Pegasus's Daily News, etc.

[the flying reindeer]

Visit Your Relatives Day
Good afternoon my friends
The cool down is still in effect but at least the sun is out. Today has become the annual spring clean up the yard day. It's amazing how much trash the winter has left!!

OMG my coffee is in danger from a devastating disease in Central America!! At issue is a fungus called coffee rust that has caused more than $1 billion in damage across Latin America. The fungus is especially deadly to Arabica coffee, the bean that makes up most high-end, specialty coffees and is already affecting the price of some of those coffees in the states. The US Agency for International Development is expected to announce a $5 million partnership with Texas A&M University's World Coffee Research center to try to eliminate the fungus. The rust, called roya in Spanish, is a fungus that is highly contagious due to airborne fungal spores. It affects different varieties, but the Arabica beans are especially susceptible. Rainy weather worsens the problem. "We don't see an end in sight anytime soon," said Leonardo Lombardini of Texas A&M's World Coffee Research.

Is anyone surprised that Godzilla debuted as the second-largest opener of the year with $93.2 million, according to studio estimates, with Captain America: The Winter Solider in first place with $95 million in April. After 60 years the big dragon with the radioactive breath scores once again. It trumped last weekend's No. 1 hit, Universal Pictures raunchy comedy Neighbors, which was pushed down to No. 2. Rounding out the top three is The Amazing Spider-Man 2 with $16.8 million. So far it's earned a total of $172 million domestically. Rounding out the weekend is Disney's feel-good sports drama Million Dollar Arm, starring Jon Hamm, at $11 million. Has anyone seen any of these or planning to do so I know that I won't be. I do wish that the movie industry still produced a majority of movies for adult pleasure and not the violence-saturated trash for the teenage boy.


Thought for Today:
"To give up the task of reforming society is to give up one's responsibility as a free man."
--Alan Paton (1903-1988) South African writer and educator,

Devil's playground intermediate bearded iris
Hace a serene Sunday everyone

[the flying reindeer]

Weights and Measures Day
Good afternoon my friends.
The sun is shining, the world's is a lively fresh green but the temp is only in the low 60s. And it's a cold feeling 60!!

What is going on over at General Motors? Another recall?? The automaker recalled another 2.4 million cars and trucks Tuesday, with 1.3 million being popular late-model crossover vehicles, along with 1.1 million older cars. The 2009 to 2014 crossover SUVs being recalled -- Buick Enclave, Chevrolet Traverse, GMS Acadia and Saturn Outlook -- have a problem that can cause the front seat belt to separate from the car during a crash. GM said it is a serious enough problem that it is ordering dealers not to sell new or used models of the vehicles until repairs are made. GM did not immediately provide details if anyone was injured or killed by that problem. But it said there were no injuries associated with the other recalls announced Tuesday, although there were 18 accidents associated with a problem with the automatic transmissions in Chevy Malibu and Pontiac G6 being recalled. The latest recall pushes the number of vehicles it has recalled this year to more than 15 million worldwide.

Should Shakespeare come with a warning label? Once again the newest generation has to listen to the same nonsense but with the current fears of their generation. Literature that has lasted for 400 years doesn't need any kind of warning label. Now they are debating whether faculty should be obligated to place "trigger warnings" on their syllabi before assigning content that might trigger a traumatic episode in one of their students. For instance, in Titus Andronicus, Shakespeare references grotesque rape and mutilation, including multiple acts of murder, torture and cannibalism. But generations of students have been introduced to the play without any consequences. I'm sure that our latest college generation will be able to handled this also. And leave Shakespeare alone.


Thought for Today:
"Mistakes are the portals of discovery."
--James Joyce (1882-1941) Nobel Prize-winning Irish novelist,

Thistle [Lat. Carduus nutans] in memory of Sparkle
Happy Tuesday everyone

[the flying reindeer]

National Memo Day
Good afternoon my friends
It's still cool with a mild breeze and only an occasional glimpse of the sun. I hope it gets somewhat warmer soon.

Yesterday's GOP primary victories in Kentucky and Georgia represent something much more than wins for the "Republican establishment" over Tea Party insurgents. - they signal a significant shift in thinking among Republican voters that winning in November matters more than ideological purity. Brad Dayspring of the National Republican Senatorial Committee argues that the primaries should test which Republican candidates have the stronger organizations and the better campaigns -- and thus make the better general-election candidates. And thus the Tea Party fades into the background and the Democrats may have a real fight on their hands in November.

