Thurs 5-20

≈Week 20 of 2010: 140 days this year… 225 days remain≈

≈ Something To Think About  

The secret of attraction is to love yourself.

~Deepak Chopra

≈ Random Fact    

The Comics Code Authority forbade the use of werewolves in comics so Marvel writers had to come up with ingenious ways of including the classic villain archetype. For X-Men No 60 (1969) Roy Thomas and Neal Adams got around the code by creating Sauron, a were–pterodactyl.

• Holy Mackerel: On this day in 1310 ►Shoes were made for both right & left feet

≈ Free Ramblings

Our day here in Flagstaff started with a prescribed burn with lots of smoke. We have been warned for the past few days that there will be a high wind advisory, Kinda a strange day for have a prescribed burn. The wind didn’t come, so all is well. As for our mayoral election—it will be several days before we find out the winner. Right now, there is a 98 vote difference out of some 10,000 votes. We learned this morning that there are 800 ballots in contention. We had a 32% turnout, but these 800 ballots are not counted yet. Some are people who asked for an early ballot and then showed up with their ballot at their polling place, some were people who didn’t have ID matching their address on the voting books. This is certainly not a mandate for the winner. I sure hope the winner remembers that. Our town is obviously much divided on what we want. Nothing would be wrong with that unless there is no compromise. Our country, our state, and our town were built on compromise. I hope the winner remembers that too. Another interesting outcome, which has been decided, was the city council seats. We started out early this year with a whole gaggle of candidates. The primary dropped the number to six candidates for three seats. There was not a lot of press about any of them. Each did write a short column in the paper stating their views on making Flagstaff the premier town in the world to live, raise a family, and build a life. The top three candidates each received over 5000 votes, while none of the bottom three received more than 2000 votes. Those 800 uncounted votes won’t make a difference in the final results. Finally the paper informed its readers that, so far, there were about 300 write-in votes for Mayor, and that those names will not be published, since no one had run an official write-in campaign. When I was on the Rez, the paper usually listed all the results. I remember my smile when Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, and a few locals always had a few write-ins for US President, Tribal President, or local council seats. Here in Flagstaff, every vote counts as long as you vote for the candidates listed on the ballot If you protest with a vote for Mickey or Donald your vote won’t ever be listed.

Today I have added a new section to my blog. I get lots of emails with youtube videos. Some stimulate my brain; some dull my brain; some show people at their most outrageous. Susan Boyle was quite a hit, Charlie was too. So I have decided to add a link to a video I have enjoyed. I hope that the readers can enjoy them too. I’ll try to find videos that are enjoyable, and not too juvenile.

Despite the smoke from the controlled burn just a few miles away my deck climbed to 70° this afternoon. There was a little breeze, but nothing that kept me off the deck. I really want to get some plants, but realize it is still way to early for them to survive. I still bring the chair cushions in every night, just in case a sudden snowstorm covers everything again.

≈ A Quick Smile…    

Do I look that shady? I just got a GPS for my car, and my first trip with it was to a drugstore. Since the manual said not to leave it in the car unattended, I brought it with me into the store. While there, the GPS came alive, and a voice stated, "Lost satellite contact."

I wasn't embarrassed until a woman turned to me and said, "Your ankle bracelet monitor is talking to you."

≈ Puzzle 1    

When you behead a word, you remove the first letter and still have a valid word. You will be given clues for the two words, longer word first.

Example: Begin -> Sour, acidic Answer: The words are Start and Tart.

1. Mark left after healing -> Vehicle

2. To have hit -> Vehicle

3. Intelligent -> Individual store

4. Tiny -> Large retail complex

5. Take illegally -> Bluish green

6. Clean the floor -> Cry

7. Expressed in words -> Give assistance

8. Talk -> Highest level; summit

≈ Side Show Stories    

MIDDLETON, Conn. - Connecticut researchers said they have scientifically verified a man's claims of memorizing the entirety of the epic poem "Paradise Lost" by John Milton.

John Basinger, 76, of Middleton, said it took him eight years to memorize the some 60,000 words of the poem and he can recite the entire 17th century work in three 8-hour sessions, The Hartford (Conn.) Courant reported. John Seamon, a psychology professor at Middleton's Wesleyan University, said he tested Basinger under clinical conditions after seeing him perform a portion of the poem.

He said the researchers recited two lines from the poem at random and Basinger was able to correctly recite the next 10 lines nearly 90 percent of the time. Seamon said Basinger's memorization method was relatively unusual due to the absence of mnemonic devices or constant repetition.

He said Basinger, who retired from teaching theater in 1993, spent much of his memorization time connecting to the characters emotionally and trying to understand their motivations.

≈ Puzzle 2: Brain Food  

I can run but not walk. Wherever I go, thought follows close behind. What am I?

≈ Calendar Information    

• Observance Weeks in May•

16-22

National Dog Bite Prevention Week

National New Friends, Old Friends Week

National Transportation Week

World Trade Week

17-23

EMS (Emergency Medical Services) Week

National Effectiveness Week

National Bike to Work Week

National Medical Transcription Week

National Backyard Games Week

• Today’s Observances—US/UN/World •

Eliza Doolittle Day

Weights & Measures Day

Massachusetts : Lafayette Day (1834-anniversary of his death)

North Carolina : Mecklenburg Day (1775)

• Today’s Observances—by country •

Bulgaria : Botev Day

Cambodia: National Day of Hatred

* The Full name is 'Day of Hatred against the genocidal Pol Pot-Ieng Sary-Khieu Samphan clique and the Sihanouk-Son Sann reactionary groups'. The Khmer name, when instituted in 1983, was T'veer Chong Kamhaeng ('Day of Tying Anger'). The name could also be translated as 'Day of Maintaining Rage'.

Cambodia : Martyrs Day (1979)

Cameroon : Constitution Day (1972)

Cuba:1902, Saudi Arabia-1927 : Independence Day

Zaïre : Revolution Day (1967)

• Today’s Number One Songs in…

For anyone interested, all these songs are available on iTunes.

"Music, once admitted to the soul, becomes a sort of spirit, and never dies." ~ Edward Bulwer-Lytton.

1935 ►What's the Reason (I'm Not Pleasin' You); Guy Lombardo

1945 ►Sentimental Journey; Les Brown

1955 ►Cherry Pink and Apple Blossom White; Perez Prado

1965 ►Ticket to Ride; The Beatles

1975 ►Shining Star; Earth, Wind & Fire

1985 ►Everything She Wants; Wham!

• Today’s Happenings•

In The Arts

1891 ►History of cinema: The first public display of Thomas Edison's prototype kinetoscope.

