text:
|January | February | March | April | May | June | July | August | September | October | November | December
|Email Bobby at firstname.lastname@example.com
|Monday 8.31.15
|Today's Trivia: He is a comedian, author, playwright, social
critic, and actor. He's known for his angry face and his belligerent
comedic style, in which he often simulates having a mental breakdown. His
comedy routines often escalate into angry rants about history, politics,
religion, or any other cultural trends. He hosted a Comedy Central series,
and made regular appearances on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart delivering
his commentary segment. Who is he?
Two spectacular plays Saturday night in San Diego -- a 67-yard punt return for a touchdown by rookie Tyler Lockett and a career-best 60-yard field goal by Stephen Hauschka with 16 seconds left -- allowed the Seahawks to beat the Chargers 16-15, Seattle's first in three tries in the preseason. Not to be overly worried but the No. 1 offensive unit has gone without a touchdown in 13 possessions. Coach Pete Carroll said, "We're not functioning as well as we'd like. We're all a little bit frustrated with it. I'm a little bit frustrated by it. But I'm not worried about it over the long haul. They're going to get a lot better. It just needs to hurry. We only got a couple of weeks." The Seahawks, with Marshawn Lynch getting his first action, had decent ground production with 117 yards on eight carries. But the pass protection was spotty and Wilson was not especially accurate, with seven completions in 15 attempts. One fake game left, Thursday at home against Oakland. The season opener is in St. Louis against the Rams on September 13th.
Blowing a chance to win in the ninth inning, after leading most of the way, the Mariners lost 6-5 in Chicago yesterday. Scuffing a 4-1 lead and then blowing a chance to win in the ninth inning, the Mariners lost 6-5 in Chicago yesterday. Two-run homers by Kyle Seager (in the first inning) and Austin Jackson (in the second) gave the Mariners a 4-1. Before the game, the Mariners sent down struggling starter Mike Montgomery to AAA Tacoma and called up Mayckol Guaipe again. He's the one that gave up the game-tying homer in the seventh. The White Sox won the season series 4-3. The Mariners now begin a three-game series in Houston. The first game is tonight.
Birthdays: Baseball's Frank Robinson is 80; violinist Itzhak Perlman is 70; singer Van Morrison is 70; New York Giants football coach Tom Coughlin is 69; actor Richard Gere is 66; Go-Go's drummer Gina Schock is 56; and, she used to be Debbie Gibson, now she's Deborah Gibson, she's 45.
Horror film director Wes Craven, creator of the Nightmare on Elm Street franchise, has died. A statement released by his family said Craven died at his Los Angeles home yesterday from brain cancer. Craven wrote and directed A Nightmare on Elm Street in 1984. His Scream franchise grossed over $300 million in the US alone. A pioneer of the slasher genre, Craven once said of his work: "Horror films don't create fear. They release it." Wes Craven was 76.
Today is National Trail Mix Day. Today is Love Litigating Lawyers Day, a time to appreciate the folks we want on our side when push comes to shove.
Calendar notes: On this date in 1900, Coca Cola went on sale in Britain. In 1920, John Lloyd Wright was issued a patent for Toy-Cabin Construction, which are known as Lincoln Logs. In 1946, Foghorn Leghorn debuted in the Warner Brothers cartoon Walky Talky Hawk. In 1958, the Census Bureau reported that there were 902 female sailors in the US Navy. In 1964, California officially became the most populated state in America. In 1974, The Partridge Family television show ended. In 1976, George Harrison was found guilty of subconsciously plagiarizing the Chiffons' He's So Fine when he wrote My Sweet Lord. In 1997, Diana, Princess of Wales, her companion Dodi Fayed and driver Henri Paul died in a car crash in Paris.
