Tues Nov 16

This is Week 46 of 2010►Day 320 with 45 days left.
Flagstaff Weather: H—52°; L—29°; RH—40%; —clear sky and wind— 8 mph

QUOTE FOR THE DAY—Abraham Lincoln
He has the right to criticize who has the heart to help.

FREE RAMBLING THOUGHTS
TSA and security scans are staying in the news. A guy in Ohio refused the full body scan and also the pat down. There is video of him being escorted out of the security area. Now he has to pay a fine as there is also a policy that if someone leaves the security area without clearance, they may be fined. The grassroots group is starting to take hold. I also heard today that there have been no studies by the FDA or any government agency on the possible long term effects of the x-rays being sent through all our bodies. Time will tell how long we will be standing in security lines at Christmas.

Flag School District is in the national spotlight, the state spotlight, and the local spotlight. The district is sending letters to parents who have children who are outside the ‘normal’ range of mass body index. It seems they have been gathering such information for several years. Now they are sending letters to parents with the raw data for their child along with how to enroll in programs to have the child back in the normal range. The letter will also go to parents who have a child that is under the normal range. It will be interesting to hear what happens when the letters actually go out. Right now, the state and local news stations are interviewing parents, administrators, and citizens in our mountain town. The people I have seen interviewed have two characteristics in common, first, none were either overweight or underweight and so far they have only interviewed women. It is easy for parents to say it’s a good idea now, but I wonder how they will feel if they receive a letter. Certainly there are many factors that lead to body mass concerns. One of the factors is a sedentary v active lifestyle. The district has cut its PE programs, after school programs—including intramural sports, and even recess. I remember a couple of teachers who used ‘recess’ as discipline technique and as an administrator, it was a constant battle with a few. In every school I worked I pushed to have non-competitive physical activity for all children and PE classes for every grade. Both of these were not as easy as one might think. Administrators were concerned about liability issues, teachers felt that they could drop recess if the kids had PE. Again time will tell exactly how parents will react to the letters.

Ah, the State of AZ now allows for medical marijuana by prescription. The AZ Health Dept came out today saying not to get too excited for a while. They say they won’t be able to have a secure system in place until late summer or later. They also said that the current budget does not give them the resources they need to put a secure system in place, so their answer will be to cut other health programs. Of course, they were silent before the vote. Of course, they didn’t plan ahead with how they would handle this new law. Typical short sightedness. There is no word from them on the patients who are suffering.

Finally, our mountain forest town has another big issue to deal with. Beginning in December our state will allow the legal sale of sparklers and other non-exploding fireworks. Our governor signed the bill last summer, at the height of the forest fire season. Our neighbor, Prescott, just passed an ordinance that the legal fireworks can be sold in the city, but can’t be used on any land inside the city. It looks like Flagstaff will be doing a similar ordinance. Hopefully the Forest Service will figure out a similar ban before we have another big fire. As I was growing up we always did fireworks in our back yard or a friend’s back yard. It was a lot of fun. The fireworks were way too dangerous, and at about 12 years old, we still had our cookout, then we loaded up in several cars and headed to a fireworks display. These were also very cool. There were bands, the Shriners on horses, the Shriners with their fez’s and ground and aerial fireworks to patriotic music. So much safer and still a lot of fun. The desert communities in AZ have had city wide displays since I got here 40 years ago. The towns located in the middle of the forest have tried and succeed in wet years. That was not enough for our lawmakers or our governor. Hopefully, this stupid law will not burn down any of our many forests.

HOLY MACKEREL: 1958»Six inches of snow fell on Tucson, Arizona

JEOPARDY PUZZLE—(Final Jeopardy Answers) from 1984
BUSINESS & INDUSTRY Automaker that introduced the alternator, power steering & electric ignition
BUSINESS & INDUSTRY Country that manufactures the most cars per year (1984)
GOVERNMENT Decade the last amendment to the Constitution was ratified in
THE CALENDAR The only day of the week named for a Roman god
EUROPE The Soviet army was welcome in this capital in May of '45 but unwelcome in August '68

SOMEWHAT USELESS INFORMATION—
»The oldest reference that can be found regarding a fruitcake dates back to Roman times, during the first century A.D. The recipe included pomegranate seeds, pine nuts and raisins mixed into a barley mash. During the Middle Ages, recipes appear with honey, spices and preserved fruits.
»It wasn't until the 1400s, when dried fruits from the Mediterranean first arrived in the British Isles, that the Brits began their love affair with fruitcake.
»One custom in Europe involved a ceremonial type of fruitcake baked at the end of the nut harvest, then saved and eaten the next year to celebrate the beginning of the next nut harvest.

UNUSUAL NEWS ITEM
Bay Area, CA - The pilgrims may not have been into nude girls dancing around a pole, but that doesn't mean nude girls dancing around a pole can't be into the pilgrims. San Francisco's Market Street Cinema gets into the Thanksgiving spirit every year by encouraging men to do more than just stare at nude women.
The adult theater is once again pushing its holiday turkey promotion, where patrons who bring in a turkey for charity will receive free admission to the theater.
The promotion, which runs through Nov. 24, has gone up on the marquee with colorful plays on words. And as far as we can tell, you're still responsible for the dollar bills.

A LITTLE LAUGH
At the supermarket, I noticed a woman with four boys and a baby. Her patience was wearing thin as the boys called out,
"Mommy! Mommy!" while she tried to shop.
Finally, she blurted out, "I don't want to hear the word mommy for at least ten minutes!"
The boys fell silent for a few seconds. Then one tugged on his mother's dress and said softly, "Excuse me, miss."

FOUND ON ‘YOU TUBE’