Archaeologists have found a treasure trove of ancient artifacts at a dig in the southern Lebanese city of Sidon, including a 4-foot-high statue of a Phoenician priest dating back more than 2,500 years. The statue was found at Sidon's Freres College site, which has been under excavation for the past 16 years in cooperation with the British Museum. The statue had been repurposed during the Roman era and was found lying on its front beneath a marble pavement.

Archaeologists also unearthed a bronze representation of the Phoenician goddess Tanit and Roman-era figurines of the goddess Osiris. They found three previously unknown rooms of a public building from the third millennium B.C., plus 20 graves associated with adults as well as infants from the second millennium B.C. "Nothing comparable has been found in Lebanon since the early 1960s," Lebanon's Daily Star quoted the excavation's leader, Claude Doumit Serhal, as saying. The priest portrayed in the statue is wearing a pleated kilt, and in his left fist he holds an object that experts suggest could be a scroll or a handkerchief. Fascinating.


Thought for Today:
"Individuality is freedom lived."
John Dos Passos (1896-1970) American novelist and war correspondent,

Devil's riot tall bearded iris
Happy Wednesday everyone

[the flying reindeer]

International Tiara Day
Good afternoon my friends
A fair day but cool. If it was the middle of summer I might welcome this coolness, but for Memorial Day weekend, I want more warmth!!

Another shooting rampage has occurred. This time in California near the campus of the University of California, Santa Barbara. A young man in a black BMW drove through the beachside community of Isla Vista shooting people at random. Before he was stopped he had killed y and y were in the hospital, but does anyone care? Except those involved? I don't think so because if they did, the country would do something about people's easy access to guns. But if the horrifying Newton school shooting and all those since then haven't created enough outrage to overcome the NRA's opposition, nothing will.

The US Agriculture Department needs firepower for a kind of rural reckoning and is gearing up with thermal imaging weapons. In its crosshairs are aggressive feral hogs that can weigh more than 400 lbs and have been known to carry off newborn calves. They cause about $1.5 billion of damage every year to farm communities and fields, say department officials, and now there are worries they may help spread a deadly pig virus. So the USDA wants to buy thermal scopes that snap onto high-powered rifles to kill the wild beasts. Feral hogs travel in herds, breed quickly and are good at adapting to their environment. Bruce Leopold, executive director of the Center for Resolving Human-Wildlife Conflicts at Mississippi State University, said they have even learned to become nocturnal after one of their group has been shot by a hunter. Everyone has always said that pigs were smart and, I guess, feral pigs are at the top. Like any wild animal without a natural predator, they have become a problem that we need to solve one way or another. So, since we like guns so much, here is a means of using guns for some good.


Thought for Today:
"Liberty is always dangerous, but it is the safest thing we have."
--Harry Emerson Fosdick (1878-1969) American clergyman

Devil baby standard dwarf bearded iris
Happy holiday weekend everyone

[the flying reindeer]

International Missing Children’s Day
Good afternoon my friends.
Another mostly sunny May day with the remp already reaching into the 70s. So far it's pleasant but ask me again around 3:30 p.m.!!

Today one of the main stories is the aftermath of the Isla Vista, Calif. shooting. But that's not the only one. 3 are dead, one hurt in a shooting at a South Carolina beachfront motel, 2 fans were hurt in a robbery shooting near the Indianapolis Speedway, a tribal officer in metro Phoenix, Ariz. was fatally shot and a teenager is accused of killing a Pennsylvania cabbie for taking a long route. Richard Martinez — the father of a 20-year-old victim of the rampage unleashed by Elliot Rodger near the University of California, Santa Barbara campus — read a statement announcing his son Christopher's death but funneled his grief into an emotional speech about the US and guns."Chris died because of craven, irresponsible politicians and the NRA (National Rifle Association),..They talk about gun rights but what about Chris' right to live? When will this insanity stop?" A good question - just look what just one day has brought. The right to bear arms vs. the right to life. I know which side I'm on.