That powerful storm Saturday unleashed strong winds that toppled trees and power lines here in the Northwest killing two people. In Gig Harbor, a man died when strong winds caused a tree to fall on his car. In a separate incident, a 10-year-old girl died when a branch hit her while she was playing outside a friend's home in Federal Way. Elsewhere, four people were injured when winds brought down multiple trees and limbs during a JBLM triathlon Saturday morning. Three trees fell at Shoreline Park, injuring three people who were standing nearby in a parking lot. A fourth injury came later when more tree debris began falling on the course. At the peak of the storm, nearly 500,000 in the Puget Sound region were without power.
How windy was it? The windstorm will surely go into some record books for some of the strongest winds, if not the strongest ever recorded in August. Winds on the coast hit well over 60 mph, including Destruction Island clocking a peak gust of 87 mph. But even the inland areas were rocked, with a gust to 66 mph on Lopez Island, 70 mph at Whidbey Island NAS. In Everett, Paine Field had three separate gusts near 60 mph -- a 59, 60, and 61. Tacoma had a 54 mph gust. The Shelton Airport hit 47 and the Olympia Airport hit 45.
A heartwrenching day yesterday as a memorial for those three firefighters who died while battling the Okanogan complex of wildfires last week was held yesterday afternoon. The memorial service for 20-year-old Tom Zbyszewski, 26-year-old Andrew Zajac, and 31-year-old Richard Wheeler was held in Wenatchee. An emotional procession started the day, and American flags marked the route. First responders, city officials, and dozens of others lined the streets of downtown Wenatchee to pay their respects. Fire personnel from all over the state were also in attendance.
The box office underwent a religious conversion this weekend as Christian crowds flocked to War Room, lifting the low-budget salute to prayer above the Zac Efron drama We Are You're Friends and the Owen Wilson thriller No Escape. Filmed for a mere $3 million, War Room more than tripled its production budget in a single weekend, picking up $11 million. Despite the success of War Room, Straight Outta Compton topped charts for a third consecutive weekend, becoming the first film to manage that feat since Jurassic World. War Room was No.2. Mission: Impossible -- Rogue Nation placed third. Owen Wilson's No Escape was fourth while Sinister 2 rounded out the top five. Meanwhile, the thoroughness of the flop of We Are Your Friends was unusual. It wasn't expected to do especially well and wasn't much promoted. On more than twice the number ofscreens of War Room, it opened with just $1.8 million.
A fan died after falling from Turner Field's upper deck Saturday in the seventh inning of the Atlanta Braves game against the New York Yankees. The Braves season ticket holder, in his early 60s, was reportedly yelling at Alex Rodriguez when he lost his balance and fell 50 feet. Stadium medics gave him CPR, but he was pronounced dead after arriving at the hospital.
Trivia Answer: Lewis Black who turned 67 yesterday. His Comedy Central series was Lewis Black's Root of All Evil, and his commentary segment on The Daily Show was Back in Black. When not on the road performing, he resides in Manhattan. He also maintains a residence in Chapel Hill, N.C. He is also a spokesman for the Aruba Tourism Authority, appearing in television ads that first aired in late 2009 and 2010. He was voted 51st of the 100 greatest stand-up comedians of all time by Comedy Central in 2004; and was voted 5th in Comedy Central's Stand Up Showdown in 2008 and 11th in 2010.
|Friday 8.28.15
|Today's Trivia: This singer, songwriter, record producer, dancer,
and actor was the eighth child in this musical family. His contributions
to music and dance, along with his much-publicized personal life, made him
a global figure in popular culture for over four decades. He debuted on
the professional music scene with his older brothers in 1964. He began his
solo career in 1971 -- a solo career that stretched to his death in 2009.
In the early 1980s, he became a dominant figure in popular music. The
music videos for his songs were credited with transforming the medium into
an art form and promotional tool. Who was he?
Our record-breaking summer has come to a screeching halt, courtesy of a major shift in the weather pattern that is set to bring several days of badly-needed rain to the region, and maybe a bit of wind as well. Yesterday's sunshine is the last sunny and warm day in the forecast for a while as a dominant ridge of high pressure gives way, to be replaced by a series of storms that will swing through the region, with tomorrow being particularly stormy. Is summer over? No, we can still get sunny and warm weather into late September and 80-degree weather has occurred even into early October. But it is certainly taking a break.
