4-13-13


FYI: Any blue text is a link. Click to check it out!
Flagstaff Almanac:  Week: 15/ Day: 103   Today: H 59°L 27°
Wind: ave:   7mph; Gusts:  26mph  Ave. humidity:  45%
*Averages: H  57° L 28° Records: H 75°(1904)L 7°(1953)

Quote of the Day

Today’s Historical Highlights
1st elephant arrives in US from India…1796
 Apollo 13 announces "Houston, we've got a problem!" en route to Moon…1970
Best view of Halley's Comet in 2000 years…837
Due to lack of funds, Saturday mail delivery in US is temp halted…1957
Establishment of the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea…1919
FDR dedicates Jefferson Memorial…1943
J C Penney opens his 1st store in Kemmerer, WY…1902
Nelson Mandela announces he will seek divorce from Winnie…1992
North Korean long range rocket testing ends in failure after the rocket broke up 
     after launch…2012
Seventh Crusade is defeated in Egypt, Louis IX of France is captured…1250
Sherman's march through Georgia begins…1865

     Happy Birthday To: ♪. ♪   
How many can you identify?…answers in Today’s Birthdays

Free Rambling Thoughts   
Day started out great, but the afternoon clouds sure put a damper on outside activity. The guys got finished with their rocks early today, and I was able to take some time to put my planters and stuff back where they belong. I’ve got a few ideas to ‘personalize’ the area a little more, but will see how that all works out when the threat of rain and or wind diminishes.

I’m having lunch with one of my old bosses next week. He is still working for Navajo Nation. Haven’t heard from him or his wife for a couple of months, then today is his wife’s b-day, so I posted a note on FB. She responded with an invitation to lunch. Seems they have been in Flag for a couple of weeks and he had an operation. I’ll find out more about that when we meet, as she didn’t seem to want to talk about it yet. Always scary when someone says ‘they took out a small tumor’.  Sure hope he is OK.

The gun violence debate is coming. Thanks to the families of the Sandy Hook kids who were killed. I have to wonder if it was just the ‘right time’ for the debate, or why the parents of Columbine, the Aurora theater survivors, or any others who suffered from this kind of violence didn’t show up in Congress. To me the amazing thing about the Sandy Hook people is their calmness is speaking about losing a child. Even when confronted by naysayers, they remain calm in their message. They seem to offer so much hope for our country. How they moved from anger so quickly is certainly something that should be studied to help others. These families are certainly driven to bring change.

Somehow a French art dealer had possession numerous Hopi and Zuni religious objects and decided to auction them off. The Hopi, Zuni, and most Native Americans are outraged. From the point of view of the Hopi, these ‘religious objects’ are so much more than that, they are actually the sacred beings. For those how haven’t lived around Hopi, I’m sure it is hard to understand. The Hopi, the Zuni, and the Dept. of State had requested the dealer not to auction these sacred things. The Hopi say they were ‘stolen’ during the early 1900’s, the art dealer says he has appropriate paperwork. The fear of many in the museum community is that if the objects were returned it would open floodgates worldwide and devastate their collections. A Hopi posted that selling these secret and sacred objects would be like going to Israel, taking the cross used to crucify Jesus and using it as a fence post. The dealer and the French government did not stop the sale and somebody paid $1.2million for the collection. The Hopi did not bid as they do not have that kind of money and they didn’t see it appropriate to buy things that were already part of their culture and history. Most of the news media respected the Hopi request that these sacred objects not be photographed and stated that in their news stories around the auction. I am so naive, as I thought that museum community had long ago agreed that ‘stolen’ artifacts or art objects would be returned to an owner who could prove they were stolen. Guess that is not the case. I am pleased that Northern AZ Museum, our world famous local museum, took the side of the Natives. So sad that money plays such a big role in our culture.

Flag is in the National news…in a good way. Last night an alert Postal inspector at our local PO found a package bomb that was addressed to Sheriff Joe in Phoenix. Took a long time for news to get out, although many were posting on FB about the number of police, ambulances, and fire trucks blocking the road that leads to the main post office. Finally news came out, and all was well here in Flagstaff. Still a very scary story. We also learned that our PO have an X-ray machine to test suspicious packages, that our PO employees are vigilant, the Bomb Squad knows what to do, and while we are a small town, things happen.

