7-6-11

Ø  TODAY’s “Geez”:

·        1848 - Mexican-American War ended with the Treaty of Guadaloupe Hidalgo

·        1923 - Union of Soviet Socialist Republics form

·        1942 - Anne Frank's family goes into hiding in After House, Amsterdam

·        1949 - Freak heat wave sent central coast of Portugal to 158°F for 2 minutes

·        1988 - North Sea oil platform Piper Alpha explodes, 166 die

Ø  Free Rambling Thoughts…

Our much welcomed monsoons continue. Today it got very warm before the rain arrived. When it got here, things cooled off quickly. We had two nice storms, neither was a hard rain, and both lasted about 30 minutes +. So nice to live in Flagstaff. I have a little sunburn from yesterday. I put on SPF50 before going to the parade. I should have added some when I went to the party. Yesterday was good prep for my river trip. Now I know they mean it when they say, reapply every two hours. And I will. I’m also picking up some aloe vera gel for the trip.

I seem to be in the minority regarding the Casey Anthony trial. I accept the jury decision that there was enough reasonable doubt to not convict her. Her family appears to be so dysfunctional she need to be put in serious mental rehab, along with her mother and father. I once sat on a Grand Jury for 90 days. We only met once a week, so it wasn’t as bad as it sounds. We didn’t deal with reasonable doubt…all we heard from was the prosecution. It was an eye-opening experience for sure. I have never sat on a jury that determines guilt or not guilt. I do understand that the prosecution must provide evidence that shows guilt without reasonable doubt. So far this year, eleven children have drowned in family pools in AZ. None of the adults have been charged with anything. As far as I know, no one in AZ has found a drowned child, buried the child, and claimed kidnapping. This FL trial only became national news when people like Nancy Grace and Fox put it on the news every day. Those pundits could say anything they wanted; they would only show clips that fit their scenario. They were not in the courtroom, nor were they sworn in as jurors. All the people who are screaming about a miscarriage of justice need to remember that, no matter what they have heard or read, they didn’t sit in that courtroom every day and certainly didn’t hear everything. The lesson here is realize that what you see and hear in the ‘news’ always has an agenda these days.

Another oil spill. This one is on the Yellowstone River in Montana/Wyoming. I spent some time fishing on that river in my youth. It is really beautiful country. So sad for the wildlife. And again, the big oil company really has no idea what to do. The governor of MT happens to be a soil scientist. He has been asking for months if the high run off from Rockies is going to affect these pipelines that are underneath rivers in MT. He says that he was given assurances from the oil company bureaucrats that the company was ready for all scenarios. They were wrong and the Governor had warned them. When will we ever learn?

Be sure and catch the video on Pat Paulsen’s Birthday listing: His Editorials!

Ø  Trivia Quiz…(answers at the end of post)

1.      In which state are the Catskill Mountains?

2.      The Horseshoe Falls are part of which famous Falls?

3.      Which city is the home of jazz?

4.      In which state is the Sun Studio famous for its Elvis recordings?

5.      Which Gulf lies to the south of Florida?

6.      What day in November is Veterans Day?

7.      Which Mile Island is home to a nuclear power plant?

8.      Which Island is the smallest state of the Union?

9.      Which President had a summer retreat at Kennebunkport?

10.   Which state takes its name from Alayeska, "great land of the west"?

11.   What is Hawaii's largest city?

12.   In which city is Santa Monica Bay?

13.   Which city has an area called Haight-Ashbury?

Ø  Zoom-ed in Picture…Can you Identify what this is? (Answer at end of post)

Ø  Hmmmmm…

·        Chances that a Chinese criminal prosecution will result in a guilty verdict: 9 in 10

Ø  Somewhat Useless Information…

·        Betsy Ross sewed the first American flag. It is not clear who actually designed it, but the experts at the Betsy Ross House suggest it was Francis Hopkinson, a New Jersey delegate to the Continental Congress and a signer of the Declaration of Independence.

·        The Liberty Bell sounded from the tower of Independence Hall on July 8, 1776, summoning citizens to gather for the first public reading of the Declaration of Independence by Colonel John Nixon.

·        June 14, 1777, the Continental Congress, looking to promote national pride and unity, adopted the national flag. "Resolved: that the flag of the United States be thirteen stripes, alternate red and white; that the union be thirteen stars, white in a blue field, representing a new constellation."

·        The origin of Uncle Sam probably began in 1812, when Samuel Wilson was a meat packer who provided meat to the US Army. The meat shipments were stamped with the initials, U.S. Someone joked that the initials stood for "Uncle Sam". This joke eventually led to the idea of Uncle Sam symbolizing the United States government.