Fire crews in Mason County are battling a brush fire that knocked out power to thousands of residents last night. The fire, which spans roughly 50 acres in the Skokomish Valley north of Shelton, was first reported at 7:30. As many of 10,000 residents in the area were without power last night. Some nearby residents have been warned about the fire, but none have been asked to evacuate, according to officials. There was talk of having to shut down Bonneville lines in the area which would have cut power to the peninsula but it was determined it was unnecessary.
Apparently Marshawn Lynch will be here, so he won't get fined. Here, meaning mandatory minimum group interviews. The Seahawks' semi-reluctant running back has apparently agreed to cooperate some, a little, whatever. ESPN reported yesterday that a hearing this week to appeal his $75,000 fine from the past season has been canceled because he has agreed to comply with the NFL's media access policy. At least, he says he will. Whether that means giving avoidance answers as he did during Super Bowl week or offering funny, engaging wit that has made him a darling of late-night talk shows, remains to be seen. Whether his fine was reduced or eliminated wasn't clear. Lynch has given numerous interviews to multiple reporters and TV shows, but disdains the group gab that is such a part of the pro sports scene. It will be fun to see his latest workarounds for those sessions. The Seahawks, meantime, are in Southern California. They meet the Chargers in San Diego tomorrow night.
Teams that manage one hit in seven innings and go 0-for-6 with runners in scoring position don't often win ballgames. The Mariners were that team last night in Chicago, losing in the first of a four-game series with the White Sox.4-2. Game two tonight.
Meanwhile, the playoff-contending Chicago Cubs have acquired struggling reliever Fernando Rodney from the Mariners for cash. The 38-year-old Rodney had been designated for assignment by Seattle last Sunday. Rodney was 5-and-5 and had gone 16 for 22 in save chances this season. He had a 5.68 ERA in 54 games. This after being an AL All-Star closer last year when he posted a Mariners-record 48 saves.
UPDATE: Jack Zduriencik was fired this morning as Mariners general manager, ending a seven-year tenure that produced two winning seasons, no playoffs and much player personnel controversy. Jeff Kingston, assistant GM since 2009, was appointed to handle GM duties for the rest of the regular season.
There are also reports that Mike Zunino was sent down to Tacoma and catcher John Hicks was called up from Tacoma to fill the position. Word is that Zunino will be back with the M's when the rosters expand.
Birthdays: Sweet Lou -- baseball's Lou Piniella -- is 72; Hutch -- Detective Ken Hutchinson -- on Starsky & Hutch, actor David Soul is 72; actor Daniel Stern is 58; figure skater Scott Hamilton is 57; actress Emma Samms is 55; singer Shania Twain is 50; actor and singer Jack Black is 46; Brandon Walsh on Beverly Hills, 90210, actor Jason Priestley is 46; singer LeAnn Rimes is 33; and Alana Thompson (Honey Boo Boo) is 10.
Legendary basketball player Darryl Dawkins, known as Chocolate Thunder for his ferocious slam dunks, died yesterday. A statement from Dawkins' family cited a heart attack as the cause of his death. Dawkins played 14 years in the National Basketball Association, including seven with the Philadelphia 76ers and five more with the New Jersey Nets. Dawkins was a steady player known for being dangerous around the rim. His 57.2-percent field goal percentage is among the 10 best in NBA history. Dawkins was drafted fifth overall by the 76ers in 1975. He was the first player to be selected in the first round of the NBA draft directly out of high school. Darryl Dawkins was 58.
Today is Race Your Mouse Around the Icons Day. Today is Submarine Day, marking this date in 1965 when 17-year-old Fred DeLuca opened Petes Super Submarines in Bridgeport, Connecticut. He called it Petes because Dr. Peter Buck, his friendly nuclear physicist, loaned him $1,000 to start the restaurant. A year later they changed the name to Subway. Today is National Cherry Turnover Day.