Game  Center (answers at the end of post)
Brain Teasers
When you curtail a word, you remove the last letter and still have a valid word. You will be given clues for the two words, longer word first. Example: Begin -> Heavenly body Answer: The words are Start and Star.
1. Bend out of shape -> Armed conflict
2. Muscle contraction -> Pack to capacity
3. Pass over; omit -> Glide on snow
4. Wet -> Large water barrier
5. Marsh; bog -> Moved through water
6. Waterproof canvas -> Pitch; oily residue
7. Cry; shed tears -> Very small
8. Assume a slouching posture; decrease suddenly -> Run-down part of a city

*****
Hint
The words start with these letters:
1. W
2. C
3. S
4. D
5. S
6. T
7. W
8. S
Lifestyle  Substance:     
Found on You Tube with some relevance to today
Origins of Phrases
A little knowledge is a dangerous thing
Meaning
A small amount of knowledge can mislead people into thinking that they are more expert than they really are.
Origin
'A little knowledge is a dangerous thing' and 'a little learning is a dangerous thing' have been used synonymously since the 18th century.
The version 'a little learning' is widely attributed to Alexander Pope (1688 - 1744). It is found inAn Essay on Criticism, 1709, and I can find no earlier example of the expression in print:
A little learning is a dangerous thing;
drink deep, or taste not the Pierian spring:
there shallow draughts intoxicate the brain,
and drinking largely sobers us again.
The similarity of the two phrases is demonstrated by what appears to be an impromptu coining of 'a little knowledge is a dangerous thing' in a piece in The monthly miscellany; or Gentleman and Lady's Complete Magazine, Vol II, 1774, in which the writer misquoted Pope:
Mr. Pope says, very truly, "A little knowledge is a dangerous thing."
Both Pope's original verse and the misquotation of it were predated by an anonymous author, signing himself 'A B', in the collection of letters published in 1698 as The mystery of phanaticism:
"Twas well observed by my Lord Bacon, That a little knowledge is apt to puff up, and make men giddy, but a greater share of it will set them right, and bring them to low and humble thoughts of themselves.
Again, there is a degree of misquotation here; what 'my Lord Bacon', the English politician and philosopher Francis Bacon, Viscount St Alban, actually said, in The Essays: Of Atheism, 1601, was:
"A little philosophy inclineth man’s mind to atheism; but depth in philosophy bringeth men’s minds about to religion."
So, who coined the phrase? It appears to have been a group effort. Bacon can be credited with the idea, Pope with the 'learning' version and the mysterious 'A B' with the 'knowledge' version.
Ok, then?

Harper’s Index    
Portion of the French who are pessimistic about the future: 7/10
Picture of the Day: Rainforest Medicines

Unusual Fact of the Day
Big Ben doesn’t refer to a clock; it's actually the name for the bell inside that famous clock tower! 
Joke-of-the-day

Anytime you see a young man open a car door for his girlfriend, either the car is new or the girlfriend is.
Rules of Thumb:   
Easy shortcuts to make an ‘educated’ guess
SAGGING HOUSES

There is cause for concern if the ridge of a house sags more than 1/2 inch per year.
Yeah, It Really Happened
A father from Hastings, Minnesota could face charges after his 2-year-old was found wandering on a busy street holding two bottles of hard lemonade.
The 42-year-old father is being held in the Dakota County Jail.
Hastings police say a couple from Prescott, Wisconsin found the toddler, without shoes or socks, in the middle of the road Sunday afternoon. Authorities say the father called police a couple hours later to report his son missing. Officers arrested the man after they arrived at his house, saying he was intoxicated and uncooperative.
The toddler was returned to his mother, who doesn't live with the father.


Somewhat Useless Information   

  • In South East Asia, the banana leaf is used to wrap food (in the place of plastic bags and cling wraps), providing a unique flavor and aroma to nasi lemak and the Indian banana leaf rice. 
  • Mineral deposits in caves growing upward are stalagmites, the ones growing downward are stalactites.
  • Sea water, loaded with mineral salts, weighs about a pound and a half more per cubit foot than fresh water at the same temperature.
  • The most abundant metal in the Earth's crust is aluminum. It is also one of the most difficult to extract. 
  • The Chinese were using aluminum to make things as early as 300 AD Western civilization didn't rediscover aluminum until 1827.
  • The United States government keeps its supply of silver at the US Military Academy at West Point, NY. Erected in 1937 as the West Point Bullion Depository, this was originally a storage facility for silver bullion and was nicknamed "The Fort Knox of Silver." 
 
