Curious George Night (Minor League Baseball Special Entertainment) - Monkey Rides Dog to Herd Sheep

from MLive dot-com --

GRAND RAPIDS — Aliens are invading tonight. And monkeys riding dogs that are herding sheep are coming next month.
Where are you? A minor league baseball game, of course.  Tim “Wild Thang” Lepard, has been training and performing with his animals for 34 years at rodeos, baseball games and recently movies. His fascination with this is rooted in his childhood, which he said was filled with Curious George books.
Curious George is not incorporated in the act but Curious George Night is July 10, if you’re ... curious.
The rodeo clown, who works the ring saving cowboys from bulls, said he was always known as a “funny man” surrounded by macho-type bull riders. His friends encouraged him to put his humor into an act. That’s when the monkeys got involved, in the late 1980s.  He said it took years to figure out which dogs would jive with the monkeys for a performance. He was apprehensive to use border collies because they are not large, but he realized “it’s not how big the dog is, it’s how big its heart is” in 1990.
Lepard, 48, loves his job because he loves his animals. The Mississippi-native spends most of his year traveling across the country in a 48-foot trailer he shares with his six monkeys, four dogs and four rams.
The show almost came to an end in 2000, when Lepard lost everything in an accident.
“Carbon monoxide got in the trailer and killed my animals,” he said. “I was devastated and shocked, and I hung my hat in, but you wouldn’t believe how many phone calls, emails and faxes I got. I said if people believe in me this much then I’m not going to let them down.”
For super fans who show up Aug. 20, they might want to bring Pop-Tarts — the monkeys’ favorite treat — along with their ball glove.
After all, it is a baseball game.

See PHOTO of "Team Ghost Rider" --  http://www.mlive.com/whitecaps/index.ssf/2011/06/monkeys_riding_dogs_herding_sh.html

Irenaeus of Lyons (Bishop / Theological proponent): calendar of saints on this date

from WIKI Article:

Saint Irenaeus (Greek: Εἰρηναῖος), (2nd century AD – c. 202) was Bishop of Lugdunum in Gaul, then a part of the Roman Empire (now Lyons, France). He was an early church father and apologist, and his writings were formative in the early development of Christian theology. He was a hearer of Polycarp,^[1] who in turn was a disciple of John the Evangelist.
Irenaeus' best-known book, Adversus Haereses or Against Heresies (c. 180) is a detailed attack on Gnosticism, which was then a serious threat to the Church, and especially on the system of the Gnostic Valentinus.^[2] As one of the first great Christian theologians, he emphasized the traditional elements in the Church, especially the episcopate, Scripture, and tradition.^[2] Irenaeus wrote that the only way for Christians to retain unity was to humbly accept one doctrinal authority—episcopal councils in union with the bishop of Rome.^{[3] [4]} Against the Gnostics, who said that they possessed a secret oral tradition from Jesus himself, Irenaeus maintained that the bishops in different cities are known as far back as the Apostles — and none of them were Gnostics — and that the bishops provided the only safe guide to the interpretation of Scripture.^[5] His writings, with those of Clement and Ignatius, are taken to hint at papal primacy.^[2] Irenaeus is the earliest witness to recognition of the canonical character of all four gospels.^[6]
Irenaeus is recognized as a saint by the Eastern Orthodox Church, the Roman Catholic Church, the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod,^[7] and the Episcopal Church (United States). His feast day is on June 28 in the Roman Catholic calendar of saints, where it was inserted for the first time in 1920; in 1960 it was transferred to July 3, leaving June 28 for the Vigil of the Feast of Saints Peter and Paul, but in 1969 it was returned to June 28, the day of his birth to heaven.

. . . Nothing is known of the date of his death, which must have occurred at the end of the 2nd or the beginning of the 3rd century. In spite of some isolated and later testimony to that effect, it is not very probable that he ended his career with martyrdom. He was buried under the Church of Saint John in Lyons, which was later renamed St Irenaeus in his honour. The tomb and his remains were utterly destroyed in 1562 by the Huguenots. His feast is celebrated on June 28 in the Roman Catholic Church, and on August 23 in the Eastern Orthodox Church.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irenaeus

On June 28, 1491 -- King Henry VIII born -- Tudor Dynasty

Today (June 28) is the birthday of England's Henry VIII, born in Greenwich in 1491. Of course, when he was born, he was only Henry, and as his father's second son, he was expected to become a cleric, not succeed him to the throne. But Henry's older brother, Arthur, died in 1502, when Henry was 11, and plans changed. He had seven years to prepare himself for the monarchy, and when he was crowned in 1509, just before his 18th birthday, he was a true product of the Renaissance: well-educated, athletic, tall, charismatic, an excellent jouster and hunter, and a graceful dancer. In short, he bore little resemblance to the portrait of a portly, well-upholstered monarch that most people think of when they hear his name.
He gave up participating in jousting and tournaments in 1536, after he was knocked unconscious for two hours. He also received a leg wound, which never fully healed, and that's when he began to take on weight. His courtiers began to wear padded garments themselves, to flatter him. By the end of his life, he was obese, probably suffering from gout and Type II diabetes. He suffered from mood swings and poor diet -- chiefly fatty red meats -- and by the end of his life could no longer get around under his own power. He died at 55.

Festival of Saints Peter & Paul -- June 29, 2011

as reported by Catholic News Agency (CNA) --

On June 29 the Church celebrates the feast day of Sts. Peter & Paul. As early as the year 258, there is evidence of an already lengthy tradition of celebrating the solemnities of both Saint Peter and Saint Paul on the same day. Together, the two saints are the founders of the See of Rome, through their preaching, ministry and martyrdom there.
Peter, who was named Simon, was a fisherman of Galilee and was introduced to the Lord Jesus by his brother Andrew, also a fisherman. Jesus gave him the name Cephas (Petrus in Latin), which means ‘Rock,’ because he was to become the rock upon which Christ would build His Church.
Peter was a bold follower of the Lord. He was the first to recognize that Jesus was “the Messiah, the Son of the living God,” and eagerly pledged his fidelity until death. In his boldness, he also made many mistakes, however, such as losing faith when walking on water with Christ and betraying the Lord on the night of His passion.
Yet despite his human weaknesses, Peter was chosen to shepherd God's flock. The Acts of the Apostles illustrates his role as head of the Church after the Resurrection and Ascension of Christ. Peter led the Apostles as the first Pope and ensured that the disciples kept the true faith.
St. Peter spent his last years in Rome, leading the Church through persecution and eventually being martyred in the year 64. He was crucified upside-down at his own request, because he claimed he was not worthy to die as his Lord.
He was buried on Vatican hill, and St. Peter's Basilica is built over his tomb.
St. Paul was the Apostle of the Gentiles. His letters are included in the writings of the New Testament, and through them we learn much about his life and the faith of the early Church.
Before receiving the name Paul, he was Saul, a Jewish pharisee who zealously persecuted Christians in Jerusalem. Scripture records that Saul was present at the martyrdom of St. Stephen.
Saul's conversion took place as he was on his way to Damascus to persecute the Christian community there. As he was traveling along the road, he was suddenly surrounded by a great light from heaven. He was blinded and fell off his horse. He then heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?” He answered: “Who are you, Lord?” Christ said: “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.”
Saul continued to Damascus, where he was baptized and his sight was restored. He took the name Paul and spent the remainder of his life preaching the Gospel tirelessly to the Gentiles of the Mediterranean world.
Paul was imprisoned and taken to Rome, where he was beheaded in the year 67.
He is buried in Rome in the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls.
In a sermon in the year 395, St. Augustine of Hippo said of Sts. Peter and Paul: “Both apostles share the same feast day, for these two were one; and even though they suffered on different days, they were as one. Peter went first, and Paul followed. And so we celebrate this day made holy for us by the apostles' blood. Let us embrace what they believed, their life, their labors, their sufferings, their preaching, and their confession of faith.”
http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint.php?n=501

Michigan Apple Committee (2011 crop prediction) - June 27 reported estimate

from WNDU dot-com posting of this press story -- Holland, Michigan newspaper Sentinel

Officials in Michigan expect a big apple crop this year.

The Holland Sentinel reports Monday that the Michigan Apple Committee is estimating the state's apple crop this year will be about 28 percent bigger than average. Executive director of the Michigan Apple Committee Denise Donohue says they're predicting 25 million bushels.

Thunderstorms that brought heavy rain and damaging winds to the state earlier this year caused concern among some growers.

Michigan is among the nation's top apple-producing states.