In Athletics

1900 ►2nd modern Olympic games opens in Paris France (lasted 5 months)

In Business or Education

1310 ►Shoes were made for both right & left feet

1639 ►Dorchester MA, forms 1st school funded by local taxes

1874 ►Levi Strauss markets blue jeans with copper rivets, price $13.50 doz

1916 ►Saturday Evening Post cover features Norman Rockwell painting

In Politics

1493 ►A civil war battle among the Cakchiquel (Kaqchikel) Mayatakes place today in Guatemala.

1868 ►Republican National Convention, meets in Chicago, nominates Grant

1944 ►A group of officers from the German Army attempt an assassination attempt on Adolf Hitler by exploding a bomb in his headquarters during a staffing meeting

In Science/ Religion

0526 ►Earthquake kills 250,000 in Antioch, Syria

1702 ►Franciscans have established the Mission of Santa Fe de Toluca at one of the largest Timucua villages in northern Florida.

1926 ►Thomas Edison says Americans prefer silent movies over talkies

1932 ►Amelia Earhart leaves Newfoundland 1st woman fly solo across Atlantic

1990 ►Hubble Space Telescope sends 1st photographs from space

• Today’s Births •

Artists, Writers, and Composers

John Stuart Mill philosopher/political economist/Utilitarian born in London, 1806

Athletes

Patrick Ewing, Jr., 26, American basketball player, born in Boston MA, Dad more famous

Entertainers

Cher, 64, singer (“Believe”), actress (Moonstruck), born Cherilyn Sarkisian at El Centro, CA

Joe Cocker, 66, singer (“You Are So Beautiful”), born Sheffield, England

George Gobel comedian/TV personality born in Chicago IL, 1919

Bronson Pinchot, 51, actor (“Perfect Strangers,” “Step by Step”), born New York, NY

Ronald Prescott Reagan, 52, television host, commentator, son of President Ronald Reagan, born Los Angeles, CA

Jimmy [James Maitland] Stewart, actor (Mr Smith Goes to Washington, It's a Wonderful Life) born in Indiana, PA, 1908

Business, Education Persons

William George Fargo founder (Wells Fargo) born in Pompey, NY, 1818

Lord "Benjie" Earl of Iveagh British brewer (Guinness)/large landowner born near Dublin, Ireland in 1937

William Thornton architect (Capitol building, Washington DC) born in British Virgin Islands, 1759

Political Persons

Cindy Hensley McCain, 56, wife of John McCain, born in Phoenix, AZ

Dolley Dandridge Payne Madison US 1st lady born in New Garden, NC, 1768

David Paterson, 56, Governor of New York (D), born Brooklyn, NY

Scientists /Religious Persons

Franciszek Macharski, 83, Polish Cardinal, born in Krakow, Poland

• Today’s Obits •

Walter Winchell columnist/narrator (Untouchables), @75 in 1972

Gilda Radner comedienne (Saturday Night Live), ovarian cancer @ 42 in 1989

≈ ANSWERS to Puzzle 1    

1. Scar -> Car

2. Struck -> Truck

3. Smart -> Mart

4. Small -> Mall

5. Steal -> Teal

6. Sweep -> Weep

7. Said -> Aid

8. Speak -> Peak

≈ ANSWERS to Brain Food  

A nose.

≈ Something you might enjoy…  

In 2005, YouTube changed the internet forever. It is now available in 22 languages. Check out this one…

For those wondering why anyone would want to live in Arizona… Click here

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Wed 5-19

≈Week 20 of 2010: 139 days this year… 226 days remain≈

≈ Something To Think About  

The three best things: to be humble amidst the vicissitudes of fortune; to pardon when powerful;to be generous with no strings attached.

~Attributed to the Prophet Muhammad

≈ Random Fact    

Roosters have to extend their necks in order to crow.

• Holy Mackerel: On this day in 1964 ►The State Department told the press that 40 hidden microphones had been found in the U.S. Embassy in Moscow.

≈ Free Ramblings    

I took off about 9am to vote and to run some errands. I didn’t have to wait in a line and it didn’t take long for them to find my name, then I had to listen to this poor person read a form on how to vote, then I got my ballot. I filled it out quickly, stuck it in the machine, got my sticker and headed out. The mayoral election will determine our future to some degree, the council seats will help with that vision. The tax measures were different. Prop 100 will save our schools and our first responders—or it will move us from the 28th place in taxes to the 8th place in taxes. Small business owners say this tax will hurt them as people won’t be buying as much. We also voted on the BBB tax to be extended. BBB tax comes from hotel rooms, booze, and restaurant food—BBB= bed, booze, board. If you live in a tourist area, you should look into this tax. It is one of the best examples of taxation without representation I have ever seen. Tourists pay the majority of the tax received. Locals don’t usually get a room at the local hotel, tourists usually eat out while on vacation, and locals and tourists buy booze at restaurants and bars. We have had this tax for about 20 years and now it is considered ‘part of the budget’ and without it our tourist town will be in more financial trouble. The drop in tourist dollars during the recession has already hurt our town. APS (our electric company) is trying to get blanket access to all city property to do its work. For that ability, they will charge all customers in the city a 2% franchise fee for every customer’s bill. Of course, they will add that fee to our bills. Many claim this is not a tax—it is a franchise fee based on every monthly bill that is given to the city. Hmm. This local election has used fear based politics---if Prop 100 fails, schools will close, teacher jobs will be lost, first responder jobs will be lost. If the franchise fee doesn’t pass, it will take longer to get your electricity repaired or to get new electricity to new buildings. We should know in a couple of hours how all this plays out.

I saw the video of the BP disaster as oil has now entered the Mississippi Delta Wetlands, and the beaches in Key West, and more fishing areas closed. One reporter talked about the stench like kerosene as he took a boat out into the Gulf. It was also reported that if all the off-shore drilling had not been done, the price of gasoline would have risen 3¢ per gallon this year. I also learned that this well had not produced any oil for sale. The rig that sank had just completed drilling the well and BP was capping the well while it waited for another rig to come in and actually start pumping oil. The rig that sank was set to move to another site and start a new drill. The capping went horribly wrong and simply opened up the continuous ‘plume of oil’ that doesn’t seem to be able to be stopped.

Much of this is also falling on DOI, my former employer. Over my years, I learned that DOI jobs have never been seen as the best jobs in the government. Teachers in DOI-BIA (Indian Schools) were not easily transferred to DOD (military schools). DOI is responsible for way too many areas. Other departments, over the years, have split to form new departments. DOI, one of the oldest departments has not split. It has always been a catch-all department. DOI includes Indian Affairs, Indian Education, Land Management, Reclamation (dams), Mineral Management, National Park Service, Surface Mining, Fish and Wildlife Service, and Geological Survey. Many Natives have always had a problem with being lumped in with this group. The DOI logo is that of a buffalo. While the buffalo was important to many Native tribes, it may not exemplify the needs of Tribes. Congress needs to look at DOI and determine if this catch-all department has too much non-overlapping responsibility.

