♦♦♦♦♦

Susan Anton, 60, singer, actress

Kirk Cameron, 40, actor (“Growing Pains,” “Kirk”)

Hugh Jackman, 42, actor (Australia, The Prestige, X-Men, X2)

Adam Rich, 42, actor (“Eight Is Enough”)

╬ ATHLETICS

Chris Chandler, 45, football player (Colts, Buccaneers, Cardinals, Rams, Oilers, Falcons, Bears, Rams)

Lane Frost, American professional bull rider, in 1963

Marion Jones, 35, former track runner

╬ BUSINESS & EDUCATION

Perle Mesta (Skirvin), socialite: ‘The hostess with the mostes’; diplomat: appointment as U.S. envoy to Luxembourg [1949] inspired Broadway play Call Me Madam, in 1891

Jean Nidetch, 87, founder of Weight Watchers

Elmer A. (Ambrose) Sperry, inventor: Sperry Automatic Pilot [gyroscopic compass]; founder: Sperry-Rand Corp, in 1860

╬ POLITICS

Ramsay MacDonald, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom in 1866

╬ SCIENCE & RELIGION

Ole-Johan Dahl, Norwegian computer scientist and programming geek in 1931

¤ Today’s Obituaries ¤

John Denver, Singer/songwriter, experimental plane crash @ 53 in 1998 

Alfred M Landon, former Kansas Gov, @ 100 in 1987

Robert E Lee, General of the Confederate Army, pneumonia @ 63 in 1870

Philleo Nash, US Bureau of Indian Affairs (1961-67), @ 77 in 1987

Johnny Olsen, TV announcer (Price is Right), @ 75 in 1985

¤ Today’s Events ¤

╬ THE ARTS

1950 The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show made its debut on CBS-TV

╬ ATHLETICS

1895 The first amateur golf tournament was held -- in Newport, Rhode Island. Charles Blair McDonald beat a field of 31 others in the event.

1968 19th modern Olympic games opens in Mexico City

╬ BUSINESS & EDUCATION

1823 Charles Macintosh of Scotland begins selling raincoats (Macs)

1920 Construction of the Holland Tunnel got underway.

╬ INDIGENOUS PEOPLE

1492 According to some sources, Columbus lands in "new world." According to the Taino, they were the first Native Americans to greet Columbus on the Island of Guanahani (San Salvador)..the Taino came from either the Amazon Basin or Columbian Andes. At their peak over 1 million, devastated by smallpox and other disease. DNA still in some people in Central America, but tribe is extinct.

╬ POLITICS (US)

1792 The first monument honoring Christopher Columbus was dedicated -- in Baltimore, MD.

1973 Nixon nominates Gerald Ford to replace Spiro Agnew as VP

╬ POLITICS (International)

1860 British & French troops capture Peking

1960 Nikita Khrushchev pounds his shoe at UN General Assembly session

1984 IRA bombs hotel where Margaret Thatcher is staying

╬ SCIENCE & RELIGION

1285 180 Jews refuse baptism in Munich Germany, they are set on fire

1822 2nd eruption of Galunggung (Java) destroys summit of mountain

1891 Astronomical Society of France is inaugurated

1918 1st use of iron lung (Boston's Children Hospital)

GREY MATTER ANSWERS

↔ 1

$100- Erich Segal's "story": What is ‘Love Story’?

$200- An air bubble tells a carpenter if he's on it: What is a level?

$300- The L in L.P.G.A.: What is ‘Ladies’?

$400- A, B, M, P, or Z, for example: What are letters?

$500- It's what bread has & matzo hasn't: What is leaven?

↔ PICTURE

Yellow Bell Peppers

^ ^ ^ ^ ^

Monday October 11

This is Week 41 of 2010►Day 284 with 81days left.