---

International Day in Support of Victims of Torture (June 24, 2011) Presidential Proclamation

from WHITE HOUSE dot-gov Statements & Press Releases

Statement by the President on the International Day in Support of Victims of Torture

As we mark the anniversary of the United Nations’ Convention Against Torture, I join people around the world in honoring the victims of torture, paying tribute to all those who are courageously working to eradicate these inhuman practices from our world, and reaffirming the commitment of the United States to achieving this important goal.
Generations of Americans have understood that torture is inconsistent with our values.  Over two decades ago, President Reagan signed, and a bipartisan Senate coalition ratified this landmark document, which affirms the essential principle that under no circumstances is torture ever justified.  Torture and abusive treatment violate our most deeply held values, and they do not enhance our national security – they undermine it by serving as a recruiting tool for terrorists and further endangering the lives of American personnel. Furthermore,  torture and other forms of cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment are ineffective at developing useful, accurate information.  As President, I have therefore made it clear that the United States will prohibit torture without exception or equivocation, and I reaffirmed our commitment to the Convention’s tenets and our domestic laws.
As a nation that played a leading role in the effort to bring this treaty into force, the United States will remain a leader in the effort to end torture around the world and to address the needs of torture victims.  We continue to support the United Nations Voluntary Fund for Victims of Torture, and to provide funding for domestic and international programs that provide assistance and counseling for torture victims.  We also remain dedicated to supporting the efforts of other nations, as well as international and nongovernmental organizations, to eradicate torture through human rights training for security forces, improving prison and detention conditions, and encouraging the development and enforcement of strong laws that outlaw this abhorrent practice.

Today is the anniversary of Eric Blair's birthday (a.k.a. George Orwell) in 1903

from Writer's Almanac (G. Keillor, Minnesota Public Radio):

Today (June 25) is the birthday of novelist and essayist George Orwell, born Eric Arthur Blair in Bengal, India (1903). He didn't care for his birth name; he found "Eric" too Norse and "Blair" too Scottish. When he began writing in earnest, he adopted what he felt was a solidly English name; his surname comes from the River Orwell in East Anglia.
His father was a British civil servant, and the family was, in Orwell's words, "upper lower middle class"; nevertheless, the boy went to several exclusive boarding schools, including Eton, on a scholarship. He didn't enjoy the experience, feeling alienated from his well-to-do classmates, and chose not to go on to Oxford or Cambridge. He became a military policeman instead, serving in Burma, where he came to hate imperialism, totalitarianism, and the class system. He returned to England a literary and political rebel. He called himself an anarchist for many years, and later a socialist who was nonetheless critical of the existing socialist movement.
He's most famous for his anti-communist and dystopian novels Animal Farm (1945) and Nineteen Eighty-Four (1949), but he was also a master of literary nonfiction, using deceptively straightforward prose to describe moments of personal insight. His 1931 essay "A Hanging" describes his role in the execution of a prisoner in Burma:
"At each step his muscles slid neatly into place, the lock of hair on his scalp danced up and down, his feet printed themselves on the wet gravel. And once, in spite of the men who gripped him by each shoulder, he stepped slightly aside to avoid a puddle on the path. It is curious, but till that moment I had never realized what it means to destroy a healthy, conscious man. When I saw the prisoner step aside to avoid the puddle I saw the mystery, the unspeakable wrongness, of cutting a life short when it is in full tide. ... He and we were a party of men walking together, seeing, hearing, feeling, understanding the same world; and in two minutes, with a sudden snap, one of us would be gone -- one mind less, one world less."
Down and Out in Paris and London (1933) was a retelling of time he spent among the poor in England and Europe; The Road to Wigan Pier (1937) was both a pro- and anti-socialist look at unemployed miners in the north of England. His posthumously published essay "Such, Such Were the Joys ..." (1952) recalled his boarding school days and the classism he encountered there.
He also wrote an essay decrying the abuse of language by politicians and the media, called "Politics and the English Language" (1946). In it, he includes five rules for effective written communication:
   (i) Never use a metaphor, simile, or other figure of speech which you are used to seeing in print.
   (ii) Never use a long word where a short one will do.
   (iii) If it is possible to cut a word out, always cut it out.   (iv) Never use a foreign phrase, a scientific word, or a jargon word if you can think of an everyday English equivalent.
   (v) Break any of these rules sooner than say anything outright barbarous.

TV Critic Dialogue - My Question (June 23 posting)

from WashingtonPost dot-com -- Fridays, 1 p.m. weekly chat discussion of Entertainment TV section

Terra Nova -- Fox publicity - premiere/trailer - Fall New Series

So is this a re-tread of the old "Time Tunnel" concept that people who leave their own time-century can view where they're headed before running down a kind of entry to the prior time/era? Did I recognize among the main actors the lead of the now-cancelled "Life on Mars" (ABC - U.S. version)? thanks!

 - June 23, 2011 8:25 PM

A.

Lisa de Moraes :

Yes, Jason O'Mara is back....and I'm not sure about that level of detail but the idea is the world is so messed up a bunch of people go back to dinosaur time -- hey, it's a Spielberg project so that was a given -to try to fix things, including the cost of cable TV...

– June 24, 2011 2:11 PM

July 8 - Space Shuttle ATLANTIS mission (last shuttle plans)

from www.nasa.gov/  projected specifics of Mission (July 8)

STS-135 Mission

Space Shuttle: Atlantis
Primary Payload: Raffaello Multi-purpose Logistics Module
Targeted Launch Date: July 8
Launch Time: 11:26 a.m. EDT
Launch Site: Kennedy Space Center's Launch Pad 39A
Targeted Landing Date: July 20
Landing Time: 7:06 a.m. EDT
Landing Site: Kennedy Space Center's Shuttle Landing Facility
Mission Duration: 12 days
Inclination/Altitude: 51.6 degrees/122 nautical miles

National HIV Testing Day (June 27) - Berrien County, Michigan site

as reported in Niles Daily Star (local newspaper - website) www.nilesstar.com/

In Berrien County, there are more than 200 people known to be living with HIV and about 25 percent more who are positive and do not know it.
In observance of National HIV Testing Day, CARES and the Berrien County  Health Department will be co-sponsoring a free testing and health screening event in support of and collaboration with community partners. This event offers free, 20-minute HIV testing, colon cancer screening kits and cholesterol and blood pressure screenings. It will be held at the Benton Harbor Street Ministry, 200 East Empire Ave., Benton Harbor Monday from 10 a.m. to noon and from 2 to 6 p.m.
National HIV Testing Day is an annual campaign produced by the National Association of People with AIDS (NAPWA) to encourage individuals to learn their HIV status through voluntary HIV counseling and testing. National Testing Day is observed on June 27 of each year.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that one person out of five living with HIV in the U.S. is unaware of their HIV status. National Testing Day is an opportunity for people nationwide to learn their HIV status and gain knowledge to help them take control of their health and their lives.
Other participating partners include Lakeland Health Specialties, United Way of Southwest Michigan, Bethel Christian Restoration Center, Benton Harbor Street Ministry, The OutCenter, Southwest Michigan Community Action Agency and a host of community volunteers. In addition to health screenings, food and other giveaways will be available.
HIV counseling and testing enables people with HIV to take steps to protect their own health and that of their partners, and helps people who test negative get the information they need to remain healthy. For additional information on this event or general HIV information, contact Willie Mitchell, at (269) 927-2437 ext. 23.

On this date -- Henry Ward Beecher (born 1813)

source: Writer's Almanac (Minnesota Public Radio: Garrison Keillor) =

Today (June 14) is the birthday of clergyman, abolitionist, and orator Henry Ward Beecher (1813), a bashful kid who grew up to be one of America's most popular public speakers. He was born in Litchfield, Connecticut, the eighth of nine surviving children. He was especially close to his older sister, Harriet Beecher Stowe. He wasn't much of a scholar, but he went to Amherst College anyway, and then on to Lane Theological Seminary in Cincinnati. In 1837, he became a minister to a Presbyterian congregation in Indiana. And 10 years later, he went to Plymouth Church in Brooklyn, where his sermons drew crowds of up to 2,500 people a week. He became internationally famous; he opposed slavery and supported such causes as temperance, women's suffrage, evolutionary theory, and scientific criticism of the Bible. Mark Twain went to hear him preach, and in a letter he described Beecher's performance: "... sawing his arms in the air, howling sarcasms this way and that, discharging rockets of poetry and exploding mines of eloquence, halting now and then to stamp his foot three times in succession to emphasize a point."
In 1874, his former friend Theodore Tilton sued him, alleging that Beecher had had an affair with Tilton's wife, Elizabeth, and the subsequent trial was one of the big scandals of the 19th century. The jury was unable to reach a verdict after deliberating for six days. The Plymouth Church held a board of inquiry and excommunicated the Tiltons but exonerated Beecher. He remained popular despite the scandal.
He wrote, "Where is human nature so weak as in a book store?"; "Flowers are the sweetest things God ever made and forgot to put a soul into"; "Doctrine is but the skin of truth set up and stuffed"; and "Humor is the atmosphere in which grace most flourishes."