Voting day started out quite nice. We were at 55° when I went to vote. Then my friend the wind returned with 20mph steady winds with gusts to 40mph. That kept our high down to 58° and made being outside less than pleasant. The wind basically stopped as the sun set about 7pm and the temperature stayed at 58°. I had dinner on the deck, a first for the season. I guess no matter what happens with the election tonight, I will still enjoy to beauty and quiet of Flagstaff.

≈ A Quick Smile…    

With airlines adding fees to fees, The Week magazine asked its readers to predict the next surcharge they'll levy for something previously free.

1. In the unlikely event of loss of cabin pressure, oxygen masks will drop down. To start the flow of oxygen, simply insert your credit card...

2. $100 On-Time Departure Fee; $25 Delay Complaint Fee.

3. View seating (formerly window seats), $10; Access seating (formerly aisle seats), $10 $20 to use roll-away stairs to enter or exit the aircraft in lieu of no-charge rope-ladder alternative.

4. $9 fee for bumping your head on the overhead bin as you take your seat; $3 additional penalty for looking up at the bin after you bump into it.

Note: I sure hope the airlines don’t read The Week Magazine. These are no more bizarre than some of the current fees.

≈ Puzzle 1    

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. Local region of land -> Determine the number

2. Small -> A metallic element

3. Sarcasm -> A metallic element

4. Red gem -> Cause friction

5. Slick -> Foot covering

6. Prepared -> Understand something written

7. Analyse; learn -> House frame upright

8. Paralysis of a body part with uncontrolled tremors -> Friends

≈ Side Show Stories    

Lincoln, Neb. (AP) --Police said they suspect they've captured the "toilet paper bandit." A man who concealed his face by wrapping his head with toilet paper robbed a Lincoln convenience store last month. Police said the man was armed with a knife, but no one was hurt in the robbery.

He escaped on foot with an undisclosed amount of money.

Capt. David Beggs said 29-year-old Joshua Nelson was arrested Saturday night. Beggs said a prescription pill bottle found near the store gave officers a clue to pursue. But he said it took until Saturday for officers to find enough evidence for an arrest.

≈ Puzzle 2: Brain Food  

What goes up and down the stairs without moving?

≈ Calendar Information

• Observance Weeks in May•

16-22

National Dog Bite Prevention Week

National New Friends, Old Friends Week

National Transportation Week

World Trade Week

17-23

EMS (Emergency Medical Services) Week

National Effectiveness Week

National Bike to Work Week

National Medical Transcription Week

National Backyard Games Week

• Today’s Observances—US/UN/World •

Frog Jumping Jubilee Day: Thanks to Mark Twain and Calaveras County

Boys Club Day

May Ray Day—to celebrate the warm sun rays of May--hope you are having them 

National Employee Health & Fitness Day

Turn Beauty Inside Out Day

• Today’s Observances—by country •

Finland : Flag Day of the Army

Turkey : Youth & Sports Day

Vietnam : Ho Chi Minh's Birthday (1890), birth name (Nguyen That Thanh)

• Today’s Number One Songs in…

For anyone interested, all these songs are available on iTunes.

"Music, once admitted to the soul, becomes a sort of spirit, and never dies." ~ Edward Bulwer-Lytton.

1924 ►California, Here I Come!; Al Jolson

1934 ►Cocktails for Two; Duke Ellington

1944 ►I Love You; Bing Crosby

1954 ►Wanted; Perry Como

1964 ►My Guy; Mary Wells

1974 ►The Streak; Ray Stevens

1984 ►Hello; Lionel Richie

• Today’s Happenings•

In The Arts

1897 ►Oscar Wilde is released from Reading Gaol Prison

In Athletics

1991 ►Willy T Ribbs becomes 1st black driver to make Indianapolis 500

In Business or Education

1857 ►William F. Channing and Moses G. Farmer patented the electric fire alarm system in Boston, MA

1884 ►Ringling Brothers circus premieres

1892 ►Charles Brady King invents pneumatic hammer

1898 ►Post Office authorizes use of postcards

In Politics

1848 ►México gives Texas to US, ending the war

1856 ►Senator Charles Sumner, Massachusetts, spoke out against slavery

1921 ►Congress sharply curbs immigration, setting a national quota system

1976 ►Gold ownership legalized in Australia

1986 ►South African troops launch multiple raids on Zambia, Zimbabwe and Botswana in an effort to destroy bases purportedly used by the anti-apartheid organization the African National Congress (ANC).

1992 ►27th Amendment ratified, prohibits Congress from raising its salary

In Science/ Religion

1780 ►About midday, near-total darkness descends on much of New England to this day its cause is still unexplained

1997 ►The first victim of Avian Flu A(H5N1) a three-year-old boy has died in Hong Kong.

• Today’s Births •

Artists, Writers, and Composers

Nora Ephron, 69, writer, screenwriter, director (You’ve Got Mail, Sleepless in Seattle), born New York, NY

Athletes

Kevin Garnett, 34, basketball player: Timberwolves, Celtics, born Mauldin, SC

William (Bill) Laimbeer, Jr, 53, basketball coach, former basketball player: Cavaliers, Pistons, born Boston, MA

Elisha Archibald "Archie" Manning III, 61, former football player: Saints, Oilers, Vikings, born Drew, MS

Entertainers

James Fox, 71, actor (A Passage to India, The Russia House, Patriot Games), born London, England

David Hartman, 73, actor, broadcaster (Emmy for “Good Morning America”; Hello Dolly), born Pawtucket, RI

Grace Jones, 58, model, singer, actress (A View to a Kill), born Spanishtown, Jamaica

Nancy Kwan, 71, actress (Flower Drum Song) born in Hong Kong

Pete Townshend, 65, musician (The Who), born London, England

Business, Education Persons

Dorothy Buffum Chandler Los Angeles cultural patron; Dorothy Chandler Pavillion named for her born 1901 in La Fayette, Illinois

Johns Hopkins philanthropist, founded Johns Hopkins University born 1795 in Whithall, MD

James 'Jim' Lehrer, 76, journalist, anchor (“The Newshour with Jim Lehrer”), born Wichita, KS

Political Persons

Malcolm X [Little] Omaha NE, assassinated leader of black muslims born 1925 in Omaha, NE

Pol Pot dictator/mass murderer born 1915 in Prek Sbauv, Cambodia

Scientists /Religious Persons

Max Perutz, Molecular biologist, recipient of theNobel Prize in Chemistry: born 1914 in Vienna, Austria

• Today’s Obits •

Anne Boleyn Queen of England/wife of Henry VIII, beheaded @ 29 or 36 in 1536

Nathaniel Hawthorne US, writer (Scarlet Letter), in his sleep @ 60 in 1864

Thomas E Lawrence (of Arabia) motorcycle crash @ 47 in 1935

Ogden Nash poet/TV panelist (Masquerade Party), Crohn's disease @ 68 in 1971

Henry Morgan TV panalist (To Tell the Truth), cancer @ 74 in 1994

Jacqueline [Lee Bouvier] Kennedy Onassis 1st lady, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma @ 64 in 1994

≈ ANSWERS to Puzzle 1    

1. County -> Count

2. Tiny -> Tin

3. Irony -> Iron

4. Ruby -> Rub

5. Slippery -> Slipper

6. Ready -> Read

7. Study -> Stud

8. Palsy -> Pals

≈ ANSWERS to Brain Food  

A rug.