FREE RAMBLING THOUGHTS

Louie, our seasoned guide, shared much information during our days. At one time on the bus, I was asking him more about his term ‘witch doctor’. He explained that he did psychological healing, his fee is minimal, and his ‘work’ lasts about 45 minutes. I asked him if this medicine person sang or chanted during his healing. He said no, but he did pray. I asked him how this healing took place. He told me he takes things out of your body. I asked him if they were sucked out. His eyes got very wide and asked how I knew. I explained the little knowledge I have of Navajo Medicine Men. He was very intrigued, and wanted to know more than my little knowledge understood. He also told me that the Iban Witch Doctor sucks out objects—small bones, small stones, etc. to heal the patient. The Iban healer can also be on the black side. Any healer can do white—good healing, or black—bad stuff. The same healer who uses black medicine on a patient cannot be then the white healer for that patient. As expected he didn’t want to talk about the black side. He did say that I was the first tourist he had talked to that didn’t look at this healing as just silly superstition. There are also Iban healers, men or women, who know how to use plants to heal. They are trained differently than the Witch Doctor. I wish I had more knowledge, and that this conversation could have continued much longer.

As I mentioned before, we took two walks in the rainforest. The river we were traveling on was very, very brown. Louie told us that it had been clear when he was a boy. Then the loggers came in. We didn’t see much logging near the river, but we saw barge after barge after barge loaded with hundreds of trees. Many of the logs seemed to have the center bored out; it turns out this is termite damage. None of the people in Borneo wanted to talk about the damage of logging. It just seems to be part of the life in Borneo today.

Our first rainforest walk had us all prepared for the worst. We all had on hiking shoes, long socks that were pulled over our long pants, and everyone was wearing some kind of leech stop socks. Our heads all had hats, so that falling living things would not get into our hair. We were warned not to grab the ropes without looking, as there were lots of hairy caterpillars, which it touched would cause us to itch a lot. Also many of the trees have sharp spikes that may not be seen before you have a handful of the tiny spikes in your hand. We were reminded to grab the ropes when climbing as the ground and or roots could be very slippery. The climbing could be at about 45° or more, and that some hand climbing might be necessary. A few people opted not to take the hike. Those who did would go to the first rest area and then those who wanted to go on would with Louie and Henry would take the rest back. We were also reminded to stay on the trail, as it is very easy to get lost in the rainforest. We were warned that cameras should be kept in a plastic bag as the forest plays havoc on electronics. I opted to leave the cameras behind and just to remember this jungle walk in my mind. When we got to the first rest area, everyone wanted to go on. Louie and Henry later said they really expected about half the group to stay behind. As I had kinda expected, their warnings were a little overstated but it was quite a climb. I could have brought my cameras, but will do that on the ‘easier’ walk. We saw lots of ferns, plants, and trees that are now used by modern medicine for everything from ED to HIV to cancer treatments. There were also plants for indigestion, diarrhea, congestion, and almost every conceivable ailment. The walking was not nearly as tough as the standing, as we learned about each and every plant. We did see huge Army ants, termites, hairy caterpillars, but very little other wildlife. We could hear birds, but never saw them. We were told we would have to stop, sit down, and wait very quietly about an hour or so to see any larger wildlife. We were told that there were deer, snakes, wart hogs and other wildlife in the area. The rainforest does have meadows, but we didn’t see any until we got to the end of the walk. After seeing the open space, it was easy to understand that many animals lived there.

Later in the trip we took the ‘easy’ rainforest walk, with not as much climbing and a waterfall at the end. Now that Henry and Louie knew more about our group, they divided us into three groups. The first group would go to the 2nd rest area about ten minutes from the waterfall. This group would not stop and learn about the foliage. I joined this group. The second group would go along and learn about the foliage, and the third group would stay at the long house and eat and buy crafts. Our group, with my camera in hand, moved quickly. We passed the first rest area without stopping and got to the second rest area. We waited about 30 minutes for the second group. Our trekker, a local girl about 18, told our guide, Steve—from the boat, that we needed to go on as rain was coming. We got to the beautiful waterfall and it was worth the hike. On the way back, we didn’t stop at any of the rest stops, we met up with the other group about 200 yards from the second rest area. They went on to the waterfall; we went back to the longhouse. We didn’t see much wildlife, but did see a wart hog, some roosters, and a caged pig. On this climb we didn’t get quite as prepared, and didn’t need to. Socks over your pants, a hat, and a poncho in your pocket are all we needed. Oh, and the ever needed bottle of water. At the end of both treks, my clothes were soaking wet and I’m sure I could have taken off my shirt and wrung it out and filled a small bucket. I’m not a big water drinker but on each hike I consumed two bottles of water and wanted more. While I’m not sure I want to ever trek into a rainforest again, I am sure happy that I had the experience.