GREY MATTER PICTURE
This is a close up of what object?
SOME CALENDAR INFORMATION
¤ Weekly Observances ¤
14-20: American Education Week, Geography Awareness Week, National Hunger & Homeless Awareness Week, National Global Entrepreneurship Week
19-25:National Farm-City Week
21-28: National Bible Week, National Family Week, National Game & Puzzle Week, National Teens Don't Text and Drive Week, Better Conversation Week, Church/State Separation Week
¤ Today’s Observances ¤
Button Day
International Day for Tolerance
US: Oklahoma : Admission Day (1907) 46th state
Estonia: Day of Declaration of Sovereignty
Day of Repentance and Prayer or Buß- und Bettag (the Protestant church bodies of Lutheran, Reformed (Calvinist)and United. A school holiday in Saxony and Bavaria)
Iceland: Icelandic Language Day or Dagur íslenskrar tungu
¤ Top 10 songs of 1957 ¤
Click on Song Title to see and hear the original
¤ Today’s Births ¤
╬ THE ARTS
Michael Arlen, English writer (An American Verdict)—in 1895
Daws Butler, cartoon voice (Elroy Jetson)—in 1916
W.C. (William Christopher) Handy, composer: ‘Father of the Blues’: St. Louis Blues—in 1873
George S. (Simon) Kaufman, playwright: The Cocoanuts, A Night at the Opera, [w/Moss Hart]: The Man Who Came to Dinner, You Can’t Take It with You—in 1889
♦♦Actors♦♦
Lisa Bonet, 43, actress (“The Cosby Show,” “A Different World,” Angel Heart)
Clu Gulager, 82, actor (Virginian, Survivors, Tall Man)
Marg Helgenberger, 52, actress (“CSI,” “China Beach”)
David Leisure, 60, actor (Joe Isuzu, Airplane, Charley-Empty Nest)
Burgess Meredith, actor (Mr Novak, Penguin-Batman, Rocky)—in 1908
Guy Stockwell, actor (Chris-Adventures in Paradise)—in 1933
╬ ATHLETICS
Oksana Baiul, 33, Olympic gold medal figure skater, born in Dniepropetrovsk, Ukraine
Dwight Eugene ‘Doc’ Gooden, 46, baseball (Mets, Indians, Yankees, Astros, Devil Rays)
Harvey Martin, football: Dallas Cowboys DE: Super Bowls X, XII, XIII; in 1950
Amare Stoudemire, 28, basketball (Suns, Knicks)
╬ BUSINESS & EDUCATION
Elizabeth Drew, 75, journalist
Clinton Golden, founder (United Steelworkers of America)—in 1888
╬ POLITICS
Ann Dore McLaughlin, 69, US Secretary of Labor 1987-1989
╬ SCIENCE & RELIGION
Gene Amdahl, 88, American computer scientist—mainframe computer
Mohammad Hussein Fadlallah, Iraqi-born Lebanese Shiite Muslim cleric and Hezbollah mentor—in 1935
¤ Today’s Obituaries ¤
Clark Gable, actor, heart attack @ 59 in 1960
Sam Rayburn, Speaker of the House for 17 years, @ 79 in 1961
Louis Riel, French rebel who fought against Canada, executed @ 41 in 1885
¤ Today’s Events ¤
╬ THE ARTS
1864»To celebrate General Sherman’s march to the sea, Henry Clay wrote the song, Marching Through Georgia.
1908»Conductor Arturo Toscanini made his debut in the United States
1932»The Palace Theatre in New York City closed its doors to vaudeville
╬ ATHLETICS
1955»1st speed-boat to exceed 200 mph (322 kph) (D.M. Campbell)
1975»Walter Payton of the Chicago Bears rushed for 105 yards in a game against the San Francisco 49ers. It was Payton’s first game of 100 plus yards.
╬ BUSINESS & EDUCATION
1973»President Nixon authorizes construction of the Alaskan pipeline
1986» Gerber Products announced intentions to produce baby food in plastic jars, instead of glass -- a first for the industry.
╬ INDIGENOUS PEOPLE
1532»Pizarro seizes Incan emperor Atahualpa after victory at Cajamarca
1811»According to some sources, Tecumseh predicts a "light across the sky" tonight. It is supposed to have appeared, as predicted.
╬ POLITICS (US)
1676»1st colonial prison organized, Nantucket, Massachusetts
1798»Kentucky becomes 1st state to nullify an act of Congress
1864»Union Gen William T Sherman begins march to the sea during Civil War
1914»Federal Reserve System formally opens
1933»Roosevelt establishes diplomatic relations with USSR
╬ POLITICS (International)
1894»6,000 Armenians massacred by Turks in Kurdistan
╬ SCIENCE & RELIGION
1925»American Association for the Advancement of Atheism formed in NY
1875»Dr. William G. Arlington Bonwill of Philadelphia, PA was issued a patent for his dental mallet used to impact gold into cavities.

GREY MATTER ANSWERS
↔ JEOPARDY
BUSINESS & INDUSTRY Automaker that introduced the alternator, power steering & electric ignition
What is Chrysler?
BUSINESS & INDUSTRY Country that manufactures the most cars per year (1984)
What is Japan?
GOVERNMENT Decade the last amendment to the Constitution was ratified in
What are the 1970’s? (26th allowing 18 year olds to vote—1971
(or the 27th, passed in the 1990’s that set change in Congressional salaries to take place with the next Congress--in 1992)
THE CALENDAR The only day of the week named for a Roman god
What is Saturday?
EUROPE The Soviet army was welcome in this capital in May of '45 but unwelcome in August '68
What is Prague, Czech.
↔ PICTURE
California roll sushi
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Mon Nov 15

This is Week 46 of 2010►Day 319 with 46 days left.
Flagstaff Weather: H—50°; L—17°; RH—31%; —clear sky and wind—7 mph

QUOTE FOR THE DAY—Mark Twain
Always do right - this will gratify some and astonish the rest.

FREE RAMBLING THOUGHTS
It was a nice Autumn Sunday—warm enough to wash the vehicle.

A former colleague lost her younger brother to cancer yesterday. He fought a long battle and thankfully Aila and her entire family were back in Montana with him when he passed. Life is short for some and spending time being nice is worth the effort. She has lots of good memories of their lives together. His passing also opened my eyes to a web site that gives people the opportunity to keep family and friends of terminal patients up to date on what is going on. Both the patient and the family can add their own posts and others can add too. It is ‘caringbridge.org.’ While I never met her brother, I was able to read lots of posts about his last few months. A very worthwhile site.

On a much brighter note, my friend Martha becomes a septuagenarian after ten long years as a sexagenarian. Personally I prefer being a sexagenarian, just because of its name. My friend Bob is just finishing up his decade as a septuagenarian and will soon become an octogenarian. Bob had a great decade and I’m sure that Martha will too. Martha and friends gathered for a nice dinner and party at Coco’s tonight. Great time. For those who don’t know, they make great cakes too. A time for all of us.

HOLY MACKEREL: 1864»Sherman burns Atlanta 

JEOPARDY PUZZLE—(Final Jeopardy Answers)
SCIENCE The mammal that holds the record for the longest lifespan
U.S. PRESIDENTS Adventurous 26th president, he was 1st to ride in an automobile & an airplane
TITLED HEADS N.Y. financier Al Grimaldi is next in line for throne of this Mediterranean principality
RIVERS It carries more water than the longest rivers in Asia, Africa & No. America combined
THE SOLAR SYSTEM Only 1 of 9 planets not named for a Greek or Roman mythological figure

SOMEWHAT USELESS INFORMATION—Firearms
»Early guns took so long to load and fire that bows and arrows --in trained hands--were twelve times more efficient.
»By making use of the energy of the recoil of a fired bullet to eject the spent cartridge and load the next, Hiram Maxim in 1884 produced the first fully automatic machine gun.

UNUSUAL NEWS ITEM
NEW HAVEN, CN- Connecticut police said a man who heard gunshots while exiting a deli went home and ate his sandwich before seeking treatment for shots to the groin and thigh. Investigators said Miguel Soto III, 25, heard three gunshots when he left the deli Tuesday afternoon in New Haven and continued home to enjoy his lunch, WVIT-TV, Hartford, Conn., reported Thursday. Police said Soto asked his father to take him to Yale-New Haven Hospital after he had finished his sandwich. Soto was treated for nonlife-
threatening gunshot wounds to his groin and left thigh.
Investigators said they are seeking two men in connection with the incident.

A LITTLE LAUGH
While we were working at a men's clothing store, a customer asked my coworker to help her pick out a tie that would make her husband's blue eyes stand out.
"Ma'am," he explained, "any tie will make blue eyes stand out if you tie it tight enough."