Calendar Information        
Happening This Week:
7-13
National Animal Control Appreciation Week
National Blue Ribbon Week
National Public Health Week
National Week of the Ocean
National Window Safety Week: 7

American Indian Awareness Week
11-14
The Masters Tournament
YoYo & Skill Toy Weekend

Today Is                                                                      
Blame Somebody Else Day
Baby Massage Day
Scrabble Day
Thomas Jefferson Day
~Sri Lanka: Sinhala and Tamil New Year

Today’s Events through History  
1st Pony Express reaches Sacramento CA…1860
Congress will create the Indian Claims Commission to hear and decide claims 
     made by Indians based on land losses from treaties…1946
Final episode of Pat Sajak's late night TV show on CBS…1990
Hindustani Lal Sena (Indian Red Army) is formed and vows to engage in 
     armed struggle against the British…1939
Steam power brake patented (George Westinghouse)…1869
US boycotts Summer Olympics in Moscow…1980

Today’s Birthdays                                                           
In their 80’s
Ben Nighthorse Campbell, Native politician (Sen-D Colorado) is 80

In their 70’s
Paul Sorvino, actor [Good Fellas] is 74
Lyle Waggoner, actor (Carol Burnette Show, Wonder Woman) is 78

In their 60’s
Tony Dow, Hollywood California, actor (Wally-Leave it to Beaver) is 68
Ron Perlman, actor (Quest for Fire, Beauty & the Beast) is 62

In their 50’s

In their 40’s
Caroline Rhea, actress/stand up comedianne is 49
Rick Schroder, actor [Silver Spoons, The Champ] is 43

Remembered for being born today
Don Adams, American actor and comedian [1923-2005]
Jonathan Brandis, actor (Lucas Wolenczak-seaQuest DSV) [1976-2003]
Butch Cassidy, [Robert LeRoy Parker], American desperado (Wild Bunch Passage)[1866-1908?]
Guy Fawkes, English Catholic conspirator [1570-1606]
Thomas Jefferson, Virginia, (D-R) 3rd President of the United States [1743-1826]
Philippe de Rothschild, Paris, manager (Bordeaux Vineyard) [1902-1988]
Jon Stone, co-creator of Sesame Street [1931-1997]
Eudora Welty, Jackson Ms, novelist (Optimist's Daughter-Pulitzer) [1909-2001]
F.W. Woolworth, American businessman [1852-1919]

Today’s Historical Obits                                                           
Robert Fortune, Scottish botanist…1880…at 68  
Charles Leslie, Irish controversialist…1722…at 72
John Wheeler, American physicist and educator…2008…at 96

Answer: Brain Teasers
1. Warp -> War
2. Cramp -> Cram
3. Skip -> Ski
4. Damp -> Dam
5. Swamp -> Swam
6. Tarp -> Tar
7. Weep -> Wee
8. Slump -> Slum


Disclaimer: All opinions are mine…feel free to agree or disagree.
All ‘data’ info is from the internet sites and is usually checked with at least one other source, but I have learned that every site has mistakes and sadly once out the information is out there, many sites simply copy it and is therefore difficult to verify. Also for events occurring before the Gregorian calendar was adopted [1582] the dates may not be totally accurate.
§    And That Is All for Now  §

4/12/13


FYI: Any blue text is a link. Click to check it out!
Flagstaff Almanac:  Week: 15/ Day: 102   Today: H 58°L 27°
Wind: ave:   12mph; Gusts:  34mph  Ave. humidity:  47%
*Averages: H  57° L 27° Records: H 75°(1907)L 10°(1945)