Relay for Life (Berrien County, Michigan) - June 25 & July 9, 2011

These are Community-based events that center at School - Community Fair track stadium and involve teams who walk or run laps for pledges:

June 25-26: Berrien County
Saturday 10 a.m.-Sunday 8:00 a.m., Berrien County Fairgrounds, Berrien Springs, MI

July 9-10: Niles-Buchanan
Saturday 12 noon-8 a.m., Niles High School, Niles, MI

The American Cancer Society is holding a Relay for Life event in the area. Relay for Life celbrates cancer survivorship and rallies our local communities to fight back against the disease.

Each Relay for Life event has a survivor victory lap and a luminaria ceremony.

INFO at this web location http://main.acsevents.org/site/TR?pg=entry&fr_id=29930

Troops to come home from Afghan War -- end of 2014 - troops removed entirely

Preliminary expectations of Obama Speech to the American Public (Wed. June 22, 2011): AP story reporters combine quoted sources =

WASHINGTON (AP) -- President Barack Obama will map a course for drawing down the nearly 10-year war in Afghanistan Wednesday, when he is expected to set a target of bringing home about 30,000 troops by the end of 2012.

The president is likely to pull out 10,000 troops by the end of this year, administration and Pentagon officials said, and aims to bring another 20,000 home by the end of next year.

But with 100,000 U.S. troops currently in Afghanistan, that drawdown may not be substantial enough to satisfy some lawmakers on Capitol Hill and a war-weary public.

The initial withdrawal is expected to happen in two phases, with 5,000 troops coming home this summer and an additional 5,000 by the end of the year, a senior U.S. defense official said.

The pace of bringing home the other 20,000 forces was unclear heading into Obama's primetime address to the nation Wednesday. The White House opted not to give the president's speech the weight of an Oval Office address. Instead, Obama was to speak for about 10 to 15 minutes from the East Room of the White House.

Obama's expected blueprint focuses on the 30,000 surge forces he ordered to Afghanistan as part of his 2009 decision to send reinforcements to reverse the Taliban's battlefield momentum.

The president reached his decision a week after receiving a range of options from Gen. David Petraeus, the top U.S. and NATO commander in Afghanistan. Obama informed his senior national security advisers, including outgoing Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, of his plans during a White House meeting Tuesday.

"The president is commander in chief," spokesman Jay Carney said. "He is in charge of this process, and he makes the decision."

The administration has begun briefing NATO allies on its plans. British Prime Minister David Cameron's office confirmed that officials there have been informed but declined to offer comment, or to make any immediate statement on the plans for about 9,500 British forces in Afghanistan.

The withdrawals would put the U.S. on a path toward giving Afghans control of their security by 2014 and ultimately shifting the U.S. military from a combat role to a mission focused on training and supporting Afghan forces.

The Obama administration has said its goal in continuing the Afghanistan war is to blunt the Taliban insurgency and dismantle and defeat al-Qaida, the terror network that used the country as a training ground for the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on the U.S. As of Tuesday, at least 1,522 members of the U.S. military had died in Afghanistan as a result of the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan in late 2001, according to an Associated Press count.

The U.S. and its allies have set Dec. 31, 2014, as a target date for ending the combat mission in Afghanistan.

A reduction this year totaling 10,000 troops would be the rough equivalent of two brigades, which are the main building blocks of an Army division. It's not clear whether Obama's decision would require the Pentagon to pull out two full brigades or, instead, withdraw a collection of smaller combat and support units with an equivalent number of troops.

If Obama were to leave the bulk of the 30,000 surge contingent in Afghanistan through 2012, he would be giving the military another fighting season - in addition to the one now under way - to further damage Taliban forces before a larger withdrawal got started. It also would buy more time for the Afghan army and police to grow in numbers and capability.

Under that scenario, the emphasis in U.S.-led military operations is likely to shift away from troop-intensive counterinsurgency operations toward more narrowly focused counterterrorism operations, which focus on capturing and killing insurgents.

Afghan security forces and judicial institutions are expected to take up many aspects of the counterinsurgency fight by establishing the rule of law and respect for government institutions, U.S. officials in Afghanistan said Tuesday.

Adam Goodheart -- on Tuesday DIANE REHM Show (NPR call-in show)

from www.npr.org/

The Civil War: America's 2nd Revolution

http://thedianerehmshow.org/shows/2011-06-21/civil-war-americas-2nd-revolution

Tuesday, June 21, 2011 - 11:06 a.m.

• 11:06 a.m. (ET) The Civil War: America's 2nd Revolution

The Civil War: America's 2nd Revolution

One hundred fifty years ago four million people were held as slaves in the United States: Historians weigh in on the ongoing efforts to better understand the causes, costs, and consequences of the Civil War.

Guests

Adam Goodheart

professor,Washington College
historian, journalist, and critic.
author of "1861: The Civil War Awakening"

"Why is the KJV so good?" Lecture Windsor Castle, ENGLAND

from PDF posting --

A Lecture by

Adam Nicolson

Author of

Power and Glory: Jacobean England and the Making

of the King James Bible

Why is the King James Bible so good?

The greatest translation of the Bible ever made had its roots in the

England that nurtured Shakespeare, Jonson and Donne. It takes its

qualities from that moment of linguistic dynamism and high

scholarship, a turbulent society, in which puritan and bishop, the

desire for individual freedom and the desire for order, tussled for

the soul of the Church of England. The Bible they made is so good

because in 1611 that struggle was not yet resolved.

Monday 27 June 2011 at 7.00pm

St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle

Admission: Free by named ticket only

Born on this date in 1623 -- Blaise Pascal

from Writer's Almanac (Garrison Keillor, Minnesota Public Radio):
Today (June 19) is the birthday of religious philosopher, physicist, and mathematician Blaise Pascal (1623), born in Clermont-Ferrand, France. He was a child prodigy, and by the time he was 19 he had already perfected the first mechanical calculator for sale to the public. In the field of physics, he discovered that air has weight, and proved that vacuums are possible in nature. In mathematics, he founded the theory of probabilities and developed an early form of integral calculus. He invented the syringe and the hydraulic press, and gave the world the principle that would come to be known as "Pascal's Law": pressure applied to a confined liquid is transmitted undiminished through the liquid in all directions regardless of the area to which the pressure is applied.
He was often conflicted, torn between a spiritual life and a scientific one. When he was 23, he began to feel the need to withdraw from the world and devote his life to God, and he did for a while, but soon threw himself back into his scientific pursuits, working so hard he made himself ill. He returned to religion for good after a mystical conversion experience, which he called the "night of fire," in 1654, and entered the Abbey of Port-Royal in January 1655. Although he never formally joined the Solitaires -- the hermits at the abbey -- he never again published under his own name, writing only materials that they requested. He produced two great works of religious philosophy, Les Provinciales (Provincial Letters, 1657), and Pensees (Thoughts, 1658). He wrote: "Man is to himself the most wonderful object in nature; for he cannot conceive what the body is, still less what the mind is, and least of all how a body should be united to a mind. This is the consummation of his difficulties, and yet it is his very being."

June 20 - World Refugee Day - Angelina Jolie (UN Ambassador for UNICEF) to Syria / Turkey border

as reported in WASHINGTON POST column --

Actress Angelina Jolie, who serves as goodwill ambassador to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, traveled to Turkey to visit Syrian refugees on Friday.
Jolie spent over two hours with Syrians living in camps along the Turkish border, who have fled their government’s violent crackdown on protesters. The actress brought toys, fruit and desserts and used an Arabic translator to speak to those assembled, the Associated Press reported. A banner that read, “Goodness Angel of the World, Welcome,” was erected near the entrance of the camp.
The Syrian government is cracking down on protests demanding the resignation of President Bashar al-Assad. More than 1,200 people have been killed since the conflict began three months ago, the Post’s Liz Sly reported, and nearly 10,000 Syrians have left the country for Turkey.
The actress recently recorded a message for UNHCR to promote World Refugee Day, celebrated June 20:

Every day, thousands of people run from war, persecution and terror. Even one is too many. One family force to flee is too many. One child growing up in a camp is too many. One refu­gee without hope is too many.

www.washingtonpost.com/    Celebritology columnist Jen Chaney

Summer's beginning (June 21, 1:16 p.m.)

Definition and Q/A from Old Farmer's Almanac web page on Summer Solstice

The word solstice comes from the Latin words for "sun" and "to stop," due to the fact that the Sun appears to stop in the sky. The Sun is directly overhead at its most northern point at "high-noon" on the summer solstice, creating more sunlight in the Northern Hemisphere on this day then any other.
On the solstice, we also hit the longest day of the year. From here on out, the days begin to get shorter.

Question: Why isn’t the summer solstice, the longest day of the year, also the hottest day of the year?
Answer: The reason why July and August are generally hotter than June, the month containing the summer solstice, is that it takes a while for Earth to heat up. There is a lag time between sunlight being produced and it actually hitting Earth. Earth’s surface and atmosphere continue to receive energy from the Sun, even though the minutes of daylight are decreasing, and average temperatures will continue to rise until the Sun’s position in relation to Earth lowers and sunlight is hitting Earth less directly. That’s why we are all holed up in our air-conditioned living rooms in late July rather than June.