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Tues 5-18

≈Week 20 of 2010: 138 days this year… 227 days remain≈

≈ Something To Think About  

"Time is the most precious element of human existence. The successful person knows how to put energy into time and how to draw success from time."

~Denis Waitley American writer, consultant

≈ Random Fact    

A queen bee lays 1500 eggs a day.

• Holy Mackerel: On this day in 1953 ►The first woman to fly faster than the speed of sound, Jacqueline Cochran,piloted an F-86 Sabrejet over California at an average speed of 652.337 miles-per-hour.

≈ Free Ramblings    

Monday is the start of the work week, for those who are still working. The day started out very nice, but then the wind came. I’m glad I took my walk early, before the clouds and wind. I did get some things done around the house, but really wanted to be outside. Guess I will wait until tomorrow. We did make it to 66° which could have been nice without the 40mph wind.

Our local elections are finally upon us. The local paper says this is one of the dirtiest campaigns in local history. We are a small town and I have learned that this is town is much more diverse than I realized. This has not been a learning experience I have enjoyed. The election will not change the world, the state, but it could change our city quite a bit. No matter the results I don’t see the results bringing our little town closer together. The only good thing is that the robocalls on the Propositions will cease. I’ve been getting two or three a day for the last week. While I was in favor of some, the robocalls have convinced me that I’m against some. I don’t like the Phoenix people telling me what is good or not good for Flagstaff. So, by this time tomorrow, the results will be in and life will move on.

≈ A Quick Smile…    

As a new paratrooper, I was struck by all the T-shirts on base emblazoned with the motto "Death from above!"
Later I noticed a submariner with a T-shirt that declared "Death from below!"

Then, standing in line for chow one day, I was served by an Army cook. His T-shirt had a skull with a crossed fork and spoon underneath and yet another warning: "Death from within!"

≈ Puzzle 1    

What's so peculiar about this sentence?

I do not know where family doctors acquired illegibly perplexing handwriting; nevertheless, extraordinary pharmaceutical intellectuality, counterbalancing indecipherability, transcendentalizes intercommunications' incomprehensibleness.

≈ Side Show Stories    

Forget Our Lady of the Highways -- the Swiss have something even better: An angel.

The heavenly vision appears along highways and local roads in a 670-mile region of western Switzerland, where highway speeds max out at 75 mph.

When he spots a driver going to fast, he gestures in the universal "slow down" gesture as part of a campaign called, aptly enough, "Slow Down. Take It Easy.

≈ Puzzle 2: Brain Food  

You throw away the outside and cook the inside. Then you eat the outside and throw away the inside. What did you eat?

≈ Calendar Information    

• Observance Weeks in May•

16-22

National Dog Bite Prevention Week

National New Friends, Old Friends Week

National Transportation Week

World Trade Week

17-23

EMS (Emergency Medical Services) Week

National Effectiveness Week

National Bike to Work Week

National Medical Transcription Week

National Backyard Games Week

• Today’s Observances—US/UN/World •

International Museum Day

Visit Your Relatives Day

World AIDS Vaccine Day

• Today’s Observances—by country •

Haiti : Flag Day/University Day

Uruguay : Battle of Las Piedras (1828)

• Today’s Number One Songs in…

For anyone interested, all these songs are available on iTunes.

"Music, once admitted to the soul, becomes a sort of spirit, and never dies." ~ Edward Bulwer-Lytton.

1941 ►Amapola (Pretty Little Poppy); Jimmy Dorsey

1951 ►How High the Moon; Les Paul & Mary Ford

1961 ►Mother-in-Law; Ernie K-Doe

1971 ►Joy to the World; Three Dog Night

1981 ►Bette Davis Eyes; Kim Carnes

• Today’s Happenings•

In The Arts

1897 ►Irish Music Festival 1st held (Dublin)

1965 ►Gene Roddenberry suggests 16 names including Kirk for Star Trek Captain

1968 ►Tiny Tim’s warbly Tiptoe through the Tulips released.

In Athletics

1947 ►A's catcher Warren Rosar catches his 147th game without an error

In Business or Education

1830 ►Edwin Budding of England signs an agreement for manufacture of his invention, the lawn mower

1852 ►Massachusetts rules all school-age children must attend school

1933 ►Tennessee Valley Act (TVA) Act signed by FDR, to build dams

In Politics

1631 ►English colony Massachusetts Bay grants Puritarian voting right

1631 ►John Winthrop is elected 1st governor of Massachusetts

1642 ►Montréal Canada founded

1896 ►US Supreme court affirms "separate but equal" policy (Plessy v Ferguson)

In Science/ Religion

1974 ►India becomes 6th nation to explode an atomic bomb (other with technology: United States, the Soviet Union, Great Britain, China, and France)

1980 ►Mount St Helens erupts in Washington

• Today’s Births •

Artists, Writers, and Composers

Frank Capra , movie director (It's a Wonderful Life, Arsenic & Old Lace) 1897 in Palermo Sicily Italy

[Robert] Meredith Willson , composer (Music Man), 1902 in Mason City IA

Athletes

Reginald Martinez (Reggie) Jackson, 64, Hall of Fame baseball player, born Wyncote, PA

Entertainers

Chow Yun-Fat, 55, actor (Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon; Anna and the King; Bulletproof Monk), born Lamma Island, Hong Kong

Pierino Ronald ‘Perry’ Como Grammy Award-winning singer: Catch a Falling Star [1958, his first Grammy] 1912 in Canonsburg, Pennsylvania

Tina Fey, 40, writer, comedienne (“30 Rock,” Baby Mama, Mean Girls, “Saturday Night Live”), born Upper Darby, PA

Dwayne Hickman, 76, actor (“The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis”), born Los Angeles, CA

Pernell Elvin Roberts actor: Bonanza, Trapper John, M.D. 1928 in Waycross, Georgia

George Strait, 58, country singer, musician, born Poteet, TX

Business, Education Persons

--

Political Persons

Leon Shenandoah, head of the Six Nations of the Iroquois Confederacy ( The Tadadaho, which made him spiritual and political spokesman), 1915 on Onondaga Nation, NY

Scientists /Religious Persons

Pope John Paul II (Karol Joseph Wojtyla) 264th pope of the Roman Catholic Church 1920 in Wadowice, Poland

• Today’s Obits •

James T Adams US historian (Pulitzer 1921) in 1949

Wilbur J Cohen 1st employee of Social Security System, @ 73 in 1987

Jill Ireland actress (Carry on Nurse, Family), cancer @ 54 in 1990

Elizabeth Montgomery actress (Bewitched), cancer @ 62 in 1995

≈ ANSWERS to Puzzle 1

Each word in the sentence is one letter longer than the word before it!.