Quote of the Day


Today’s Historical Highlights
1st US colonists on Pacific coast arrive at Cape Disappointment, WA …1811
4th Crusade occupies & plunders Constantinople…1204
Bill Haley & Comets records "Rock Around Clock"…1954
Catcher's mask 1st used in a baseball game…1877
Ceasefire in the 2011-2012 Syrian uprising comes into effect…2012
England adopts Union Jack as its flag…1606
Highest velocity wind ever recorded on Mt Washington, NH, 231 mph…1934
Japan kills about 400 Filipino officers in Bataan…1942
Simon & Garfunkel releases "Boxer"…1969
US began requiring medical tests for marriage licenses…1938

     Happy Birthday To: ♪. ♪   
How many can you identify?…answers in Today’s Birthdays


Free Rambling Thoughts   
The grounds people worked another day on our new rocks. I feel like a little kid, enjoy watching the machines move the tons of rocks around. I can already see some problems ahead. First is a safety concern…the small pebbles were no safety issue, but these rocks can be easily thrown through a window in one of the units or through any vehicle window. And there are now thousands of them. A second problem will be getting rid of the millions of pine needles that fall around our property…we live in a forested area of pines…which is very nice…but the trees drop their needles year round. In the past they have used strong leaf blowers, but somehow I don’t think this is going to work anymore. Only time will tell and the change in look is nice right now.
 
Interesting to watch C-Span this morning as the vote came in on the decision to move the new gun law forward for debate. Thankfully both AZ senators voted to move the bill forward. I’m sure the debate will be as interesting as so much in Congress. A FB posted an interesting comment today regarding congress. Basically she was asking why there is always an outcry about teacher pay that always contains the number of days off they get every year and there is no outcry about Congressional pay and their time off. A good question. Today they voted from their offices and then took a three hour lunch break.
 
Still laughing about the latest from Dubai. The police department now has a $500,000 Lamborghini in their fleet. On my latest visit there I learned that it is illegal to drive or park a dirty car and you can be ticketed. It doesn’t rain very much there but it does have a lot of wind and sand and all of us from the Rez know that that also makes a car dirty. So now, if in Dubai, in a dirty car, you can see the Lamborghini doing its duty…stopping you and giving you a ticket.
 
We had a good lunch today with lots of good conversation. Cheryl had a great time with her two older grandkids last week. It was the boy’s first ‘road trip’ together. She said both have girlfriends and spent a lot of time texting. When she asked why they hadn’t used her computer, as usual, they said their phones do everything they need. Mary is busy with CASA and the courts. She makes a very good child advocate. She is headed back to Phoenix to check on her pool after this week’s many dust storms in the valley. We have to rearrange Cheryl’s birthday celebration as I will be on my cruise. I feel bad as I am the kind of person who likes to celebrate close to my birthday. She said it doesn’t matter to her.
Game  Center (answers at the end of post)
Brain Teasers
Read the sentence below and determine what the four uppercase words have in common.

As you put down your bowl of STEW and take your SEAT, you let out a SHOUT and leap back up; you sat on a THORN!

*****
Hint: Read the directions again.

Lifestyle  Substance:     
Found on You Tube with some relevance to today

Origins of Phrases
A leopard cannot change its spots
Meaning
The notion that things cannot change their innate nature.
Origin
From the Bible, Jeremiah 13:23 (King James Version):"Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots? then may ye also do good, that are accustomed to do evil."
Ok, then?



Harper’s Index    
  • Projected worldwide surplus of low-skill workers in 2020: 93,000,000
  • Projected worldwide deficit of high- and medium-skilled workers in 2020: 85,000,000