I certainly learned to appreciate the rainforest. The destruction of the Borneo rainforest is extremely sad. The loss of language, culture, people, wildlife to make a coffee table for a home in the UK or US or anywhere, doesn’t make much sense, except for making money. At both longhouses they did not have a lot of crafts. Some in our group were disappointed. I saw it as that idea that they had not totally sold out to commerce. Tourists will come and go, but they will stay in their longhouse for their lifetime. Even at the markets throughout Borneo, we didn’t find touristy stuff. These markets are the backbone of the town’s economy, so foodstuffs, clothing, and Dollar store toys were everywhere. Our trips to morning markets were much easier on the nose than going at night. One early morning market was filled with fresh, very fresh, fish and other creatures from the sea. Fresh fruits and veggies were also abundant. The market was an amazing walk, about the size of a WalMart Superstore. Each vendor had a table or series of tables, a scale to weigh everything, a cash register or cash box and plastic bags for the purchases. The afternoon and evening walks through the market were not easy on the nose. Fish that have been sitting on open air tables tend to stink. Yes, there was some ice around, but after a day of heat, even ice can’t keep the fish smell from permeating the area. The night markets also had food vendors offering lots of choices of favorite foods. All of the night markets had a carnival/flea market atmosphere. They were exciting, but sure wouldn’t want to have to buy my groceries in that atmosphere every time I shopped.

Flag nights are getting cooler and cooler. Days are much cooler too. There still hasn’t been any snow in town. The birds have all returned to my feeders and seem to be enjoying the easy food. My finch socks were feeding lots of colorful birds every time I looked out on the deck. I aired out the upstairs most of the day—windows on both ends of the house were wide open. I did the same downstairs for a couple of hours this afternoon. It was a good Sunday. It was a triple 10 day (10-10-2010) and I guess that means good fortune. Some huge number of couples tied the knot today, hope it works for them. Cardinals beat the Saints today and was seen as a fluke. AZ just doesn’t seem to have it together this year. Broncos lost bad to the Colts and I was glad they only showed highlights. Cards are now 3-2, the Broncos are 2-3. No playoffs seem to be on the horizon for either team.

Flag…H—63°; L—34°; RH—61%; and only a breeze of about 5mph.

QUOTE FOR THE DAY

We have same black hair, but not the heart

(meaning of proverb: even though we have the same color of hair, but our heart or feeling are different)

HOLY MACKEREL: 1985 Pres Reagan bans importation of South African Krugerrands

SOMEWHAT USELESS INFORMATION

The telephone was invented in March of 1876 and patented in January of the following year by Alexander Graham Bell.

GREY MATTER PUZZLE 1—Jeopardy Answers—Mammals

$100- Romans called this African beast a "tiger horse"

$200- The only flying mammal

$300- A black panther is really the black version of this cat

$400- Plays dead to escape predators, but one was close friends with an alligator

$500- Weighing 1½ tons per foot, this mammal generates up to 500 H.P. with its tail

UNUSUAL NEWS ITEM

PIERRELATTE - French police said an escaped alligator was brought in by a woman and spent the night in the jail's drunk tank. Police in Pierrelatte said a woman found the Chinese alligator, which measured only about 3 feet long, outside of a restaurant Tuesday and brought it to the police station, Radio France Internationale reported.

The reptile, which does not have strong enough jaws to attack humans, spent the night in a cell designed for drunk suspects and the following day was returned to a nearby crocodile farm. Samuel Martin, who runs the crocodile farm, said the alligator escaped two months ago with another reptile that is still on the loose.

A LITTLE LAUGH

When my husband pointed out my tendency to retell the same stories over and over, I reminded him that he was just as guilty.

"Allow me to clarify," he said in response. "I review. You repeat."