FOUND ON ‘YOU TUBE’
GREY MATTER PICTURE
This is a close up of what object?
SOME CALENDAR INFORMATION
¤ Weekly Observances ¤
14-20: American Education Week, Geography Awareness Week, National Hunger & Homeless Awareness Week, National Global Entrepreneurship Week
19-25:National Farm-City Week
21-28: National Bible Week, National Family Week, National Game & Puzzle Week, National Teens Don't Text and Drive Week, Better Conversation Week, Church/State Separation Week
¤ Today’s Observances ¤
America Recycles Day
I Love to Write Day
George / Georgette / Gerorgina Spelvin Day: pseudonym used by actors for unaccredited roles
National Bundt (Pan) Day
National Clean Out Your Refrigerator Day
Belgium: King's Day
Belguim: Day of the German-speaking Community of Belgium
Brazil: Republic Proclamation Day (1889)
Japan: Shichi-Go-San (7-5-3 Festival Day): is a traditional rite of passage and festival day for three and seven year-old girls and three and five year-old boys
Palestine: Independence Day, unilaterally declared in 1988.
¤ Top 10 songs of ____ ¤
Click on Song Title to see and hear the original
¤ Today’s Births ¤
╬ THE ARTS
John Banvard, painted world's largest painting (3 mile canvas)—in 1815
Petula Clark, 78, singer (“Downtown”), actress
Kevin Eubanks, 53, “The Tonight Show” bandleader
Gerhart Hauptmann, German writer (Before Dawn-Nobel 1912)—in 1862
Mantovani, orchestra leader (Mantovani)—in 1905 Venice Italy
C.W. McCall (William Fries), 82, singer, songwriter: Convoy
Georgia O'Keeffe, painter (Cow's Skull)—in 1887
♦♦Actors♦♦
Ed Asner, 81, actor (“The Mary Tyler Moore Show,” “Lou Grant,” Roots)
Joanna Barnes, 76, actress (The Parent Trap)
Yaphet Kotto, 73, actor (“Homicide,” Midnight Run, Blue Collar, Live and Let Die)
Sam Waterston, 70, actor (“Law & Order,” “I’ll Fly Away,” The Killing Fields, The Great Gatbsy)
╬ ATHLETICS
Greg Anthony, 43, basketball (Knicks, Supersonics, Bulls, Trail Blazers, Bucks)
Randy Savage, 58, American professional wrestler—‘Macho-Man”
╬ BUSINESS & EDUCATION
Joseph Wapner, 91, television personality (“The People’s Court”), retired judge
╬ POLITICS
Howard Baker, 85, (Sen-TN), presidential chief of staff
Felix Frankfurter, US supreme court justice (1939-62)—in 1882 Austria
W. Averell Harriman, U.S. diplomat, Governor of New York—in 1891
Bill Richardson, 63, Governor of New Mexico
Erwin Rommel, German field marshall (WW II-African campaign)—in 1891
╬ SCIENCE & RELIGION
Sir William Herschel, astronomer (discovered Uranus)—in 1738
Nicholas V, pope (1447-55); ended schism, founded Vatican Library—in 1387
¤ Today’s Obituaries ¤
Baby Fae, who received a baboon's heart, @ 1 month in 1984
Johann Kepler, German astronomer, bladder infection @ 58 in 1630
Margaret Mead, anthropologist, @ 76 in 1978
Tyrone Power actor, heart attack @ 44 in 1958
¤ Today’s Events ¤
╬ THE ARTS
1884»Samuel Sidney McClure of New York City started the first literary syndicate -- the McClure Syndicate. It bought authors’ works and then sold the right to print them to various newspapers across the U.S.
1932»Walt Disney Art School created
1938» Television’s first on-the-scene program took place. A fire on Ward’s Island, New York
1990»Producers confirm that Milli Vanilli didn't sing on their album
╬ ATHLETICS
1941»Cow Palace opens in San Francisco
1960»Elgin Baylor of NBA Los Angeles Lakers scores 71 points vs NY Knicks
1989»Walter Davis (Denver) begins NBA free throw streak of 53 games
1992» After 200 victories, seven championships and more than 1,000 career starts, Richard Petty ended his career as a driver
╬ BUSINESS & EDUCATION
1791»1st Catholic college in US, Georgetown, opens
1806»1st US college magazine, Yale Literary Cabinet, publishes 1st issue
1849»1st US poultry show opens in Boston
1864»1st US mines school opens in basement of Columbia University, NY
1881»American Federation of Labor (AFL) founded (Pittsburgh)
1939»Social Security Administration approves 1st unemployment check
╬ INDIGENOUS PEOPLE
1824»The Quapaw sign a treaty (7 stat. 23) and give up their claim to land between the Arkansas Post and Little Rock, extending inland to the Saline River.
1861»The Potawatomi sign a treaty. (12 stat.1191). The treaty sets aside some lands for common tribal usage and other lands are set aside for individual Indians.
╬ POLITICS (US)
1777»Articles of Confederation adopted by Continental Congress
1869»Free postal delivery formally inaugurated
1937»1st congressional session in air-conditioned chambers
╬ POLITICS (International)
1884»Colonization of Africa organized at international conference in Berlin
1939»Nazis begin mass murder of Warsaw Jews
╬ SCIENCE & RELIGION
1806»Explorer Zebulon Pike sights Pikes Peak
GREY MATTER ANSWERS
↔ JEOPARDY
SCIENCE The mammal that holds the record for the longest lifespan
What is MAN?
U.S. PRESIDENTS Adventurous 26th president, he was 1st to ride in an automobile & an airplane
Who was Teddy Roosevelt?
TITLED HEADS N.Y. financier Al Grimaldi is next in line for throne of this Mediterranean principality
What is Moraco?
RIVERS It carries more water than the longest rivers in Asia, Africa & No. America combined
What is the Amazon?
THE SOLAR SYSTEM Only 1 of 9 planets not named for a Greek or Roman mythological figure
↔ PICTURE
Claw in an arcade machine
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Sun Nov 14

This is Week 46 of 2010►Day 318 with 47 days left.
Flagstaff Weather: H—52°; L—13°; RH—31%; —clear sky and wind—3 mph

QUOTE FOR THE DAY—E. B. White
People are, if anything, more touchy about being thought silly than they are about being thought unjust.

FREE RAMBLING THOUGHTS
Aung San Suu Kyi has been released from her house arrest. She is 65, a Nobel Peace Prize recipeint, and has been compared to Nelson Mandela in her work for human rights. Some years ago, while under arrest, the government had allowed her freedom if she would simply shut up and leave Burma to be with her dying husband. She refused the offer. She has been in and out of prison and house arrest for the past 20+ years because she has a message and she won’t be silenced. The local word for the country of Burma has always been Myanmar in the native language, but was called Burma by the British during their occupation. It has always been a Buddhist country and the current regime took over in 1989. It is unknown how long she will be allowed to be free as she has no plans to stop her dialogue for democracy. Now that the sham elections are complete it is doubtful that the people of Myanmar (Burma) will have democracy in the near future. Burma was never on my bucket list until I was on the Pandaw cruise. Listening to the purser talk about the beauty of his homeland, his love for his Burma, and the sadness in his voice over then current conditions did put Burma on my list. I would only go when I knew that my money would be for the Burmese people and not the government. Of course, right now, the gates are closed while the people behind the gates suffer in poverty while the government officials live in luxury that put the British rulers of the past to shame.