≈ ANSWERS to Brain Food

An ear of corn or A chicken.

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Mon 5-17

≈Week 20 of 2010: days this year… days remain≈  

≈ Something To Think About

Spring is nature's way of saying, "Let's party!"

~Robin Williams

≈ Random Fact    

The original Pentathlon, the ancient Olympic games included the discus, the javelin, foot racing, long jumping, and wrestling.

• Holy Mackerel: On this day in 1620 ►1st merry-go-round seen at a fair (Philippapolis, Turkey)

≈ Free Ramblings      

Sadly I read today that Navajo comic Vincent Craig has passed away. He was just 59 and suffered from stomach cancer. His humor was priceless. He grew up on the rez, attended boarding school and was able to share his experiences with Navajo humor. He made lots of personal appearances around the rez and I was lucky enough to see him several times at various schools. Kids and adults alike enjoyed his songs and jokes. He also created “Mutton Man” for the Navajo Times. He will be missed.

Spring has finally sprung here in Flagstaff. We have had a really great weekend of sunshine, warmth, and little wind. So nice. It is actually enjoyable to be outside. I read the Sunday paper on the deck, something I haven’t done for a long, long time. I am looking forward to many more days of this kind of weather. It’s time to get out the ol’ Ipod and start doing some serious walking again. During the winter I felt like these days were never going to return. My deck had so many feet of snow on it much of the winter, I wasn’t even sure it would ever all melt. But those days are gone, spring has returned and all will be well for the next months.

Being retired and living during the BP oil spill is scary. For those who don’t follow it that closely, this is Day 27. Being retired, I have the time to hear lots of different viewpoints as to what is actually happening. Today some scientists have discovered a plume of oil that is near the bottom of the ocean that is the size of Manhattan. Until today, all we have heard about was the oil that was making it to the surface Every five days the oil on the surface is equal to the Valdez spill—so we have a surface spill five times the size Valdez and still growing every day. The deep ocean plume is potentially more dangerous than the one on the surface. It was not reassuring a few days ago when the arrogant BP leader reminded us that the “Gulf Ocean” is really big and when looking at it that way, the spill is “tiny”. President Obama even admitted that he was angry over the responses to our Congress from all the businesses involved in this disaster. Obama is not known for showing his anger or even stating that he is angry. The BP has yet to find a solution, so the oil keeps coming. This has turned into one of those disaster scenarios that will someday make a movie. It’s like the asteroid heading for earth. It’s like the huge volcano that is going to destroy LA or NYC. It’s like the all the scenarios rolled into one big mess. Each day, when I listen to the news, I hope that the one super scientist who knows what needs to be done has stepped up. That will mean the movie is about half over. So far, I am waiting for that hero and at the end of the day, I wonder when that hero will show up. Until then, I realize that the movie is still just past the opening credits. What are we going to tell the next generation about our need for cheap fuel at any cost?

As I already said, it was a beautiful day today. We made it to 70° and was a great day to be outside. No movies for me today. No cleaning for me today. Just a day outside—walking, sitting on the deck, and enjoying the reason I chose to live in Flagstaff.

≈ A Quick Smile…    

An old cowboy sat down at the bar and ordered a drink. As he sat sipping his drink, a young woman sat down next to him.

She turned to the cowboy as asked, "Are you a real cowboy?"

He replied, "Well I've spent my whole life breaking colts, working cows, going to rodeos, fixing fences, pulling calves, bailing hay, doctoring calves, cleaning the barn, fixing flats, working on tractors, and feeding my dogs, so I guess I am a cowboy."

She said, "I am a lesbian. I spend my whole day thinking about women. As soon as I get up in the morning, I think about women. When I shower, I think about women. When I watch TV, I think about women. I even think about women when I eat. It seems that everything makes me think of women."

The two sat sipping in silence. A little while later, a man sat down on the other side of the cowboy.

He turned and asked, "Are you a real cowboy?"

The old cowboy replied, "I always thought I was a cowboy, but I just learned I'm a lesbian."

≈ Puzzle 1    

A different fruit (a total of twelve) is buried in every one of the following lines.

Example: A word is considered 'buried' when it can be read like P A R I S in the sentence "Grand-pa(pa ris)es at seven every morning."

Can you 12 of them?

Ah! If I get my good ship home/I'll find a tempting spot,

Where mayhap pleasant flowers will bloom,/And there I'll shape a charming cot.

Where bees sip nectar in each flower,/And Philomel on hawthorn rests,

I'll shape a rustic, sun-kissed bower -/A bower meet for angel guests.

Then she who lives and loves with me,/Sing our days of calm repose,

Sole monarch of the flowers will be -For Myra is indeed a rose.

≈ Side Show Stories    

CHICAGO HEIGHTS, Il - Suburban Chicago police said a man invented a story of a carjacking when his drug dealer failed to return it on time. Police allege that Chorise Stewart, 38, of Olympia Fields, loaned his car to a drug dealer from Chicago Heights in exchange for two rocks of crack cocaine at 7 p.m. Monday and called police at 11:59 p.m. when the 19-year-old failed to return the 2002 Toyota Corolla at the scheduled time, the Chicago South Town Star reported Thursday. Stewart told officers he was carjacked by two men with guns. However, police said the story began to unravel when the drug dealer was found with the car at 1:03 a.m. Tuesday and taken to the Chicago Heights Police Department. "He was saying, 'Do I do bad things, do I sell drugs? Yes I do, but I didn't car jack anybody,'" Chicago Heights police Sgt. Tom Rogers said. He said no charges were filed against the 19-year-old but Stewart was arrested and charged with false report of a stolen car. His bail was set at $40,000 Wednesday.

≈ Puzzle 2: Brain Food  

Can you guess what this riddle is describing?

What gets wetter and wetter the more it dries?

≈ Calendar Information    

• Observance Weeks in May•

16-22

National Dog Bite Prevention Week

National New Friends, Old Friends Week

National Transportation Week

World Trade Week

17-23

EMS (Emergency Medical Services) Week

National Effectiveness Week

National Bike to Work Week

National Medical Transcription Week

National Backyard Games Week

• Today’s Observances—US/UN/World •

Pack Rat Day

International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia aka IDAHO

World Hypertension Day

World Information Society Day

World Telecommunications Day

• Today’s Observances—by country •

Argentina: Navy Day

Democratic Republic of the Congo: Liberation Day

Cuba : Agrarian Reform/Peasant Day

Ireland: National Famine Memorial Day

Nauru: Constitution Day

Norway: Independence Day/Constitution Day (Nasjonaldagen ) (from Sweden,1814)

• One Hit Wonders…

These singers/bands only had one big hit…remember any of them?