FOUND ON ‘YOU TUBE’

A Malaysian Market: Click Here to View

GREY MATTER PICTURE

This is a close up of what object?

SOME CALENDAR INFORMATION

¤ Weekly Observances ¤

6-12: Physicians Assistant Week

8-12: Kids' Goal Setting Week

8-10: New York Comic Con Week

10-16: Build Your Business with Business Cards Week ^ Emergency Nurses Week ^ Home-based Business Week ^ National Chestnut Week ^ National Food Bank Week ^ National Metric Week ^ Take Your Medicine Americans Week ^ World Rainforest Week

11-17: Fall Astronomy Week ^ National School Lunch Week

17-23: Food and Drug Interaction Education and Awareness Week ^ Getting The World To Beat A Path To Your Door Week ^ International Credit Union Week ^ Teen Read Week ^ National Chemistry Week ^ National Hospital and Health-System Pharmacy Week ^ YWCA Week without Violence ^ National Character Counts Week ^ National Forest Products Week ^ National Lead Poisoning Prevention Week ^ National School Bus Safety Week

18-24: Freedom From Bullies Week ^ Freedom of Speech Week ^ Medical Assistants Recognition Week ^ National Food Bank Week ^ National Infertility Awareness Week ^ National Massage Therapy Week ^ National Businesswomen's Week

24-31: Disarmament Week ^ Give Wildlife a Break Week ^ Pastoral Care Week ^ Peace, Friendship and Good Will Week ^ Prescription Errors Education & Awareness Week ^ International Magic Week ^ National Respiratory Care Week

27-11/3: World Hearing Aid Awareness Week

¤ Today’s Observances ¤

It's My Party Day

Native Americans' Day

National Kick Butt Day

Simchat Torah: ends annual cycle of public readings of the Torah

Celtic: Old Michelmas Day: the day the devil was kicked out of heaven. Don’t pick blackberries after this date as they have been cursed by the devil.

Panama, Panama Canal Zone: Revolution Day (1968)

Republic of Macedonia: Revolution Day

Sri Lanka: Deepavali

US: General Pulaski Memorial Day (1779): Polish American Revolution Hero

Western Samoa: National Day

United Kingdom, Switzerland, and United States among others: National Coming Out Day

¤ Hit Songs on this date ¤

1909...I Wonder Who's Kissing Her Now / Henry Burr

1919...A Pretty Girl Is Like a Melody / John Steel

1929...Am I Blue? / Ethel Waters Click Here to Listen

1939...Over the Rainbow / Glenn Miller Click Here to Listen

1949…That Lucky Old Sun / Frankie Laine Click Here to Listen

1959…Mack the Knife / Bobby Darin Click Here to Listen

1969…Sugar, Sugar / The Archies

1979…Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough / Michael Jackson

¤ Today’s Births ¤

╬ THE ARTS

Daryl Hall, 62, singer, musician (Hall and Oates)

Jerome Robbins (Rabinowitz), Academy Award-winning director: West Side Story [1961]; Tony Award-winning choreographer: Fiddler on the Roof [1965], West Side Story [1958],High Button Shoes [1948]; Tony Award-winning director: Fiddler on the Roof [1965], Jerome Robbins’ Broadway [1989], in 1918

Dottie West, country singer (Here Comes My Baby), in 1932

♦♦♦♦♦♦

Joan Cusack, 48, actress (Working Girl, In & Out)

Luke Perry, 44, actor (“Beverly Hills 90210,” Buffy the Vampire Slayer)

╬ ATHLETICS

Harry Glass, German DR, 1st E German Olympic medalist (bronze-1956), in 1930

Steve Young, 49, former football player

╬ BUSINESS & EDUCATION

Henry John Heinz, founded prepared-foods company (57 varieties), in 1844

Roman Jakobson, linguist/Slavic scholar (Fundamentals of Language), in 1896

Charles Revson, cosmetic mogul: founder of the Revlon Co, in 1906

Sir George Williams, England, founder YMCA, in 1821

╬ POLITICS

Eleanor Roosevelt, 1st lady/crusader, in 1884

╬ SCIENCE & RELIGION

Robert Gale, 65, physician, cofounder of the International Bone Marrow Registry

¤ Today’s Obituaries ¤

Waylon Flowers, puppeteer, AIDS @ 48, in 1988

Redd Foxx, comedian, heart attack @ 68, in 1991

Meriwether Lewis, capt of Lewis & Clark Expedition, suicide or murder @35, in 1809