I was shocked when I turned on the news tonight. The top three stories in Phoenix: Neo-Nazis and protesters clash, police use tear gas to break it up; Sarah Palin fundraising event tonight; Gilbert’s 87,000 sq ft Mormon temple has groundbreaking. The Neo-Nazis have regular demonstrations to the Federal Building, since the passing of 1070 and there are always counter protests. Today the police used tear gas to break up the counter demonstration that was preventing the crazies from finishing their march. Violence is never the answer and the crazies do have a right to march. The news reports that there were only minor injuries. I don’t know which is worse: the idea that there are enough Neo-Nazis in Phoenix to have regular protest marches or the use of tear gas to break up the counter demonstrators. Neither is good for Phoenix or Arizona. Somehow I find it disconcerting that ol Sarah can have a fund raising event in our state expect to raise big bucks. She is promoting her latest book and her new reality show on her view of Alaska. Somehow her far right views and the Neo-Nazi march seem an odd coincidence. Finally, many residents of Gilbert, a suburb of Phoenix, have been trying to stop the building of the temple on 21 acres, with its huge spire in their farming community. While this never made national news, the new temple will be seen for miles as the ‘church’ got a waiver for their 185’ spire. Many members of this church have donated big bucks for the passing of 1070 and a return to a much more conservative America. Breaking news just announced that AZ has approved the use of medical marijuana in a close ballot count that took many days to complete. Hmmm.

HOLY MACKEREL: 1832»1st streetcar (horse-drawn) (John Mason) debuts in NYC; fare 12c($2.55 in 2010) rode on 4th Avenue between Prince & 14th Sts 

JEOPARDY PUZZLE—(Final Jeopardy Answers)
HOLIDAYS The third Monday of January starting in 1986
THE CALENDAR Calendar date with which the 20th century began
LANGUAGE It is the 2nd most spoken language in the world
AMERICAN GOVERNMENT Since 1970, the only cabinet department not headed by a secretary
THE OLYMPICS Of the 5 continents symbolized by Olympic rings, only one never to hold Games

SOMEWHAT USELESS INFORMATION—Veterans Day History
»Although World War I officially ended on June 28, 1919, with the signing of the Treaty of Versailles, the actual fighting between the Allies and Germany, had ended seven months earlier with the armistice, which went into effect on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month in 1918.
»Armistice Day, as November 11 became known, officially became a holiday in the United States in 1926, and a national holiday 12 years later. On June 1, 1954, the name was changed to Veterans Day to honor all U.S. veterans.
»In 1968, the national observance of Veterans Day was changed to the fourth Monday in October, but November 11 was such a date of historic significance to many Americans that Congress returned the commemoration back to its traditional date in 1978.
»Official, national ceremonies for Veterans Day center around the Tomb of the Unknowns. To honor these men, symbolic of all Americans who gave their lives in all wars, an Army honor guard, the 3d U.S. Infantry (The Old Guard), keeps day and night vigil.
»At 11 a.m. on November 11, a combined color guard representing all military services executes "Present Arms" at the tomb. The nation's tribute to its war dead is symbolized by the laying of a presidential wreath and the playing of "Taps."
»On Memorial Day (which honors U.S. service people who died in action) in 1958, two more unidentified American war dead, one from World War II and the other from the Korean War, were buried next the unknown soldier of World War I.

UNUSUAL NEWS ITEM
SANDUSKY, OH - An Ohio school board voted to fire a high school teacher accused of napping during class and discussing adult magazines with a freshman class. The Perkins Schools Board of Education voted Wednesday to fire Perkins High School teacher Carol Smith, 71, after a hearing officer found her conduct "totally unprofessional, inappropriate, unsafe, outrageous, flagrant and persistent and threatened the safety, security and welfare of the students," the Sandusky (Ohio) Register reported. Smith, who was suspended without pay in April after she was accused of discussing "Playboy" and "Playgirl" magazines in a freshman history class, was found by the investigation to have frequently arrived late and slept during classes.
The investigation found Smith's discussion of the magazines during a discussion about yellow journalism was not grounds for dismissal. However, officials said sleeping during class and arriving late left the students unsupervised and created safety concerns. The Register said Smith declined to comment.

A LITTLE LAUGH
A professor stood before his class of twenty senior organic biology students, about to hand out the final exam.
"I want to say that it's been a pleasure teaching you this semester. I know you've all worked extremely hard and many of you are off to medical school after summer. So that no one gets their GPA messed up because they might have been celebrating a bit too much this week, anyone who would like to opt out of the final exam today will receive a 'B' for the test."
There was much rejoicing in the class as students got up, walked to the front of the class, and took the professor up on his offer. As the last taker left the room, the professor looked out over the handful of remaining students and asked,
"Anyone else? This is your last chance."
One final student rose up and opted out of the final.
The professor closed the door and took attendance of those students remaining. "I'm glad to see you believe in yourselves," he said. "You all get 'A's."

FOUND ON ‘YOU TUBE’--Monet's Art

GREY MATTER PICTURE
This is a close up of what object?
SOME CALENDAR INFORMATION
¤ Weekly Observances ¤
14-20: American Education Week,
Geography Awareness Week,
National Hunger & Homeless Awareness Week,
National Global Entrepreneurship Week
19-25:National Farm-City Week
21-28: National Bible Week, National Family Week, National Game & Puzzle Week, National Teens Don't Text and Drive Week, Better Conversation Week, Church/State Separation Week
¤ Today’s Observances ¤
Operation Room Nurse Day
Loosen Up, Lighten Up Day
National American Teddy Bear Day
Spirit of NSA (National Speakers Association) Day
World Diabetes Day
Cayman Islands: Remembrance Day
Colombia: Day of the Colombian Woman
English commonwealth : Prince Charles' Birthday (1948)
India: Children's Day, celebrated on the birthday of Jawaharlal Nehru.
Jordan: King's Birthday (1935)
¤ Top 10 songs of 1955 ¤
Click on Song Title to see and hear the original