Calendar notes: On this date in 1837, pharmacists John Lea and William Perrins of Worcester, England, begin manufacturing their Worcestershire Sauce. In 1907, Seattle teenagers Claude Ryan and Jim Casey started a local delivery service called the American Messenger Company. Later, the name was changed to United Parcel Service: UPS. In 1964, The Beatles appeared on the cover of Life magazine. In 1965, folk singer Bob Dylan was booed off the stage at Forest Hills Stadium in New York for playing an electric guitar. In 1989, Walt Disney Productions bought the Muppets for $100 million. In 1999, after an unarmed man robbed a bank in Hermiston, Oregon, he climbed into the trunk of his getaway car two blocks away to change clothes and accidentally locked himself inside. When he yelled for help, a policeman investigating the robbery came to his rescue and arrested him. In 2003, Johnny Cash was hospitalized with stomach pains and cancelled an appearance at the MTV Video Music Awards. He died two weeks later.
Not that we'll be able to see it but there's a full moon happening tomorrow night ... and not just any full moon. It's a supermoon. It's an event that happens a few times every year and is a good chance for photographers to nab a picture of the moon when it appears at its biggest and brightest. There are scientific reasons but a supermoon can appear 14% larger and 30% brighter than a regular full moon. As luck would have it, this will be the first of three consecutive supermoons the next three months. There will also be one on September 28th and October 27th. Early Native American tribes dubbed this next full moon as the Sturgeon Moon because apparently it was easier to catch huge sturgeon fish this time of year.
Dancing with the Stars is cooking up more celebrities for the ballroom this season. According to E! News, controversial chef Paula Deen and Grammy Award-winning singer Chaka Khan will be among those competing for the Mirrorball Trophy on season 21 of the show. If the rumors are true, Deen would be joining the dancing competition after being courted by the show for years. In fact, she told Extra back in 2010 that she turned down the opportunity to join DWTS. "They did ask me and I said no," she said then, adding, "Fat girls don't look good sweating." News of Deen and Khan possibly joining the show follows news that Backstreet Boy Nick Carter is competing this season after he was talked into it by his friend, Joey Fatone of 'NSYNC. Also dancing this season are Bindi Irwin, daughter of late Crocodile Hunter star Steve Irwin, and triple crown jockey Victor Espinoza. The rest of the cast is being revealed September 2nd on Good Morning America. Season 21 of Dancing with the Stars premieres September 14th.
Trivia Answer: Michael Jackson who would have been 57 tomorrow. He and his older brothers started out as The Jackson Five. It was his videos for songs like Beat It, Billie Jean, and Thriller that were credited with transforming the medium. The popularity of these videos also helped to bring the then-relatively-new MTV to fame. He continued to innovate the medium throughout the 1990s. Through stage and video performances, Jackson popularized a number of complicated dance techniques, such as the robot and the moonwalk, to which he gave the name. His distinctive sound and style has influenced numerous artists of various music genres. While preparing for his comeback concert series titled This Is It, Jackson died of acute propofol and benzodiazepine intoxication on June 25th of 2009 after suffering from cardiac arrest. The Los Angeles County Coroner ruled his death a homicide, and his personal physician, Conrad Murray, was convicted of involuntary manslaughter. Forbes currently ranks Jackson as the top-earning dead celebrity, a title held for a fifth consecutive year, with $140 million in earnings.
|Thursday 8.27.15
|Today's Trivia: He was a musician, singer, songwriter, and record
producer. In spite of a short-lived mainstream career spanning just seven
years, he's widely considered one of the most influential electric
guitarists in the history of blues music, and one of the most important
figures in the revival of blues in the 1980s. Born and raised in Dallas,
he began playing guitar at the age of seven, inspired by his older brother
Jimmie. Who are we talking about?