Leonard "Chico" Marx, (Marx Brothers), @74, in 1961

Orson Welles, heart attack @ 70, in 1985

Tex Williams, country-western singer, cancer @ 68, in 1985

¤ Today’s Events ¤

╬ THE ARTS

1958 Spencer Tracy’s classic movie, The Old Man and the Sea was released. Based on Ernest Hemingway’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel

1975 "Saturday Night Live" premieres with guest host George Carlin

╬ ATHLETICS

1927 Lou Gehrig elected MVP

╬ BUSINESS & EDUCATION

1811 The Juliana, the 1st steam-powered ferryboat, begins operation

1881 Roll film for cameras was patented.

1890 Daughters of the American Revolution founded

╬ INDIGENOUS PEOPLE

1794 Tennessee Governor William Blount will meet with CHICKAMAUGAChief John Watts (Young Tassel) in the Tellico blockhouse near the French Broad River in eastern Tennessee. They will agree to have a conference in November to discuss peace between the warring settlers and the CHICKAMAUGAs.

╬ POLITICS (US)

1922 1st woman FBI "special investigator" appointed (Alaska Davidson)

1975 William Jefferson Clinton and Hillary Rodham tied the knot in Fayetteville, Arkansas

1987 200,000 gays march for civil rights in Washington

╬ POLITICS (International)

1945 Chinese civil war begins, Chiang Kai-Shek vs Mao Tse-Tung

╬ SCIENCE & RELIGION

1737 Earthquake kills 300,000 & destroys Calcutta India

1979 Allan McLeod Cormack & Godfrey Newbold Hounsfield win Nobel Prize for medicine for developing the CAT scan

1984 Space-shuttle Challenger astronaut Dr. Kathy Sullivan became the first U.S. woman to perform an EVA (extra-vehicular activity), or walk in space.

GREY MATTER ANSWERS

↔ 1

$100- Romans called this African beast a "tiger horse": What is a Zebra?

$200- The only flying mammal: What is a bat?

$300- A black panther is really the black version of this cat: What is a leopard?

$400- Plays dead to escape predators, but one was close friends with an alligator: What's an opossum?

$500- Weighing 1½ tons per foot, this mammal generates up to 500 H.P. with its tail: What's a blue whale?

↔ PICTURE

Foosball player

^  ^  ^  ^  ^  ^ 

Sunday October 10

This is Week 41 of 2010►Day 283 with 82 days left.

FREE RAMBLING THOUGHTS

We visited two traditional longhouses of the Iban. As many as forty relatives live in one very long house. Each house has a veranda that joins the rooms together. Private quarters are small and used for cooking, sleeping, and in some cases, watching satellite TV. Our first longhouse also had an outside veranda for hanging clothes. It was so humid I never did figure out how the clothes ever dried. We were greeted with male tribal members doing a sort of Welcoming ceremony. There were lots of colorful costumes, great music and dancing, and a prayer. After entering, we had another ceremony that asked the Gods for Health, Wealth, and Happiness. This home had a bag of skulls hanging at the entrance. At least three generations were there to greet us. The men were farmers, the women were weavers, and the kids were just kids. Farming means going into the forest and finding plants and animals to eat, use for medicine, or to sell down the river at a town. This is certainly not an easy life. The Iban use blow darts to stun and kill their prey and their enemies. The heads of enemies are smoked and then hung outside the main entrance to warn off others. The story is that this practice ended by law in 1941, just before the Japanese invasion. The government permitted it during the war on the Japanese, then banned it again after the war. I couldn’t help but wonder if there were still some traditional people out there who don’t know or follow the law. Pandaw pays the longhouse chief for our visits and programs. They also pay the locals to keep the trails clear or semi-clear for visitors. (Some plants grow as much as ½” per hour.) They also pay a rental fee for the use of the trails to the longhouse. Each season they go to different longhouses so that many can share in the bounty. This reminded me of the various tour groups who come to the rez and visit a hogan.