Summer Folklore and Verse

Deep snow in winter, tall grain in summer.–Estonian proverb
When the summer birds take their flight, goes the summer with them.
If it rains on Midsummer's Eve, the filbert crops will be spoiled.–Unknown
One swallow never made a summer.
Easterly winds from May 19 to the 21 indicate a dry summer.
If there are many falling stars during a clear summer evening, expect thunder. If there are none, expect fine weather.

Born on this date -- Songwriter / Performer Paul McCartney

from "Writer's Almanac" (Garrison Keillor, Minnesota Public Radio)

It's the birthday of "the cute Beatle," Sir Paul McCartney, born James Paul McCartney in Liverpool, England, in 1942. His dad, Jim, was a cotton salesman who occasionally led "Jim Mac's Jazz Band" on the trumpet and piano; his mum, Mary, was a midwife, often riding off on her bicycle to deliver babies at odd hours. Mary developed breast cancer and died from an embolism after a mastectomy in 1956, when Paul was 14. And when he heard the news, he said, "What will we do without her money?" which he always regretted. In 1957, at a church festival, he saw an older boy, something of a troublemaker, who was singing on stage with his skiffle band. The boy kept getting the words wrong and making up new lyrics as he went along. This was John Lennon, and Paul got a chance to impress him after the show with his mastery of "Twenty Flight Rock." He later recalled: "I also knocked around on the backstage piano and that would have been 'A Whole Lot of Shakin'' by Jerry Lee. That's when I remember John leaning over, contributing a deft right hand in the upper octaves and surprising me with his beery breath. It's not that I was shocked, it's just that I remember this particular detail." Lennon later invited McCartney to join his band, the Quarrymen, and one of music's great partnerships was born.
In addition to being the subject of hundreds of books, McCartney has produced a couple of his own: a volume of poetry (Blackbird Singing Poems and Lyrics, 1965-2001 [2002]), and a children's book, High in the Clouds (2005), about a young squirrel thrust into the adult world by the death of his mother. He's been an art collector since the 1960s, and he took up painting in 1983 after getting to know Willem de Kooning. He's written movie scores and classical music, too, including Liverpool Oratorio (1991), which was first performed at the Liverpool Cathedral, where McCartney had once failed an audition as a choirboy.
He's been a vegetarian and supporter of animal rights since early in the 1970s, and wrote a letter to the carnivorous Dalai Lama in 2008 to convince him to go veggie, since eating animals is incompatible with the Buddhist tenet of nonviolence. "I found out he was not a vegetarian, so I wrote to him saying, 'Forgive me for pointing this out, but if you eat animals then there is some suffering somewhere along the line,'" he said in an interview with Prospect magazine. "He replied saying that his doctors had told him he needed it, so I wrote back saying they were wrong."
He was also the subject of the "Paul is dead" conspiracy theory. In September 1967, a man named Tom called in to a Detroit radio station to report a rumor, which had been circulating on college campuses for some time, that McCartney had been killed in a car accident. He'd died on November 9, 1966 -- or so the rumor went -- and the record company forced the Beatles to replace him with William Campbell, the winner of a look-alike contest. Fred LaBour, a student at the University of Michigan, turned the rumor into an article and embellished the tale even further. He claimed that Lennon, particularly upset at the cover-up of his friend's death, had planted a host of clues in the band's songs and album covers. Suddenly, everyone was an expert in obscure symbolism, and the rumor persisted, even after LaBour admitted his article was tongue-in-cheek. Any references to death or images of red or black were scrutinized, songs were played backward, and album covers held up to mirrors to reveal their secrets. Finally, Life magazine sent a photographer to track down McCartney in Scotland, and the rumors subsided after the magazine's cover story featuring an annoyed, but very much alive, pop star. McCartney released an album in 1993, called Paul is Live,the cover of which poked fun at all the supposed clues.

On this day in 1885 -- Statue of Liberty Anniversary

from Writer's Almanac (Garrison Keillor Minnesota Public Radio daily list serv)

On this day in 1885, the Statue of Liberty arrived in New York Harbor. Formally known as "Liberty Enlightening the World," she was a gift from France, and was funded by the French people. Sculptor Auguste Bartholdi first had the idea for a monument to commemorate the friendship between the United States and France in 1865, but he didn't begin actual construction until the early 1870s; he chose Bedloe's Island -- now called Liberty Island -- because the statue could welcome the boats full of immigrants, who would pass by the statue on the way to Ellis Island. He was delighted to learn that the island was the property of the United States government, which meant all the states -- not just New York -- could claim equal ownership in the statue.
Lady Liberty is made of sheets of copper over a framework of steel supports; the framework was designed by Alexandre Gustave Eiffel, of Eiffel Tower fame. She was constructed in France and then was disassembled to make her journey to New York, where she was reassembled to her full height of 151 feet, 1 inch. Mounted on her pedestal, she stands 305 feet tall. Her torch was wired for electrical power in 1916. The seven rays of her crown represent the seven seas and the seven continents; the broken shackles at her feet evoke freedom from slavery and oppression; and the tablet in her left hand represents the law. Bartholdi completed her right arm and torch, as well as her head, before the rest of the statue was designed, and the arm went on display in 1876 as part of the United States Centennial celebrations. Liberty's face was modeled after Bartholdi's mother.
Emma Lazarus's oft-quoted sonnet, "The New Colossus" (1883), which was written to raise money for construction of the statue's pedestal, is engraved on a brass plaque inside it:
  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-tost to me,
  I lift my lamp beside the golden door!"

Tweeting an 800-page novel (Joyce's ULYSSES) on Bloomday

James Joyce’s ULYSSES novel -- today is “Bloom Day” (June 16)


Article posted online at NPR dot-org
Today is Bloomsday, the annual celebration of James Joyce's novel Ulysses. The book details an epic day in the life of Leopold Bloom, in the 24-hour span of June 16, 1904.

For decades, Joyce-lovers have been commemorating Bloomsday by eating liver for breakfast and drinking pints of Guinness, as Bloom does. They also hold marathon readings of the novel.

This year, the commemorations will also include Twitter, where a group of Ulysses enthusiasts has broken the nearly 800-page novel down into bite-sized pieces — each 140 characters long. They'll send the tweets out in what's being called a Bloomsday Burst.

Stephen Cole organized the Ulysses Meets Twitter project by breaking the book into 96 sections, one for each 15 minutes of the day. Then he recruited volunteers to condense the book into tweets, each one representing about eight pages of the book.

As Cole tells Morning Edition co-host Renee Montagne, he considers the Bloomsday Burst an experiment.

"What I chose to do was [to] try to get in the words and phrases that you liked," he says, "but also put in enough of the narrative link so you can get a sense of where he is, and where he's going."

With Joyce's expansive text, that can be a challenge; Cole says some volunteer tweeters decided to focus strictly on the original words, tossing out the narrative altogether.

And if the tweetformance of Ulysses doesn't always make sense, Cole says that's okay.

"Joyce did not have a lot in that book, [of] pointers to let readers know what is going on," he says. "You had to go with the stream of consciousness a lot. And in a sense, Twitter is like that. It's broken down into little bits, and it's hard to pull them together. But that's the way large parts of Ulysses were written."

Cole admits that if he were alive today, Joyce might not like the idea that his book was being broken up into tweets.

"I think he really, really really liked what he put in Ulysses, on the page," Cole says. "And an adaptation of that, which is what we're doing — he probably couldn't see any reason to do. Because it was perfect on the page as he did it."

Franklin's Lightning - Kite experiment (June 15, 1752) - on this date in history

from Garrison Keillor's Writer's Almanac (daily program supplied by Minnesota Public Radio):

On this day in 1752, Benjamin Franklin is believed to have performed his famous kite experiment and proved that lightning is electricity. He tied the kite to a silk string with an iron key on the end of the string. From the key, he ran a wire into a Leyden jar, a container that stored electrical charge. He then tied a silk ribbon to the key, which he held onto from inside a shed, to keep it dry. The electrical charge from the storm overhead passed through the key and into the Leyden jar.


Franklin, as it turns out, was lucky to have conducted this experiment safely. Several others who attempted it after him were electrocuted. He used the information he gained to design lightning rods, which conducted a storm's electrical charge safely into the ground. One of Franklin's lightning rods saved his own house years later, during a storm.

Although Franklin described his kite endeavor in a letter later that fall, the full account of the experiment wasn't written down until 15 years after the fact by a man who wasn't even present: Joseph Priestly. However, he wrote it after detailed correspondence with Franklin, so his account is generally believed to be reliable.

Paul McCartney -- concert July 24 -- Detroit, MI Comerica Park

from Michigan Live -- Mlive.com/

For the first time in more than 30 years, Paul McCartney is playing a concert in the city of Detroit.

