Tues Nov 23

This is Week 47 of 2010►Day 327 with 38 days remaining
Flagstaff Weather:

TODAY’S QUOTE—Confucius

Life is really simple, but we insist on making it complicated.

FREE RAMBLING THOUGHTS

Have you seen this full moon? It seems there is a fairly lively debate as to whether or not this is a blue moon. I’ve always heard the phrase “once in a blue moon” most of my life. Many, many years ago I learned that a blue moon has nothing to do with the color of the moon. I have always wanted to see a moon that was the color blue. But then, I like sci-fi. A blue moon is so called when there are two full moons in a calendar month. It doesn’t happen very often, but does occur. Now for the debate part...you may have already looked at your calendar and said hey, this is the first full moon in November. You would be right. However, there is another definition of a blue moon. That one says there are three full moons in each season—based on all that equinox and solstice stuff. If there are more than three moons in a given season, the moon just before the last moon of the season is called a blue moon. The last moon of a season is always called the last moon of the season. Confused? Me too. There will be a full moon in December 2010 that will be full for about 2 hours before the winter solstice in the Northern Hemisphere. By the second definition, we are now experiencing a blue moon. Now you know and can look up in the sky and enjoy a blue moon that many don’t even know is occurring.

Our wind was pretty strong this morning, but thankfully died down early this afternoon. I took off about 9:30 to get a haircut and buy my Turkey day items. I got right in for my haircut, after all, who in their right mind get a haircut at 10am on a Monday morning. Two people did come in while I was there, but I was the first. Teri, the haircut lady, told me the salon will be opening at 6am on Black Friday. The salon is in the mall and all stores have to open a 6am or pay a hefty fine. This seems a little crazy, unless they are offering $5 haircuts or something like that. Those shoppers who are out to get the early bird specials are not going to make a hair salon their first stop. I have done the early thing—never before 7am. I have yet to see anyone arriving to have a haircut. I have seen lots of women wearing a scarf to hide something. Teri said that maybe some husbands will come in, just to get away from the chaos. Maybe. I went directly home after the haircut as the parking lots were all very icy, the wind made being outside miserable, and I figured it would get better later in the day. I was right. I went to the grocery about 2pm and it was cool, the parking lots were just wet, and there were very few people at the store. I got everything I needed but the aluminum pie plates.

Not a bad Monday. There is, of course, snow scheduled until Wednesday. There was a couple of inches of the white stuff on my car this morning, but the sidewalks had less than an inch with ice underneath. We didn’t get any snow during the day and that wind dried up any on the ground. I am so glad that the temperatures are really quite nice for snow. We don’t get too cold at night and when there is no wind it is nice to be outside.

HOLY MACKEREL: 1935 Ethel Leginska became the first woman to write an opera -- and conduct it. Her original work, titled Gale, opened at the Chicago City Opera Company.

JEOPARDY PUZZLE—(SuperJeopardy Answers) from 1990 SIGNS & SYMBOLS

The geometric ratio 3.14159265 is symbolized by this, the 16th letter of the Greek alphabet

This hockey team's logo features a fluke & a "W"

The value of this answer ($1500) in Roman numerals

This month's birthstone is turquoise (or blue topaz), & its flower, the holly

Among the symbols in its major arcana are the sun, a hanged man & a fool

SOMEWHAT USELESS INFORMATION—Marijuana

A 2005 National Household Survey on Drug Use and Health indicates that 46 percent of U.S. residents 12 years of age and older have tried marijuana one or more times.

***

Since 1990, nearly 5.9 million Americans have been arrested on marijuana charges, a greater number than the entire populations of Alaska, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Vermont and Wyoming combined

UNUSUAL NEWS ITEM

COLORADO SPRINGS, CO — Soldiers accused of breaking into a Colorado medical marijuana dispensary and then accidentally locking themselves inside told police they planned to destroy the marijuana — not smoke or sell it.

The Gazette in Colorado Springs reports a police affidavit says two of the three Fort Carson soldiers told officers they were trying to steal the marijuana so they could get rid of it.

Police say the three were arrested Saturday on second-degree burglary charges after they accidentally locked themselves in the Colorado Springs dispensary during a burglary attempt.

Officers say they were on an unrelated call at a nearby business around 2 a.m. when they heard someone banging on glass inside the dispensary.

The soldiers are 23-year-old Pfc. Darius Thomas, 22-year-old Pvt. Cory Young and 22-year-old Pfc. Ramone Hollins. It was unknown Thursday if any of them had an attorney.

A LITTLE LAUGH

Everyone knows I'm a stickler for good spelling. So, when an associate e-mailed technical documents asking me to "decifer" them, I had to set him straight.

I wrote, "Decipher is spelled with a ph, not an f. In case you've forgotten, spell checker comes free with your software."

A minute later, I got this reply, "Mine must be dephective."

FOUND ON ‘YOU TUBE’

Sathya Sai Baba chants Gayatri Mantra Story and translation under the video.

UP CLOSE PICTURE

This is a close up of what object?

CALENDAR INFORMATION

♦ Weekly Observances ♦

19-25:National Farm-City Week

21-28: National Bible Week, National Family Week, National Game & Puzzle Week, National Teens Don't Text and Drive Week, Better Conversation Week, Church/State Separation Week

♦ Today’s Observances ♦

National Cashew Day—always sold shelled because the shell is very poisonous

Fibonacci Day: for math geeks, has to do with numbers found in nature

Japan : Labor Day/Thanksgiving

Maryland : Repudiation Day (1765)

Slovenia: Rudolf Maister Day (soldier, painter, poet)

Georgia—the country: St George's Day or Giorgoba Traditional Giorghoba Dance

♫ Early Folk overlooked songs ♫

Click on Song Title to see and hear the original

Phil Ochs, "I Ain't Marchin' Anymore" (1966 electric single version). Ochs had previously done this protest classic as a solo acoustic track. For a 1966 non-LP single, it was totally redone as a galvanizing electric number, with bursts of bagpipes at the beginning and end, and roadhouse piano runs throughout. Inexplicably only released in England, this could have been a hit if it had been promoted properly.

The Byrds, "I Knew I'd Want You" The B-side of "Mr. Tambourine Man," this is one of many gorgeously melodic, sensitively sung early Byrds songs written by Gene Clark that could have qualified for this list.

The Jefferson Airplane, "Today" Perhaps the greatest folk-rock ballad ever, and a hit single that should have been, but never got released as a 45. From their classic Surrealistic Pillow album, with Jerry Garcia contributing guitar. Note: One of my favorite Airplane songs.

Fred Neil, "The Dolphins" The greatest song by the singer-songwriter most known for "Everybody's Talkin'," mixing oceanic dolphin imagery with allusions to failed love.

Judy Collins, "Hard Lovin' Loser" Yet another hit single that should have been, from her In My Life album. A great cover of a Richard & Mimi Farina song with an ascending harpsichord riff, barrelhouse honky-tonk piano, and convincing rock'n'roll vocals that totally outdistances the original.

