Credit For And Blame For

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Tucson Weather Today

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While walking West on the sidewalk alongside Speedway Boulevard, I noticed that Mesquite Valley Growers Nursery was erecting a new advertising display. So far, it consists of a pair of oversize gardening tools.

I am not sure, but I suspect that there will be some more items added to this display before long.

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Two Sites That Sincerely Fight For Better Government

POGO

The Primary Mission Of POGO
(Project On Government Oversight)

Founded in 1981, the Project On Government Oversight is a nonpartisan independent watchdog that champions good government reforms. POGO’s investigations into corruption, misconduct, and conflicts of interest achieve a more effective, accountable, open, and ethical federal government.


OPEN SECRETS

The Center For Responsive Politics

Our Mission: Inform, Empower and Advocate

The Center for Responsive Politics is the nation's premier research group tracking money in U.S. politics and its effect on elections and public policy. Nonpartisan, independent and nonprofit, the organization aims to create a more educated voter, an involved citizenry and a more transparent and responsive government. In short, the Center's mission is to:

-    Inform citizens about how money in politics affects their lives
-    Empower voters and activists by providing unbiased information
 -   Advocate for a transparent and responsive government

We pursue our mission largely through our award-winning website, OpenSecrets, which is the most comprehensive resource for federal campaign contributions, lobbying data and analysis available anywhere. And for other organizations and news media, the Center's exclusive data powers their online features tracking money in politics -- counting cash to make change.

The Center relies on financial support from a combination of foundation grants, individual contributions and income earned from custom research and licensing data for commercial use. The Center accepts no contributions from businesses, labor unions or trade associations.

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TRIVIA

What is the dot over the letter i called?
(Answer at bottom)

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HISTORICAL EVENT

On this date, May 20 in 1956, The United States conducted the first airborne test of an improved hydrogen bomb, dropping it from a plane over the tiny island of Namu in the Bikini Atoll in the Pacific Ocean.  Observers said that the fireball caused by the explosion measured at least four miles in diameter and was brighter than the light from 500 suns. The successful test indicated that hydrogen bombs were viable airborne weapons and that the arms race had taken another giant leap forward.

The massive open-air blast caused concerns among scientists and environmentalists about the effects of such testing on human and animal life. During the coming years, a growing movement in the United States and elsewhere began to push for a ban on open-air atomic testing. The Limited Test Ban Treaty, signed in 1963 by the United States, the Soviet Union, and Great Britain, prohibited open-air and underwater nuclear testing.

There is, however, no credible ban on using a hydrogen bomb when deemed necessary during a time of war.

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WORD FOR TODAY

lobby
noun
1. A hall, foyer, or waiting room at or near the entrance to a building, such as a hotel or theater.
2. A public room next to the assembly chamber of a legislative body.
3. A group of persons engaged in trying to influence legislators or other public officials in favor of a specific cause.
verb
1. To try to influence (an official) to take a desired action.
2. To try to influence public officials on behalf of or against (proposed legislation, for example)

Lobbying (also lobby) is the act of attempting to influence decisions made by officials in the government, most often legislators or members of regulatory agencies. Lobbying is done by many different types of people and organized groups, including individuals in the private sector, corporations, fellow legislators or government officials, or advocacy groups (interest groups). Lobbyists may be among a legislator's constituencies, meaning a voter or bloc of voters within his or her electoral district, or not; they may engage in lobbying as a business, or not.

Professional lobbyists are people whose business is trying to influence legislation on behalf of a group or individual who hires them. Individuals and nonprofit organizations can also lobby as an act of volunteering or as a small part of their normal job (for instance, a CEO meeting with a representative about a project important to his/her company, or an activist meeting with his/her legislator in an unpaid capacity). Governments often define and regulate organized group lobbying that has become influential.

More

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CELEBRITY BIRTHDAYS


Cher
(born May 20, 1946)

Cher (born Cherilyn Sarkisian) is an American singer and actress with a career spanning five decades. Recognized for having brought the sense of female autonomy and self-actualization into the entertainment industry, she is known for her distinctive contralto singing voice and for having worked in various areas of entertainment, as well as for continuously reinventing both her music and image which has led to her being called the Goddess of Pop.

James Maitland Stewart
(May 20, 1908 - July 2, 1997)

Jimmie Stewart was an American film and stage actor, known for his distinctive voice and persona. Over the course of his career, he starred in many films widely considered classics and was nominated for five Academy Awards, winning one in competition and receiving one Lifetime Achievement award. He was a major MGM contract star. He also had a noted military career and was a World War II and Cold War veteran, who rose to the rank of Brigadier General in the United States Air Force Reserve.

Some of his more memorable films were: It Happened One Night You Can't Take It With You, The Philadelphia Story, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, Destry Rides Again, Harvey, The Stratton Story, Rear Window, The Man Who Knew Too Much, Vertigo, Mr. Hobbs Takes a Vacation, and many more.

George Leslie Gobel
(May 20, 1919 - February 24, 1991)

George Gobel was an American comedian and actor. He was best known as the star of his own weekly NBC television show, The George Gobel Show, which ran from 1954 to 1960. Gobel labeled himself "Lonesome George," and the nickname stuck for the rest of his career. His monologues popularized several catchphrases, notably "Well, I'll be a dirty bird" (spoken by the Kathy Bates character in the 1990 film Misery), "You don't hardly get those any more" and "Well then there now" (spoken by the James Dean character during a brief imitation of Gobel in the 1955 film Rebel Without a Cause).

Dolley Payne Todd Madison
(May 20, 1768 - July 12, 1849)

Dolley Madison was the spouse of the fourth President of the United States, James Madison, and was First Lady of the United States from 1809 to 1817. She was notable for her social gifts and helped define the role of the First Lady. Her success as a hostess contributed to increasing the popularity of Madison as president.

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Answer to today's Trivia Question:
The dot over the 'i' is called a tittle.