McCartney officially announced several North American dates of his "On the Run" tour today, including a July 24, 2011 stop at Comerica Park. He previously played the Palace of Auburn Hills in 2005, but hasn't played within city limits since 1976.
Tickets for the show are $19.50-$250 and go on sale at 10 a.m. on Friday June 17. They can be purchased at Tickets.com, OlympiaEntertainment.com or the Comerica Park Box Office.
In today's announcement, McCartney promises three hours of hits from his own catalogue -- and the Beatles, Wings and Fireman.
The tour kicks off July 15 at Yankee Stadium in New York City.

Cub Scout swimming in Lake Michigan rescues 12-year-old (Warren Dunes State Park, Bridman, MI)

A day at the beach turned out to be anything but ordinary recently for a 9-year-old Niles boy and his family.

The youth, Kole Salinas, had been swimming in Lake Michigan with his brother, Logan, 10, at Bridgman’s Warren Dunes State Park on Memorial Day and was wading in knee-deep water when a 12-year-old boy wading nearby suddenly collapsed.
“I was scared,’’ said Kole, who nevertheless raced over to the heavier, taller youth and lifted him out of the water.
Liz Kilcoyne, who has legal guardianship of Kole and Logan with her husband, Larry, said Kole was “carrying him out like a baby’’ when he got the attention of family members. Larry Kilcoyne said he ran to assist as did his daughter, Angel, 25, and her boyfriend, Shawn Rhodes, also 25.
“I was looking off somewhere when I heard him say, ‘Daddy, help, Daddy, help.’ He was holding him out of the water,’’ Kilcoyne said.
He said Kole passed the victim to Rhodes who in turn handed him to Kilcoyne. Unable to find a pulse, Kilcoyne said he began CPR but was unable to revive him.
Two nurses also visiting the beach that day soon took over. Shortly afterward, a park staff member arrived with a defibrillator and restored the youth’s heartbeat on the second of two attempts, Kilcoyne said.
Eventually, the victim, who reportedly is handicapped and may have collapsed from a medical condition, was airlifted to an area hospital. He’s no longer a patient and apparently has fully recovered.
Kole guessed that the boy’s face had been underwater only about three or four seconds before Kole lifted him to the surface. He was glad, Kole said, that the water was shallow where the boy collapsed.
“If it was deeper, I probably wouldn’t have been able to get him out,’’ he said.
Kole just completed third grade at Ballard Elementary School in Niles and, like his brother, is in his fourth year as a member of Niles Cub Scout Pack 587. Kilcoyne, the assistant scoutmaster for the pack, said he has recommended Kole for a life-saving award.
Kilcoyne said Kole has several swimming awards to his credit but has never taken a lifesaving class. On Friday, Kole took it all in stride, playing a video game with Logan as the Kilcoynes talked about his heroics.
“Me and him (Kole) swim in 12 feet of water,’’ Logan proudly proclaimed.
But wasn’t the water cold that day? The brothers disagreed, with Kole going so far as to call it warm.
Maybe he was referring to the feeling he had inside.

story by Lou Mumford (South Bend (IN) Tribune online version of story) June 13, 2011

http://www.southbendtribune.com/sbt-niles-scout-aids-youth-in-distress-20110612,0,3368807.story

10 a.m. (24 hour reading) June 14: Harriet Beecher Stowe's UNCLE TOM's CABIN

from Publicity at Harriet Beecher Stowe Center, Connecticut

24 Hour Reading of "Uncle Tom's Cabin"


Tuesday, June 14 - Wednesday, June 15
Begins at 10AM
On June 14, the anniversary of Stowe's 200th birthday, we'll honor her most famous work with a 24-hour reading of Uncle Tom's Cabin in the Katharine Day House at the Stowe Center.
Join us at 10AM with a welcome for Stowe Center Executive Director Katherine Kane. The novel will be read by volunteers throughout the day and night. Some passages will be read in multiple languages.
http://www.harrietbeecherstowecenter.org/worxcms_published/calendar_page342.shtml

Flag Day Parade w/Military Fly-Over (Today, 2 p.m.) Three Oaks, Michigan details

from Interview-Feature Local Story by SBT reporter Katlyn Smith (June 14, 2011)
www.southbendtribune.com/
Red, white and blue hues decorated most of Carver Park Saturday as Three Oaks celebrated Flag Day with a weekend full of activities.  Many of those honoring the flag were also there to support the military.

Gen Scameheorn’s nephew is on his fourth tour of duty in the Army in Afghanistan. “I think all families are affected,” she said.Born in Canada, Scameheorn has lived in Three Oaks for almost 50 years.
Along with other food and arts-and-craft vendors in the park, she helped sell desserts for her church, including a rhubarb cream pie and pork-and-bean cake.
“It’s a total community event,” Scameheorn said of the village’s 59th annual Flag Day celebration.
Gail Freehling, the chair of the event, said Sunday’s parade will include a military flyover by two A-10 “Warthogs.”  “That’s why we do this,” Freehling said. “To honor our military and flag.”

Canines also sported patriotic hats, ribbons and shirts during Saturday’s pet parade.
Anna Vitale, of New Buffalo, walked her dog, Grace Kelly, a Bichon Shih Tzu.
The 11-year-old said the pet parade is her favorite event of the weekend.
“I get to take her,” Anna, pointing to her dog, said. “She’s like my best friend.”
Sunday’s parade - what organizers call the largest Flag Day parade in the world - will start at 3 p.m. on Sycamore Street.

Shuttle Atlantis (July 2011 Launch and Return from Space Station)

Friday July 8 is the expected Lift-off day for the Shuttle Mission --

STS-135 Mission




Space Shuttle: Atlantis

Primary Payload: Raffaello Multi-purpose Logistics Module

Targeted Launch Date: Friday, July 8, 2011

Launch Time: 11:26 a.m. EDT

Launch Site: Kennedy Space Center's Launch Pad 39A

Targeted Landing Date: Wednesday, July 20

Landing Time: 7:06 a.m. EDT

Landing Site: Kennedy Space Center's Shuttle Landing Facility

Mission Duration: 12 days

Inclination/Altitude: 51.6 degrees/122 nautical miles

Three month anniversary (Tokyo Protests - street demonstration) after Earthquake & Tsunami devastation

as reported in Washingtonpost dot-com story DATELINE Tokyo, Japan

Protesters in Tokyo held mass demonstrations Saturday against the use of nuclear power, as Japan marked the three-month anniversary of the powerful earthquake and tsunami that killed tens of thousands and triggered one of the world’s worst nuclear disasters.

The magnitude-9 earthquake that hit off Japan’s northeast coast March 11 caused a massive tsunami that devastated the coastline. The disasters knocked out power and cooling systems at the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant, about 140 miles (225 kilometers) northeast of Tokyo, setting off explosions, fires and large radiation leaks at the facility.
( Kyodo News / Associated Press ) - Firefighters offer prayers during a ceremony mourning for the victims of the March 11 earthquake and tsunami in Kamaishi, Iwate prefecture, northern Japan, Saturday, June 11, 2011. Japan marked three month since the disasters killed tens of thousands and caused one of the world’s worst nuclear crisis, on Saturday.
Government reports released earlier in the week said the damage and leakage were worse than previously thought, with nuclear fuel in three reactors likely melting through their main cores and larger containment vessels. Radiation that leaked into the air amounted to about one-sixth of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster in 1986 — double previous estimates.
Hundreds of plant workers are still scrambling to bring the crippled Fukushima reactors to a “cold shutdown” by early next year and end the crisis. The accident has forced more than 80,000 residents to evacuate from their homes around the plant.
The disasters have renewed a national debate on the use of nuclear power in Japan, which has few natural resources and is heavily reliant on atomic energy. Some nuclear plants across the country have been shut down in the wake of the disaster, leading to fears Japan may not have enough electricity for the peak summer months, and repeated anti-nuclear protests have been held.
Protests were held across Tokyo on Saturday. In the center of the city, at a park next to the iconic Tokyo Tower, demonstrators gathered in a muddy field, wearing signs and carrying colorful banners with phrases such as “Immediately stop all use of nuclear power and shut down the plants.”
The crowd poured out into the streets of the city in orderly rows, banging drums and shouting anti-nuclear slogans while walking toward the Economy Ministry and the head offices of Tokyo Electric Power Co., which operates the Fukushima plant. Police estimated 2,000 people took part in the protest.
“Since the earthquake, I’ve realized that nuclear power is just too dangerous for use,” said Takeshi Terada, 32, a local shipping worker who came with 10 friends to march in the protest.
While many in the Tokyo protests were from large organizations that have previously supported issues such as anti-war legislation and women’s rights, some arrived in small groups with their families. Children and even dogs walked in clothing with anti-nuclear slogans.
“I’m worried about the children. It’s not just in Fukushima, there are radiation problems even here in Tokyo,” said Mika Obuchi, 45, who marched with her husband and 9-year-old daughter.
Three months after the disasters, which killed about 23,000 people, 90,000 are still living in temporary shelters such as school gyms and community centers. Some families have been moved into temporary housing, but supplies are short and sufficient housing is not expected to be completed for several more months.
All along the coast, a massive cleanup effort continues as cranes and dump trucks haul away the wreckage from hundreds of thousands of buildings that were destroyed or damaged by the tsunami.