♦Today’s Births♦

╥ THE ARTS

1928 - Jerry Bock, composer: Fiddler on the Roof, Fiorello, Mr. Wonderful

Steve Harvey, 54, comedian, actor (The Original Kings of Comedy, “The Steve Harvey Show”)

Miley Cyrus, 18, actress, singer (“Hannah Montana”), born Destiny Hope Cyrus

1887 Boris Karloff (William Henry Pratt), actor (Frankenstein)

1888 Harpo [Adolph] Marx, actor/comedian (Marx brothers)

1903 Victor Jory, actor (Gone with the Wind, Papillion, Dodge City)

╥ ATHLETICS

Vincent Lemont ‘Vic’ Baker, 39, basketball (Bucks, Celtics, Supersonics, Knicks, Rockets, Clippers)

Oscar Robertson, 72, NBA guard (Bucks, Olympic-gold-1960)

╥ BUSINESS & EDUCATION

1860 Karl Branting, statesman/diplomat (Nobel Peace Prize 1921)

1859 Billy the Kid(William Bonney or Henry McCarty), criminal

╥ POLITICS

1804 Franklin Pierce, 14th President (1853-1857)

╥ SCIENCE & RELIGION

Sathya Sai Baba, 84, Indian guru and philosopher

David Britz, 30, American nano-technologist

1924 Colin Macmillan Turnbull, British anthropologist

♦Today’s Obituaries♦

Roald Dahl, British short story writer, @ 74 in 1990

Elbrige Gerry, VP (of Gerrymander fame), @ 70 in 1914

Andre Malraux, French novelist/art historian/puplic office. ("The Voices of Silence"), @ 75 in 1976

Freddie Mercury lead singer of Queen, aids @ 46 in 1991

♦Today’s Events♦

╥ THE ARTS

1644 John Milton publishes Areopagitica, a pamphlet decrying censorship.

1899 1st jukebox (Palais Royal Hotel, San Francisco)

1903 Enrico Caruso US debut (Metropolitan Opera House, NY) in "Rigoletto"

╥ ATHLETICS

1904 3rd Olympic games close in St Louis

╥ BUSINESS & EDUCATION

1765 People of Frederick County MD refuse to pay England's Stamp tax

1835 Henry Burden patents Horseshoe manufacturing machine

1863 Patent granted for a process of making color photographs

1936 1st issue of Life, picture magazine created by Henry R Luce

1948 Lens to provide zoom effects patented-FG Back

╥ INDIGENOUS PEOPLE

1868 Custer and the Seventh Cavalry leave Camp Supply looking for "hostiles" in the Indian Territory (present day Oklahoma). There are 800 soldiers who start this march in a heavy snow storm.

1877 While authorities are attempting to arrest an Indian named Naught, who is accused of shooting two teamsters, other Indians become agitated. One of them shoots Alex Rhoden, who is walking across the street at the time, in Nalad City, Idaho. This incident leads to the Bannock War.

╥ POLITICS (US)

1903 Governor of Colorado James Peabody sends the state militia into the town of Cripple Creek to break up a miners' strike.

╥ POLITICS (International)

1971 China People's Republic seated in UN Security Council

╥ SCIENCE & RELIGION

1848 Female Medical Educational Society founded in Boston

1976 Apneist Jacques Mayol is the first man to reach a depth of 100 m undersea without breathing equipment.

ANSWERS

∞ JEOPARDY

The geometric ratio 3.14159265 is symbolized by this, the 16th letter of the Greek alphabet

What is Pi?

This hockey team's logo features a fluke & a "W"

Who are the Hartford Whalers (now the Carolina Hurricanes with a new logo)?

The value of this answer ($1500) in Roman numerals

What is ‘MD’?

This month's birthstone is turquoise (or Blue Topaz), & its flower, the holly

What is December?

Among the symbols in its major arcana are the sun, a hanged man & a fool

What are Tarot Cards?

∞ PICTURE

A garden hose

╬╦╦╦╩╩╩ ╬

Mon Nov 22

This is Week 47 of 2010►Day 326 with 39 days remaining

Flagstaff Weather:

TODAY’S QUOTE— Vernon Howard

You have succeeded in life when all you really want is only what you really need.

FREE RAMBLING THOUGHTS

Our forecasted 1-2” of snow didn’t arrive, or maybe it did. It started snowing about 9am, then it rained, then it got sunny, then snow, then rain, then sun. The weather service is saying that we got about ½” of moisture today. I forget to mention the 45mph wind gusts that were above the average 31mph wind we had all day. I had some laundry to do, some TV shows to catch up on and no need to be outside, except to feed the birds.

After watching my Sunday morning news analysis shows I realize the invasive body searches aren’t going to end until we either change our terrorist catching philosophy or some group files a law suit. The latter will only make us less safe. The philosophy is that ‘anyone may be a terrorist’. I don’t like that philosophy but realize that no one has come up with a better one. A lot was said about Israel security, but when you look at the number of flights to and from Israel every day, they can do it their way. We in America just have to realize that no one knows who is a terrorist and who is not. This is a sad commentary for sure. I have also decided that the secrecy of our search results doesn’t help the situation. If we, as Americans, knew the number of weapons were confiscated, the number of passengers who failed the first security check and had to have a pat down, the number of passengers stopped from flying because they were too high a risk then we might be more understanding. Right now, all we know is that three or four guys have gotten on a plane in the past nine years with something that could bring down the plane. They were stopped by crew and/or passengers from completing their job. Today it sounded like the administration doesn’t think we need to know. Why? Because releasing such information to the public will also release it to the terrorists. While I believe that all the terrorists are a few cans short of a six pack, they do learn from their mistakes. It took them three separate attacks on the WTC to bring it down. They tried a couple of car bombs that didn’t do that much damage. If the Administration announces it won’t be checking women, blondes, children, physically challenged, or individuals over 70 since none of those profiles have been a problem, it is a good guess that the next suicide bomber will have one or more of those characteristics. No one asked about the young Asian guy who got on the plane looking like an elderly white guy with all the proper ID and emerged from the restroom without his disguise. Thankfully he was just a refugee and not a terrorist. He was flying Air Canada from Hong Kong to Vancouver so maybe that is why.

I’m going to have a busy week getting ready for Thanksgiving. Grocery shopping for pie stuff, and finding it with as little hassle as possible. I’ll be making the pies on Wednesday and it looks like it will be still be snowing—on and off. The cloudy weather always gets me in the mood to clean and/or cook, so that will all be good.

HOLY MACKEREL:On Nov. 22 1963 all three of these men died

…Aldous Huxley, English novelist ("Brave New World") at his request (he was unable to speak and wrote a note) his wife gave him overdose of LSD @ 69
…John F Kennedy, 35th U.S. President, shot dead in Dallas @ 46
…C.S.Lewis, English novelist ("The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe"), renal failure @ 64

JEOPARDY PUZZLE—(Super Jeopardy Answers) from 1990 THE HUMAN BODY

Also called the corium, it's the thicker layer of skin under the epidermis

This tube that carries food from throat to stomach is the narrowest part of the digestive tract

In humans night blindness is an early sign of a deficiency of this vitamin

Harder than bone but softer than enamel, it's the yellowish tissue that makes up the bulk of a tooth

The movable lower jaw is the mandible; the fixed upper jaw is called this

SOMEWHAT USELESS INFORMATION—Flirting

Studies show that people who flirt have higher white blood-cell counts, which boost both immunity and health. Scientists say there are 52 “flirting signals” used by humans. Of these, the hair-flip technique is the most common.

***

In Little Rock, AR, an antiquated law is still on the books warning that engaging in playful banter may result in a 30-day jail term. In New York City, another outdated law mandates that men may be fined $25 for gazing lasciviously at a female; a second conviction stipulates the offender wear a pair of blinders whenever he goes out for a walk.

***

A full 62 percent of drivers have flirted with someone in a different vehicle while on the go, and 31 percent of those flirtations resulted in a date!

UNUSUAL NEWS ITEM

CHATTANOOGA, TN- A Tennessee judge has ruled a schoolteacher was not justified in holding a group of "ghostbuster" teenagers at gunpoint at a local cemetery. Friends and neighbors of Stacy Swallows say he only wanted to protect a private graveyard near his home north of Chattanooga when he road blocked nine teenagers late one night in early September and pointed an assault rifle at their cars, the Chattanooga Times Free Press reported Thursday. Used needles and condoms had been found among grave markers, headstones were overturned and cars were parked around the property late at night, they said. "It had been trashed so many times by a bunch of punks," Tommy Iles, a friend of Swallows, said outside of court. "These kids don't have any respect." But Hamilton County Sessions Court Judge Bob Moon said a history of mischief at the cemetery didn't give Swallows the right to hold the teens at gunpoint. "They were curious ghostbusters, but they weren't criminals," Moon said of the teenagers. "Should the young people have been there? No. Did they commit a crime? No." Moon ordered the case, in which Swallows is charged with aggravated assault and false imprisonment, sent to the Hamilton County grand jury.