Usually a woman moves into the longhouse of her husband. They live in the father’s private quarters until they can add on another private room. In one of the private rooms that was open to the public, a 2 week old baby was sleeping under a mosquito netting. So hard to imagine all these extended family members living in harmony in this tiny community.

At one of the dances, the girls wear a metal ball or two hanging from their waist. In the ‘olden days’—only 60 years ago—the metal balls were the skulls of enemies. We learned about the longhouse governmental system—after all how can a bunch of relatives live in one house and not have issues. Saving face seems to be the most important thing. Losing face is a very bad thing. Most issues are settled by the Longhouse Chief—a hereditary role. If he can’t settle the dispute, it goes to the River Chief—elected by the Chiefs of the longhouses in that section of the river. If the River Chief can’t settle the dispute, the parties go to the District Chief. Eventually the dispute can be settled by the national government courts. The National government recognizes traditional law and customs for all the tribes in Borneo. They only become involved when asked. The National government also gives out subsidies to each longhouse twice a year. Sometimes this is plants, sometimes food stuffs needed that aren’t in the forest. If a longhouse suffers a disaster—such as flooding, the National government will provide emergency assistance.

A politician is a politician. At the visit to our second longhouse, the River Chief was there for a visit. If his white uniform shirt was not enough to identify him, he was busy introducing himself to all the visitors. He mentioned, more than once, that he should be at his office in the city, but was staying because “so many important people have come to this longhouse”. During our visit, some businessmen pulled up in a black car. The River Chief was out there in a flash, shaking hands, talking, and joking with these locals. It was very reminiscent of Dine’ politicians at a family gathering.

Flag was nice today, and I took a much needed long walk around. It is still chilly in the morning, so long pants and shoes and socks were in order. We didn’t have any rain, but there were high clouds. A good day.

Flag…H—64°; L—30°; RH—41%; and only a breeze of about 5mph.

QUOTE FOR THE DAY --Malay Proverb

The language you speak would tell us your race

(meaning of proverb: what you speak will show your behavioral to the persons you speak to)

HOLY MACKEREL: 1997 Jodie Williams, key organizer of the International Campaign to Ban Landmines, won the Nobel Peace Prize. And what did she say was her secret weapon for organizing 1,000 different human rights and arms control groups on six continents? “E-mail.”

SOMEWHAT USELESS INFORMATION

^Jack o’ Lanterns originated in Ireland where people placed candles in hollowed-out turnips to keep away spirits and ghosts on the Samhain holiday.

^December 25 was not celebrated as the birthday of Christ until the year 440 A.D.

GREY MATTER PUZZLE 1—Jeopardy Answers—INVENTIONS

$100- He invented the Franklin stove

$200- Detection of gamma rays was 1 of the uses for this 1947 instant picture taker

$300- 2,160 people at a time could ride on this at the 1893 Chicago World's Fair

$400- Edison suggested it be used to record phone calls & make clocks talk

$500-The first patent pool was for this invention by Howe, Hunt & Singer

UNUSUAL NEWS ITEM

NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C. - Police in South Carolina said they arrested a man who tried to rob a bank but instead thanked the teller and left when she claimed not to have any money. North Charleston police said Melvin Jesse Blain, 31, who had recently served 46 months in prison for a bank robbery conviction, admitted to entering the Wachovia branch at 1 p.m. and handing the teller a note demanding $30,000 in $100 bills, the Charleston Post and Courier reported Thursday. The police report said Blain thanked the teller and left the bank when the teller told him she didn't have the money. Blain was arrested while walking down the street where the bank is located. He was charged with entering a bank with the intent to steal.

A LITTLE LAUGH

Before my son could start going on job interviews, he needed to dress the part. That, he decided, required a $500 suit.

"What!?" I answered, gagging at the price tag. "I've bought cars for $500!"

"That's why I want the $500 suit," he said. "So I don't have to drive $500 cars."