Flag Day Holiday - Three Oaks, Michigan (Berrien County)

from Harbor County dot-org festival web page/section

Flag Day Weekend


June 10 - 12, 2011

Time: 09:00 A.M. To 05:00 P.M.

Region: Three Oaks, Michigan

Website: www.threeoaksvillage.org

Phone: 269-757-3221

Join the fun at the 59th Annual Flag Day Weekend celebration! Festivities include a pet parade, Art in the Park, live music, a wine and beer tent, and of course, the largest Flag Day parade in the world. For complete schedule of events and information visit www.threeoaksvillage.org. Sponsored in part by The Pokagon Fund.

June 13 Debate expects Facebook & Twitter questions (New Hampshire): 7 likely Republican to debate one another

from Web "sponsor" of Debate along with New Hampshire officials/Politicos =

Ask Republican Presidential Primary Contenders Questions Via Facebook, Twitter
By Kris Holt
June 10, 2011

Republican presidential primary contenders are set to take part in the first New Hampshire debate of the season on Monday, Jun. 13, and you have the chance to submit questions to the candidates through Facebook and Twitter.
The debate — which will take place at Saint Anselm College in Manchester, N.H. — will be aired by CNN from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m EDT and will be moderated by CNN anchor and chief national correspondent John King.
The following candidates will face off in the debate: Minnesota Congresswoman Michele Bachmann, Texas Congressman Ron Paul, former Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty, former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney, businessman Herman Cain, former Speaker Newt Gingrich, and former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum.
To submit questions to the candidates, you can visit the John King, USA Facebook Page or ask them by using the #CNNdebate hashtag on Twitter. You can also submit questions by visiting CNNPolitics.com.
http://www.scribbal.com/2011/06/ask-republican-presidential-primary-contenders-questions-via-facebook-twitter/

Reading the KJV aloud: Church over five days (June 15 - 18)

posted at KJV 400 years website =

KJV400: Celebrating the Bible - Sharing the Word


Wednesday, 15 June 2011 - Saturday, 18 June 2011

Time: Ongoing from 11am on 15 June

Location: St Oswald's Church, Church Street, Oswestry, Shropshire, United Kingdom

Organisation: Parish Church of St Oswald, King & Martyr, Oswestry
Details:  Remembering that the King James Bible was primarily intended to be read aloud, we will be undertaking a non-stop read-through from Genesis to Revelation, in the church, over a period of about 80 hours. There will be opportunities for 300 people or more to take part and participation will be extended to representatives of all aspects of town life: schools, businesses, traders, local government, public services, uniformed organizations, voluntary organizations, sports clubs, pubs, etc. We hope this endeavour will put St Oswald's at the very heart of the town for three days, and in drawing people together to share the Word in this way it will be an act of mission as much as a celebration.

Reliable Source : Question asked NILES, MI / Answered by Roxanne Roberts

Washington POST dot-com Chat Discussion (weekly) -- my question asked 12:45 on State Dinner for Germany's President Angela Merkel by Obama's White House

Boehner again snubs a State Dinner (John Roberts didn't; nor Dan Coats)


I may be wrong but did Speaker Boehner prove to be a no-show even though former Speaker Pelosi was on hand for the Merkel STATE DINNER; was this the first for Chief Justice John Roberts? – June 08, 2011 12:44 PM Permalink

A.Roxanne Roberts :

You're right: the Speaker declined his fourth state dinner invitation from the Obamas. I think this was Roberts' first, but can't remember for sure without go back to the guest lists.
– June 08, 2011 12:55 PM

Free Fishing Weekend (Michigan Parks & Lakes) - June 11 & 12

from online story at Niles Newspaper = www.nilesstar.com/

The Department of Natural Resources reminds everyone that this summer’s Free Fishing Weekend is scheduled for this weekend. (June 11-12, 2011).

On that Saturday and Sunday, everyone — residents and non-residents alike — can enjoy fishing in Michigan without a fishing license. All other fishing regulations apply.
Michigan has celebrated Free Fishing Weekend every year since 1986 to promote awareness of the state’s natural resources. With more than 3,000 miles of Great Lakes shoreline, 11,000 inland lakes and 36,000 miles of rivers and streams, fishing and Michigan go hand in hand.
“Fishing is a great way for folks to connect with Michigan’s wonderful natural resources,” DNR Director Rodney Stokes said. “It’s an affordable activity that provides a sense of excitement and adventure, while providing an opportunity for all generations of families to connect in a common pastime. Free Fishing Weekend is the perfect time to take your child — or your grandparent — fishing.”
Numerous Free Fishing Weekend activities are scheduled at state parks and fish hatcheries, while sporting clubs and conservation groups stage events as well. Free Fishing Weekend offers novices the opportunity to learn about the joys of angling from experienced anglers.
For a list of Free Fishing Weekend activities across the state, visit www.michigan.gov/freefishing.

Community College (President and Advisers) -- tour June 8, 2011

as known in advance at WhiteHouse dot-gov posting

Today President Obama will visit the Northern Virginia Community College Alexandria Campus (NVCC) to announce a series of initiatives critical to improving the manufacturing workforce. The initiatives are part of a major expansion of Skills for America’s Future, an industry led initiative the Administration launched last year to improve industry partnerships with community colleges and build a nation-wide network that maximizes workforce development strategies, job training programs, and job placements.

At NVCC President Obama will be led on a tour of the campus’ Automotive Training Program by program head Ernest Packer, who joined the NVCC faculty in 2007 after 29 years of work at the Ford Motor Company. On the tour the President will see a General Motors Automotive Services classroom and a lab with Ford hybrid vehicles. NVCC’s certified automotive services program is a gold-standard credentialing program and one that the Manufacturing Institute and National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) used as a model for the new credentialing program being announced at the event. Following the tour, President Obama will deliver remarks to an audience of 100 people including members of the Skills for America’s Future board, representatives from NAM, leaders from education, philanthropy and the business community and NVCC students and faculty.

June Appearances / Talks by Adam Goodheart (1861: topic)

from http://www.adamgoodheart.com/events

ST. MICHAELS, Maryland:
Friday, June 3, 6:00 p.m.: Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum. “Author, teacher and master historian, Adam Goodheart shares the dramatic and little-known story of how a courageous group of slaves at the beginning of the Civil War launched a revolution by the shores of the Chesapeake – a revolution that would ultimately lead to Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation. The story unfolded exactly 150 years ago, in May and June of 1861.”
Details:
Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum

213 North Talbot St.
MANASSAS, Virginia:

Sunday, June 26, 2:00 p.m.: Manassas Museum, reading and book signing.
Details:

Manassas Museum
9101 Prince William Street
Free to the public.

June is "Great outdoors month" (Presidential Proclamation) - White House

from White House dot-gov "Proclamation"

Presidential Proclamation--Great Outdoors Month

-------

BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
A PROCLAMATION

For generations, America's great outdoors have ignited our imaginations, bolstered our economy, and fueled our national spirit of adventure and independence. The United States holds a stunning array of natural beauty -- from sweeping rangelands and tranquil beaches, to forests stretching over rolling hills and rivers raging through stone-faced cliffs. During Great Outdoors Month, we rededicate ourselves to experiencing and protecting these unique landscapes and treasured sites.
As America's frontier diminished and our cities expanded, a few bold leaders and individuals had the foresight to protect our most precious natural and historic places. Today, we all share the responsibility to uphold their legacy of conservation, whether by protecting an iconic vast public land, or by creating a community garden or an urban park. Last year, I was proud to launch the America's Great Outdoors Initiative, a project that empowers Americans to help build a new approach to conservation and outdoor recreation. My Administration hosted dozens of regional listening sessions to collect ideas from people from across our country with a stake in the health of our environment and natural places. Our conversations with businesspeople, ranchers, hunters, fishermen, tribal leaders, students, and community groups led to a report unveiled in February, America's Great Outdoors: A Promise to Future Generations, which lays the foundation for smarter, more community-driven action to protect our invaluable natural heritage.
Our plan will restore and increase recreational access to public lands and waterways; bolster rural landscapes, including working farms and ranches; develop the next generation of urban parks and community green spaces; and create a new Conservation Service Corps so that young people can experience and restore the great outdoors. To implement these recommendations, my Administration is dedicated to building strong working relationships with State, local, and tribal governments, as well as community, private, and non-profit partners across America. The First Lady's "Let's Move!" initiative encourages youth to enjoy what our outdoors have to offer. These programs and partnerships will improve our quality of life and our health, rejuvenate local and regional economies, spur job creation, protect wildlife and historic places, and ensure our natural legacy endures for generations to come. All Americans can read the report and learn more at www.AmericasGreatOutdoors.gov.
As we commit to protecting our country's outdoor spaces, we also celebrate all they have to offer. Our public lands and other open areas provide myriad opportunities for families and friends to explore, play, and grow together -- from hiking and wildlife watching to canoeing, hunting, and fishing, and playing in a neighborhood park. These activities can help our kids stay healthy, active, and energized, while reconnecting with their natural heritage. This month, let each of us resolve to protect our great outdoors; discover their wonders; and share them with our friends, our neighbors, and our children.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim June 2011 as Great Outdoors Month. I urge all Americans to explore the great outdoors and to uphold our Nation's legacy of conserving our lands for future generations.