A LITTLE LAUGH

A couple moved to the country when they retired. One mild winter, they had a bit of a problem with rodents in the garage. So they bought one of those little sub-sonic mouse repellants, the kind you plug in and they emit some kind of sound that drives off mice. The husband was showing it to their neighbor and explaining that it was an animal repellant. He told her that it worked on everything from mice to elephants.

"Really!?" she said, "Mice to elephants, eh." sounding a bit skeptical.

"Yes," he replied, seriously. "We've had it here for a couple of weeks now and we haven't had a single elephant in the garage the whole time!"

FOUND ON ‘YOU TUBE’

Monty Python Arguement Clinic

UP CLOSE PICTURE

This is a close up of what object?

CALENDAR INFORMATION

♦ Weekly Observances ♦

19-25:National Farm-City Week

21-28: National Bible Week, National Family Week, National Game & Puzzle Week, National Teens Don't Text and Drive Week, Better Conversation Week, Church/State Separation Week

♦ Today’s Observances ♦

Start Your Own Country Day

Humane Society Anniversary Day

Guinea: Portuguese Aggression Anniversary

Lebanon: Independence Day (1943) from France

Bern Switzerland: Onion Market Day-autumn festival

♫ Early Folk-Rock Hits ♫

Click on Song Title to see and hear the original

Comments are from Richie Unterberger, travel and rock music

6. The Mamas & the Papas: "California Dreamin' " The most pleasing overtly commercial manifestation of folk-rock, the harmonies and beguiling melody resulting in the group's first big hit.

7. The Lovin' Spoonful: "Do You Believe in Magic?" Folk-rock at its happiest, on the song that introduced the Lovin' Spoonful to a wide audience. 8. Donovan, "Sunshine Superman." The track that not only fully moved Donovan from acoustic to electric music, but also helped trigger psychedelic rock.

8. The Beatles, "Norwegian Wood" Undoubtedly the Beatles' greatest lyrical triumph during their folk-rock phase.

9. Judy Collins, "Both Sides Now" The most graceful mass folk-rock smash of the late 1960s, an example par excellence of an original early 1960s folkie growing into the folk-rock revolution with maturity, and the track that first enabled a Joni Mitchell song to reach most ears.

10. The Youngbloods, "Get Together" Many artists covered Dino Valenti's classic ode to love and brotherhood, including the We Five, the Jefferson Airplane, and (in live performance) Judy Collins and Joni Mitchell. The Youngbloods were not the first to do it, but they were the ones to have the biggest hit with the song, and deservedly so, as their slow arrangement and Jesse Colin Young's vocals brought out the most rousing, soulful qualities of the tune.

11. Country Joe & the Fish, "I-Feel-Like-I'm-Fixin'-to-Die Rag" GRAPHIC LANGUAGE: The funniest, and most vicious, anti-Vietnam War protest song. Not always thought of as a folk-rock song, but it should be noted that -- in addition to boasting a psychedelic jugband flavor -- it was first recorded as an acoustic jug band folk tune on a 1965 EP, prior to the release of the famous rock version two years later on the group's second album.

♦Today’s Births♦

╥ THE ARTS

1857 George Gissing, English writer (Thyrza, Crown of Life)

1888 Tarzan of the Apes, according to Edgar Rice Burroughs' novel

Floyd Sneed, 68, musician: drums: group: Three Dog Night

1899 Hoagland Howard Hoagy Carmichael, actor/songwriter (Stardust)

1906 Lee Patrick, actress (Henrietta-Topper, Maltese Falcon)

1921 Rodney Dangerfield (Jacob Cohen), comedian (Caddyshack, Back to School)

1924 Geraldine Page actress (Interiors, Trip to Bountiful)

Jamie Lee Curtis, 52, actress (True Lies, Halloween, A Fish Called Wanda)

Terry Gilliam, 70, actor, writer (“Monty Python’s Flying Circus,” Life of Brian), director (Brazil)

Mariel Hemingway, 49, actress (Manhattan, Personal Best, Superman IV)

Scarlett Johansson, 26, actress (The Other Boleyn Girl, Match Point, Lost in Translation)

Richard Kind, 53, actor (“Spin City,” “Mad About You”)

Robert Vaughn, 78, actor (“The Man From U.N.C.L.E.,” The Magnificent Seven)

╥ ATHLETICS

Boris Becker, 43, former tennis player

Harry Edwards, 68, sports sociologist

Billie Jean King, 67, former tennis player

╥ BUSINESS & EDUCATION

Shawn Fanning, 30, American Internet entrepreneur (Napster)

Rasmus Lerdorf, 42, Greenlandic computer programmer

╥ POLITICS

1868 John Nance Garner, 32nd VP (1933-41)

1890 Charles de Gaulle, President of France (1958-69)

╥ SCIENCE & RELIGION

1898 Wiley Post, aviator/parachutist (crashed in Alaska)

Guion S. Bluford, Jr, 68, first black astronaut in space

♦Today’s Obituaries♦

Michael Conrad, actor (Hill Street Blues), cancer @ 58 in 1983

George Washington Gale Ferris, Jr, inventor of Ferris Wheel, typhoid fever @ 36 in 1896

Lorenz Hart, lyricist, pneumonia/alcoholism @ 48 IN 1943

Mae West, actress, @ 87 in 1980

♦Today’s Events♦

╥ THE ARTS

1880 Lillian Russell made her vaudeville debut

1928 "Bolero" by Maurice Ravel, 1st performed publicly, in Paris

1965 The production of Man of La Mancha, including the classic The Impossible Dream, opened in New York City for the first of 2,328 performances.

1984 Fred Rogers of PBS’ Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood presented a sweater, knitted by his mother, to the Smithsonian Institution as “a symbol of warmth, closeness and caring,” according to museum officials.

╥ ATHLETICS

1910 Arthur Knight patents steel shaft golf clubs

1950 Lowest NBA score, Ft Wayne Pistons (19), Minneapolis Lakers (18)

1998 Denver Broncos QB John Elway passed the 50,000-yard career-passing mark.

╥ BUSINESS & EDUCATION

1906 International Radio Telecommunications Com adopts "SOS" as new call for help

1932 Pump patented that computes quantity & price delivered

1956 16th modern Olympic games opens in Melbourne

╥ INDIGENOUS PEOPLE

1812 Potawatomi Chief Winamac is killed in fighting with Captain Logan (Spemicalawba). One of two Potawatomi Chiefs with the same name, he is a principle leader in the attacks on Forts Dearborn and Wayne in 1812. The other Winamac is pro-American.

╥ POLITICS (US)

1943 FDR, Churchill & Chiang Kai-shek meet to discuss ways to defeat Japan

1990 George Bush visits US troops in Saudi Arabia during Thanksgiving

╥ POLITICS (International)

1924 England orders Egyptians out of Sudan

1975 Juan Carlos proclaimed king of Spain

1990 Margaret Thatcher announces her resignation as British Prime Minister

╥ SCIENCE & RELIGION

1809 Peregrine Williamson of Baltimore patents a steel pen

1842 Mount St Helens in Washington, erupts

ANSWERS

∞ JEOPARDY

Also called the corium, it's the thicker layer of skin under the epidermis

What is the dermis?

This tube that carries food from throat to stomach is the narrowest part of the digestive tract

What is the esophagus?

In humans night blindness is an early sign of a deficiency of this vitamin

What is Vitamin A?

Harder than bone but softer than enamel, it's the yellowish tissue that makes up the bulk of a tooth

What is the dentin?

The movable lower jaw is the mandible; the fixed upper jaw is called this

What is the maxilla?

∞ PICTURE

Fingernail clippers

╬╦╦╦╩╩╩ ╬

Sun Nov 21

This is Week 47 of 2010►Day 325 with 40 days left.

Flagstaff Weather:

TODAY’S QUOTE—Confucius

He who speaks without modesty will find it difficult to make his words good.

FREE RAMBLING THOUGHTS

It was a What the Crap day. I got up early to wind and it continued throughout the day. During the night the wind blew one of my bird feeders off the tree. The above new weather graphic shows that it was not a good weather day. The wind chill took about 8° off both temperatures. The high clouds have now turned into snow clouds—those dark grey ones. The weatherman may be right when he said a couple of inches of new snow overnight. I am ready, especially if the wind goes away.