Ø  Yeah, It Really Happened…

Miami- A Florida Keys man was nearly stabbed in his sleep and had his nipple bitten by his girlfriend after she got mad at an ill-timed blonde comment, the Monroe County Sheriff's Office said Tuesday.

Patricia Shrader, 51, was arrested and charged with domestic violence and battery for the early morning incident that carried over from a Fourth of July celebration.

According to an arrest report, Shrader and her fiancé, Kerwyn Mearns, were drinking at a pool hall in Marathon when Mearns made a comment about his woman's new hairdo.

Shrader had recently added blonde highlights in her hair, and Mearns made a joke to a friend stating, "You're such a blonde," the arrest report stated.

The comment set Shrader off and she bit her beau on the right nipple without warning, deputies said. The blonde dispute didn't end there, and the argument continued when the couple got home.

As Mearns lay in the bed, Shrader went on the offensive again and stabbed the bed twice with a kitchen knife with an eight-inch blade, deputies said. The stab marks in the bed were "near the resting area of a person's head," the report stated.

Mearns told deputies he was never in fear of his life during the episode.

Ø  Guffaw…or at least smile…

A lawyer was cross-examining the doctor about whether or not he had checked the pulse of the deceased before he signed the death certificate.

"No," the doctor said. "I did not check his pulse."

"And did you listen for a heartbeat?" asked the lawyer.

"No I did not," the doctor said. "So," said the lawyer, "when you signed the death certificate, you had not taken steps to make sure he was dead."

The doctor said, "Well, let me put it this way. The man's brain was in a jar on my desk but, for all I know, he could be out practicing law somewhere."

Ø  Searchin’ “You Tube” I found…

Ned Beatty at the Hamptons Film Festival

Ø  Daybook Information…

…Happening This Week:

·        1-4  International Chicken Wing Week

·        1-7  National Unassisted Homebirth Week

·        3-9  Be Nice To New Jersey Week

·        4-10 Freedom Week

  Nude Recreation Weekend

Ø  TODAY IS

·        National Fried Chicken Day

·        Take Your Webmaster to Lunch Day

·        Comoros: Independence Day (1975 from France: archipelago island nation in the Indian Ocean, located off the eastern coast of Africa)

·        Lithuania: Day of Statehood (1253: first and only king coroneted)

·        Malawi: Republic Day (1964 from Britain: landlocked country in southeast Africa)

·         

Ø  Today’s Events:

…  IN ARTS

1928 - 1st all-talking motion picture shown in NY (Lights of NY)

1957 - Beatle John Lennon 1st meets Paul McCartney

…  IN ATHLETICS

1920 - Yankees score 14 in 5th inning & beat Washington Senators, 17-0

1962 - Mantle hits his 3rd & 4th consecutive homer

…  IN BUSINESS

1858 - Lyman Blake patents shoe manufacturing machine

1944 - 170 die in a fire at Ringling Bros Circus in Hartford Conn

… IN EDUCATION

▬

…  FOR INDIGENOUS PEOPLE

1825 - The Cheyenne sign a "friendship" treaty (7 stat. 255) with the United States at the mouth of the Tongue River—a tributary of the Yellowstone River in Montana

…  IN INTERNATIONAL POLITICS

1483 - England's King Richard III crowned

1560 - England/Scotland signs Treaty of Edinburgh

1652 - Fire on Dutch Dam (Amsterdam's city hall burns)

1917 - T E Lawrence captures Port of Agaba from Turkey

1945 - Nicaragua becomes 1st nation to formally accept UN Charter

… IN RELIGION

▬

…  IN SCIENCE

1484 - Portuguese sea captain Diogo Cão finds the mouth of the Congo River.

1885 - Louis Pasteur successfully tests an anti-rabies vaccine

…  IN US POLITICS

1775 - Congress issues "Declaration of the Causes & Necessity of Taking up Arms," listing grievances but denying intent to be independent

1785 - Congress resolves US currency named "dollar" & adopts decimal coinage

1945 - Pres Truman signs executive order establishing Medal of Freedom

1970 - California passes 1st "no fault" divorce law

1983 - Supreme Court rules retirement plans can't pay women less

… ARTISTS:  AUTHORS:  COMPOSERS

1925 - Merv Griffin,  TV host (Merv Griffin Show) game show creator

…ATHLETES

Fred Dryer, NFL- (NY Giants, LA Rams)/actor (Hunter) turns 65

Benita Fitzgerald-Brown, 100m hurdler (Olympic-gold-1984) turns 50

…ENTERTAINERS (ACTORS/SINGERS…)

