✔ July 2, 2012 ✔

What a busy weekend! Pete came home early Friday. I didn't touch my computer at all on Saturday because I hit the ground running starting with going out to run errands 1st thing, I missed 3 mutual aid grass fires while I was out of district (I am NOT amused ... quit it!), came home & neatened up the back yard for our neighbor's party, crashed for 2 hours after that due to hard manual labor in the heat & sun, made it to the party 2½ hours late, was there for about 15 minutes & had to rush to Farmersville to take our daughter to the ER (she's fine ... bit of a medical issue that wasn't even diabetic related this time), didn't get back from the hospital until 11:p & had missed all the fireworks & the pool (something I see only once a year & now it's going to be 2 years between getting to swim for about an hour). Yesterday was busy too. We went out dropped the big kids off to run some errands of theirs, then Pete & I checked out a new shooting range. Came back, did what I could & then ran out of daylight (some of the things I have scheduled for Sunday require daylight). At that point I gave up & just watched TV for the rest of the evening. Tomorrow is the City Council meeting & Princeton's Centennial celebration, so I'll be at the centennial celebration all evening. That leaves today to hopefully be mine. 1 day in 4. Wish me luck!

1BusAway:

OneBusAway provides access to real-time arrival and schedule information for public transit vehicles operated in Seattle, WA and beyond: King County Metro, Sound Transit, Pierce Transit, Community Transit, Intercity Transit, and Washington State Ferries.
Features include:
* Real-time arrival arrival information for public transit where available.
* Map display of stops and routes.
* Nearby stops search for location-aware devices.
* Bookmarks and recent stop history.
* Search for stops by route, address, and stop number.

Although golf was originally restricted to wealthy, overweight Protestants, today it's open to anybody who owns hideous clothing.

Any business owner will tell you that it's no fun firing someone. Every time some companies have had to do it, they ask how they can avoid doing it again. That's 1 company has a 14-step hiring procedure. They've added all those steps, down to the spousal interview - which is brilliant - trying to figure out ways to not allow morons on the team.

Avuncular:

1: Of or relating to an uncle. 2: Suggestive of an uncle especially in kindliness or geniality.

The avuncular orthodontist joked with his young patient, attempting to set her mind at ease about getting fitted for braces.

Not all uncles are likeable fellows (Hamlet's murderous Uncle Claudius, for example, isn't exactly Mr. Nice Guy in Shakespeare's tragedy), but "avuncular" implies that, as a group, uncles are generally seen as affable & benevolent, if at times a bit patronizing. "Avuncular" derives from the Latin noun avunculus, which translates as "maternal uncle," but since at least the 1830s English-speakers have used "avuncular" to refer to uncles from either side of the family or even to individuals who are simply uncle-like in character or behavior. And in case you were wondering, avunculus is also an ancestor of the word "uncle" itself.

Big Trouble in Little China released. It's confirmed that the Chinese have a lot of hells. (1986)

Celerity:

Rapidity of motion or action.

Abu showed his quickness & strength as he overcame the leader with great celerity on the final lap of the race.

In the novel Of Human Bondage, W. Somerset Maugham tells of an undertaker's whop window where the words "Economy, Celerity, Propriety" are displayed "in silver lettering on a black cloth ... with 2 model coffins." "Celerity" has proven its vitality since the Middle Ages, & this speedy term (derived from a Latin word meaning "swift") is still used today, as in a 2005 magazine article commenting on the "head-spinning celerity" of a movie character's rise to power.

Certain houseplants - specifically the spider plant, English ivy, & dracaena - are effective at removing toxic substances from the air. True or false?