This blog has been bithin’ about the new TSA rules for several days now. I have not mentioned that while TSA screeners are really not at the top of the pay scale for their very important jobs. These people are paid between $13.79-$16.57/hour or $24K-$36K/year. They are Federal Employees and have most of the Federal Benefits. Those screeners do not make the rules. Those screeners have no say in what the rules are. I am sure that the vast majority of screeners do not enjoy these new procedures. I am not excited about having a pat down, they have to do this all day long every day. Having someone touch me for less than a minute is not nearly as bad as having to touch several hundred people as part of my job. So, any anger about the new procedures should not be aimed at these low level workers. They, like so many Americans need their job to take care of their family. Some airports are thinking about hiring private contractors to do the screening. They believe that it will cost less and meet the needs of the passengers more quickly. From my present seat on a very high mountain top, this is a really bad idea. It is bad, if for no other reason, because every airport will then have a different way of screening. The TSA for all its current publicity has become much better over the years, much more friendly. Before TSA took over screening, it was much less safe and one never knew what to expect. I remember traveling soon after 9-11. I walked through the metal detector in Phoenix and set it off. They used a wand, found nothing and sent me on my way. Without changing anything, I had to go through another metal detector in Dallas. I walked right through and didn’t set off any alarms. Since TSA, that hasn’t happened to me. Every detector was calibrated to the same sensitivity at every airport. That is a good thing.

I saw a show today on TLC about walking with Tigers in Thailand at a Buddhist monastery. Tourists pay a hefty fee to go out to a canyon where there are 10 tigers ‘in the wild’. The animals looked very sedate and visitors could walk around and pet the tigers. The undercover story showed that there are actually 75 tigers kept in small cages hidden in the canyon. Each day about 10 of the tigers are drugged and then ‘set free’ to wander around in a drunken stupor. At the end of the day when the park closes, the tigers are returned to their small cages where they are poorly fed and have to wait about a week to have a day of ‘freedom’. I found this one of the most disgusting stories I have heard in a long time. First, the idea that it is run by Monks is so against everything I know about Buddhism. The idea that these endangered animals are being drugged so that people can ‘pet’ them is so sick. Finally, seeing their very small cages—just big enough for them to stand, but not walk—is horrific. I was probably more upset than someone who hasn’t done the Walk with Lions. In Africa the animals were not ever caged—except for the reserve fence; the lions were not drugged—although they were very well fed and therefore not aggressive; the lions were being rehabilitated so return to the wild; the money we paid went directly to food and care for the lions—the government grant paid the few salaried employees and the ‘volunteers’ who stayed there for 6 weeks to 3 months had to pay a hefty fee to ‘volunteer’. My hope is that the Thailand Tiger Walk will soon be shut down.

HOLY MACKEREL: 1794 Honolulu Harbor discovered 

JEOPARDY PUZZLE—(SuperJeopardy Answers) from 1990—In the 90’s News

For the 1st time, members of this organization established by JFK are being sent to Poland & Hungary

Ronald Reagan was the star witness at the trial of this former national security advisor

The town of Kalapana, Hawaii has been virtually destroyed by lava from this volcano

1 of the 2 U.S. hostages released in Lebanon in April 1990

She's the Democrat running for governor of Texas in 1990

SOMEWHAT USELESS INFORMATION—Disney

82 years ago the world was introduced to the famous little character who would become one of the most recognized cartoon animals in history, Mickey Mouse.

***

Mickey Mouse was not his original name! Walt Disney sketched him while riding on a train with his wife, Lillian, and told her that he would call him “Mortimer Mouse.” Lillian didn’t like the name, so Walt Disney changed it to Mickey Mouse.

***

In 1929, the first piece of Mickey Mouse merchandise was introduced in stores. It was a child’s school tablet featuring Mickey Mouse’s image.

***

Walt Disney served as the original voice of Mickey Mouse.

***

The first two Mickey Mouse movies cost $2,500 a piece to make.

***

The first Mickey Mouse Technicolor cartoon was called “The Band Concert”, and premiered in 1935.

***

Walt Disney said that Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse were married in “private life”, though the mice never actually got hitched on screen.

UNUSUAL NEWS ITEM

NEW YORK - A New York 19-year-old accused of shoving a turkey breast into his pants at a grocery store told a newspaper he took a sandwich but denied stealing the breast. Deon Williams turned down a plea deal with a six-month jail sentence for the robbery charge, claiming he was falsely accused of shoving the 12-pound Boars Head turkey breast into his pants and attempting to smuggle it out of the Fine Fare supermarket, the New York Post reported Thursday. "I didn't do it," Williams told the Post.

"OK, I stole a cold-cut sandwich because I was hungry, but I put everything (else) back." Prosecutors allege Williams left the store with the turkey in his pants and was chased down by the butcher, who demanded he hand over the breast.

Williams allegedly placed the turkey on the ground and punched the butcher in the jaw.

A LITTLE LAUGH

A t my ten-year-old's request, I loaded my Rolling Stones tunes onto his iPod.

"I had no idea you liked the Stones," I said.

"Sure. I like all that old-fashioned music," he said.

"What do you mean, 'old-fashioned music'?"

"You know," he said defensively. "Music from the 1900s."

FOUND ON ‘YOU TUBE’

“The Band Concert” with Mickey Mouse

A great battle between the ‘William Tell Overture’ and ‘Turkey in the Straw’.

UP CLOSE PICTURE

This is a close up of what object?

CALENDAR INFORMATION

♦ Weekly Observances ♦

19-25:National Farm-City Week

21-28: National Bible Week, National Family Week, National Game & Puzzle Week, National Teens Don't Text and Drive Week, Better Conversation Week, Church/State Separation Week

♦ Today’s Observances ♦

False Confessions Day

World Hello Day since 1972

World Television Day

Bangladesh: Armed Forces Day

US-Alaska: Alascattalo Day--to honor humor in general and Alaskan humor in particular. Event is named after “alascattalo,” said to be the genetic cross between a moose and a walrus

US-North Carolina : Ratification Day (1789==12th colony/state)

♫ Early Folk-Rock Hits ♫

Click on Song Title to see and hear the original

Comments are from Richie Unterberger, travel and rock music

1. The Byrds: "Mr. Tambourine Man"

The mid-1965 #1 hit single that truly made folk-rock a phenomenon, socially, artistically, and commercially.

2. Bob Dylan: "Like a Rolling Stone"

The biggest and hardest-rocking hit by folk-rock's most noted (and covered) songwriter.

3. The Byrds: "Turn! Turn! Turn!"

Another #1 single by the Byrds. A cover of a Pete Seeger song that was the ideal marriage of rock with a progressive social conscience. The song that, as the critical phrase went, rocked the Bible and got away with it.

4. Simon & Garfunkel: "The Sound of Silence"

Not just Paul Simon's first great song, but the most canny realization of how a good acoustic folk song could be made over into an electric folk-rock hit, in this case through the literal overdubbing of electric instruments onto an acoustic recording.

5. Buffalo Springfield, "For What It's Worth"

the most memorable protest folk-rock song of the 1960s.