Allyce Beasley actor turns 57

Ned Beatty, actor (Deliverance, Repossed, Network) turns 74

1918 - Sebastian Cabot, London, actor (Mr French-Family Affair, Time Machine)

Gene Chandler, [Eugene Dixon], rocker ( Duke of Earl ) turns 74

50 Cent, American rapper turns 36

Shelley Hack actor turns 59

1925 - Bill Haley, rock vocalist (Rock Around the Clock)

Burt Ward actor turns 66

1927 - Janet Leigh, [Jeanetta Morrison], actress (Psycho Shower Scene)

Tamera and Tia Mowry, twin actress (Sisters) turn 33

1927 - Pat Paulsen, comedian/pres candidate (Smothers Bros Show: His Editorials)

Della Reese, singer/actress/minister (Della Reese Show, Touched by an Angel) turns 79

Sylvester Stallone,  actor/director (Rocky, Rambo, Cobra) turns 65

… ENTREPRENEUR & EDUCATORS

▬

…POLITICIANS

George Walker Bush Jr, 43rd President of the United States (2001-09) and 46th Governor of Texas (1995-2000) turns 65

1747 - John Paul Jones, naval hero ("I have not yet begun to fight")

1923 - Nancy Davis Reagan, [Anne Francis Robbins], 1st Lady (1981-89) turns 88

…SCIENTISTS / THEOLOGISTS

1785 - William J Hooker, English botanist/director (Kew Gardens)

1896 - Thomas W McKnew, president (National Geographic Society)

Ø  Today’s Obits:

1973 - Joe E Brown, comedian, dies after long illness at 80

2003 - Buddy Ebsen, American actor dies at 95

1962 - William [Harrison] Faulkner, US writer (Nobel 1949), dies of heart attack at 64

2009 - Robert McNamara, United States Secretary of Defense dies at 93

1535 - Thomas More, philosopher (Utopia), executed for treason at 57

1998 - Roy Rogers, American actor dies at 87  (four movie songs)

Ø  ANSWERS:

Ø  Trivia Quiz

1.      In which state are the Catskill Mountains?

a.      New York

2.      The Horseshoe Falls are part of which famous Falls?

a.      Niagara

3.      Which city is the home of jazz?

a.      New Orleans

4.      In which state is the Sun Studio famous for its Elvis recordings?

a.      Tennessee

5.      Which Gulf lies to the south of Florida?

a.      Mexico

6.      What day in November is Veterans Day?

a.      11th

7.      Which Mile Island is home to a nuclear power plant?

a.      Three Mile Island

8.      Which Island is the smallest state of the Union?

a.      Rhode Island

9.      Which President had a summer retreat at Kennebunkport?

a.      George Bush

10.   Which state takes its name from Alayeska, "great land of the west"?

a.      Alaska

11.   What is Hawaii's largest city?

a.      Honolulu

12.   In which city is Santa Monica Bay?

a.      Los Angeles

13.   Which city has an area called Haight-Ashbury?

a.      San Francisco

Ø  Close Up Picture

Ø  …AND THAT’S ALL FOR NOW

7-5-11

Ø  TODAY’s “Geez”:

·        1643 - 1st recorded tornado in US (Essex County, Massachusetts)

·        1954 - The BBC broadcasts its first television news bulletin

·        1971 - 26th amendment certified (reduces voting age to 18)

·        1985 - Premier Mugabe wins Zimbabwe elections

·        1994 - The United States announced it would refuse further unrestricted immigration from Haiti

Ø  Free Rambling Thoughts…

A great Independence Day in Flagstaff. It started early with the parade, usually at 10, starting at 9am this morning. The parade lasted until 10:45, rather long for Flagstaff. Bands, Politicians, Businesses, Individuals, a bagpiper, lots of children groups—dancers, private schools, after school activity groups, and even some horses and wagons. There were a couple of military groups too. Of course the Tea Party had a very loud entry…letting us know they were there. The Dems and the Republicans were there too. Our Rep had a float but of course was ‘busy’ in DC stalling the debt ceiling mess. Mary’s birthday party was very nice with about 8 grandkids of those at the party. Lots of good food, lots of great conversation.

Springerville had to be evacuated a few weeks ago, while the largest fire in AZ’s recorded history blew around the town. Eleven structures were lost. So what does the Springerville Chamber of Commerce decide to do: have a fireworks display last night. Surprise, the hot fireworks fell to earth and started a fairly large brush fire. Duh.