¤ Today’s Births ¤
╬ THE ARTS
Wendy (Walter) Carlos, 71, composer (Switched on Bach)
Aaron Copland, Academy Award-winning composer—in 1900
Johnny Desmond (Giovanni Alfredo de Simone), singer: Yellow Rose of Texas—in 1920
Claude Monet, French impressionist (Water Lilies)—in 1840
Adam Gottlob Oehlenschlager, Danish poet (National Poet 1849)—in 1779
Joseph “Run” Simmons, 46, rapper (Run DMC)
Yanni, 56, New Age composer, born Yanni Chrysomalis
♦♦Actors♦♦
Dick Powell, actor (42nd Street, Christmas in July)—in 1904
Rosemary DeCamp , actress (Love That Bob, That Girl)—in 1910 Prescott AZ
Veronica Lake, actress (Duffy's Tavern, I Married a Witch)—in 1919
McLean Stevenson, actor (M*A*S*H, Hello Larry)—in 1929
Brian Keith (Robert Keith Richey, Jr.), actor—in 1921
╬ ATHLETICS
Willie (Guillermo Villanueva) Hernandez, 54, baseball: pitcher: Cubs, Phillies [World Series: 1983], Tigers [World Series: 1984/all-star: 1984-1986/Cy Young Award: 1984/Baseball Writers’ Award: 1984
Curt Schilling, 44, baseball (Orioles, Astros, Phillies, Diamondbacks, Red Sox)
╬ BUSINESS & EDUCATION
William Steig, American children's book author Caldecott Medal for Sylvester and the Magic Pebble –in 1907
╬ POLITICS
Prince Charles, 62, Prince of Wales, heir to the British throne
Mamie Doud Eisenhower 1st lady—in 1896
Boutros Boutros-Ghali, 88, former Secretary-General of the UN in Cairo
Jawaharlal Nehru, 1st Indian PM (1947-64)—in 1889
Condoleezza Rice, 56, former US Secretary of State, former US National Security Adviser
╬ SCIENCE & RELIGION
Henri Dutrochet, discovered & named process of osmosis—in 1776
Robert Fulton, built 1st commercial steamboat –in 1765
Sir Charles Lyell, Scottish geologist (Principles of Geology)—in 1797
¤ Today’s Obituaries ¤
Tony Richardson, British director (Tom Jones), AIDs @ 63 in 1991
Saki (Hector Hugh Munro), British writer, shot by German sniper in WWI@ 46 in 1916
Robert Trout, American journalist @ 92 in 2000
Booker T Washington, educator/organizer, nervous exhaustion and arteriosclerosis @ 59 in 1915
¤ Today’s Events ¤
╬ THE ARTS
1851»"Moby Dick," by Herman Melville, published
╬ ATHLETICS
1964»Gordie Howe of the Detroit Red Wings set a National Hockey League record as he scored his 627th career goal
1966»Boxing’s largest indoor crowd assembled in the Houston Astrodome to see Cassius Clay defeat Cleveland Williams -- by a TKO.
1981»Paul ‘Bear’ Bryant tied the record of Amos Alonzo Stagg for most football wins.
╬ BUSINESS & EDUCATION
1732»1st US professional librarian, Louis Timothee, hired in Philadelphia
╬ INDIGENOUS PEOPLE
603»Maya King K'inich Yo'nal Ahk I (Ruler 1) ascends to the throne in Piedras Negras, Mexico.
1851»Lieutenant Colonel J.J. Abercrombie and members of the Fifth Infantry begin the construction of Fort Phantom Hill, north of Abilene, Texas. The fort is often visited by the local Comanches, Lipan-Apaches, Kiowas and Kickapoos.
╬ POLITICS (US)
1881»Charles J Guiteau went on trial for President Garfield's assassination
1935»FDR proclaims the Philippine Islands a free commonwealth
╬ POLITICS (International)
1792»Capt George Vancouver is 1st Englishman to enter San Francisco Bay
╬ SCIENCE & RELIGION
1666»Samuel Pepys reports on 1st blood transfusion (between dogs)
1910»1st airplane flight from deck of a ship, Norfolk, Va
1959»Kilauea's most spectacular eruption (in Hawaii)
GREY MATTER ANSWERS
↔ JEOPARDY
HOLIDAYS The third Monday of January starting in 1986
What is Martin Luther King Day?
THE CALENDAR Calendar date with which the 20th century began
What is January 1, 1901?
LANGUAGE It is the 2nd most spoken language in the world
What is English?
AMERICAN GOVERNMENT Since 1970, the only cabinet department not headed by a secretary
What is the Attorney General?
THE OLYMPICS Of the 5 continents symbolized by Olympic rings, only one never to hold Games
What is Africa?
↔ PICTURE
An old adjustable wrench
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Sat Nov 13

This is Week 45 of 2010►Day 317 with 48 days left.
Flagstaff Weather: H—49°; L—14°; RH—24%; —clear sky and wind—7 mph
QUOTE FOR THE DAY—E. B. White
People are, if anything, more touchy about being thought silly than they are about being thought unjust.

FREE RAMBLING THOUGHTS
Another very chilly day here in Flag. My furnace kept coming on throughout the day. I keep the house at 68° and it came on three or four times today. Guess I better get ready for higher gas bills. I ran some errands this morning but even the stores were chilly. I guess no one is ready for winter. It would be so much nicer to deal with the chilly weather if it was bringing in some moisture, but in Flag, we can’t have everything.

I finally called the HOA today to find out when the numbers are going back up on our units. It’s been three weeks with a piece of paper in my window with my number. I did point out that this could be a safety hazard, in case there was any kind of emergency at my unit, or any other unit in the campus. We don’t need our First Responders having to find a number on one of the unpainted doors, then count the doors. She said she would check with the guy on Monday. OK then, and she did seemed surprised, so hopefully she will get some action.

While I was on my trip, I somehow chipped a tiny piece of turquoise out of my ring. The jeweler who made the ring has moved out of the state. The family owned business is difficult to deal with. The old jeweler was fantastic. So on Tuesday I took the ring in to ask a jeweler what my options were. The owner/sales lady would not let me talk to the jeweler who was standing in the work room. She said she would take the ring, send it to Phoenix, and get an estimate. This would take two to three weeks. I asked if there was another solution. She said that she would send it to Phoenix. I asked to speak to the jeweler, and she said I will send it to Phoenix. She then babbled about how inlay turquoise chips quite often and how hard it is to find a piece that matches. I asked for a ball park figure and she said somewhere between $300-$500 dollars. I said can’t you just put some epoxy in it, so it won’t chip again, and since turquoise is well known for its veins, it wouldn’t be noticeable. She said she could do that and it would be $12. I agreed and was told I could get the custom made ring on Thursday. When I got home about an hour later, there was a message on my phone. The lady had called to tell me the jeweler had suggested darkening the epoxy so it would look more like a vein. Brilliant was my response. She also said the jeweler said the ring needed to really cure and would be ready Friday evening. This morning about 10am the son/owner called to tell me the ring was ready. He was with a couple and left them to get my ring while they were deciding. The ring looks very nice and I asked him to speak to the jeweler. She stepped out of the workroom and I told her how happy I was with her work. The couple, a Navajo lady and white man about my age asked it they could see the ring. They made a couple of nice comments. I really wanted to tell the son how unhelpful his mom had been, but decided not to. Just not the right time or place.

The Post Office is in deep financial difficulty…welcome to the real world. They expect to lose almost $8.5billion this year alone. I like many Americans pay my bills on line, communicate through e-mail or phone, and am fed up with the junk mail I get every day. I am sure that if junk mail had to pay the price we pay for mail, two things would happen. First there would be a lot less junk and second, the post office would either thrive or perish. The Postal workers have to put up with a lot, and I get that. The postal workers I know are very nice people, most of the time. For all the crap they put up with, they are amazing. When I was helping Martha after her surgery, I found out about their horrible hours, saw some of the stupid people they have to deal with—always smiling, and the fact that they get sent around to other post offices on a regular basis. They do have a great medical plan, a retirement plan as good as or better than Civil Service workers, and a very strong union. Martha and her book business would be in great difficulty if the Post Office wasn’t there, offering good prices to mail books and media. I also met some other e-bay or Amazon sellers that use the post office daily with packages. They would have to find another way to keep their customers happy. I only check my mailbox every couple of days. There are usually a couple of important pieces of mail and a couple dozen pieces of useless junk mail. My mom has been gone for several years, and I am still getting stuff from AAA, charities, and other junk for her. The AAA one get me, as if she were alive she would be 91 and I doubt she would still be driving. In fact she dropped out of AAA when she was 85 after selling her car. Anyway, I’m sorry that the PO is unable to make ends meet, and hope they find a reasonable way to stay in business.

The BBB (Better Business Bureau) has been around for 98 years. My parents would always check with them when they found a new local business they weren’t familiar with, and they did use BBB to report bad service. Like so many icons of the last century, BBB is under fire. It turns out that for a mere $400/year any business can receive an A grade for their business. Some prankster paid the $400 and got an A grade for his business—Hamas the radical Palestine group. Another prankster got an A grade after paying for his non-existent restaurant. There are stories of members moving from a C or B grade to an A grade after joining the organization, for a mere $400. How sad. I so hate to see icons fall. I guess the BBB is just like the Chamber of Commerce—join and get help with your public image, don’t join and suffer the consequences. Both groups started for a very good reason and had a clear message—to help consumers. As time passed, it became little more than a money making machine. What’s next? I’m waiting to hear that Consumer Reports has changed too. This is 2010 and our new decade has started with a serious recession with business in deep trouble. Just like a century ago,’ Buyer Beware’ is the mantra and sadly there are few organizations out there to help the consumer.