♦Today’s Births♦

╥ THE ARTS

Bjork, 45, singer, actress, born Björk Godmundsdóttir

Joseph Campanella, 83, actor (Dr Steffen-The Nurses, Lou-Mannix)

Goldie Hawn, 65, actress (The Banger Sisters, Private Benjamin; Oscar for Cactus Flower)

Nicollette Sheridan, 47, actress (“Desperate Housewives,” “Knots Landing”)

Marlo Thomas, 72, actress (“That Girl”), author (Free to Be … You and Me)

1907 Jim Bishop author (The Day Lincoln was Shot)

1904 Coleman Hawkins virtually created tenor saxophone for jazz

1863 Arthur Quiller-Couch editor (Oxford Book of English Verse)

1852 Francisco Tárrega, father of modern classical guitar

╥ ATHLETICS

Troy Aikman, 44, sportscaster, former football (Cowboys)

George Kenneth (Ken) Griffey, Jr, 41, baseball

Larry Mahan, 67, rodeo champ (1967-70)

Earl ‘The Pearl’ Monroe, 66, Basketball Hall of Famer: Bullets: Rookie of the Year [1967]; Knicks: championship team [1972-73]

Stanley Frank “Stan the Man” Musial, 90, Hall of Fame baseball player

Tasha Schwikert, 26, gymnast

╥ BUSINESS & EDUCATION

1787 Sir Samuel Cunard founder (1st regular Atlantic steamship line)

1694 Voltaire [Francois-Marie Arouet], French thinker

╥ POLITICS

--

╥ SCIENCE & RELIGION

1495 John Bale English bishop/anti-catholic playwright (Kynge Johan)

1785 William Beaumont surgeon (studied digestion)

♦Today’s Obituaries♦

1959 Max Baer US, heavyweight boxing champ (1934), heart attacks @ 49

1916 Franz Josef, Emperor of Austria, King of Bohemia and Apostolic King of Hungary @ 86

1981 Harry Von Zell TV announcer (Burns & Allen), cancer @ 75

♦Today’s Events♦

╥ THE ARTS

1938 WBOE in Cleveland, OH became the first school-operated radio station (owned by a municipality) to receive a license from the FCC

1944 “Happy trails to you, until we meet again....” The Roy Rogers Show was first heard on the Mutual Broadcasting System

╥ ATHLETICS

1971 NY Rangers scores a NHL record 8 goals in 1 period

╥ BUSINESS & EDUCATION

1654 Richard Johnson, a free black, granted 550 acres in Virginia

1871 The cigar lighter was patented by Moses F. Gale of New York City

1945 General Motors workers go on strike

1964 World's longest suspension bridge at 4,260 ft "Verrazano Narrows" opens (NYC)

╥ INDIGENOUS PEOPLE

1807 Spanish trader Manuel Lisa builds Fort Raymond at the confluence of the Yellowstone and Bighorn Rivers. This is in central Montana near modern Custer.

1836 A battle is fought on the Withlacoochee River in the Wahoo Swamp. American forces, with Indian allies, are led by General Richard Call. The Seminoles are led by Chiefs Osuchee and Yaholooche. After chasing the Seminoles across the river, the American forces call an end to their advance when they believe the river is too deep to cross in force. Creek David Moniac is killed in the battle of Wahoo Swamp, in central Florida, by Seminoles. Moniac graduated from West Point. Moniac is part of a force of almost 700 Creek warriors, and white soldiers.

╥ POLITICS (US)

1787 Andrew Jackson admitted to the bar

1946 Harry Truman becomes 1st US President to travel in a submerged sub

╥ POLITICS (International)

1933 1st US ambassador to USSR, W.C. Bullitt, begins service

╥ SCIENCE & RELIGION

1935 1st commercial crossing of Pacific by plane (China Clipper)

1977 1st flight of the Concorde (London to New York)

ANSWERS

∞ JEOPARDY

For the 1st time, members of this organization established by JFK are being sent to Poland & Hungary

What is the Peace Corps?

Ronald Reagan was the star witness at the trial of this former national security advisor

Who was John Poindexter?

The town of Kalapana, Hawaii has been virtually destroyed by lava from this volcano

What is Kilauea?

1 of the 2 U.S. hostages released in Lebanon in April 1990

Who are Frank Reed or Who is Robert Polhill?

She's the Democrat running for governor of Texas in 1990

Who is Anne Richards?

∞ PICTURE

A plastic clothes hanger

╬╦╦╦╩╩╩╬

Sat Nov 20

This is Week 46 of 2010►Day 324 with 41 days left.

Flagstaff Weather: H—57°; L—23°; RH—29%; —clear sky and wind—21 mph w/ gusts @ 35mph

QUOTE FOR THE DAY—Ralph Waldo Emerson

Nature magically suits a man to his fortunes, by making them the fruit of his character

FREE RAMBLING THOUGHTS

A good Friday—except for the wind. Our local weatherman sent all his ‘fans’ an email to prepare for the upcoming snow storm. Nice to live in a small town. I realize it is a ‘mass’ email, but he only works on air 4 days a week and today was his day off.

Cheryl sent an email that she arrived back in Williams late this morning. She is now med free and that must be quite a good feeling. I too know how good it is to get home after a stay in the hospital.

AZ has been in the national news in a good way. A homeless man in Tempe found $3500 in cash and returned it to the owner. People from around the nation have been sending him money. He got his bike fixed and now wants to get his teeth fixed. How cool is that?

Then of course we were in the news for our governor’s healthcare plan. She has stopped many transplants because the cost is too high and the survival rate (about 45%) is too low. We now have a real Death Panel—not because of Obamacare, but because of Brewercare, here in AZ. She says that tough decisions have to be made in healthcare. The patients now have to come up with their own money to pay for transplants—a heart is $1million, a liver is $2ooK. That is in CASH. I fully realize that our state is in financial trouble, but watching the denied patients on TV is heartbreaking. The two people tonight are considered ‘high risk’ and neither can get any health insurance. First, that part of Obama care hasn’t kicked in yet. Second, both patients can’t wait and neither is eligible for Medicaid. Many in our state have begged Brewer to call a special session to fix this mess. She is famous for her special sessions in the past. In this case, she says no special session. It can easily be brought up in the regular January session. So, the 96+ people in AZ who were approved for transplants and are now denied, just have to ‘hang on’ and hope for the best. It should be noted that to even get on a transplant list, the medical community and the health insurance community already determine if a patient should be eligible for a transplant. Sadly, they deny some due to the chances of survival. What our Governor is doing is ignoring the medical profession decision. One man was actually being prepped for surgery when word came that he would have to pay for the operation. We in AZ elected her, and now we have to live with her decisions. Since AZ also voted to opt out of Obamacare in the recent election, this is only the beginning. I hope I never have to be in such a precarious health situation and if I am, I will find out if my Federal insurance, which slides through AZ Blue Cross, will be part of this mess.

OMG—the ‘pat-down’ airline thing made the news again. One group is suggesting that all males go commando and wear a kilt before being patted down. A flight attendant and cancer survivor was told she had to remove her prosthesis during the pat down. A young child started yelling ‘stranger danger’ during a pat down—that is what they are taught in school if someone touches them inappropriately. I also learned today that the TSA is still randomly pulling out passengers who have done the porno scan for the pat down. They have always randomly pulled people out for the pat down, and continue to do it. I am beginning to believe that Thanksgiving weekend will be the breaking point for this overly intrusive search.

My travel partner has been sending me e-cards for a couple of years that are really innovative and beautiful. I decided today to join in. It only costs about $20 for a 2 year membership and you can send as many cards as you like. Since it is a pay thing, the recipients don’t get a bunch of pop-ups. For about a year I used a free e-card service, but found that my recipients were getting anywhere from 8-20 pop-ups with each card and they told me they were just deleting the email to avoid the hassle. For a little while I made my own e-cards, but I am not that creative and even a simple one takes time to make. So now, for the next couple of years, my friends will be getting e-cards from jacquielawson.com. I hope they enjoy them.

I did make some cranberry sauce today. I followed the directions on the package and added a little bit of cinnamon at the very end. Tastes really fine.

HOLY MACKEREL: 1992»Fire erupted at Windsor Castle, The queen and Prince Andrew pitched in to help save priceless artworks and other valuables housed in the fortress. The fire burned for 15 hours damaging or destroying nine principal rooms and over a hundred other rooms. It took a million and a half gallons of water to put out the blaze. The next five years would be spent restoring the Castle to its former glory.

JEOPARDY PUZZLE—(SuperJeopardy Answers) from 1990—First Ladies

$100-Shortly after their wedding Ike told her, "My country comes first and always will. You come second."