DoorMetrics:

ID Scanner, Age Verification, and Customer Relationship Management (CRM) App for iPhone or iPod Touch.
✭✭✭Scan US and Canada ID’s with BARCODES and MAGSTRIPES ✭✭✭
DoorMetrics is an App that turns your iPhone or iPod into a commercial use ID Scanner! Use DoorMetrics to help prevent underage drinking and smoking, or to build a database of your customers. The scanned data can be used to stay in contact with your customers or give your managers a quick breakdown of your crowd's statistics. Additionally, you can collect email addresses, phone numbers and type up notes about your guests (great for incident reports, details about your customers’ likes and dislikes, etc).
Recommended uses for DoorMetrics age verification system:
Bars, Clubs, Hotels, Casinos, Restaurants, Rental Business, Convenience Stores, Security Company.
We are proud to announce that DoorMetrics is officially endorsed by Responsible Vendors, Inc and encouraged by Miami and New York Police to use in establishments where the sale of Alcohol or Tobacco is offered.
FEATURES:
✔Easy to use
✔Smaller and cheaper than most ID scanners available
✔Scans US and Canadian Government issued ID’s and Drivers Licenses
✔Record the date and time with every scan
✔Recognizes expired ID’s
✔‘History’ feature can be turned off
✔Export the history file in seconds via built in email
✔Exported history file is in CSV format
✔Passcode protect the history file to avoid unauthorized access from users
✔Only displays vital info of the customer for age verifying purposes
✔History file captures the following data: first, middle, last name, gender, license number, birth date, expiration date, issue date, address, city, state, zip code, and time and date of scan
✭✭✭✭✭ “We are currently using this product and wish we started sooner!!! This product pays for itself very quickly!!!”, E. Velez, Miami Jet Ski Rental
✭✭✭✭✭ “We already had an ID scanner to verify age but we starting using DoorMetrics because it offered more ways to track our customers as we rely heavily on repeat customers to build our brand. In a short period of time, DoorMetrics has helped us to build up our customer database and virtually pay back the initial investment for the system” said R. Kelin, The One Group Miami
PLEASE NOTE:
The DoorMetrics app REQUIRES the use of an external device to scan ID’s and driver's licenses. The app will not function without the use of one of the following compatible external devices:
►Linea Pro 4
►ID Tech iMag
►ID Tech iMag Pro
Use DoorMetrics to PREVENT UNDERAGE DRINKING!

Explosion occurs over Tanguska, Russia, which flattens over 500,000 acres of trees. Tesla was aiming for the North Pole. (1908)

Fat-free cottage cheese tastes like old towels. Stop dieting.

Good winners:

• Thank the loser for a good game.
• Be happy about winning but don't gloat.
• Avoid overconfidence - no one bats 1,000.

If 3 cats catch 3 mice in 3 minutes, how many cats would be needed to catch 100 mice in 100 minutes?
The same 3 cats would do. Since these 3 cats are averaging 1 mouse per minute, given 100 minutes, the cats could catch 100 mice.

If you subscribe to magazines, take them with you when you travel. The magazine you receive in the mail is much cheaper than the ones you buy on the shelf. This saves money & when you're done with the magazine you can recycle it, lightening your load.

Last Ford Thunderbird produced (2005):

The last Thunderbird, Ford Motor Company's iconic sports car, emerges from a Ford factory in Wixom, Michigan on this day in 2005.

Ford began its development of the Thunderbird in the years following World War II, during which American servicemen had the opportunity to observe sleek European sports cars. General Motors built the first American sports car: the Chevrolet Corvette, released in 1953. The undeniably sleek Corvette's initial engine performance was relatively underwhelming, but it was gaining lots of attention from the press and public, and Ford was motivated to respond, rushing the Thunderbird to the market in 1955. The 1955 Thunderbird was an immediate hit, selling more than 14,000 that year (compared to just 700 Corvettes). The success of the Thunderbird led Chevrolet to continue production of (and improve upon) the Corvette, which soon became a tough competitor in the sports car market.

In addition to the powerful V-8 engine that Ford was known for, the Thunderbird boasted all the conveniences consumers had become accustomed to, including a removable hard convertible top, soundproofing and the accessories standard to most Ford cars. In 1958, to satisfy critics who thought the T-Bird was too small, Ford released a four-seater version with a roomier trunk and bucket seats. The Beach Boys elevated the Thunderbird to pop- culture-icon status in 1964 by including it in the lyrics of their hit single "Fun Fun Fun" ("she'll have fun, fun, fun 'til her daddy takes the T-Bird away"). By that time, President John F. Kennedy had already included 50 Thunderbirds in his inaugural procession in 1961, and a T-Bird would also feature prominently in the 1973 film "American Graffiti."