It's French Open time, the second of the Grand Slam titles. Today is round 1 and so far all the top seeds have won their rounds, although John Eisner (US top male) had to win two tie-breaker games, but in the end beat his opponent (a Frenchman qualifier) in straight sets. Venus and Serena both won and 4th-seeded Roger Federer has also won. The French Open is only Federer's third clay-court tournament this season. He reached the final in Monte Carlo but missed the Madrid tournament when his second set of twins, boys Leo and Lenny, was born. (he alredy had twin girls). As for the Williams sisters, Serena, the defending champion, could meet Venus in the third round if both get through their next matches.

It's been a long journey for Richard III, the 15th century king and the last of the Plantagenet dynasty whose skeleton was found under a parking lot in the English city of Leicester. But on Friday, his final destination became clear. The medieval monarch will be reburied in Leicester Cathedral, just a stone's throw away from where his remains were uncovered. He was killed at the Battle of Bosworth Field in 1485 and hastily buried on the battlefield near the central English city of Leicester. Ever since the skeleton was determined to be the king, there's been a conflict over the reburial - which city York or Leicester? After all, he was the Duke of York long before he became king. The judges at the Royal Courts of Justice ruled Friday that his funeral should be held in Leicester Cathedral as originally planned. I find it amazing that after 400+ years Richard III can still raise people's passions. Now if we could prove that he wasn't such a bad guy and that Shakespeare's portrayal of him as a villain was only Tudor propaganda. After all, it was the fist Tudor king who defeated and killed him.


Thought for Today:
"Words are alive; cut them and they bleed."
--Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882) American poet, lecturer and essayist,

Orange hydrangia in memory of Sparkle
I hope everyone has a sunny Sunday

[the flying reindeer]

74th anniversary of the Dunkirk Evacuation
Good afternoon my friends
It looks like it will be a great day for Memorial Day happenings - parades, picnics, fireworks tonight, etc. Sunny with a light wind. A perfect day in May.

Happy Memorial Day from the official home of the hoiday - Waterloo, NY. It was formerly known as Decoration Day and originated after the American Civil War to commemorate the Union and Confederate soldiers who died in the war. By the 20th century, Memorial Day had been extended to honor all Americans who have died while in the military service.[1] It typically marks the start of the summer vacation season, while Labor Day marks its end. On May 5, 1868, in his capacity as commander-in-chief of the Grand Army of the Republic, the veterans' organization for Union Civil War veterans, General John A. Logan issued a proclamation calling for "Decoration Day" to be observed annually and nationwide. It was observed for the first time that year on Saturday May 30 - the date was chosen because it was not the anniversary of any particular battle. Memorial Day is not to be confused with Veterans Day - Memorial Day is a day of remembering the men and women who died while serving, while Veterans Day celebrates the service of all U.S. military veterans.


Thought for Today:
"In charity there is no excess."
--Sir Francis Bacon (1561-1626) English lawyer and philosopher.

Devonshire cream tall bearded iris
Happy Memorial Day everyone

[the flying reindeer]

Sun Screen Day
Good evening my friends.
The temp is creeping up on 80 today but otherwise a great sunny day. I'm going to miss May.

For the first time since his election, the pope said that it is “not a dogma” that members of the clergy must abstain from sex. He made the remark in a chat with reporters on his way back to the Vatican from a historic trip to the Middle East. The Catholic Church has been under pressure to abandon the celibate tradition. Priestly celibacy is a tradition dating 1,000 years, but it is not considered dogma, or unchangeable. Priests can marry in the Anglican and some other Protestant churches, and in the Orthodox Church. Francis made similar remarks about celibacy when he was archbishop of Buenos Aires. The pope has sought to change the direction of the church, urging a focus less on culture-war issues like abortion and gay marriage and more on pastoral outreach and helping the poor. The church is finding it difficult to fill priestly posts here in this country, so maybe this would be a solution - let priests be married like their Protestant counterparts.

Has winning the Australian Open, the year's first Grand Slam, become harbinger of doom to its winner Today, Li Na lost her opening match at the French Open to become the second reigning Australian Open champion to fall in the first round at this year's tournament. Li, who won the French title in 2011, lost to Kristina Mladenovic of France 7-5, 3-6, 6-1. In January, Li won the title in Melbourne, a day before Stan Wawrinka won the men's Australian Open title for his first major. Wawrinka lost in the first round of this year's French Open on Monday. Dum de dum dum!!