HOLY MACKEREL: 1927»After seven years of construction and over $48 million, the Holland Tunnel, New York City’s connection to Jersey City, NJ, opened to traffic

JEOPARDY PUZZLE—(1984 games)(answers below)-Firsts
$200-Combat candies made to melt in a GI's mouth, not in his hand
$400-Until Swanson offered them in '54, you couldn't officially eat in front of the boob tube
$600-The first ones had to be nurses to serve coffee, tea or milk
$800-Brand of cereal thou could 1st buy in 1901
$1000-n 1868, a Mobile, Ala. Mardi Gras parade 1st featured these

SOMEWHAT USELESS INFORMATION—Fruit
»Lemons are thought to have originated in the wild both in China and India and have been in existence for at least 4,000 years. They were taken to the Middle East between 400 and 600 BC and then to the Mediterranean where food historians say they have been in cultivation from as early as the first century AD.
»The kiwi fruit has its origins in China's Yangtze River valley. The fruit has been around for over 700 years and was a favorite in the courts of the great Khans.
»In the early 1900s, New Zealand missionaries took the seeds from kiwi fruit home where the plant was named for the indigenous bird. Plants were later sent to the United States, Italy, South Africa and Chile.
»The watermelon is of the same botanical family as cucumbers, pumpkins and squash. They were first harvested in Egypt about 5,000 years ago and are now grown in almost 100 countries. Every part of a watermelon is edible, even the seeds, and the rinds which are often pickled.
»The papaya, or paw paw, is believed to have originated in southern Mexico or Central America and now grows in all tropical and subtropical countries as the plants need warmth throughout the year. Papayas are the only natural source of papain, an effective natural digestive aid, which breaks down protein and cleanses the digestive track.
»Once cut or squeezed the vitamin C in an orange quickly begins to dissipate. After eight hours at room temperature or 24 hours in the refrigerator, the orange will experience a 20 percent vitamin C loss.

UNUSUAL NEWS ITEM—finally the Rest of the Story
LANSING, MI — It's "Team Victory" all right.
A $129 million Powerball lottery ticket sold at an urban porn shop is being split by members of a group primarily from southeast Michigan.
The group calls itself Team Victory. A representative wasn't saying Friday whether the winning ticket was bought inside Uptown Book Store or at an outside, walk-up lottery ticket window frequented by many in the depressed Highland Park neighborhood.
Mike Greer of Farmington Hills also wouldn't describe the group members or how they know each other.
Greer picked up the check Friday. He says he didn't buy the ticket himself or know how it was purchased. He also says that doesn't matter to the group members.
The ticket was bought just outside Detroit for the Nov. 6 drawing.

A LITTLE LAUGH
"Don't worry, I can stay out late tonight," Joe told his friend Bob. "My wife's gone for a two-week vacation in the Caribbean."
"Jamaica?" Bob asked.
"No, it was her idea."

FOUND ON ‘YOU TUBE’

GREY MATTER PICTURE

This is a close up of what object?
SOME CALENDAR INFORMATION
¤ Weekly Observances ¤
7-13: National Nurse Practioner's Week, Pursuit of Happiness Week, National Rad Tech Week , Fraud Awareness Week, Dear Santa Letter Week, National Young Reader's Week, World Kindness Week
14-20: American Education Week, Geography Awareness Week, National Hunger & Homeless Awareness Week, National Global Entrepreneurship Week
19-25:National Farm-City Week
21-28: National Bible Week, National Family Week, National Game & Puzzle Week, National Teens Don't Text and Drive Week, Better Conversation Week, Church/State Separation Week
¤ Today’s Observances ¤
National Indian Pudding Day
World Kindness Day
National Donor Sabbath Days—see yesterday
Grenada, New Zealand : Remembrance Day
Laos : King's Birthday
¤ Top 10 songs of 1969 ¤
Click on Song Title to see and hear the original
***correction****
¤ Today’s Births ¤
╬ THE ARTS
Jimmy Kimmel, 43, late-night talk show host, comedian
Garry Marshall, 76, producer, director (Beaches, Pretty Woman), actor (“Murphy Brown”)
Robert Louis Stevenson, Scottish author (Treasure Island)—in 1850
♦♦Actors♦♦
Richard Mulligan, actor (Soap, Empty's Nest, Big Bus)—in 1932
Gerard Butler, 41, actor (P.S. I Love You, 300, The Phantom of the Opera)
Whoopi Goldberg, 61, comedienne, actress (Oscar for Ghost; Sister Act, The Color Purple), born Caryn Elaine Johnson
Joe Mantegna, 63, actor (Tony for Glengarry Glen Ross; House of Games, Things Change, “Criminal Minds”)
Chris Noth, 53, actor (“Sex and the City,” “Law & Order” )
Madeline Sherwood, 88, actress (Mother Superior on “The Flying Nun”)
Robert Sterling, actor (George Kirby-Adv of Topper)—in 1917
Steve Zahn, 42, actor (Rescue Dawn, National Security, Sahara)
╬ ATHLETICS
Vincent Frank (Vinny) Testaverde, 47, football (Buccaneers, Ravens, Jets, Browns, Cowboys, Panthers, Patriots)
╬ BUSINESS & EDUCATION
--
╬ POLITICS
Louis D Brandeis, Supreme Court Justice (1916-39)—in 1856
╬ SCIENCE & RELIGION
James Maxwell, Scottish physicist (Treatise on Electricity)—in 1831
Joseph F Smith, 6th President of Mormon church—in 1838
¤ Today’s Obituaries ¤
Henry the Navigator, prince of Portugal, @ 66 in 1460
Gioacchino (Antonio) Rossini, composer (Barber of Seville), @ 76 in 1868
"Alvin" Junior Samples, country singer (Hee Haw), heart attack @ 56 in 1983
Karen Silkwood, killed in a car crash under suspicious circumstances, @ 28 in 1974
¤ Today’s Events ¤
╬ THE ARTS
1830»Oliver Wendell Holmes publishes "Old Ironsides"
1921»"The Sheik," starring Rudolph Valentino, is released
1940»Walt Disney's "Fantasia" released
1977»After 43 years as a regular feature in hundreds of newspapers, Al Capp brought his comic strip, Li’l Abner, to a final conclusion.
╬ ATHLETICS
1875»National Bowling Association organized in NYC
1964»Bob Petit (St Louis Hawks) becomes 1st NBAer to score 20,000 points
1982»Korean boxer Duk Koo Kim fatally injured when KOed by Ray Mancini
╬ BUSINESS & EDUCATION
1789»Ben Franklin writes "Nothing . . . certain but death & taxes"
1865»PT Barnum's New American museum opens in Bridgeport
1895»1st shipment of canned pineapple from Hawaii
1933»1st modern sit-down strike, Hormel meat packers, Austin, MN
1946»1st artificial snow produced from a natural cloud, Mt Greylock, MA
╬ INDIGENOUS PEOPLE
1747»Conference regarding alliances is held for the next four days between representatives of the British in Pennsylvania and the Miami, Shawnee and "Six Nations" tribes.
1833»Just before sunrise, there is a phenomenal meteor shower, which is seen all over North America. This event is recorded on Kiowa picture calendars as the most significant event of the year.
╬ POLITICS (US)
1775»American Revolutionary forces capture Montreal
1865»US issues 1st gold certificates
1931»Hattie Caraway (D-AK) appointed 1st US woman senator
1970»VP Spiro Agnew calls TV executives "impudent snobs"
╬ POLITICS (International)
1864»The new Constitution of Greece is adopted.
1887»Bloody Sunday clashes in central London.
╬ SCIENCE & RELIGION
1843»Mt Rainier in Washington State erupts
GREY MATTER ANSWERS
↔ JEOPARDY
$200-Combat candies made to melt in a GI's mouth, not in his hand
What are M&M’s?
$400-Until Swanson offered them in '54, you couldn't officially eat in front of the boob tube
What are frozen TV Dinners?
$600-The first ones had to be nurses to serve coffee, tea or milk
What are stewardesses or flight attendants?
$800-Brand of cereal thou could 1st buy in 1901
What is Quaker Oatmeal?
$1000-In 1868, a Mobile, Ala. Mardi Gras parade 1st featured these
What are floats?
↔ PICTURE
A Skelly gas station pump sign
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Fri Nov 12