Thunderbird sales slowed during the 1990s, and Ford discontinued the Thunderbird in 1997. In 2002, however, in an attempt to capitalize on car buyers' nostalgia, the company launched production of a retro T-Bird, a two-seater convertible that took some of its styling from the original classic. The luxury retailer Neiman Marcus offered an early special edition version in their 2000 Christmas catalog, priced at just under $42,000; their stock of 200 sold out in two hours and 15 minutes. Despite brisk early sales and good reviews, sales of the new Thunderbird couldn't justify continued production, and Ford discontinued it again in mid-2005.

Make Way for Ducklings author Robert McCloskey dies (2003):

On this day in 2003, children’s author and illustrator Robert McCloskey, whose books include such classics as “Make Way for Ducklings” and “Blueberries for Sal,” dies at age 88 in Deer Isle, Maine.

Born in Hamilton, Ohio, in 1914, McCloskey studied art in Boston and New York in the 1930s. He published his first children’s book, “Lentil,” about a small-town boy who learns to play the harmonica, in 1940. His next book, “Make Way for Ducklings,” released in 1941, is the story of a family of ducklings (Jack, Kack, Lack, Mack, Nack, Ouack, Pack and Quack) who waddle after their mother through the streets of Boston before making a permanent home in the city’s Public Garden. Explaining his inspiration for the story, McCloskey told The New York Times: ''I had first noticed the ducks when walking through the Boston Public Garden every morning on my way to art school. When I returned to Boston four years later, I noticed the traffic problem of the ducks and heard a few stories about them. The book just sort of developed from there.'' In preparation for the book, McCloskey bought some live ducks to study and sketch. In 1942, “Make Way for Ducklings” won a Caldecott Medal, one of the top honors for American children’s books. In 1987, a bronze sculpture of Mrs. Mallard and her eight ducklings was installed in the Boston Public Garden.
In 1943, McCloskey published “Homer Price,” about the adventures of a boy in small-town Ohio. “Centerburg Tales: More Adventures of Homer Price” followed in 1951. McCloskey’s other books, each set in Maine, where he lived with his wife and daughters for much of his life, include: “Blueberries for Sal” (1948), about a girl and a bear cub and their mothers hunting for berries; “One Morning in Maine” (1952), about a little girl who loses her first tooth; Caldecott Medal-winner “Time of wonder” (1957), about children spending their summer vacation on an island off the coast of Maine; and “Burt Dow: Deep-Water Man” (1963) about a fisherman who finds shelter from a storm in a whale’s belly.
In addition to the eight books he wrote and illustrated, McCloskey illustrated 10 children’s books penned by other authors.

 

Men in Black premieres (1997):

On this day in 1997, the science fiction-comedy movie Men in Black, starring Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones, opens in theaters around the United States. The film grossed more than $250 million in America alone and helped establish the former sitcom star Will Smith as one of Hollywood’s most bankable leading men. Directed by Barry Sonnenfeld (Get Shorty), Men in Black was based on an early 1990s comic book by Lowell Cunningham called The Men in Black. Smith and Jones reprised their roles as Agent J and Agent K, two secret agents who must protect the Earth from aliens, in a hit 2002 sequel, Men in Black II. Smith, who began his entertainment career as a rapper, performed on both Men in Black soundtracks.

Born September 25, 1968, in West Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Smith formed the rap group D.J. Jazzy Jeff and The Fresh Prince with his friend Jeffrey Townes when they were teenagers. Radio-friendly hits like “Parents Just Don’t Understand” and “Summertime” propelled the duo to success, and in 1988, they won the first-ever Grammy Award for rap music. Smith would go on to a successful solo career, scoring No. 1 hits with the theme song from Men in Black as well as the smash hit single “Getting’ Jiggy Wit It.”  From 1990 to 1996, Smith starred in the popular TV sitcom The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. His early film roles included Six Degrees of Separation (1993) and Bad Boys (1995) with Martin Lawrence. Smith’s first blockbuster movie was 1996’s Independence Day, about a hostile alien invasion. After Men in Black, Smith starred in a string of movies, including Enemy of the State (1998), Wild Wild West (1999), Bad Boys II (2003), I, Robot (2004), Hitch (2005), I Am Legend (2007) and Hancock (2008). Though they met with varying degrees of success, these films showcased Smith’s talents as a buff action star with great comedic timing.