Norman Greenbaum with Spirit in the Sky 1970

The Penguins with  Earth Angel 1955

Mountain with Mississippi Queen 1970

Blue Swede with  Hooked on a Feeling 1974

Barry Mann with Who Put the Bomp (In the Bomp, Bomp, Bomp) 1961

The Fendermen with Mule Skinner Blues 1960

Iron Butterfly with In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida 1968

Thurston Harris with Little Bitty Pretty One 1957

Brewer & Shipley with One Toke Over the Line 1971

• Today’s Happenings•

In The Arts

1846 ►Saxophone is patents by Antoine Joseph Sax

In Athletics

1983 ►Stanley Cup: New York Islanders sweep Edmonton Oilers in 4 games

In Business or Education

1792 ►Some two dozen merchants and brokers agreed to establish what is now known as the New York Stock Exchange.

1883 ►Buffalo Bill Cody's 1st wild west show premieres in Omaha

1954 ►The United States Supreme Court ruled unanimously in Brown v. Board of Education , ruling that racial segregation in public educational facilities is unconstitutional.

In Politics

1544 ►Scottish Earl Matthew van Lennox signs secret treaty with Henry VIII

1733 ►England passes Molasses Act, putting high tariffs on rum & molasses imported to the colonies from a country other than British possessions

1756 ►Britain declares war on France (7 Years' or French & Indian War)

1932 ►Congress changes the name "Porto Rico" to "Puerto Rico"

1984 ►President Reagan has again been denied by the house in his continued requests for the manufacturer of Chemical Weapons , this is the third time his request has been denied by the house.

In Science/ Religion

1673 ►Father Jacques Marquette and Louis Joilet begin their expedition from the "Straights of Michilimackinac." Eventually, they explore much of the Mississippi River.

1804 ►Lewis & Clark begin exploration of the Louisiana Purchase

1845 ►Rubber band patents

• Today’s Births •

Artists, Writers, and Composers

David Victor Sim ,54, Canadian comic bookwriter and artist: creator of Cerebus the Aardvark born in Hamilton,Ontario

Athletes

Mia Hamm, 38, Hall of Fame soccer player, born Selma, AL

Ray Charles (Sugar Ray) Leonard, 54, former boxer, born Washington, DC

Daniel Ricardo ‘Danny’ Manning, 44, NBA forward/center (Suns), born in Hattiesburg, Mississippi

Entertainers

Craig Ferguson, 48, comedian, actor (“The Drew Carey Show”), television personality (“The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson”), born Glasgow, Scotland

Dennis Hopper, 74, actor (Speed, Easy Rider, Giant), born Dodge City, KS

Maureen O'Sullivan, 1911, actress, born in Boyle, County Roscommon, Ireland

Bob Saget, 54, actor (“Full House”), host (“America’s Funniest Home Videos”), born Philadelphia, PA

Taj Mahal (Henry St. Claire Fredericks) 68 , singer/songwriter, born in New York NY

Business, Education Persons

Horace Elgin Dodge, 1868, American automobile manufacturer, born in Niles, MI

Political Persons

Archibald Cox, 1912, 1st Watergate special prosecutor, born in Plainfield, New Jersey

Scientists /Religious Persons

Edward Jenner, 1749, physician, discovered vaccination, born in Berkeley, Gloucestershire England

Joseph Norman Lockyer, 1836, discovered Helium/founded Nature magazine, born in Rugby, Warwickshire, England

• Today’s Obits •

John C. Breckinridge, 1875, 14th Vice President of the United States, cirrhosis @ 54
Herbert David Croly, 1930 ,US founder (New Republic), stroke @ 61

John Deere, 1886, American blacksmith and manufacturer, @ 82
Lawrence Welk, 1992, conductor/accordionist (Lawrence Welk Show), @ 89

≈ ANSWERS to Puzzle 1    

Ah! I(f I g)et my good ship home/I'll fin(d a te)mpting spot,

Where mayh(ap ple)asant flowers will bloom,/And there I'll sha(pe a ch)arming cot.

Where bees sip (nectar in e)ach flower,/And Philo(mel on) hawthorn rests,

I'll sha(pe a r)ustic, sun-kissed bower -/A bower meet f(or ange)l guests.

Then she wh(o live)s and loves with me,/Sin(g our d)ays of calm repose,

So(le mon)arch of the flowers will be -/For My(ra is in)deed a rose.

≈ ANSWERS to Brain Food  

A towel

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Sun 5-16

≈Week 20 of 2010: 136 days this year… 229 days remain≈

≈ Something To Think About  

“Life is uncharted territory. It reveals its story one moment at a time.”

~Leo Buscaglia: professor in the Department of Special Education University of Southern California.

≈ Random Fact    

More people have seen David Copperfield perform live than any other living performer in the world.

• Holy Mackerel: On this day in 1770 ►Marie Antoinette (14) marries future King Louis XVI (15) of France

≈ Free Ramblings

After enjoying a nice day here in Flagstaff I turned on the computer and the news. The opening story was Sara Palin and our non-elected governor Jan holding a press conference in Phoenix. Sara informed the world, that because of SB 1070, we are all Arizonans. Sara has made herself an adopted citizen of our state as Jan stood on the stage, smiling. Geez, if it is that easy to get AZ citizenship, I wonder why others haven’t tried it. Anyone can stand next to Jan and declare to be an AZ citizen, and Jan doesn’t check papers but simply smiles. There is hope for all of us. They even put up a web site—well their ‘people’ put up a web site—to clarify the law. Actually it is a a web site for securing the border and is loaded with interesting stats. It can be viewed at www.securetheborder.org. The website states that it is paid for by Jan Brewer. The domain name owner is listed as PRIVATE. Another tidbit from the Gov’s office: in declaring the AZ National Day of Prayer she encouraged people to pray at their local church, synagogue, or mosque. Hmmm, nothing like trying to be politically correct.

We had a great weather day here in Flagstaff. It was 66°, a few clouds, and barely a breeze. Sure felt good to spend some time on the deck. Maybe spring really is here to stay.

≈ A Quick Smile…    

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."

≈ Puzzle    

The following clues lead to two words or phrases that are the phonetic reverse of each other. When you answer the first clue and flip the syllables, you get the second answer. (Phonetic only, not letters.)Using the clues below, please find the words/phrases in question.