Nelson Cruz's bat and Felix Hernandez's arm proved a good combination again, as the Mariners beat Oakland 8-2 yesterday afternoon at the Safe to earn their first series win in two weeks. Thanks to a pair of RBI singles and Cruz's 39th home run of the season, and a quality start from Hernandez, Seattle has a chance to win three games in a row for only the second time since late May. Felix was coming off back-to-back losses, so there was an audible moan when leadoff hitter Billy Burns took him deep for a solo home run on the first pitch. But he didn't allow another hit until the fifth inning. Oakland didn't score another run until the seventh. At a time when the revamped bullpen needed a day of rest, King Felix's three-hitter provided the answer. Cruz needs one more home run to match his career-high total of 40, set last season with the Orioles. The last time a Mariner hit 40 home runs in a season was Alex Rodriguez (insert your own PED asterisk), who hit 41 back in 2000. The Ms and White Sox meet in Chicago tonight.
Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch was reportedly fined $75,000 for failing to speak with reporters following Seattle's NFC championship game victory. Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio wrote yesterday that Lynch "finally heard from the NFL about scheduling a hearing regarding a $75,000 fine imposed on him for not talking to the media." That fine had not been previously disclosed. Lynch was previously fined $20,000 for grabbing his crotch after a go-ahead touchdown in the Seahawks' come-from-behind win over the Green Bay Packers. Marshawn failed to talk to reporters for much of the last two seasons, which broke league media requirements and culminated in a $100,000 fine from the NFL last season. Through the end of the 2014 season and during the lead-up to the Super Bowl, Lynch combated the NFL's policies by making himself available to reporters, but repeating the same phrases over and over again. That came a year after Lynch threatened to skip Media Day for the Super Bowl. He eventually showed up, but left after giving a short on-air interview with NFL Network's Deion Sanders in which he uttered the now-infamous, "I'm just 'bout that action, boss," in response to a question about his media-shy nature. In March, Lynch agreed to a two-year, $24 million contract extension that could keep him in Seattle through the 2017 season. Meanwhile, he and the rest of the Hawks are in Southern California this weekend. They meet the Chargers in San Diego Saturday night.
Birthdays: He was the Captain in The Captain & Tennille, Daryl Dragon is 73; actress, model, and Ringo Starr's wife, Barbara Bach 68; Pee-Wee Herman, actor Paul Reubens is 63; from Rush, guitarist Alex Lifeson is 62; and No Doubt bassist Tony Kanal is 45.
Today is Hold A Bubblegum Bubble Blowing Tournament Day with contests for all age-groups and a double-elimination championship Blow-Off. You can do that, right? Today is Petroleum Day, marking the first commercial oil well that began pumping on August 27th of 1859 in Titusville, Pennsylvania. Today is Mother Teresa Day, marking her birth on August 27th of 1910. She won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979 and died in Calcutta in 1997. Today is National Banana Lovers Day. And it's Just Because Day. Finally, you have a chance to do something without a rhyme or reason. Most often in life, we do things because we have to, or we want to, or it's expected of us. None of those reasons apply today. Today is the day to go out and do something "just because".
Calendar notes: On this date in 1912, Edgar Rice Burroughs published his first magazine story about an abandoned English boy raised by African apes. Tarzan, King of the Jungle, became one of the 20th centuries' best-known fictional characters. In 1963, the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom was held. The Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr. gave his I Have a Dream speech. Also in 1963, the Evergreen Point Floating Bridge, the longest floating bridge in the world, opened between Seattle and Medina. In 1982, Oakland's Rickey Henderson stole his 119th base to break Lou Brock's major-league theft record of 118. Rickey stole three more that day, but Milwaukee still won 5-4. In 1984, President Ronald Reagan announced that the first citizen to go into space would be a teacher. The teacher that was eventually chosen was Christa McAuliffe. She died in the Challenger disaster on January 28th of 1986. In 1991, Seattle's Pearl Jam -- formerly known as Mookie Blaylock -- released their blockbuster debut Ten. The album sailed to number two on the Billboard 200. In 1996, Charles, Prince of Wales and Diana, Princess of Wales divorced. In 1998, Titanic became the first movie in North America to earn more than $600 million. In 2001, Sophie Frith won the Southern Daily Echo baby beauty contest in London. Ironically, her identical twin sister Olivia didn't even make the second round. The twins were dressed alike and their photos were indistinguishable, yet Sophie received hundreds more votes than Olivia.