Every Independence Day, for as long as I can remember, our local paper has printed the flag on the front page on heavy paper. The the regular headline page 1 is inside. It’s a patriotic thing. This year, when I opened the paper the flag was there, but it looked odd. I couldn’t figure out why, but knew it looked different. All the stars, stripes, and the blue field were all there. I thought about it, but couldn’t get it out of my head. When I got to the computer, I checked flag etiquette on the ol’ internets. That’s where I figured it out. The local paper printed the flag backwards. Amazing! When the flag was held up, the blue field was on the right. Etiquette says that it should be on the left. It looked strange because one never sees the flag this way.  

Trivia Quiz…(answers at the end of post)

1)      In which month is Labor day a national holiday?

2)      Which state lies to the south of Georgia?

3)      Which ocean is off the Californian coast?

4)      Where is the Guggenheim Museum?

5)      In which state is Harvard University?

6)      Which state was called Quinnehtukqut by Native Americans?

7)      What is the other main Boston newspaper along with the Herald?

8)      A museum in whose memory can be visited at Hyannis?

9)      What does the middle A stand for in the AAA?

10)   Whose birthday is a national holiday on the third Monday of January?

11)   If it's noon in Boston, what time is it New York?

12)   Which two Mid-Atlantic States have ‘new’ in their names?

Ø  Zoom-ed in Picture…Can you Identify what this is? (Answer at end of post)

Ø  Hmmmmm…

·        Chance that an American adult is either incarcerated, on probation, or on parole: 1 in 31

Ø  Somewhat Useless Information…

·        A bubble is round because the air within it presses equally against all its parts, thus causing all surfaces to be equidistant from its center.

·        A whip makes a cracking sound because its tip moves faster than the speed of sound (760 miles per hour).

·        An egg will float if placed in water to which sugar has been added.

·        When glass breaks the cracks move faster than 3,000 miles per hour. To photograph the event a camera must shoot at a millionth of a second.

Ø  Yeah, It Really Happened…

HOWELL TOWNSHIP, N.J. — A wayward baboon that apparently escaped from an amusement park and became a mini-celebrity — appearing at a golf course and being followed on Twitter — was captured Saturday after spending three days on the lam.

The animal appeared to be unharmed when it was found and tranquilized at a farm in Howell Township, in southern New Jersey. The farm isn't far from Six Flags Great Adventure's Monkey Jungle in Jackson Township, which has about 150 baboons that are part of a drive-through safari.

Park officials confirmed the capture and said they believed the animal was theirs. But they won't know for sure until it's assessed and they can see if it has a microchip that's embedded in all their baboons.

Numerous online followers tracked the baboon's travels after it initially was spotted Thursday. Many posted on a tongue-in-cheek Twitter account created by a person posing as the baboon.

Park spokeswoman Kristin Siebeneicher said the baboon, which appeared to be an adolescent, would be taken to the park for a physical exam and health assessment. She said all of Great Adventure's baboons are vaccinated, fenced in and implanted with microchips beneath their skin, but they are not counted daily because they sleep outside in the Monkey Jungle preserve.

And if it turns out that it was one of their baboons that escaped, park officials want to know how it got out because they have found no signs that an escape occurred.

Police and park officials had been looking for the baboon since Thursday afternoon, after a driver saw it near Interstate 195, not far from the park in Ocean County. A short time later, a woman reported that the baboon was sitting on her back porch.

Several sightings were then reported in nearby residential areas on Friday, and officials thought they finally had the baboon cornered in a tree at a local golf course on late Friday afternoon. But an attempt to shoot a tranquilizer dart at it failed, and it ran off into the woods.

Officials had said the baboon didn't pose a threat to residents but as a precaution warned them not to approach it if they encountered it. They believed the animal was frightened and was just trying to find its way back home.

Ø  Guffaw…or at least smile…

·        This police officer sees an old lady driving and knitting at the same time so after driving next to her for awhile he yells to her,"PULLOVER".

She replies,"No a pair of socks".

Ø  Searchin’ “You Tube” I found…

Inky Dinky Duet - Jimmy Durante and Mrs. Miller

Ø  Daybook Information…

…Happening This Week:

·        1-4  International Chicken Wing Week

·        1-7  National Unassisted Homebirth Week

·        3-9  Be Nice To New Jersey Week

·        4-10 Freedom Week

  Nude Recreation Weekend

Ø  TODAY IS

o   Bikini Day

o   Workaholics Day

o   Algeria: Independence Day (1962 from France)

o   Camp Verde: Independence Day (1975 from Portugal after 500 years)

o   Venezuela: Independence Day (1811 from Spain  Bicentennial )

o   Zambia: Unity Day

Ø  Today’s Events:

…  IN ARTS

1942 - Ian Fleming graduates from a training school for spies in Canada

…  IN ATHLETICS

1914 - Boston Braves are 15 games back in NL, & win World Series

1937 - Joe DiMaggio's 1st grand slammer

1958 - 65th Wimbledon Womens Tennis: Althea Gibson beats A Mortimer

1980 - 94th Wimbledon Mens Tennis: Bjorn Borg beats McEnroe (1-6; 7-5; 6-3; 6-7; 8-6)

1991 - Colorado Rockies & Florida Marlins given final approval by owners

…  IN BUSINESS

1841 - Thomas Cook opens 1st travel agency

1937 - Spam, the luncheon meat, was introduced into the market by the Hormel 

… IN EDUCATION

▬

…  FOR INDIGENOUS PEOPLE

1871 - Trial against Kiowa chief Satanta (White Bear) & Big Tree . They are found guilty after three days of testimony. Satanta tells the court, "If you let me go, I will withdrawn my warriors from Tehanna, but if you kill me, it will be a spark on the prairie. Make big fire-burn heap." Although sentenced to be hanged, the Texas Governor, fearing a Kiowa uprising, decides to commute the sentences to life in a Texas prison. Eventually, Big Tree and Satanta are freed. Later, Satanta is returned to prison, where he commits suicide by jumping off a prison balcony on October 11, 1874.

…  IN INTERNATIONAL POLITICS

1295 - Scotland & France sign anti-English covenant: Auld Alliance

1973 - Isle of Man begins issuing their own postage stamps

2009 - Ethnic rioting broke out in Ürümqi, Xinjiang, People's Republic of China … IN RELIGION

…  IN SCIENCE

1687 - Isaac Newton's PRINCIPIA published by Royal Society in England

1983 - Woman gives birth to baby 84 days after brain death (Roanoke, VA)

2003 - SARS is declared to be contained by the WHO

…  IN US POLITICS

1834 - Provisional government forms in Oregon Country

1865 - US Secret Service began operating under the Treasury Department

1966 - National Guard mobilizes in Omaha after 3rd night of rioting

… ARTISTS:  AUTHORS:  COMPOSERS

John Gilmore, American true crime author turns 76

…ATHLETES

Richard "Goose" Gossage, relief pitcher (Yankees, Padres, A's) turns 60

Nate Singleton, NFL wide receiver (SF 49ers) turns 43

…ENTERTAINERS (ACTORS/SINGERS…)

Edie Falco, actor will be 48

Shirley Knight, actor will be 75

1904 - Milburn Stone, actor (Doc-Gunsmoke)

… ENTREPRENEUR & EDUCATORS

1794 - Sylvester Graham, developed graham cracker

1905 - Myles Horton, American educator and Civil Rights Movement teacher 

…POLITICIANS

Julie Nixon Eisenhower, daughter of Richard Milhaus turns 63

1902 - Henry Cabot Lodge, Jr. (Sen-R)/ambassador (VP candidate 1960)

1675 - Mary Walcott, American accuser at the Salem witch trials

…SCIENTISTS / THEOLOGISTS

1996 - Dolly the sheep, first mammal to be cloned from an adult cell born in Scotland

Ø  Today’s Obits:

1983 - Harry James, swing-era bandleader/trumpet player, dies of lymphatic cancer at 67

1948 - Carole Landis, US actress (1 Million BC, Topper Returns), commits suicide at 29

1997 - Mrs. Miller, American singer dies at 89

2002 - Ted Williams, baseball hall of famer and last player to bat over.400 in a single season (Boston Red Sox) dies at 84

Ø  ANSWERS:

Ø  Trivia Quiz

1)      In which month is Labor day a national holiday.

(a)    September

2)      Which state lies to the south of Georgia?

(a)    Florida

3)      Which ocean is off the Californian coast?

(a)    Pacific

4)      Where is the Guggenheim Museum?

(a)    New York

5)      In which state is Harvard University?

(a)    Massachusetts

6)      Which state was called Quinnehtukqut by Native Americans?

(a)    Connecticut [Mohegan for 'Long River Place' or 'Beside the Long Tidal River']

7)      What is the other main Boston newspaper along with the Herald?

(a)    Globe

8)      A museum in whose memory can be visited at Hyannis?

(a)    John F. Kennedy

9)      What does the middle A stand for in the AAA?

(a)    Automobile

10)   Whose birthday is a national holiday on the third Monday of January?

(a)    Martin Luther King

11)   If it's noon in Boston, what time is it New York?

(a)    Noon

12)   Which two mid-Atlantic states have new in their names?

(a)    New York & New Jersey

Ø  Close Up Picture

Ø  …AND THAT’S ALL FOR NOW