Example: Impertinent * Teetertotter  Answer: Saucy/Seesaw

1. Fundamental * Where the doctor works on a naval ship

2. Government assistance for the poor * Goodbye

3. Worst possible Test Score * Optimistic

4. Relevant * What Jesus was born in

5. Sofa * Cups, saucers, sugar bowl, etc. (2 words)

≈ Side Show Stories    

EDINBURGH, Scotland - A Scottish college student said her invention, a clear plastic helmet with openings at the face and ears, is designed to help people talk in noisy bars. Elaine McLuskey, 23, an Edinburgh Napier University student, said the sound bubble is designed to cut out background noise and help friends converse without straining in busy bars and pubs, the New York Daily News reported Thursday.

"(There's) that frustrating situation of trying to catch up with a friend in a busy bar. You want to hear their news and have a proper chat, but you have to shout over the din of music, chatter and clinking glasses," McLuskey said. However, some bar patrons in New York said the helmet brings its own problems, most prominently the fish bowl-like appearance. "I'd be skeptical to sit near them," George Whitehurst, 59, said of people wearing the helmets. "It looks kind of awkward."

≈ Calendar Information    

• Observance Weeks in May•

8-16

National Tourism Week

10-16

National Etiquette Week ↔ Salvation Army Week ↔ Universal Family Week

Children's Book Week ↔ National Stuttering Awareness Week

13-16

Grand Prix de Monaco

16-22

National Dog Bite Prevention Week

National New Friends, Old Friends Week

National Transportation Week

World Trade Week

• Today’s Observances—US/UN/World •

Biographer's Day

NASCAR Day

National Sea Monkey Day

Wear Purple For Peace Day

• Today’s Observances—by country •

Cayman Islands : Commonwealth Day

Iraq: Mass Graves Day

Malaysia: Teachers' Day

Middlesex County England: Middlesex Day to honor war heroes of Battle of Albuera, 1811

• Today’s Number One Songs in…

For anyone interested, all these songs are available on iTunes.

"Music, once admitted to the soul, becomes a sort of spirit, and never dies." ~ Edward Bulwer-Lytton.

1940 ►Tuxedo Junction; Glenn Miller

1950 ►'The Third Man' Theme; Anton Karas

1960 ►Stuck on You; Elvis Presley

1970 ►American Woman/ No Sugar Tonight; The Guess Who

1980 ►Call Me; Blondie

• Today’s Happenings•

In The Arts

1929 ►The First ever Academy Awards of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Awards presented

In Athletics

1985 ►Michael Jordan named NBA Rookie of Year

In Business or Education

1817 ►Mississippi River steamboat service begins

1891 ►George A Hormel & Company introduce Spam

1965 ►Spaghetti-O's 1st sold

In Politics

1568 ►Mary Queen of Scotland flees to England

1760 ►Creek warrior Chief Hobbythacco (Handsome Fellow) has often supported the English, but, at the outbreak of the Cherokee war, he decides to support the Cherokees.

1866 ►Congress authorizes nickel 5¢ piece (replaces silver half-dime)

1910 ►US Bureau of Mines forms

1939 ►Food stamps are 1st issued

In Science/ Religion

1975 ►Japanese climber Junko Tabei, leading an all-woman expedition to Mount Everest, became the first woman to reach the summit

• Today’s Births •

Artists, Writers, and Composers

Studs Terkel, 1912, author/host (Stud's Place, Working), born in New York NY

Athletes

Olga Korbut, 55, Olympic gold medal gymnast, born Grodno, USSR

Billy (Alfred Manuel) Martin, 1928, baseball: played and managed (5 times) Yankees; managed Twins, Tigers, Rangers and A’s, born in Berkley, CA

Gabriela Sabatini, 40, former tennis player, born Buenos Aires, Argentina

Entertainers

David Boreanaz, 39, actor (“Angel,” “Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” “Bones”), born Philadelphia, PA

Pierce Brosnan, 57, actor (The Matador, The Thomas Crown Affair, “Remington Steele,” James Bond films), born County Meath, Ireland

Henry Fonda, 1905, actor (Mr Roberts, On Golden Pond), born in Grand Island NE

Woodrow Charles 'Woody' Herman, 1913, jazz clarinetist/ bandleader/ composer (Thundering Herds), born in Milwaukee, WI

(Wladziu Valentino) Liberace, 1919, concert pianist & showman, born in West Allis, WI

Tori Spelling, 37, actress (“Beverly Hills 90210”), born Beverly Hills, CA

Debra Winger, 1955, actress (Officer & Gentleman), born in Columbus OH

Business, Education Persons

Elizabeth Palmer Peabody, 1804, educator/founder (1st US kindergarten), born in Billerica, MA

Political Persons

Levi P. Morton, 1824, 22nd United States Vice President

William Henry Seward, 1801, Secretary of State (1861-69, buys Alaska at 2¢/acre), born in Florida, NY

Scientists /Religious Persons

Dafydd Williams, 56, Canadian physician and astronaut

• Today’s Obits •

Charles Perrault, 1703, author/fairy tale writer, @ 75

Lean Bear (Awoninahku), 1864, Cheyenne chief, murdered while surrendering

Max Brand [Frederick Schiller Faust], 1944, western author, shrapnel while imbedded reporter @ 52

James Agee, 1955, US critic/writer (Death in Family), heart attack @ 46

Andy Kaufman, 1984, comedian (Latka-Taxi), cancer @ 35

Jim Henson, 1990, muppeteer (Sesame Street, Muppet Show), pneumonia @ 53

Sammy Davis Jr, 1990, entertainer (Golden Boy), throat cancer @ 64

≈ ANSWERS to puzzle    

1. Basic / Sick Bay

2. Welfare / Farewell

3. Zero / Rosy

4. Germane / Manger

5. Settee / Tea Set

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Sat 5-15

≈Week 19 of 2010: days this year… days remain≈

≈ Something To Think About  

The one means that wins the easiest victory over reason: terror and force.

~Adolph Hitler, Mein Kampf

≈ Random Fact    

Bluebirds cannot see the color blue.

• Holy Mackerel: On this day in 1940 ►Nylon stockings from DuPont ( Nylon invented in 1935 by Wallace Carothers ) went on general sale for the first time in the United States. In today’s money they cost $29.50 per pair

≈ Free Ramblings    

Living in AZ these days is not easy. Our great state has over 20 federally recognized tribal reservations. According to 2000 census figures, 30% of our population is of Hispanic origin, 5% of our population is Native American. About 44% of AZ population is non-white. One would think that Ethnic Studies would be part of our children’s education. Members of any ethnic group need to have the knowledge and legitimacy of what their ancestors brought to our state. Non-members of any ethnic group need to learn that our great state was built by people from a variety of backgrounds, cultures, and ‘colors’. Well, if one lives in AZ, one would be thinking incorrectly. This week our non-elected governor signed a bill that will change the teaching of ethnic studies in our public schools. Children will no longer be taught any studies that put any other culture in a bad light. I guess they will be learning that the Native tribes welcomed the non-Natives with open arms and gladly moved to reservations, giving up their homeland. Mexicans must have celebrated when they too lost their land in several wars. Natives rejoiced when the Buffalo soldiers helped them give up their land. Natives cheered when store owners throughout the state put up signs that stated ‘No Indians Allowed’. Natives celebrated when they were allowed to vote for the first time in 1924—four years after women were allowed to vote. AZ has been ranked in the bottom 10 states for educational funding; AZ has been ranked in the bottom 10 states in test scores. While this bill has not yet reached the national news like the immigration bill did, this bill is potentially more harmful to our state. Children will not be allowed to do any critical thinking regarding AZ history. Sadly, every culture group in our state has done things that put them in bad light. That’s why we used to teach children to be critical thinkers. This is so much worse than the southern states that teach their children about the ‘War of Northern Aggression’.