An absolutely horrific morning yesterday. He planned it all so carefully -- a choreographed execution of two former colleagues, broadcast live to a horrified television audience. Hours later, he shared his own recording of the killing worldwide on social media. Vester Lee Flanagan's video shows him approaching WDBJ reporter Alison Parker and cameraman Adam Ward, gun in hand, as they conduct an interview. He points the gun at Parker and then at Ward, but he waits patiently to shoot until he knows that Parker is on camera, so she will be gunned down on air. TV viewers heard about the first eight of 15 shots. They saw Parker scream and run, and heard her crying as she fell. Ward fell, too, and the camera he had been holding on his shoulder captured a fleeting image of the suspect holding a handgun. That man, according to authorities, was Flanagan -- a former staffer who used the on-air name of Bryce Williams and was fired by WDBJ. Colleagues recalled that he was a man who was always looking for reasons to take offense. He fled the scene but then posted his own 56-second video of the murders on Twitter and Facebook. He later ran off a highway while being pursued hundreds of miles away and was captured. He later died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Smoke from those big wildfires burning east of the Cascades hurt air quality yesterday and hampered efforts by crews battling the flames. Smoky conditions grounded helicopters and airplanes that had been fighting the fires. Crews battling a 262-square mile blaze near the town of Republic were also battling smoke as well as flames, according to fire spokesman Donnie Davis. He said, "Everybody up here is rubbing their eyes. It's brutal." That wildfire in Okanogan -- the largest blaze ever recorded in the state -- grew to nearly 438 square miles and heavy smoke also grounded air resources. So far, officials have counted 40 homes and 40 outbuildings destroyed by the blaze, according to Okanogan County Sheriff Frank Rogers. The fire is about 17 percent contained by more than 1,300 firefighters. Rogers said a forecast calling for rain in the next few days was good news. The whole country is in the middle of a severe fire season with some 11,600 square miles scorched so far. So many fires are burning here in Washington state that officials summoned help from fire managers in Australia and New Zealand. They also got 200 troops from JBLM -- the first such use of active-duty soldiers in nine years. Fires are also burning in Oregon, California, Montana, and Idaho.
A Mountlake Terrace woman was ticketed last night for breastfeeding while driving, and it's not the first time she's been busted. A driver called 911 sometime before 7 last night to report a woman driving northbound on I-5 with a baby on her lap, according to trooper Mark Francis. Trooper Rocky Oliphant stopped the Honda Accord at the 41st Street exit in Everett, and when he approached the woman he realized she was breastfeeding a baby. The 44-year-old woman admitted to driving while breastfeeding, but said her year-old baby was crying uncontrollably and she couldn't think of anything else to do. The woman, who has not been identified, also admitted to being stopped for the same thing in the past. "Her job is to keep the child safe, rather than making sure he's happy while she's driving down the road," said Oliphant, who called the woman's actions "inappropriate and unsafe." He wrote the woman a $136 ticket for driving with an unrestrained child. The woman had a car seat in the back seat of the car, and before he left Oliphant made sure the toddler was properly restrained.