$200-Barbara Bush & Raisa Gorbachev spoke at the 1990 commencement at this college

$300-The cologne worn by this wife of our 4th president is still being marketed

$400-"Murder in the Rose Garden" is the 7th in a series of mystery novels featuring her as a sleuth

$500- Julia Gardiner, the 1st to marry a president while in office, married this Virginian in 1844

SOMEWHAT USELESS INFORMATION—

»Planet Earth is the only planet whose name has not been derived from the Roman or Greek mythology.

»The Earth is not actually round in shape; in fact it is geoid. This simply means that the rounded shape has a slight bulge towards the equator.

UNUSUAL NEWS ITEM

From Discovery-A personal aircraft that requires minimal training and no pilot's license is about ready for production.

"We're trying to make the world's easiest-to-fly aircraft," Richard Lauder, chief executive of New Zealand-based Martin Aircraft Company tells Discovery News. "Our goal is to create a Segway for the sky, where the principles of flying would be very simple."

It certainly looked that way in the movies and TV shows of the 1960s and 1970s, when everyone from James Bond to Gilligan strapped on a jetpack for a thrilling change of scene.

"I think there's been an interest in this type of flying vehicle ever since man started to fly," said Dick Knapinski communications director for the Experimental Aircraft Association, a non-profit organization. "Going back to Buck Rogers in the '30s, '40s and '50s, it was assumed that within 50 years these things would have become commonplace. It hasn't gone quite as quickly. I think there's a lot more engineering in it than one might perceive."

The key problem has been what is called the "weight-to-thrust" ratio, which basically boils down to the conundrum that the heavier you are or the longer you want to stay in the air, the more power you need, which in turn means you have to carry more weight. The highly publicized Bell Rocket Belt, which was developed in the 1950s, could only fly for 30 seconds, for example.

Martin Aircraft set out to build a flying machine that would fall within U.S. aviation regulations for ultralights, defined as aircraft weighing 254 pounds or less, designed for one person, holding no more than five gallons of fuel and capable of moving at a top speed of 55 knots (63 miles per hour).

The company also is developing a heftier jetpack intended for military, emergency rescue services and other government uses, as well as a remotely piloted, unmanned version, Lauder said.

The recreational-use jetpack is expected to sell for about $100,000.

"I certainly don't think it's going to be a George Jetson-sort-of-situation here, where there's one on every block, especially when the price starts out at $100,000," Knapinski tells Discovery News. "But I think you'll see a small section of people who would like to have one of those. I would do it in a second."

Lauder, who has tested out the jetpack twice, said when you're on the ground and preparing for takeoff, there's a lot of vibration and noise.

"It shakes a lot, but when you get off the ground it gets calm. You get picked up from behind, like the hand of God, and it's very calming," he said.

A LITTLE LAUGH

My musician son decided to play guitar at his own wedding reception. That day, tuning his strings was taking longer than usual. "It's a little harder to do with a ring on," he apologized to the waiting guests.

That's when a man called out, "Everything's harder with a ring on!"

FOUND ON ‘YOU TUBE’

SETI History

GREY MATTER PICTURE

This is a close up of what object?

SOME CALENDAR INFORMATION

¤ Weekly Observances ¤

14-20: American Education Week, Geography Awareness Week, National Hunger & Homeless Awareness Week, National Global Entrepreneurship Week

19-25:National Farm-City Week

21-28: National Bible Week, National Family Week, National Game & Puzzle Week, National Teens Don't Text and Drive Week, Better Conversation Week, Church/State Separation Week

¤ Today’s Observances ¤

Absurdity Day

African Industrialization Day

Children's Day

Name Your PC Day

National Adoption Day

National Family Volunteer Day

National Survivors of Suicide Day

Transgender Day of Remembrance

Rights of the Child Day

Argentina: Day of National Sovereignty

Brazil: Zumbi Day: to honor Zumbi dos Palmares, a political leader of the 1600’s

Mexico: Revolution Day (1910)

United Kingdom: Wedding day of Queen Elizabeth II, official flag day.

¤ 11-20 Top Country songs of 20th Century ¤

Click on Song Title to see and hear the original

11. 1951… Hey Good Lookin'… Hank Williams Sr.

12. 1975… Rhinestone Cowboy… Glen Campbell

13. 1977… Take This Job & Shove It… Johnny Paycheck

14. 1980… Lady… Kenny Rogers

15. 1956… Don't Be Cruel… Elvis Presley

16. 1987… Forever & Ever Amen… Randy Travis

17. 1983… Pancho & Lefty… Merle Haggard / Willie Nelson

18. 1979… Devil Went Down To Georgia… Charlie Daniels Band

19. 1992… Boot Scootin' Boogie… Brooks & Dunn

20. 1982… Always On My Mind… Willie Nelson

¤ Today’s Births ¤

╬ THE ARTS

(Howard) Duane Allman, musician: lead guitar: group: Allman Brothers Band—in 1946

Dick Clark, 81, TV host (American Bandstand)

Nadine Gordimer, 87, Nobel Laureate, author (The Pickup, July’s People)

Chester Gould, cartoonist (gave Dick Tracy a job)—in 1900

Norman Greenbaum, 65, folk singer (Spirit in the Sky)

Dick Smothers, 71, comedian, folksinger

♦♦Actors♦♦

Fran Allison, actress (Kukla, Fran & Ollie)—in 1907

Alistair Cooke, actor (Masterpiece Theatre)—in 1908

Kaye Ballard, 84, actress/comedienne (Kaye-Mothers-in-Law)

(Juliette) Judy Canova, comedienne, actress: The Howdy Doody Show, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Oklahoma Annie—in 1913

Richard Dawson, 78, actor, game show host (“Hogan’s Heroes”; Emmy for “Family Feud”)

Bo Derek, 54, actress (10, Bolero, Tarzan, A Change of Seasons), born Cathleen Collins

Veronica Hamel, 67, actress (“Hill Street Blues”)

Estelle Parsons, 83, stage and screen actress (Miss Margarida’s Way, Bonnie and Clyde)

╬ ATHLETICS

Carlos Boozer, 29, basketball (Cavaliers, Bulls, Jazz)

Rick (Robert James) Monday, 65, baseball: Athletics, Athletics [all-star: 1968], Cubs, Dodgers [World Series: 1977, 1978, 1981/all-star: 1978]; broadcaster

╬ BUSINESS & EDUCATION

Emilio Pucci, fashion designer (Neiman-Marcus Award-1954)—in 1914

╬ POLITICS

Joseph Robinette Biden, Jr, 68, 47th Vice President of the US, former US Senator (Delaware)

Robert C. Byrd, US Senator (West Virginia), in 1917

Robert FrancisKennedy, Brookline MA (D-Sen-NY) AG; assassinated—in 1925

╬ SCIENCE & RELIGION

Robert A Bruce, MD, pioneer (exercise cardiology)—in 1916

Karl von Frisch, zoologist/bee expert (Nobel 1973)—in 1886

Edwin Hubble, astronomer (discoverer of galaxies, red shift)—in 1889

¤ Today’s Obituaries ¤

Generalissimo Francisco Franco, Spain's dictator, @ 82 in 1975

Bill Scott, cartoon voice (Mr Peabody, Bullwinkle), heart attack @ 65 in 1985

Allan Sherman, songwriter ("Camp Granada"), emphysema @ 49 in 1973

Leo Tolstoy Russian author (Anna Karenina), @ 82 in 1910

¤ Today’s Events ¤

╬ THE ARTS

1947»"Meet the Press" makes network TV debut on NBC

1966»Cabaret opened on Broadway for the first of 1,165 stellar performances. Joel Gray starred

╬ ATHLETICS

1866»The rotary-crank bicycle was patented by Pierre Lallement in Paris, France. The bike, incidentally, was known as the bone shaker.

1969»Pele scores his 1,000th soccer goal

1977»Walter Payton (Bears) rushes for NFL-record 275 yards

╬ BUSINESS & EDUCATION

1866»Howard University founded (Wash, DC)

1888»William Bundy patents the timecard clock

1931»Commercial teletype service begins

╬ INDIGENOUS PEOPLE

1969»"Indians of all tribes" are declared on Alcatraz Island.