FOUND ON ‘YOU TUBE’

Iban Welcome Dance: Click Here to View

Note: This link has lots of good video of the tribe. Interested in Head Hunters, click away.

GREY MATTER PICTURE

This is a close up of what object?

SOME CALENDAR INFORMATION

¤ Weekly Observances ¤

4-10: Customer Service Week ^ Financial Planning Week ^ Spinning & Weaving Week ^ World Space Week

5-10:Great Books Week

6-12: Physicians Assistant Week

8-12: Kids' Goal Setting Week

8-10: New York Comic Con Week

10-16: Build Your Business with Business Cards Week ^ Emergency Nurses Week ^ Home-based Business Week ^ National Chestnut Week ^ National Food Bank Week ^ National Metric Week ^ Take Your Medicine Americans Week ^ World Rainforest Week

11-17: Fall Astronomy Week ^ National School Lunch Week

17-23: Food and Drug Interaction Education and Awareness Week ^ Getting The World To Beat A Path To Your Door Week ^ International Credit Union Week ^ Teen Read Week ^ National Chemistry Week ^ National Hospital and Health-System Pharmacy Week ^ YWCA Week without Violence ^ National Character Counts Week ^ National Forest Products Week ^ National Lead Poisoning Prevention Week ^ National School Bus Safety Week

18-24: Freedom From Bullies Week ^ Freedom of Speech Week ^ Medical Assistants Recognition Week ^ National Food Bank Week ^ National Infertility Awareness Week ^ National Massage Therapy Week ^ National Businesswomen's Week

24-31: Disarmament Week ^ Give Wildlife a Break Week ^ Pastoral Care Week ^ Peace, Friendship and Good Will Week ^ Prescription Errors Education & Awareness Week ^ International Magic Week ^ National Respiratory Care Week

27-11/3: World Hearing Aid Awareness Week

¤ Today’s Observances ¤

International Newspaper Carrier Day

National Cake Decorating Day

Naval Academy Day: Annapolis opened in 1845

Clergy Appreciation Day

World Mental Health Day

Afghanistan: Deliverance Day

Cuba: Yara Day/Beginning of War of Independence (1868)

Fiji: Fiji Day, celebrate the independence from United Kingdom 1970

Finland: Aleksis Kivi Day (1834) The Day of Finnish literature, birthday of the National writer Aleksis Kivi.

Japan: Health-Sports Day (1964)

Namibia & South Africa: Kruger Day (1825)

North Korea: Party Foundation Day, the foundation of the Workers' Party of Korea

Oklahoma: Historical Day (1802)

South Dakota: Pioneers' Day

Taiwan: Double Tenth Day/National Day (1911) (雙十國慶), celebrate outbreak of the Wuchang Insurgence that led to founding of the Republic of China or Taiwan led by Sun Yet-Sen

Wash DC: Samuel Fraunces Day (Black Slave and steward to George Washington)

¤ Hit Songs on this date ¤

1898...She Was Happy Till She Met You / Dan Quinn

1908...Cuddle Up a Little Closer, Lovey Mine / Ada Jones & Billy Murray Click Here for Audio

1918...Rock-A-Bye Your Baby with a Dixie Melody / Al Jolson Click Here for Audio

1928...I Can't Give You Anything But Love / Cliff Edwards ("Ukelele Ike") not original: Click Here for Audio

1938...I've Got a Pocketful of Dreams / Bing Crosby Click Here for Audio

1948…A Tree in the Meadow / Margaret Whiting

1958…It's All in the Game / Tommy Edwards Click Here for Audio

1968…Hey Jude/ The Beatles Click Here for Audio

1978…Kiss You All Over / Exile

¤ Today’s Births ¤

╬ THE ARTS

James Clavell, author (Tai Pan, Shogun), in 1920 or 1924

Johnny Green, songwriter: Coquette, Body and Soul, I’m Yours, [You Came Along From] Out of Nowhere, I Cover the Waterfront, Easy Come, Easy Go; won five Oscars for work on MGM films: Easter Parade, West Side Story, Oliver, An American in Paris, Bye Bye Birdie, High Society, Raintree County, The Great Caruso, Summer Stock, Brigadoon, in 1908

