Some More Stuff

     

Tucson Weather Today

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Reading furnishes the mind only with materials of knowledge; it is thinking that makes what we read ours.
--John Locke

Below is a a relatively older photo of me with my granddaughter recently posted (not by me) on Facebook:

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Heavy rains are forecast for the weekend here in Tucson.

After dark, when I recently took Eva out for her last piddle of the night, she paused and stuck her nose down off the concrete deck onto the decorative rocks. I saw her quickly pull back her head. She then returned to nosing the curious object, and immediately jerked her head away from it again. By that time I was close enough to pull her back and head her off in the proper direction, and as I peered at the object in the dim light I saw that it was a small snake. It started angling off toward a rock pile. I couldn't tell if it was a baby rattler or not, only that it was about a foot long and dangerous looking (to me).

When the serpent was safely hidden in the rocks, I watched Eva do her business and then took her inside. And saw her off to bed, petting her head and assuring her that she was such a good girl.

Next morning I searched the area before allowing Eva out for her morning run around the pool deck. The snake was nowhere to be seen.

They are good at that, these creepy creatures... not being seen.


Hackers Breach Security of HealthCare.gov

The above is an intriguing article in the New York Times. Below is the opening paragraph:

WASHINGTON - Hackers breached security at the website of the government’s health insurance marketplace, HealthCare.gov, but did not steal any personal information on consumers, Obama administration officials said Thursday.

I am wondering how anyone could possibly know that no personal information was stolen. Could the hackers not be able to copy information without revealing their activity, no matter what 'administration officials' might say?

After all, cyber-security professionals have been warning that the health care site was a ripe target for hackers eager to gain access to personal data that could then be sold on the black market.

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Did You Know . . .?

The novel Native Son by Richard Wright is now required reading at many high schools across the country.

Note: Native Son is about a black man named Bigger Thomas who gets a job as a chauffeur for a beautiful young white woman and accidentally kills her.

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HISTORICAL EVENT

On this day in 1901, President William McKinley was shaking hands at the Pan-American Exhibition in Buffalo, New York, when a 28-year-old anarchist named Leon Czolgosz approached him and fired two shots into his chest. The president rose slightly on his toes before collapsing forward, saying "be careful how you tell my wife." On September 16, after receiving a funeral befitting a president in Washington, D.C., McKinley's coffin was transported by train to his hometown of Canton, Ohio, for burial. Czolgosz was convicted and executed in an electric chair on October 29, 1901.

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WORD FOR TODAY

deleterious [del-uh-TEER-ee-uhs]
adjective
harmful; injurious; hurtful

If something is deleterious, it does harm or makes things worse. Smoking has obvious deleterious effects on your health, not to mention your social life.

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CELEBRITY BIRTHDAYS

Jeffrey Marshall "Jeff" Foxworthy

(born September 6, 1958)

Jeff Foxworthy is an American stand-up comedian, actor, television and radio personality, author, and voice artist. He is a member of the Blue Collar Comedy Tour, a comedy troupe which also comprises Larry the Cable Guy, Bill Engvall, and Ron White. Known for his "You might be a redneck" one-liners, Foxworthy has released six major-label comedy albums.

Jane Therese Curtin

(born September 6, 1947)

Jane Curtin is an American actress and comedian. She came to prominence as an original cast member on the hit TV comedy series Saturday Night Live in 1975. She went on to win back-to-back Emmy Awards for Best Lead Actress in a Comedy Series on the 1980s sitcom Kate & Allie portraying the role of Allison "Allie" Lowell. Curtin later starred in the hit series 3rd Rock from the Sun, playing the role of Dr. Mary Albright.

Christopher James "Chris" Christie

(born September 6, 1962)

Chris Christie is the 55th Governor of New Jersey and a leading member of the Republican Party. He is viewed as a potential presidential candidate in 2016.

Swoosie Kurtz

(born September 6, 1944)

Swoosie Kurtz is an American actress. For her television work, she has received eight Emmy Award nominations, with one win for Carol and Company in 1990. Other television credits include the NBC drama Sisters, Huff, Pushing Daisies, and Mike & Molly. Her films include, Wildcats, Dangerous Liaisons, Stanley and Iris, Citizen Ruthm and Liar Liar.

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Reading is to the mind what exercise is to the body.
--Joseph Addison

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