Bible Translations and Human Dignity (Conference at Liverpool Hope University, Gr. Britain) June 2011

as announced at KingJamesBibleTrust dot-org -- Upcoming Events -- June 2011

Conference on Bible Translations and Human Dignity


Events > 2011 > 06 > 10 > Conference on Bible Translations and Human Dignity

Friday, 10 June 2011 - Sunday, 12 June 2011

Location: Room 203, EDEN Building, Hope Park Campus, Liverpool Hope University, Liverpool, United Kingdom
Organisation: Andrew Walls Centre for the Study of African and Asian Christianity
Topic: Bible
Details:
The Bible is still the most sold and widely used of all scriptures. It is also one of the most abused scriptures. It transforms the lives of countless individuals and societies by liberating them to a fuller life and imparting in them a deep sense of dignity and worth. Yet, history also tells us how military conquerors, politicians and traders have abused it to expand their self-interests. The Bible is feared because it exposes the viciousness of human selfishness. It condemns anything that harms lives and human flourishing. Nor does it offer cheap solutions to the complex problems that face us today. Taking the 400th anniversary of the King James Version (1611) and 45th anniversary of the Jerusalem Bible (1966) this conference provides opportunities to ask deep questions about the nature, relevance and impact of the Bible on peoples and their societies in different parts of our world.
This conference is open to all interested persons, especially to the members to various Bible Societies, mission organizations, faith communities, voluntary agencies, staff and students of various university departments.

WW II Veterans & Massachusetts U.S. Senator Kerry at Normandy (6/6/11)

from News coverage at Boston (WCVB online):


CRICQUEVILLE-EN-BESSIN, France -- World War II veterans and Sen. John Kerry are commemorating the D-Day landings in Normandy at an iconic and eroding cliff.
The visit is one of several events along the coast Monday marking 67 years since Allied forces landed on a swath of beaches in Nazi-occupied France. The June, 6, 1944, invasion and ensuing battle for Normandy helped change the course of the war.
Kerry and the veterans are visiting Pointe du Hoc, where elite U.S. Rangers scaled jagged cliffs in one of the most trying missions of the invasion.
The limestone and clay cliffs have eroded by 10 meters (33 feet) since D-Day. Pointe du Hoc reopened to the public in March after extensive restoration efforts, organized by the American Battle Monuments Commission. Some half a million people visit the site each year.
Read more: http://www.thebostonchannel.com/politics/28141125/detail.html#ixzz1OYCoiZpX

Ocean, Coasts, Great Lakes (Obama Policy & Proclamation: June 2011)

from WHITEHOUSE dot-gov -- section on Presidential Proclamation -- this one for June 2011

NATIONAL OCEANS MONTH, 2011

- - - - - - -
BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA (Barack Obama)
A PROCLAMATION

During National Oceans Month, we celebrate the value of our oceans to American life and recognize the critical role they continue to play in our economic progress, national security, and natural heritage. Waterborne commerce, sustainable commercial fisheries, recreational fishing, boating, tourism, and energy production are all able to contribute to job growth and strengthen our economy because of the bounty of our oceans, coasts, and Great Lakes.

Last year, I signed an Executive Order directing my Administration to implement our Nation's first comprehensive National Policy for the Stewardship of the Ocean, Our Coasts, and the Great Lakes. This policy makes more effective use of Federal resources by addressing the most critical issues facing our oceans. It establishes a new approach to bringing together Federal, State, local, and tribal governments and all of the ocean's users -- from recreational and commercial fishermen, boaters, and industry, to environmental groups, scientists, and the public -- to better plan for, manage, and sustain the myriad human uses that healthy oceans, coasts, and the Great Lakes support.

One year after the devastating BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, we remain committed to the full environmental and economic recovery of the region. My Administration is assessing and mitigating the damage that was caused by this tragedy, and restoring and strengthening the Gulf Coast and its communities. These efforts remind us of the responsibility we all share for our oceans and coasts, and the strong connection between the health of our natural resources and that of our communities and economy. While we embrace our oceans as crucial catalysts for trade, bountiful sources of food, and frontiers for renewable energy, we must also recommit to ensuring their safety and sustainability, and to being vigilant guardians of our coastal communities.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim June 2011 as National Oceans Month. I call upon Americans to take action to protect, conserve, and restore our oceans, coasts, and Great Lakes.

Back in 1989 -- June 4 incident is the Tiananmen Square confrontation, Beijing

from Writer's Almanac (Minnesota Public Radio, Garrison Keillor)

It's the anniversary of the June 4th Incident, otherwise known as the Tiananmen Square Incident, in Beijing (1989). In the late 1980s, Chinese students and intellectuals began calling for economic and political reform in the wake of a period of great economic growth in China. The former general secretary of the Chinese Communist Party, Hu Yaobang, was also in favor of a more democratic China, but he was forced out of office in 1987. He died in April 1989, and on the day of his funeral, 100,000 students gathered in Tiananmen Square to demand reform; similar protests also arose in cities across China, but the Western media was already in Beijing to cover a visit by Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev, so the Tiananmen Square protests drew the most international attention. By May, about a million people were demonstrating.

The government responded by issuing warnings to disperse, but to no avail. Martial law was declared in mid-May, but crowds of protestors blocked all avenues to the square and the army was unable to get through. Desperate to prevent anarchy, the government massed tanks and heavily armed troops overnight on June 3, and the next morning they rolled into Tiananmen Square, crushing or shooting anyone who stood in their way. Most of the protestors in the square fled and the military had complete control by June 5. The official Chinese government death toll was 241, with 7,000 wounded; other estimates place the number much higher.

June 4 Study Day (bring sandwiches) - University of Lancaster, England

Study Day on the Bible - Spreading the Word

http://www.blackburn.anglican.org/events_more.asp?events_id=413
English Bibles and Early Modern Readers

Where: Elizabeth Livingston Lecture Theatre, Bowland College, University of Lancaster
When: Saturday 04 June
Time: 9.30 am to 4.00 pm

Lectures by


Professor Naomi Tadmor

on “The Social Universe of


the English Bible”

Professor Michael Mullett

on “The Bible for the People”

Workshop by

Professor Alison Findlay

on “The Impact of the


English Bible”
 
(bring sandwiches)

June 3 Lecture (Wren Library, Lincoln Cathedral, England) - on KJV 400th Anniversary

From NEWS online posted by Lincoln Cathedral
http://www.ccj.org.uk/lincolnapril.pdf
The Lincoln Cathedral, Minster Yard, Lincoln, Linconlshire, United Kingdom
www.lincolncathedral.com/

will be celebrating the
400th anniversary of the
King James Bible with a
lecture and exhibitions,
and a new children’s
Bible. There will be an
exhibition of books and
manuscripts in Lincoln
Cathedral Library. . .
Professor Croft, a trustee
of the King James Bible
Trust, is the author of
King James (published by Palgrave MacMillan, 2003).
A children's Bible of
3000 verses taken from
the King James Bible,
written and illustrated by
students in Church
Schools in Lincoln
Diocese, is being produced.

Four Hundred Years of the King James Bible:
the English Bible through the Ages. The
exhibition runs from 23 May to 30 July 2011.
Among other historic Bibles, the Lincoln
Chapter Bible, vol. 1, c.1100, the earliest
English illustrated Romanesque Bible,
commissioned for use in the newly-built
Lincoln Cathedral by Nicholas,
Archdeacon of Huntingdon, will be on
display in the Library exhibition, along
with a Wycliffe New Testament, a mid-
15th century manuscript, and a 1611
imprint of the King James Bible.

A lecture by Professor Pauline Croft of
Royal Holloway University of London,
“The Making of the King James Bible,
1604 - 1611,” will be held on Friday 3
June in Lincoln Cathedral’s Wren Library
at 7.30 p.m.
Tickets are £6 each, and are available by post. Please send a cheque made payable to ‘Lincoln Cathedral’and a stamped, self-addressed envelope to TICKETS, Lincoln Cathedral Library, The Cathedral, Lincoln LN2 1PX (telephone 01522 561618, or 561640).