Picture of the Day: Rainforest Medicines



Unusual Fact of the Day
Adolf Hitler was Time Magazine's Man of the Year for 1938
Joke-of-the-day
A man and his wife were sitting in the living room discussing a “Living Will”
"Just so you know, I never want to live in a vegetative state, dependent on some machine and fluids from a bottle. If that ever happens, just pull the plug."
His wife got up, unplugged the TV and threw out all the beer.
Rules of Thumb:   
Easy shortcuts to make an ‘educated’ guess
FINDING A GOOD RESTAURANT
 Steak restaurants serve good seafood, but seafood restaurants serve terrible steak.    
Yeah, It Really Happened
HOLLEY, N.Y. - A western New York nun admitted she stole $128,000 to feed her gambling habit, prosecutors said. Sister Mary Anne Rapp of the Order of St. Francis pleaded guilty in Orleans County Court to one count of fourth-degree grand larceny, District Attorney Joe Cardone said. WIVB-TV, Buffalo, said Rapp stole the money from St. Mark's Church in Holley, N.Y., about 60 miles northeast of Buffalo. The thefts occurred from 2006 to 2011 when Rapp was placed on administrative leave because of discrepancies in church financial statements. She faces a maximum sentence of six months in jail and five years probation, Cardone said.
Somewhat Useless Information   
  • Since wine tasting is essentially wine smelling, women tend to be better wine testers because women, particularly of reproductive ages, have a better sense of smell than men.
  • Red wines are red because fermentation extracts color from the grape skins. White wines are not fermented with the skins present.
  • A wine that tastes watery is said to taste "dilute." It may have been made from grapes picked during a rainstorm.
  • Wine testers swirl their glass to encourage the wine to release all of its powerful aromas. Most don't fill the glass more than a third full in order to allow aromas to collect and to not spill it during a swirl.
  • The vintage year isn't necessarily the year wine is bottled, because some wines may not be bottled the same year the grapes are picked. Typically, a vintage wine is a product of a single year's harvest. A non-vintage wine is a blend of wines from two or more years.
  • Traditionally, wine was never stored standing up. Keeping the wine on its side kept the wine in contact with the cork, thereby preventing the cork from drying, shrinking, and letting in air. However, wine can be stored vertically if the bottle has an artificial cork.

Calendar Information        
Happening This Week:
7-13
National Animal Control Appreciation Week
National Blue Ribbon Week
National Public Health Week
National Week of the Ocean
National Window Safety Week: 7

American Indian Awareness Week
11-14
The Masters Tournament
YoYo & Skill Toy Weekend
International Whistlers Week

Today Is                                                                      
D.E.A.R. Day (aka Drop Everything And Read)
International Day of Human Space Flight
Licorice Day
Look Up At The Sky Day
National Be Kind to Lawyers Day
National Licorice Day
Tax Freedom Day
Walk On Your Wild Side Day
~US: Florida: Children's Day

Today’s Events through History  
1st edition of Tattler magazine in England…1709
Army transfers Yerba Buena Island in SF Bay to Navy…1898
Fort Sumter, SC is shelled by Confederacy, starting Civil War…1861
Harold Washington elected Chicago's 1st black mayor…1983
Sergeant Alchesay, Corporal Elsatsoosu, Kelsay, Kosoha, Machol, Nannasaddie 
     and Nantaje in the Indian Scouts, will be awarded the Congressional Medal 
     of Honor today for their service to the U.S. Army as a scout during "campaigns 
     and engagements with APACHEs" during the winter of 1872 and 1873…1875
Sonny Bono elected mayor of Palm Springs CA…1988

Today’s Birthdays                                                           
In their 90’s
Beverly Cleary, American writer is 96

In their 70’s
Dennis Banks, Native American activist is 76

In their 60’s
David Cassidy, singer/actor (Keith-Partridge Family) is 63
David Letterman, TV late night host is 66
Ed O'Neill, actor (Al Bundy-Married with Children) is 67

In their 50’s
Andy Garcia, Cuba, actor (Stand & Deliver, 8 Million Ways to Die) is 57

In their 40’s
Shannen Doherty, Memphis Tn, actress (Little House, Bev Hills 90210) is 42

In their 30’s
Claire Danes, actress (Angela-My So Called Life, Romeo & Juliet) is 34

Remembered for being born today
Henry Clay, [the Great Compromiser], US politician [1777-1852]
Imogen Cunningham, photographer (1965 ASMP award) [1883-1976]
Tiny Tim [ Herbert Khaury], New York, musician, [1932-1996]
Billy Vaughn, American musician and bandleader [1919-1991]

Today’s Historical Obits                                                           
Clara Barton, organizer (American Red Cross)…1912…at 90
Paddy Hillery, 6th President of Ireland, EEC Commissioner and Irish Minister…2008…at 84
Abbie Hoffman, yippie peace activist of the 60's…suicide…1989…at 52
William Kent, English sculptor/architect (Kensington Palace)…1748…at 62
Joe Louis, [Brown bomber], heavyweight boxing champion…cardiac arrest…1981…at 66
Boxcar Willie [Lecil Travis Martin], American singer…leukemia…1999…at 67  
Sugar Ray Robinson, heavyweight boxing champ… Alzheimers…1989…at 67
Franklin Roosevelt, 32nd US President (D) (1933-1945)…stroke…1945…at 63
William M "Boss" Tweed, NY politician… pneumonia…1878…at 55