This is Week 45 of 2010►Day 316 with 49 days left.
Flagstaff Weather: H—42°; L—19°; RH—40%; —clear sky and wind—18 mph; wind chill about 8° colder

QUOTE FOR THE DAY—Margaret Mead
Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, It is the only thing that ever has.

FREE RAMBLING THOUGHTS
Being Veteran’s Day Mary brought Mike along for our weekly lunch. Mary’s daughter and her son are coming in just before Thanksgiving and will spend a few days with Mary, then they all go down to Phoenix for Thanksgiving with her son and his family…in their new house/mansion. Cheryl is doing OK on her pre-surgery diet, but the insurance company hasn’t given its final blessing and the op is scheduled for next Wednesday. Typical for government work—wait to the very last minute to get the thing done. Her son, Joey, will be coming in Tuesday, so she is set for transportation. Esther, my former boss’ wife, was also there with friends. Nice to see her again.

My brother called this afternoon and we made our hotel reservations for Thanksgiving. We will be closer to Laura’s family and that will be nice. There is some tension with her mom and the rest of the family. She is a real codependent, although she is my age. R&L have been taking care of her finances—sort of. She raises big dogs and sells them. The problem is, she gets her income, then keeps about half, and sends the rest to them to pay the bills. Problem: the amount she sends doesn’t equal the bills. The mom bitches about being broke, but takes the money she keeps and spends it on frivolous things. Of course they only seem frivolous to the rest of the family, not to her. So hard to teach her about frugality from so far away. Laura’s youngest brother is in his early 20’s, has a menial job with his dad, and lives with his mom. It is also hard when there is a two generation family. It will be another painful visit for everyone involved. Her dad’s side will be a little sad, as he lost his 95 yr old dad a few months ago and Grandpa was such a kind and gentle man who held that side of the family together. Of course, R&L are having their financial difficulties too. It’s a little hard for me, when the in-laws ask what I did this past year, and I talk about my trips.

The residents of Flag came out in force as the military brought home a 22 yr old Williams soldier. It is a sad day for so many in that small town. The memorial will be held on the 20th. I never know what to say when someone passes, especially when it is someone I barely knew. I did not know this young man, but do know a few of his friends. Suddenly the war that seems so far away is on our doorstep. Every Sunday morning, one of the news shows runs an In Memoriam segment. They end with a list of military personnel lost. Even that doesn’t bring it home that our young men and women are dying every week for a war that is incomprehensible. Even harder to believe, this segment has been running weekly for so long that many of the soldiers currently fighting think it has always been part of the Sunday news. I am old enough to remember a time when the only military deaths where through old age, an auto accident or a disease.

I sorta freaked out today when I heard about the latest campaign to improve air travel. There is a group who are calling on all travelers to partake in their protest. Over the Thanksgiving weekend, they are asking every traveler to refuse to submit to the full body scan machine and demand a pat down. They also think the new pat down procedures are bad. Somehow, they believe that by making the TSA workers pat down every passenger it will stop planes from flying and force Homeland Security to reevaluate their procedures….again. I’m afraid that if this campaign takes on steam over Thanksgiving—the busiest travel weekend—that it will continue into the Christmas week travel. I am not a fan of all the security. I hate taking off my shoes, carrying small bottles of toiletries, removing all my metal and whatever else they want. I must say that the TSA workers have become much nicer and sadly, they are only doing what some bureaucrat has told them to do. They are not paid to think. They are not hired for their common sense—in fact that is probably the one thing that will keep them from being hired. The campaign to improve convenience on airlines needs to be aimed at Homeland Security and Congress. The ones who should be leading the improvement for passengers should be the airlines. No one has the gumption to stand up and say—get real. The latest stats say that there are about 810 million passengers flying in the US every year. The actual number of humans is much less since a round trip ticket counts as two passengers and if you fly two different flights trying to get somewhere you count as two passengers. That being said, there are a lot of people trying to fly every day. One guy had a faulty bomb in his shoe so now every time you get on a plane; you have to remove your shoes. Two guys got on a plane with bottles of liquid that could be combined to make an explosion. Air travelers have been removing shoes and carrying small bottles for almost six years—because of three guys. An air tragedy is frightening and very sad. But does every one of those 810 million passengers have to be viewed in a machine that looks through your clothes, take off your shoes, and randomly get an intrusive pat down? I am very happy that my job didn’t require lots of flying or that I worked as a pilot, cabin crew member, or a food service worker that has to go through this every time they go to work. As a casual traveler, I dislike it. If I had to do it every day I would go crazy. One last thing: the argument that since the shoe bomber or the liquid bombers were caught and we haven’t had any more since the new procedures doesn’t hold water. If a terrorist group really wants to kill, they will find a way.

It was not a good day to spend time outside. It was chilly, and I can handle that. The breeze dropped my tolerance by quite a bit. It dropped the temperature so that it felt about 10° colder than it really was. I didn’t take my walk today, but should be ready to do it tomorrow.

HOLY MACKEREL: 1954»Ellis Island, immigration station in NY Harbor, closed

JEOPARDY PUZZLE—(1984 games)(answers below)—TV Animals
$200-The seasick sea serpent
$400-While Lassie was played by a male, this dolphin was played by a female
$600-He was 1st of several chimps featured in the early days of "The Today Show"
$800-In the TV show "Maya", it's what Maya was
$1000-In this series, Starbuck's little friend Boxie had a pet Daggit

SOMEWHAT USELESS INFORMATION—
»The only river that flows both north and south of the equator is the Congo. It crosses the equator twice.
»There's only one city in the United States named merely "Beach." It is found in North Dakota, which is a land-locked state.
»The Beatles held the Top Five spots on the April 4th, 1964 Billboard singles chart. To date, they're the only band that has ever accomplished that.
»The only repealed amendment to the US Constitution deals with the prohibition of alcohol.
»During the Prohibition, at least 1,565 Americans died from drinking bad liquor, hundreds were blinded, and many were killed in bootlegger wars. Federal Agents and the Coast Guard made 75,000 arrests per year.
»Coca-Cola was so named back in 1885 for its two 'medicinal' ingredients: extract of coca leaves and kola nuts. As for how much cocaine was originally in the formulation, it's hard to know.