In addition, Smith has made several successful forays into serious drama, receiving an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor for 2001’s Ali, about boxer Muhammad Ali. The actor nabbed a second Oscar nomination for his star turn in 2007’s The Pursuit of Happyness, which was based on the true story of the homeless salesman-turned-stockbroker Chris Gardner. The film co-starred Smith’s son Jaden. Smith and his wife, the actress Jada Pinkett Smith, married in 1997 and have two children, Jaden and Willow (Smith has another son, Trey, from a previous marriage). Pinkett Smith’s film credits include The Nutty Professor (1996), The Matrix Reloaded (2003), Collateral (2004) and The Women (2008).

Shadow dropped in to visit his friend Captain Frank & found him sleeping on his couch. There was fresh blood on the ceiling above his head, but nowhere else in the room. Shadow anxiously woke him to check his condition only to find that everything was fine. How could Captain Frank's blood be on the ceiling but nowhere else?

Space food evenly on the grill & 2-3 finger's width apart. About a quarter of the grill should be left empty, so you have room to move food away from any flare-ups.

What embarrassing incident involving British royalty led Paris’s world-famous Hotel Ritz to install king-size tubs in all its bathrooms?

Edward VII, while still the Prince of Wales, got stuck in a narrow hotel tub with a lover and had to be extricated by his valets.

What famous jazz musician’s first composition was inspired by his after-school job as a soda jerk at the Poodle Dog Café in Washington, D.C.?

Duke Ellington. The composition, written when he was 14, was Soda Fountain Rag, also known as Poodle Dog Rag.

What was the name of Adolf Hitler’s private 12-car armored train?

When arranging the refrigerator, thing about size. If you put yogurt in the back, you'll never see it & likely never eat it. Put larger containers in the back, such as spaghetti sauce, jelly, or salsa jars. Put smaller containers in the front, such as cream cheese, yogurt, margarine, etc.

Where in the U.S. were the first commercially produced sunglasses sold?

On the boardwalk in Atlantic City, New Jersey, in a Woolworth’s store. They were made and sold in 1929 by Sam Foster, the man behind Foster Grant sunglasses.

Which blood vessel is the smallest, 2nd smallest, & 3rd smallest?

A. Arterioles

B. Arteries

C. Capillaries

Which marsupial is the biggest, 2nd biggest, & 3rd biggest?

A. Wallaby

B. Kangaroo

C. Bandicoot

BAC. Kangaroos are king of the marsupials & can grow to a body height of over 5'.

Whoever does the inviting does the paying.

Your spouse isn't your employee or your client or your vendor. He or she is your spouse, & spouses make lousy employees, which is as it ought to be.

You would love to have a window box, but your ground-level sill receives no sunlight. Should you give up on this dream?

No sun is no excuse for not planting a window box. Assuming you get at least bright reflected light, there are quite a few plants that will endure. Many of the best are perennials with comparatively short blooming periods, but if you choose plants with handsome foliage, the box will be attractive even when there are no flowers.

The delicate, ferny foliage of Jacob's ladder, for example, contrasts nicely with the scalloped, round leaves of coral bells, & both remain fresh looking all summer. Jacob's ladders will give you blue flowers for a few weeks in late spring. The coral bells will bloom (at least briefly) a short time later, in red, white, or pink.

Other possibilities include dead nettle (Lamium), variegated liriope, & the countless cultivars of small hostas.

During warm weather, consider asparagus fern, grapy ivy, & the purple passion plant. And don't forget to plant a trailer: vinca & English ivy will both do fine.