Thought for Today:
"Any change, even a change for the better, is always accompanied by drawbacks and discomforts."
--Arnold Bennett (1867-1931) British novelist, playwright, critic, and essayist,

Ranunculus in memory of Sparkle
Happy Tuesday everyone

[the flying reindeer]

International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers
Good evening my friends
It is definitely cooler today with the threat of rain in the air. Down right chilly, in fact!!

Qn interesting little factoid - For the first time ever, the MBA has surpassed education as the most popular master's degree, according to a story on the business education website Poets & Quants. "The remarkable growth of the MBA—largely due to its widespread acceptance by employers and the almost assured return-on-investment of the degree—has been fairly steady during the past half century, making the degree the most successful educational product of the past 50 to 100 years," according to the article.
linkPoets & Quants
The number of measles cases in the US has risen to 288, the highest number for one year since the disease was eliminated from the country in 2000, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said. This also is the largest number of measles cases that the country reported in the first five months of a year since 1994. Anne Schuchat, assistant surgeon general with the U.S. Public Health Service and director for the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases described the latest numbers as a "wake-up call," urging people who are unsure about their vaccine status to get inoculated. The only people who shouldn't get vaccinated are those who are immune-compromised, such as leukemia patients or pregnant women, because the vaccine contains a live virus. Serious complications and death may result from measles, which is highly contagious. The most common complication seen so far is pneumonia, says Schuchat. "Fortunately, there have been no deaths." Measles was eliminated from this country by vaccinations and its return is due to lack of vaccination. So people who choose not to vaccinate their children will have no one to blame but themselves.


Thought for Today:
"Write down the thoughts of the moment. Those that come unsought for are commonly the most valuable."
--Sir Francis Bacon (1561-1626) English statesman. lawyer and philosopher.

Devoted standard dwarf bearded iris
Have a wondrous Wednesday

[the flying reindeer]

Say Something Nice Day
Good afternoon my friends.
The first day of June that's busting out all over!? Sunshine, blue skies, flowers everywhere and temp on it's way to 80F. What more could you wish for?

The are striking back. First it was a Mt Everest avalanche that killed 37 including a number of Sherpa guides. Now it's our own Mt. Rainier where 6 climbers, including 2 guides, have gone missing. Their equipment has been spotted at the base of a more than 3,000-foot drop at the base of a deep chute and steep slope on Carbon Glacier, scattered in the snow at about 9,500 feet. “There is every indication there is not a viable chance of survival,” Fawn Bauer, a ranger at Mount Rainier National Park said. The debris field where the gear was found is prone to rock slides and avalanches, he added. “That area where we found the gear is incredibly hazardous,” Bauer said. “We are not able to get into that area; it would put our staffers on the ground at risk.”

French Open: Well, the top four seeds on the women's side are all gone. So who knows who may be the eventual winner. On the other hand, all the top four men have made it so far, BUT Roger Federer is in trouble right now against Ernest Gulbis. He is only one game away from ousting Roger and finally being ranked in the top 10 of male tennis players. Andy Murray found his second wind to finally get the better of Philipp Kohlschreiber of Germany, needing 40 minutes to complete a 3-6, 6-3, 6-3, 4-6, 12-10 win and reach the French Open fourth round today.

Today's "Feel Good" Story - Five orphaned wolf pups rescued from their den at the edge of a massive wildfire in Alaska have found a new home at The Minnesota Zoo in Apple Valley, Minn., the Alaska Department of Fish and Game announced. The five are receiving treatment at the Alaska Zoo in Anchorage, but that facility doesn’t have the room to provide a home for the pups, zoo officials said this week. The move to Minnesota ensures the two females and three male pups will remain together, officials said. “It’s the companionship,” said Pat Lampi, executive director of the Alaska Zoo. “They were born together in the wild and now they can grow up together. As long as they remain together, wherever they go is home.”


Thought for Today:
"You cannot find peace by avoiding life."
--Virginia Woolf (1882-1941) English Modernist writer (essay "A Room of One's Own," Mrs. Dalloway)

European pasqueflower in memory of Sparkle
Have a stupefyinlyg splendiferous Sunday