Answer: Brain Teasers
They are anagrams of the four directions: WEST, EAST, SOUTH, and NORTH.
Disclaimer: All opinions are mine…feel free to agree or disagree.
All ‘data’ info is from the internet sites and is usually checked with at least one other source, but I have learned that every site has mistakes and sadly once out the information is out there, many sites simply copy it and is therefore difficult to verify. Also for events occurring before the Gregorian calendar was adopted [1582] the dates may not be totally accurate.
§    And That Is All for Now  §

4/11/13


FYI: Any blue text is a link. Click to check it out!
Flagstaff Almanac:  Week: 15/ Day: 101   Today: H 48°L 28°
Wind: ave:   9mph; Gusts:  37mph  Ave. humidity:  64%
*Averages: H  56° L 27° Records: H 74°(1989)L 7°(2011)

Quote of the Day

Today’s Historical Highlights
40 tornadoes strike US Midwest killing 272 & injuring 5,000…1965
Adolf Eichmann trial begins in Israel…1961
American Indian Civil Rights Act is passed…1968
Apollo 13 launched to Moon; unable to land, returns in 6 days…1970
Einstein introduces his Theory of Relativity…1906
Ellis Island designated as an immigration station…1890
George Bernard Shaw's "Pygmalion," premieres…1914
Harlem (NYC) voters defy Congress & reelect Adam Clayton Powell Jr…1967
Last execution for witchcraft in Germany takes place…1775
Lincoln urges a spirit of generous conciliation during reconstruction...1865
Pres Harry Truman fires Gen Douglas McArthur…1951
Pres Johnson signs 1968 Civil Rights Act…1968
Singer Nat Cole attacked on stage of Birmingham theater by whites…1956
Ugandan dictator Idi Amin overthrown; Tanzania takes Kampala…1979

     Happy Birthday To: ♪. ♪   
How many can you identify?…answers in Today’s Birthdays


Free Rambling Thoughts   
Busy day here in Flagstaff. Our grounds crew was here about 7a with new rocks, a bobcat, and a front loader. The crew began clearing out the small pebbles we have had in our front areas and are replacing them with larger chunky rocks. It actually will look nice, once they finish. Change is good now and then. They took up most of the parking lot with their machines and had four guys doing the shoveling of old stuff. Can’t wait for them to finish.
 
As I mentioned, I called the CVS comment line a couple of days ago to let them know I was unhappy about not having prescriptions ready twice. Well last night, about 8pm, the district manager called and apologized and said he was working on it. Today about 9am the store manager called and said that he too was sorry and that changes in policy had been made. Then he offered me a $25 card for my time. I declined the card, telling him that my call was to get a change and I would be happy if that happened. I figured my refusal might carry more weight with them. And I really don’t buy anything there except my prescriptions…and the card isn’t good for those. Hopefully this will bring some changes. If nothing else, the pharmacy department probably has my name neatly posted somewhere so they will treat me with ‘extra care’…their tag line.
 
I’m beginning to feel a little sorry for the USPS. When I was growing up they were part of the Federal system, then they became an independent entity, but still under Congress control. I never really understood that. Then congress told them that they had to pay huge amounts of money for future pensions, something no other entity in the US has to do. Then Congress told them to save money. So after much hemming and hawing, the post office said they would stop Saturday delivery. I must say that most of my mail is ‘junk’ mail. I communicate with friends via email or phone calls or instant messages. Lack of Saturday delivery would only mean one less trip to the mailbox each week. Nothing I get in the mail couldn’t wait until Monday. So today, Congress said that Saturday delivery is essential to the well being of our citizens and the PO can’t stop it without Congressional approval. From my point of view, Congress is so dysfunctional already; this is just one more example of the mess they have created. They are saying, in true DC fashion, Save money but don’t make any changes and Congress has no idea how you will do it, just do it, and if we don’t like your plan, we’ll tell you.
 