UNUSUAL NEWS ITEM
Chicago--A woman from Gurnee faces charges of aggravated assault for threatening an officer with a "rigid female pleasure device." Carolee Bildsten, 56, allegedly walked out Tuesday on her tab at Joe's Crab Shack in Gurnee for a second time, which led the restaurant to call the police on the suspected tab jumper.
Officers found an allegedly intoxicated Bildsten lying on the grass down the street and approached her to investigate the unpaid tabs. She claimed her money was at home and said she would retrieve it to pay the bill, prompting officers to provide an escort. What happened at the apartment, well, the actual police report says it best:
"She walked into her bedroom. She said her money was in her dresser drawer and she opened it and reached inside and removed a “clear, rigid feminine pleasure device” and held it over her head and approached the officer in a threatening manner. The officer knocked the device out of the way prior to being struck and placed the woman under arrest. She was then escorted out of the residence, placed in the squad car and transported to the Gurnee Police Department."
Bildsten was taken into custody and charged with one misdemeanor count of aggravated assault and theft. Additionally, she faces an ordinance violation for pedestrian under the influence.
Bildsten was released on bond and is to appear in court on Dec. 6 at the Lake County courthouse.
This apparently isn't her first brush with the law. According to The Smoking Gun, Bildsten was arrested in September for drunken driving.

A LITTLE LAUGH
A priest is driving down to New York and gets stopped for speeding in Connecticut. The state trooper smells alcohol on the priest's breath and then sees an empty wine bottle on the floor of the car.
He says, "Sir, have you been drinking?"
"Just water," says the priest. The trooper says, "Then why do I smell wine?"
The priest looks at the bottle and says, "Good Lord! He's done it again!"

FOUND ON ‘YOU TUBE’ Mary Black’s Ellis Island Song

GREY MATTER PICTURE
This is a close up of what object?
SOME CALENDAR INFORMATION
¤ Weekly Observances ¤
7-13: National Nurse Practioner's Week, Pursuit of Happiness Week, National Rad Tech Week , Fraud Awareness Week, Dear Santa Letter Week, National Young Reader's Week, World Kindness Week
14-20: American Education Week, Geography Awareness Week, National Hunger & Homeless Awareness Week, National Global Entrepreneurship Week
19-25:National Farm-City Week
21-28: National Bible Week, National Family Week, National Game & Puzzle Week, National Teens Don't Text and Drive Week, Better Conversation Week, Church/State Separation Week
¤ Today’s Observances ¤
National Pizza With The Works Except Anchovies Day
Domino Day
Elizabeth Cady Stanton Day (1815)
National Donor Sabbath Day: Since 1997, working of donor networks and religious leaders to have followers be given information on the importance of Organ donation through the eyes of religion
Azerbaijan: Constitution Day
Austria: Republic Day (1918)
Bermuda: Remembrance Day
Saudi Arabia: Coronation Day
Taiwan: Doctors' Day
Taiwan: Cultural Renaissance Day.
Taiwan: Sun Yat Sen's Birthday (1866)
¤ Top 10 songs of ____ ¤
Click on Song Title to see and hear the original
¤ Today’s Births ¤
╬ THE ARTS
Brian Hyland, 67, rocker (She Wore an Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polka Dot Bikini)
Booker T. Jones, 66, musician: group: Booker T and the MG’s: Green Onions, Time is Tight
Auguste Rodin, sculptor (Kiss, Thinker)—in 1840
Jo Stafford, singer (I'll Never Smile Again)—in 1918
♦♦Actors♦♦
Grace Kelly, Monaco princess/actress (Philadelphia Story, Rear Window)—in 1929
Megan Mullally, 52, actress (“Will & Grace”)
David Schwimmer, 44, actor (“Friends”), director
Neil Young, 65, singer (Buffalo Springfield; Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young), songwriter
╬ ATHLETICS
Nadia Comaneci, 49, Olympic gold medal gymnast, born Onesti, Romania
Tonya Harding, 40, former figure skater
Al Michaels, 66, sportscaster: Monday Night Football [since 1986]; Emmy: Outstanding Sports Personality -- Play-by-Play Host
Sammy Sosa, 42, baseball (Rangers, White Sox, Cubs, Orioles, Rangers), born San Pedro de Macoris, Dominican Republic
╬ BUSINESS & EDUCATION
Charles Manson, 76, criminal (Tate-Labianco)
╬ POLITICS
Harry A Blackmun, Supreme Court justice (1970-1999)—in 1908
Elizabeth Cady Stanton, suffragist (80 Years & More)—in 1815
Letitia Christian Tyler, 1st wife of President Tyler—in 1790
Sun Yat-sen, father of modern China (ROC & PRC) (traditional)
╬ SCIENCE & RELIGION
Bahá'u'lláh (Mirza Husayn Ali), founded Bahá'ís faith—in 1817
Juana Ines de La Cruz, poet/nun/feminist (Primer Sueno)—in 1651
¤ Today’s Obituaries ¤
Eve Arden, American actress @ 82 in 1990
Jonathan Brandis, American actor, suicide @ 27
Percival Lowell, American amateur astronomer, founder of Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff, Arizona, stroke @ 61 in 1916
Wilma Rudolph, American runner, brain/throat cancer @ 54 in 1994
Penny Singleton, American actress @ 95 in 2003
¤ Today’s Events ¤
╬ THE ARTS
1936»1st TV Gardening show
1946»Walt Disney's "Song Of The South" released
╬ ATHLETICS
1892»Pudge Heffelfinger receives $500, becomes 1st pro football player
╬ BUSINESS & EDUCATION
1936»Oakland Bay Bridge opens
1946»1st drive-up bank window established (Chicago)
╬ INDIGENOUS PEOPLE
1764»Colonel Henry Bouquet calls upon the Shawnee, at his camp on the Muskingum River, to deliver all of their remaining prisoners. He asks the Shawnees to treat them gently.
1935»An election to establish constitution for the Tuolumne Band of Me-WokIndians of the Tuolumne Rancheria is authorized by the Secretary of the Interior
╬ POLITICS (US)
1775»General Washington forbids recruiting officers enlisting blacks
1975»Supreme Court Justice William O Douglas retired after 36 years
╬ POLITICS (International)
1927»Trotsky expelled from Soviet CP; Stalin becomes undisputed dictator
1979»US halts Iranian oil imports & freezes Iranian assets
╬ SCIENCE & RELIGION
1915»Theodore W. Richards of Harvard University became the first American to be awarded the Nobel Prize in chemistry
1933»1st known photo of Loch Ness monster (or whatever) is taken
1956»Largest observed iceberg, 208 by 60 miles, 1st sighted
1981»1st balloon crossing of the Pacific is completed (Double Eagle V)
1984»Spacewalker Joseph Allen became the first astronaut to rescue a satellite.
GREY MATTER ANSWERS
↔ JEOPARDY
$200-The seasick sea serpent
Who was Cecil?
$400-While Lassie was played by a male, this dolphin was played by a female
Who was Flipper?
$600-He was 1st of several chimps featured in the early days of "The Today Show"
Who was J Fred Muggs?
$800-In the TV show "Maya", it's what Maya was
What is an elephant?
$1000-In this series, Starbuck's little friend Boxie had a pet Daggit
What was Battlestar Galactica?
↔ PICTURE
An old saw
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Flagstaff, Arizona, United States
I retired in '06--at the ripe old age of 57. I enjoy blogging, photography, traveling, and living life to it's fullest.