╬ POLITICS (US)

1789»New Jersey becomes 1st state to ratify Bill of Rights

1914»US State Department starts requiring photographs for passports

1919»1st municipally owned airport in US opens in Tucson, Az

╬ POLITICS (International)

1637»Peter Minuit & 1st Swedish immigrants to Delaware sail from Sweden

1780»Britain declares war on Holland

1959»UN adopts the declaration of children's rights

1986»UN's WHO announces 1st global effort to combat AIDS

╬ SCIENCE & RELIGION

1984»The SETI [Search for Extra-Terrestrial Intelligence]Institute is founded to explore, understand and explain the origin, nature and prevalence of life in the universe. We believe we are conducting the most profound search in human history - to know our beginnings and our place among the stars.

1998»The first module of the International Space Station, Zarya, is launched.

GREY MATTER ANSWERS

↔ JEOPARDY

$100-Shortly after their wedding Ike told her, "My country comes first and always will. You come second."

Who was Mamie Eisenhower?

$200-Barbara Bush & Raisa Gorbachev spoke at the 1990 commencement at this college

What is Wellesley College?

$300-The cologne worn by this wife of our 4th president is still being marketed

Who is Dolley Madison? (Some say she wore ‘White Rose’ others say a heavy lilac scent)

$400-"Murder in the Rose Garden" is the 7th in a series of mystery novels featuring her as a sleuth

Who is Eleanor Roosevelt?

$500- Julia Gardiner, the 1st to marry a president while in office, married this Virginian in 1844

Who is John Tyler?

↔ PICTURE

Lincoln's face on a U.S. $5 bill

◄.► ◄.► ◄.►◄.►

Fri Nov 19

This is Week 46 of 2010►Day 323 with 42 days left.

Flagstaff Weather: H—58°; L—18°; RH—22%; —clear sky and wind—6 mph

QUOTE FOR THE DAY—Sam Ewing

Hard work spotlights the character of people: some turn up their sleeves, some turn up their noses, and some don't turn up at all.

FREE RAMBLING THOUGHTS

I went to the doctor today and found that whatever he was looking for in my latest blood test has returned to the normal range. One would think that would make everyone happy. Not my doctor, he says we need to know why you had the problem. He thinks I need to see an ear, nose, throat guy to see if I have some physical problem. OK then, I’ll make an appointment but he said that I needed to explain that he doesn’t want a sleep apnea test, just a look a the physiology of my breathing tract. Of course, the doctors in Flagstaff don’t talk to each other, so I have to explain all this to the new doctor. Oh well, wonder what will happen.

I called Cheryl today and she is doing very well. She said she didn’t sleep all that well last night but was catching up with cat naps today. She had visitors on and off all day, so I told her I would wait till she got home. So glad that she is doing well and is in such good spirits. I also talked to Jeannie and her lens replacement surgery also went very well. She said that she can ‘see again.’

Due to our ‘good’ weather, we have had controlled burns near here. That means that while our sky is clear, there is little wind, we have a lot of smoke. When I went out this morning I thought that it was just a lot of fireplaces and wood stoves in the area. Later in the day, when I went to the doctor, I found that it was all over city. They shut down the burn this afternoon as a big weather system is headed our way. Tomorrow will be windy and by Saturday we should see some snow here in town. I don’t look forward to the windy days, but the snow will be a nice change. It is mid-November and we haven’t seen any real snow yet. I don’t want the amount we had last year, but some would be nice. There is nothing like taking a brisk walk in a couple of inches of snow after a nice snowfall—before the snow plows and the traffic mess.

I ran a few errands and must say, much to my disappointment, every store I’ve been to this week is decked for Christmas. Thanksgiving stuff is also available, and while I am not a great designer, the fall colors of Thanksgiving and the Christmas colors of red, green, white, and blue do not make for a pleasant visual experience. It’s like the people who are paid big bucks to make a store appealing have all gone on vacation. It is really disturbing. Halloween and Thanksgiving decorations match the fall colors. Then some bean counter says start putting Christmas decorations out before Halloween. Even big box stores only have so much space, so the displays are right next to each other. At least the in-store music hasn’t turned to non-secular Christmas music. Very few things could be worse than trying to buy a Halloween costume while listening to Jingle Bells. It’s time for stores to stop pushing all the fall holidays together, it is making your customers visually bipolar.

I am ready for Thanksgiving. It’s a great day to be with friends, eat way too much food, and usually meet a few new people. Everyone puts in a little—or a lot—of extra work to fix all the food, but it is always appreciated. While there will be snow in Flagstaff next week, we are told to expect no travel problems—for those driving. That is good for many of my friends. It’s still early to start making pies—my donation to the dinner, however, I was happy to see fresh blueberries on sale this week. I have decided that I will make some cranberry sauce soon, just for me. Another friend always brings a really fine cranberry and jalapeño relish which is always devoured. I made a mistake when shopping yesterday. I really like Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte, which is usually only around this time of year. I found a small bag of pumpkin-spice coffee that wasn’t Starbucks, and a can boil and froth some milk. I made a cup today, and I couldn’t taste anything that was even vaguely pumpkin or vaguely spice. Starbucks just can’t be copied. I do know NOW that Starbucks uses espresso in its mix and I am not into coffee enough to get an espresso maker. So Starbucks wins.

Thinking about all I learned about China this week and then hearing Senator Kyl yesterday, I realized that the Chinese have us figured out. We simply like to argue/discuss and do nothing. Kyl is suddenly against a new START treaty with Russia—the treaty the Regan first go signed. Hmmm. Kyl claims to be a conservative and claims that Ron was one of the best Presidents we ever had. Kyl is one of the Senators who wants nothing that Obama wants

HOLY MACKEREL: 1903»Carrie Nation attempts to address the Senate

JEOPARDY PUZZLE—(SuperJeopardy Answers) 1990—Golden Oldies

$100-Title city of 1967 Scott McKenzie hit subtitled "Be Sure To Wear Some Flowers In Your Hair"

$200-In Bobbie Gentry's hit song "Ode To Billie Joe", Billie Joe jumped off this bridge

$300-"There's a crazy little house beyond the tracks, & ev'rybody calls it" this

$400-Of this car, Ronny & The Daytonas sang, "You're really looking fine, 3 deuces & a 4-speed, & a 389"

$500- 1861 song that was the basis of the following Elvis Presley hit:

"Love me tender, love me sweet, never let me go /

You have made my life complete..." Listen Here!

SOMEWHAT USELESS INFORMATION—

»Studies show that people who flirt have higher white blood-cell counts, which boost both immunity and health. Scientists say there are 52 “flirting signals” used by humans. Of these, the hair-flip technique is the most common.

»In Little Rock, AR, an antiquated law is still on the books warning that engaging in playful banter may result in a 30-day jail term. In New York City, another outdated law mandates that men may be fined $25 for gazing lasciviously at a female; a second conviction stipulates the offender wear a pair of blinders whenever he goes out for a walk.

»A full 62 percent of drivers have flirted with someone in a different vehicle while on the go, and 31 percent of those flirtations resulted in a date!

UNUSUAL NEWS ITEM

Manhattan, NY-Police demonstrated their staunch commitment to enforcing the law when they arrested seven men in an Inwood Hill playground — for playing chess.

A swarm of bulletproof vest-clad police descended on the group of men last month and issued them tickets for playing chess in an area reserved for adults who have children with them.

Yes, it's a crime to be in there unaccompanied by minors, even if there are no kids in the playground at the time, which was the case with the men who got busted.

After reviewing the tickets, Jose Navarro, captain of the 34th Precinct, told DNAInfo he backed his officers.

"Under my direction, uniformed officers routinely enter the parks to enforce closing times and other regulations; all designed to protect the community," Navarro wrote in an e-mail to the website. "The NYPD allows for officers to issue summonses in lieu of affecting an arrest for appropriate offenses."

At least one area resident thinks these guys got rooked.