Trivia Answer: Stevie Ray Vaughan who died on this date in 1990. That brother is Jimmie Vaughn of The Fabulous Thunderbirds. Stevie received several music awards during his lifetime and posthumously. In 1983, readers of Guitar Player voted him as Best New Talent and Best Electric Blues Guitar Player. In 1984, the Blues Foundation named him Entertainer of the Year and Blues Instrumentalist of the Year, and in 1987, Performance Magazine honored him with Rhythm and Blues Act of the Year. Earning six Grammy Awards and ten Austin Music Awards, he was inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame in 2000, and the Musicians Hall of Fame in 2014. Rolling Stone ranked Vaughan as the twelfth greatest guitarist of all time. Also, on December 16th of 2014, he was named as one of eight artists inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a part of the 2015 class. On August 27, 1990, Vaughan had just performed with Eric Clapton at Alpine Valley Music Theatre in East Troy, Wisconsin. All of the musicians boarded four helicopters bound for Chicago, which were waiting on a nearby golf course. Vaughan, along with three members of Eric Clapton's entourage boarded the third of the four helicopters The helicopter departed, veered to the left and crashed into the hill, approximately fifty feet from the summit. All on board, including the pilot, were killed instantly.
|Wednesday 8.26.15
|Today's Trivia: He was best known as Ted Baxter on The Mary Tyler
Moore Show, Henry Rush on Too Close for Comfort, and Judge Smails in
Caddyshack. Who is he?
The Mariners turned the tables on Oakland last night, rallying from a 5-0 deficit to beat the A's 6-5 at Safeco, just a day after squandering a 5-0 lead. Home runs from Nelson Cruz and Logan Morrison sparked the comeback, but it was Austin Jackson's bases-loaded single in the fifth that completed the rally. Robinson Cano made a bit of history when his seventh-inning double gave him 30 for the season. He is the first player in MLB to begin a career with 11 consecutive 30-double seasons. Is Felix Hernandez out of gas? Are the innings finally starting to catch up with him? He gets the start today in the series finale.
Turns out, having a group of highly-paid stars does have a downside. The Seattle Seahawks were paid a visit over the weekend from guard Evan Mathis, but Mathis agreed yesterday to a one-year deal with the Denver Broncos worth a maximum of $4 million if he meets incentives. That price was simply too high for Seattle, which has slightly less than $5 million in salary cap room for 2015, after recently locking up linebacker Bobby Wagner and quarterback Russell Wilson to expensive long-term deals. Still, signing Mathis was tempting for a team with three positions in flux on the offensive line (right tackle, center and left guard). But a Mathis deal for that asking price would have left Seattle with no wiggle room. So Mathis, a two-time Pro Bowler and first-team, All-Pro (2013), instead will head to Denver and play with quarterback Peyton Manning. The Seahawks, meanwhile, are in San Diego to face the Chargers Saturday night.
Due to the raging wildfires in eastern Washington, air quality has been affected to such an extent that the Cougars are considering rescheduling or moving their September 5th home opener against Portland State, according to reports by The Spokesman-Review.
Birthdays: Half of Ashford & Simpson, singer-songwriter Valerie Simpson is 69; musician Leon Redbone is 66; saxophonist, composer and bandleader -- former Tonight Show bandleader -- Branford Marsalis 55; from Garbage, lead singer Shirley Manson is 49; Counting Crows guitarist Dan Vickrey is 49; No Doubt drummer Adrian Young is 46; actress Melissa McCarthy is 45; and actor Macaulay Culkin is 35.
Today is National Dog Day. National Dog Day has two goals: to honor dogs, and to rescue dogs from homelessness and abuse. Today is Woman's Equality Day which commemorates August 26th of 1920 when votes to women officially became part of the US constitution. It's National Cherry Popsicle Day. It's Toilet Paper Day. The first written documentation of toilet paper dates back to 6th century China, but Joseph Gayetty is widely credited as having invented modern toilet paper in the United States. Introduced in 1857, Gayetty's Medicated Paper was the first commercially available paper and was sold in flat sheets. It's Lucky You Day or Make Your Own Luck Day.