It was fairly cloudy today. The wind kept our high of 60° feel a little cooler. I hung around home most of the day. It was little more than a nice relaxing day.

≈ A Quick Smile…    

I requested identification from a department-store customer who had just written a personal check for her purchase.

After fumbling through her purse, she presented me with what she said was the only thing that bore both her name and address.

It was a notice of insufficient funds from her bank.

≈ Puzzle    

Decode this well known nursery rhyme:

A small number of child laborers were attempting to traverse a more elevated position in a vain attempt to procure a quarter of a rundlet of a hydrogen and oxygen compound. Half their number experienced an uncontrollable descent that resulted in severe damage to the pate. And soon it came to pass that the rest of the labor force followed suit, but with far less serious consequences.

≈ Side Show Stories    

DUBAI - It's the ultimate hole-in-the-wall — a money machine that dispenses pure gold. "The reason we chose Emirates Palace is because it really fits with the surroundings here," said German entrepreneur Thomas Geissler, creator of the "Gold to Go" brand and chief executive of Ex Oriente Lux. The exterior of the machine is coated with a thin layer of gold and offers customers 320 items to choose from, ranging from gold bars that can weigh up to 10 grams, to customized gold coins.

Through a computer system, the ATM gold machine updates the gold price every 10 minutes to match international markets. "On the first night we had a lot of demand," he said. "One customer even bought one item of every product we have."

Geissler's timing is spot-on, as investors flock to gold as a safe haven from economic turbulence.

≈ Calendar Information    

• Observance Weeks in May•

8-16

National Tourism Week

10-16

National Etiquette Week ↔ Salvation Army Week ↔ Universal Family Week

Children's Book Week ↔ National Stuttering Awareness Week

13-16

Grand Prix de Monaco

• Today’s Observances—US/UN/World •

Armed Forces Day

International Day of Families

National Chocolate Chip Day

National Pizza Party Day

National Safety Dose Day

Nylon Stockings Day

Peace Officer Memorial Da

Preakness Stakes

Straw Hat Day

• Today’s Observances—by country •

Austria : Independence Day (from Allies in 1955)

Mexico & South Korea: Teacher's Day

Paraguay: Independence Day, from Spain in 1811

Slovenia: Day of Slovenian Army

• Today’s Number One Songs in…

For anyone interested, all these songs are available on iTunes.

"Music, once admitted to the soul, becomes a sort of spirit, and never dies." ~ Edward Bulwer-Lytton.

1948 ►Nature Boy; King Cole

1958 ►All I Have to Do Is Dream; The Everly Brothers

1968 ►Tighten Up; Archie Bell & the Drells

1978 ►With a Little Luck; Paul McCartney & Wings

1988 ►Anything for You; Gloria Estefan & Miami Sound Machine

• Today’s Happenings•

In The Arts

1963 ►Peter, Paul & Mary win their 1st Grammy (If I Had a Hammer)

In Athletics

1970 ►South-Africa excluded from Olympic play

1989 ►US Basketball League cancels its summer schedule

In Business or Education

1602 ►Cape Cod discovered by English navigator Bartholomew Gosnold

1905 ►Las Vegas NV founded on 110 acres of Nevada

1981 ►The 20,000,000th Volkswagen Beetle came off the production line at the Volkswagen plant in Puebla, Mexico.

2008 ►California's Supreme Court Rules In Favor Of Same Sex marriages and has said the "right to form a family relationship" applied to all Californians regardless of sexuality.

In Politics

1862 ►The U.S. Department of Agriculture was established by President Abraham Lincoln

1869 ►National Woman Suffrage Association forms

1933 ►1st voice amplification system to be used in US Senate

1970 ►South-Africa excluded from Olympic play

In Science/ Religion

1918 ►The first flights for the new U.S. airmail service begins between Washington, Philadelphia and New York.

• Today’s Births •

Artists, Writers, and Composers

Lyman Frank Baum, 1856, children's book author (Wizard of Oz) born in Chittenango NY Katherine Anne Porter, 1890, novelist (Ship of Fools) born in Indian Creek, TX

Athletes

George Howard Brett, 57, Hall of Fame baseball player, executive, born Glen Dale, WV Emmitt Smith, 41, former football player, born Pensacola, FL

Rick Waits, 58, baseball pitcher (Rangers, Indians, Twins) born in Atlanta, GA

Entertainers

Anna Maria Alberghetti, 74, singer, actress (Cinderfella, Carnival), born Pesaro, Italy

Eddy (Richard Edward) Arnold, 1918, ‘The Tennessee Plowboy’ born in Henderson,TN

Joseph Cotton, 1905, actor born in Petersburg VA

Lee Horsley, 55, actor (“Nero Wolfe,” “Matt Houston”), born Muleshoe, TN

Lainie Kazan, 68, singer, actress, born New York, NY

Trini Lopez, 73, actor, singer (Marriage on the Rocks, The Dirty Dozen), born Dallas, TX

Nipo T Strongheart, 1891, Yakima Indian actor (Pony Soldier) and author of Indian Citizenship Act of 1924 , born in Yakima WA

Business, Education Persons

Roger Ailes, 70, American businessman, Pres. Of Fox News

Political Persons

Madeleine Albright, 73, former US Secretary of State, born Prague, Czechoslovakia

Richard Joseph Daley, 1902, ‘The Boss’: politician: former mayor of Chicago born in Chicago, IL

Scientists /Religious Persons

Ilja [Elias] Metsjnikov, 1845, zoologist/bacteriologist (Nobel 1908) born in Karkhov, Ukraine

• Today’s Obits •

Theodore H White, 1986, US journalist (Making of President, Pulitzer), stroke @ 71

Emily Dickinson, 1886, American poet, Bright’s Disease @ 56

June Carter Cash, 2003, American musician and singer, heart disease @ 74

Jerry Falwell, 2007, TV Evangelist, cardiac arrest @ 74

≈ ANSWERS to puzzle       

Jack and Jill / Went up the hill / To fetch a pail of water

Jack fell down/ And broke his Crown/ And Jill came tumbling after..

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