"This incident is an embarrassment to the officers from the 34th Precinct who felt that it was necessary to use their badge and authority to issue such a random summons," Joanne Johnson, a mother who lives in the area, wrote in a letter to Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly, Mayor Michael Bloomberg and the City Council after the bust, according to The New York Post. "Is chess really something that should be considered a threat to the neighborhood?"

The official charge levied against the men, each of whom received a desk-appearance summons, was "failure to comply with signs." They were playing chess in an area demarcated with a fence and dotted with signs that read, "Adults allowed in playground areas only when accompanied by a child under the age of 12."

As one Inwood Hill resident put it to DNAInfo, "Couldn't they just move the tables?"

The "hooligans" are due back in court Dec. 28.

A LITTLE LAUGH

Before I could enroll in my company's medical insurance plan, I needed to fill out a questionnaire. As expected, the form was very thorough, leaving nothing to chance.

One question asked, "Do you think you may need to go to the emergency room within the next three months?"

FOUND ON ‘YOU TUBE’

Jeff Daniels recites Gettysburg Address

GREY MATTER PICTURE

This is a close up of what object?

SOME CALENDAR INFORMATION

¤ Weekly Observances ¤

14-20: American Education Week, Geography Awareness Week, National Hunger & Homeless Awareness Week, National Global Entrepreneurship Week

19-25:National Farm-City Week

21-28: National Bible Week, National Family Week, National Game & Puzzle Week, National Teens Don't Text and Drive Week, Better Conversation Week, Church/State Separation Week

¤ Today’s Observances ¤

Have A Bad Day Day

World Toilet Day

International Men's Day (recognized in : Australia, Canada, Ghana, Hungary, India, Ireland, Jamaica, Malta, Singapore, South Africa, Trinidad and Tobago, United Kingdom, United States)

Brazil: Flag DayMali : Liberation Day (1968 bloodless coup that gave true independence)

Monaco : Monegasque National Day (1861 Independence from France)

Puerto Rico : Discovery Day (1493)

United Arab Emirates : Pilgrimage

¤ Top 10 Country songs of 20th Century ¤

According to KKBQ in Houston—not sure I agree with this list, but some good songs are here

Click on Song Title to see and hear the original

10-Chattahoochee Alan Jackson 1993

09-I Will Always Love You Dolly Parton & Vince Gill 1982

08-Lookin' For Love Johnny Lee 1980

07-Friends In Low Places Garth Brooks 1990

06-Mama's Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up To Be Cowboys Waylon & Willie 1978

05-Stand By Your Man Tammy Wynette 1968

03-The Dance Garth Brooks 1990

04-He Stopped Loving Her Today George Jones 1980

02-Crazy Patsy Cline 1961

01-Amarillo By Morning George Strait 1983

¤ Today’s Births ¤

╬ THE ARTS

Dick Cavett, 74, television pundit

Tommy Dorsey, orchestra leader (Stage Show, Mahogany)—in 1905

Larry King, 77, talk show host

Hank Medress, singer: group: The Tokens: The Lion Sleeps Tonight—in 1938

Allen Tate, American poet (Mr Pope & Other Poems)—in 1899

♦♦Actors♦♦

Jodie Foster, 48, actress (Oscars for The Accused, The Silence of the Lambs; Taxi Driver)

Allison Janney, 50, actress (Juno, American Beauty, “The West Wing”)

Meg Ryan, 49, actress (When Harry Met Sally, Sleepless in Seattle, Proof of Life)

Alan Young, English actor (Time Machine, Wilbur Post-Mr Ed)—in 1919

╬ ATHLETICS

Jose Raul Capablanca, Cuban world chess champion (1921-27)—in 1888

Roy Campanella, Brooklyn Dodger catcher (NL MVP 1951/53/55)—in 1921

Patrick Kane, 22, hockey (Blackhawks)

Ahmad Rashad (Robert Earl ‘Bobby’ Moore), 61, sportscaster, football (Cardinals, Bills, Seahawks, Vikings)

Kerri Strug, 33, Olympic gymnast

╬ BUSINESS & EDUCATION

George Rogers Clark, American frontiersman, field commander: founded Louisville KY; brother of General William Clark of the Lewis and Clark Expedition—in 1752

Calvin Klein, 68, fashion designer

Ted Turner, 72, baseball, basketball and television executive

╬ POLITICS

Charles I, king of England (1625-49); executed by Parliament—in 1600

Indira Gandhi, Indian PM (1966-77, 1980-84)

James Garfield, 20th U.S. President [1881], first left-handed president; assassinated—in 1831

Jeane J Kirkpatrick, US ambassador to UN—in 1926

╬ SCIENCE & RELIGION

Eileen Collins, 54, first female space shuttle commander, Lieutenant Colonel USAF retired

Ferdinand de Lesseps, French diplomat (built Suez Canal)—in 1805

¤ Today’s Obituaries ¤

Franz Schubert, Austrian composer, typhoid fever or syphilis @ 31 in 1828 Ave Maria

Emma Lazarus, US poet ("Give us your tired & poor"), Hodgkin’s @ 38 in 1887

Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame,

With conquering limbs astride from land to land;

Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand

A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame

Is the imprisoned lightning, and her name

Mother of Exiles. From her beacon-hand

Glows world-wide welcome; her mild eyes command

The air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame.

"Keep, ancient lands, your storied pomp!" cries she

With silent lips. "Give me your tired, your poor,

Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,

The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.

Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me,

I lift my lamp beside the golden door!"

Emma Lazarus, 1883

Joe Hill, Labor leader, executed for murder @ 36 in 1915 Joe Hill Song--Paul Robeson

¤ Today’s Events ¤

╬ THE ARTS

1954»Sammy Davis, Jr. was involved in a serious auto accident in San Bernardino, CA. Three days later, Davis lost the sight in his left eye

1979»Chuck Berry released from prison on income tax evasion

╬ ATHLETICS

1951»Roy Campanella named NL MVP on his 30th birthday

1966»Six weeks before his 31st birthday, LA Dodgers pitcher Sandy Koufax, plagued by arthritis, announced his retirement from baseball

╬ BUSINESS & EDUCATION

1928»After five years of publication, TIME magazine presented a cover portrait for the first time. Japanese Emperor Hirohito was the magazine’s first cover subject

1954»Two automatic toll collectors were placed in service on the Garden State Parkway in New Jersey

1959»Ford cancels the Edsel

╬ INDIGENOUS PEOPLE

1794»According to the Jay Treaty and Northwest Territory Treaty, Indians can cross borders.

1870»On the Wichita River in Texas, Private James Anderson, Company M, Sixth Cavalry, will "earn" a Congressional Medal of Honor for his actions in the pursuit and subsequent fight with a group of "hostile Indians

╬ POLITICS (US)

1863»Lincoln delivers his address in Gettysburg; "4 score & 7 years..."

1919»US Senate rejects (55-39) Treaty of Versailles & League of Nations

╬ POLITICS (International)

1794»Jay Treaty, 1st US extradition treaty, signed with Great Britain

1977»Egyptian President Anwar Sadat arrives in Israel

╬ SCIENCE & RELIGION

1644»1st Protestant ministry society in New England

1895»Frederick E. Blaisdell of Philadelphia, PA patented what he called the paper pencil -- a paper-wrapped pencil with a string for revealing more lead

1947»200" mirror arrives at Mt Palomar

GREY MATTER ANSWERS

↔ JEOPARDY

$100-Title city of 1967 Scott McKenzie hit subtitled "Be Sure To Wear Some Flowers In Your Hair"

What is San Francisco?

$200-In Bobbie Gentry's hit song "Ode To Billie Joe", Billie Joe jumped off this bridge

What is the Tallachatie Bridge? Note: Don’t know why, but always thought it was the Tallahassee.

$300-"There's a crazy little house beyond the tracks, & ev'rybody calls it" this

What is the Sugar Shack?

$400-Of this car, Ronny & The Daytonas sang, "You're really looking fine, 3 deuces & a 4-speed, & a 389"

What is my Little GTO?

$500- 1861 song that was the basis of the following Elvis Presley hit

What is Aura Lee?

↔ PICTURE

Nosepiece on eyeglasses

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