Mario Lopez, 37, actor (“Saved by the Bell,” “DWTS”, “Extra”)

Nora Roberts, 60, author (Birthright, Hidden Riches, Rising Tides) David Lee Roth, 55, singer (Van Halen)

Tanya Tucker, 52, singer (Delta Dawn)

Lin Yutang (林语堂), Chinese writer (My Country & My People) in 1895

Giuseppe Verdi, composed operas (Rigoletto, Aida, Otello) in 1813

♦♦♦♦♦♦

Helen Hayes, Wash DC, actress (C‘sar & Cleopatra, Happy Birthday) in 1900

Ben Vereen, 64, actor, singer, dancer (Tony for Pippin; Roots, All That Jazz, “Webster”)

╬ ATHLETICS

Bob Burnquist, 34, skateboarder, born Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Bruce Devlin, 73, golf: 8 PGA Tour titles

Dale Earnhardt, Jr, 36, race car driver

Brett Favre, 41, football player

╬ BUSINESS & EDUCATION

--

╬ POLITICS

Queen Isabella II Queen of Spain (1833-68) in 1830

Paul Kruger, president: South Africa; leader of the Boers, in 1825

╬ SCIENCE & RELIGION

Henry Cavendish, English physicist/chemist (discovered hydrogen) in 1731

¤ Today’s Obituaries ¤

Yul Brynner, actor (King & I), cancer @ 70 in 1985

Eddie Cantor, comedian (Eddie Cantor Comedy Theater), heart attack @ 72 in 1964

Orson Welles, actor (Citizen Kane), @ heart attack @70 in 1985

¤ Today’s Events ¤

╬ THE ARTS

1935 George Gershwin's "Porgy & Bess" opens on Broadway

1965 The Red Baron made his first appearance in the Peanuts comic strip with the defender of all good, Snoopy.

╬ ATHLETICS

1964 18th modern Olympic Games open in Tokyo

1976 Greece's 98 year-old Dimitrion Yordanidis, is oldest man to compete in a marathon; he finishes in 7:33

╬ BUSINESS & EDUCATION

1865 The billiard ball was patented by John Wesley Hyatt. Mr. Hyatt won $10,000 in a contest. He was the first person to come up with a substitute for the ivory ball (in use at the time)

1886 1st dinner jacket (jacket without tails)worn to autumn ball at Tuxedo Park, NY (the tuxedo)

╬ INDIGENOUS PEOPLE

1615 Champlain fights with the Onondagas (the Haudenosaunee (“People of the Long House”), an alliance of native nations united for hundreds of years by traditions, beliefs and cultural values.Also referred to as the Iroquois Confederacy or Six Nations, the Haudenosaunee consist of the Mohawk, Oneida, Cayuga, Seneca, Onondaga Nation's and Tuscarora nations.

1802 1st non Indian settlement in Oklahoma

╬ POLITICS (US)

1957 Pres Eisenhower apologizes to finance minister of Ghana, Komla Agbeli Gbdemah, after he is refused service in a Dover, Del, restaurant

1973 VP Spiro T Agnew pleads no contest to tax evasion & resigns

╬ POLITICS (International)

1943 Chiang Kai-shek takes oath of office as president of China

1963 Treaty banning atmospheric nuclear tests signed by US, UK, USSR

╬ SCIENCE & RELIGION

1780 Great Hurricane of 1780 kills 20,000 to 30,000 in Caribbean

GREY MATTER ANSWERS

↔ 1

$100- He invented the Franklin stove: Who is Ben Franklin?

$200- Detection of gamma rays was 1 of the uses for this 1947 instant picture taker: What is Polaroid-Land Camera?

$300- 2,160 people at a time could ride on this at the 1893 Chicago World's Fair: What is a Ferris Wheel?

$400- Edison suggested it be used to record phone calls & make clocks talk: What is a phonograph?

$500-The first patent pool was for this invention by Howe, Hunt & Singer: What is the sewing machine?

↔ PICTURE

Green apples

^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^