Finally, I downloaded IE10 about a week ago. Gotta keep up with technology. My computer started acting a little crazy. When I do this blog, I do a lot of cut and paste. The cut and paste functions were frustrating…hard to highlight, hard to copy. I figured out some work arounds, but they were less than satisfactory. A friend mentioned on FB that they too were having problems with IE10, so I decided to get rid of it today. Before dong that, I checked for any updates. There were seven to download. After doing that, everything seems to be working much better. Seven updates in a week shows that IE really wasn’t ready to release IE10, but it works now, so life goes on.
 Game  Center (answers at the end of post)
Brain Teasers
These word pairs are not in relation to each other, but if you find their synonyms, the two words will rhyme. Example : Over-sized Feline = Fat Cat
  1. Kiss Dog
  2. Funny Cat
  3. Movie Monster 
  4. Unusual Rabbit
  5. Copper Teapot
  6. Wedding Limo
  7. Untamed Minor

Lifestyle  Substance:     
Found on You Tube with some relevance to today

Origins of Phrases
Between a rock and a hard place
Meaning
In difficulty, faced with a choice between two unsatisfactory options.
Origin
This phrase originated in the USA in the early part of the 20th century. It is the American manifestation of a phrase that exists in several forms in other cultures.
The dilemma of being in a position where one is faced with two equally unwelcome options appears to lie deep in the human psyche. Language always reflects people's preoccupations and there are several phrases that express this predicament. The first of these quite literally conveys the uncomfortable nature of the choice between two lemmas (propositions), i.e. 'on the horns of a dilemma'. Other phrases that compare two less than desirable alternatives are 'the lesser of two evils', 'between the devil and the deep blue sea', 'between Scylla and Charybdis', 'an offer you can't refuse' and 'Hobson's choice'.
The earliest known printed citation of 'between a rock and a hard place' is in the American Dialect Society's publication Dialect Notes V, 1921:
"To be between a rock and a hard place, ...to be bankrupt. Common in Arizona in recent panics; sporadic in California."
The 'recent panics' referred to in that citation are undoubtedly the events surrounding the so-called US Bankers' Panic of 1907. This financial crisis was especially damaging to the mining and railroad industries of the western states.
In 1917 the lack of funding precipitated by the earlier banking crisis led to a dispute between copper mining companies and mineworkers in Bisbee, Arizona. The workers, some of whom had organized in labour unions, approached the company management with a list of demands for better pay and conditions. These were refused and subsequently many workers at the Bisbee mines were forcibly deported to New Mexico.
It's tempting to surmise, given that the mineworkers were faced with a choice between harsh and underpaid work at the rock-face on the one hand and unemployment and poverty on the other, that this is the source of the phrase. The phrase began to be used frequently in US newspapers in the late 1930s, often with the alternative wording 'between a rock and a hard spot'.
A more recent example of the use of the expression, and one for which it seems gruesomely apt, is recounted in the 2010 film 127 Hours, which is based on Aron Ralston's book Between a Rock and a Hard Place. The memoir recounts the 127 hours that Ralston spent alone and trapped by a boulder in Robbers Roost, Utah, after a climbing accident in April 2003, eventually opting for the 'hard place' of freeing himself by cutting off part of his right arm.
Ok, then?



Harper’s Index    
Portion of US workers age 50 or above who plan to delay retirement because of the financial crisis: 1/2
Picture of the Day: Rainforest Medicines