King James Bible read through verse by verse (Ripon College Cuddesdon, England) - May to June 2011

Cuddesdon Bible-Read - 30 May-12 June 2011


http://www.rcc.ac.uk/index.cfm?fuseaction=about.content&cmid=185

The Bible-Read commenced this week at 9.00am on Monday morning with Martyn Percy blessing the event and one of our students, Sheena Cleaton, reading from the beginning of Genesis. Melvyn Bragg will be reading at 3.00pm on Friday, 3 June and staying for tea, and Terry Waite will conclude the event at around 11.30am on Sunday, 12 June. The Cuddesdon Bible-Read is now listed as a Fundraising Event on JustGiving. If you would like to take part, there are still a few reading slots available - please click here to see the Schedule.
The year 2011 marks the 400th anniversary of the Authorised Version (or King James Version) of the Bible. It was, for centuries, the most widely read version of scripture, becoming the main bible used by Protestants in the English-speaking world. To that end, it has been the version of scripture – more than any other – that has formed the foundation for missionary endeavour and education the world over.
At Cuddesdon, we will be celebrating this anniversary by a complete read of the KJV. This will take place in the College chapel from 30 May to 12 June (Pentecost). Everyone at Cuddesdon, our families and friends are invited to participate by signing up to read a portion of scripture. We will be inviting you to obtain sponsorship for your ‘read’ with money raised being used to support the Cuddesdon Appeal, and in particular towards our aim to raise money for scholarships to benefit ordinands and students from developing countries, so that the Word of God can be studied afresh for ministerial training.

Which translation goes with which English version (five to choose from)? -- "Catholic Bibles: Timothy / blogger"

http://catholicbibles.blogspot.com/2011/05/random-spot-check-matthew-1616-18.html

here we go with Matthew 16:16-18:




1) Simon Peter answered, ‘You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.’ And Jesus answered him, ‘Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father in heaven. And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it.
2) Simon Peter said in reply, "You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God." Jesus said to him in reply, "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah. For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my heavenly Father. And so I say to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it.
3) Simon Peter answered and said: Thou art Christ, the Son of the living God. And Jesus answering, said to him: Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-Jona: because flesh and blood hath not revealed it to thee, but my Father who is in heaven. And I say to thee: That thou art Peter; and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
4) Then Simon Peter spoke up and said, 'You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.' Jesus replied, 'Simon son of Jonah, you are a blessed man! Because it was no human agency that revealed this to you but my Father in heaven. So I now say to you: You are Peter and on this rock I will build my community. And the gates of the underworld can never overpower it.
5) Simon Peter replied, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." And Jesus answered him, "Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jona! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the powers of death shall not prevail against it.

Martyred June 1, 165 A.D. --- Justin the Philosopher -- from

SAINT JUSTIN THE MARTYR


http://www.saintjustin.org/stjbiog.htm

Feast day, June 1
St. Justin was born in Samaria around 100 A.D., the son of noble Roman colonists. Greatly interested in philosophy, he studied all varieties of pagan wisdom - Stoicism, Pythagoreanism, and Platonism - until his conversion to Christianity about the year 130. He describes his conversion in his famous book, Dialogue with Trypho. Justin was walking by the sea near the town of Caesarea, when he met an old man who revealed the riches of the true Faith to him. The man told Justin about Jesus and the Hebrew prophets, and encouraged him to pray so that he would be able to understand the truth about God.
Justin used his great knowledge to teach. He explained to the pagans why they should not worship idols and revealed to them the mysteries of the true Faith. Justin traveled to other lands to debate publicly. He also wrote two open letters, The First Apology and The Second Apology, to the emperor Antonius Pius and his son, the philosopher, Marcus Aurelius. In these long, written arguments known as apologies, he explained and defended the Faith.
At last Justin incurred the wrath of a cynic philosopher, Cresens, for criticizing his immorality, and Justin was arrested for being a Christian. He was brought before the Roman prefect, Junius Rusticus, to be accused. Just before Rusticus sentenced him to death, he asked Justin, "If you are killed, do you suppose you will go to heaven?" "I do not suppose it," Justin answered, "but I know and am fully persuaded of it." Justin and five other martyrs were beheaded around the year 165.
St. Justin is considered the most important of the second century apologists, and is an outstanding model for lay apostles of today. His life was devoted to the task of harmonizing the wisdom of the world with those greater riches revealed in the true Faith.
St. Justin Martyr Church contains an icon of St. Justin, which was created especially for our parish. The icon shows St. Justin, surrounded by panels depicting his life story. A detailed brochure about his life and the icon is also available in English and Spanish.

New Food Guideline Visual Aid -- "the plate" replaces "Food Pyramid"

from USA TODAY coverage (June 2, 2011)

The government is dishing up healthy eating advice, not with a new Food Pyramid, but with an image of a plate.  From a practical point of view, the plate image really works to help people make better food choices, nutritionists say. The new icon (www.choosemyplate.gov), called My Plate, is divided into four sections — fruits, vegetables, grains and protein. It replaces the familiar pyramid image, which was first introduced in 1992 and revised in 2005. Many nutritionists believed the pyramid had become too complicated for people to understand easily.
"This is a quick, simple reminder for all of us to be more mindful of the foods that we're eating and as a mom, I can already tell how much this is going to help parents across the country," said first lady Michelle Obama during the presentation Thursday.  "When mom or dad comes home from a long day of work, we're already asked to be a chef, a referee, a cleaning crew. So it's tough to be a nutritionist, too. But we do have time to take a look at our kids' plates. As long as they're half full of fruits and vegetables, and paired with lean proteins, whole grains and low-fat dairy, we're golden. That's how easy it is."
The symbol is part of a healthy eating initiative that will convey seven key messages from the government's dietary guidelines, including: enjoy food but eat less; avoid oversized portions; make half your plate fruits and vegetables; drink water instead of sugary drinks; switch to fat-free or low-fat (1%) milk; compare sodium in foods; and make at least half your grains whole grains, says Robert Post, deputy director for the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion.
The initiative will be promoted in a multi-year effort with support from professional health groups, businesses and industry. It will include public service announcements, placemats in restaurants, videos and social media messages, Post says.
The goal is to make healthy eating easier for individuals and families, he says. This is all part of the first lady's Let's Move campaign.
Currently, about two-thirds of adults and a third of children are overweight or obese, putting them at an increased risk of heart disease, diabetes and other health problems.
From a practical point of view, the plate image really works to help people make better food choices, nutritionists say.
http://yourlife.usatoday.com/fitness-food/diet-nutrition/story/2011/06/USDA-nutrition-guidelines-on-My-Plate/47936534/1

Thomas Barnett (Wikistrat) recommends giving "Af - Pak" to China (NPR Morning edition interview)

Thomas P.M. Barnett's GLOBLOGIZATION -- website

One of the key things I think a genuine grand strategist is supposed to do is to remind decision makers of the logical consequences of their strategic choices. We have made choices on Afghanistan, most importantly our unwillingness to regionalize the solution, because we're committed to "winning" in a very particular way. We've also made some choices on China, as the Chinese have made some about us. India and Pakistan intersect among those choices, and I believe we make a very bad choice by picking Pakistan amidst all those intersections.
Also, while I remain certain that China and the US are slated for high levels of strategic cooperation in the future for all manner of structural reasons, I think there are all manner of routes to that cooperative space, including some that involve serious learning for us both along the way.
But my definitions of good grand strategy require plenty of flexibility and adaptability along with the core principles. I don't believe in fixing every state - just the ones that really matter. I continue to think that Iraq was worth it - despite our fundamentally unilateralist pursuit of the outcome. I think Afghanistan is worth it - if you accept the logic of a regional solution set. But I have yet to be convinced that Pakistan, given its set of unique circumstances is worth it - or even salvageable.
I see opportunity at this moment for President Obama, but only one option being provided.
Referenced from: http://thomaspmbarnett.com/#ixzz1O1RdKLsR

2:35 a.m. Shuttle Endeavour landing (Kennedy Space Center) - June 1 Final Mission comes to end

from www. NASA .gov

Endeavour Comes Home to Kennedy Space Center


Space shuttle Endeavour landed for the final time at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center after 248 orbits around Earth and a journey of 6,510,221 miles on STS-134.
Endeavour’s main gear touched down at 2:34:51 a.m. followed by the nose gear at 2:35:04 and wheels stop at 2:35:36.
A post-landing news conference with managers at Kennedy is expected no earlier than 4:30 a.m. on NASA Television. The participants will be Bill Gerstenmaier, associate administrator for Space Operations, Mike Moses, space shuttle launch integration manager, and Mike Leinbach, space shuttle launch director.
STS-134 was the 25th and final flight for Endeavour, which spent 299 days in space, orbited Earth 4,671 times and traveled 122,883,151 miles during its career.

http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/launch/index.html