Unusual Fact of the Day
Colonel Sanders’ finger-lickin’ formula is locked away in a bank vault in Louisville, KY. In fact, the KFC people are so serious about keeping the ingredients under wraps that two separate companies are used to blend the spices, so neither possesses the complete recipe.
Joke-of-the-day
Late one night a mugger wearing a ski mask jumped into a path of a well-dressed man and stuck a gun in his ribs "give me your money," he demanded. Indignant, the affluent man replied, "you can't do this – I am a United States congressman!" "In that case," replied the mugger, "give me MY money."                                  
Rules of Thumb:   
Easy shortcuts to make an ‘educated’ guess
FINDING WHERE TO PUT YOUR MOUTH ON A CLARINET
To find the correct place to put your mouth on a clarinet reed, put a piece of paper between the reed and the mouthpiece. Where the paper stops is the correct place for your mouth.    
Yeah, It Really Happened
SALT LAKE CITY - Police in Utah allege a man showed up at a Utah state trooper's home drunk to complain about his being turned in for drunken driving last year. Salt Lake City police said Gordon Tye Bell, 37, was allegedly drunk and had a beer in his hand when he showed up about 7 p.m. Sunday at the home of a neighbor who is a Utah Highway Patrol trooper, the Deseret News in Salt Lake City reported Tuesday. Police said the neighbor had called 911 last year to say he suspected Bell of driving while intoxicated. Members of the trooper's family called the on-duty officer, who rushed home. Police said Bell tried to walk away when the trooper told him police were on the way and the trooper ended up taking Bell into custody himself while waiting for city police. Bell was arrested on suspicion of witness tampering, trespassing, public intoxication and resisting arrest.  
Somewhat Useless Information   
The dead zone is caused by nutrient enrichment the Mississippi River, particularly nitrogen and phosphorous. Watersheds within the Mississippi River Basin drain much of the United States, from Montana to Pennsylvania and extending southward along the Mississippi River.
In a natural system, these nutrients aren't significant factors in algae growth because they are depleted in the soil by plants. However, with anthropogenically increased nitrogen and phosphorus input, algae growth is no longer limited. Consequently, algal blooms develop, the food chain is altered, and dissolved oxygen in the area is depleted.  
Most of the nitrogen input comes from major farming states in the Mississippi River Valley, including Minnesota, Iowa, Illinois, Wisconsin, Missouri, Tennessee, Arkansas, Mississippi, and Louisiana. Nitrogen and phosphorous enter the river through upstream runoff of fertilizers, soil erosion, animal wastes, and sewage. from 
Calendar Information        
Happening This Week:
7-13
National Animal Control Appreciation Week
National Blue Ribbon Week
National Public Health Week
National Week of the Ocean
National Window Safety Week: 7

American Indian Awareness Week
11-14
The Masters Tournament
YoYo & Skill Toy Weekend

Today Is                                                                      
Barbershop Quartet Day
Eight-Track Tape Day
International "Louie Louie" Day
National Pet Day
World Parkinson's Disease Day 

Today’s Events through History  
"Miss Saigon," opens at Broadway Theater NYC…1991
Benevolent & Protective Order of Elks organizes…1876
French government decides to sends 200,000 reservists to Algeria…1956
Halley's Comet makes closest approach to Earth this trip, 63 M km…1986
Shogunate is abolished in Japan…1868
William III & Mary II crowned as joint rulers of Britain…1689

Today’s Birthdays                                                           
In their 80’s
Joel Grey, [Joe Katz], actor (Cabaret, Remo Williams, 7% Solution) is 81
Ethel Kennedy, wife of Bobby is 85

In their 70’s
Louise Lasser, actress (Mary Hartman! Mary Hartman!) is 74

Remembered for being born today
Dean G Acheson, statesman/US Secretary of State [1893-1971]
Oleg Cassini, Paris France, fashion designer (Jackie Kennedy) [1913-2006]
Charles Evans Hughs, 11th Chief Justice of Supreme Court [1862-1948]
Johnny Sheffield, actor (Boy-Tarzan Finds a Son) [1931-2010]

Today’s Historical Obits                                                           
Luther Burbank, American botanist…complications of heart attack…1926…at 77
Dolores Del Rio, actress (Cheyenne Autumn)… cirrhosis…1983…at 78
John Galt, Scottish writer (Last of the Lairds)…1839…at 59
Llywelyn ab Iorwerth the Great, monarch of Wales…stroke…1240…at 59
Joseph Merrick, "The Elephant Man"… neurofibromatosis…1890…at 27 
Kurt Vonnegut, American author…2007…ay 84

Answer: Brain Teasers
  1. Smooch Pooch
  2. Witty Kitty
  3. Feature Creature
  4. Rare Hare
  5. Metal Kettle
  6. Marriage Carriage
  7. Wild Child

Disclaimer: All opinions are mine…feel free to agree or disagree.
All ‘data’ info is from the internet sites and is usually checked with at least one other source, but I have learned that every site has mistakes and sadly once out the information is out there, many sites simply copy it and is therefore difficult to verify. Also for events occurring before the Gregorian calendar was adopted [1582] the dates may not be totally accurate.
§    And That Is All for Now  §

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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.