Calendar notes: On this date in 1957, the first Edsel made by the Ford Motor Company rolled of the assembly line. In 1968, The Beatles released their single, Hey Jude. The song, written for the young Julian Lennon by Paul McCartney, went to number one. In 1987, Sonny Bono announced his candidacy for mayor of Palm Springs, California. In 1990, Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble played Alpine Valley, Wisconsin. For an encore, the band was joined for a jam by Eric Clapton, Buddy Guy, Jimmie Vaughan and Robert Cray. Flying to Chicago the next morning, Vaughan was killed when his helicopter crashed. In 2004, '80s hit-maker Laura Branigan, who sang Gloria, died of a brain aneurysm at her home in New York. She was 47. In 2011, the Boeing 787 Dreamliner, Boeing's all-new composite airliner, received certification from the EASA and the FAA
A horrific morning in Virginia. Two WDBJ-TV employees were shot to death while reporting on a feature story this morning. They were reporter Alison Parker and photographer Adam Ward. The crew from the Roanoke television station was involved in the shooting during a live interview at a mall. The gunman, who was fired in 2013 from WDBJ, fled the scene and went online, posting the video on Facebook and Twitter. He also reportedly faxed a 23-page manifesto and suicide note to ABC News, describing himself as a human powder keg that was just waiting to go BOOM!!!! He was 41-year-old Vester Lee Flanagan II, who appeared on WDBJ as Bryce Williams. Evidently he had been planning the attack for some time, authorities said. As he fled, he switched vehicles, picking up a rental car he had previously reserved at an airport. Troopers caught up with him hours later and hundreds of miles away after he fatally shot himself and ran off the road.
US stocks rallied briefly from a day of huge losses before closing sharply lower yesterday. The Dow Jones Industrial Average ended the day down more than 200 points, or about 1.3 percent. The S&P 500 Index fell by 1.4 percent, and the Nasdaq 0.4 percent. The Dow is now down 12 percent on the year. Fear has been growing among investors that trouble in China, the world's second largest economy, could spread. China's central bank cut a key interest rate to stabilize markets, but the benchmark Shanghai index still fell by 1.3 percent on Wednesday. The Dow surged more than 600 points today, the third-biggest point gain ever, as the market broke its losing streak
Don't set your watch by Big Ben. Officials say the famous clock at Britain's Parliament -- used by Londoners for decades to check the time -- has recently been slow by as much as six seconds. The 156-year-old clock chimes every 15 minutes and emits deep bongs to mark the hour. Its inaccuracy was noticed by staff at BBC radio, which broadcasts the bongs live at 6 every evening. Ian Westworth, one of Parliament's three clocksmiths, told the BBC the clock had become "a little temperamental" with age. He says, "Imagine running your car for 24 hours a day, 365 days a year for the last 156 years." Parliamentary officials said yesterday that mechanics had corrected the clock to within "normal parameters" -- within 2 seconds of the right time. They'll continue to adjust it by placing pennies on the pendulum -- or removing them -- to fine-tune its speed.
Wanna get rich on TV? Go into comedy. Of the 15 stars on the 2015 edition of Forbes' list of highest-paid television actors, 11 are in sitcoms. The Big Bang Theory's Jim Parsons leads the pack with a $29 million haul earned between June 1st of 2014 and June 1st of 2015.
So far this year, US pilots have reported more than 650 close calls with drones. That number is almost three times as many as were reported in all of 2014.
Trivia Answer: We know him as Ted Knight but he was born Tadeusz Władysław Konopka to a Polish American family in Connecticut. He died on this date in 1986. He dropped out of high school to enlist for military service in World War II. He spent most of the 1950s and 1960s doing commercial voice-overs and essaying minor television and movie roles (he was the cop guarding Norman Bates at the end of Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho in 1960. He appeared frequently in television shows such as How to Marry a Millionaire, Bonanza, Combat!, Get Smart, The Twilight Zone, and The Wild Wild West. Knight's distinctive speaking voice brought him work as an announcer, notably as narrator of the first season of the Super Friends (his signature line was, "Meanwhile, at the Hall of Justice..."). His role as the vain and untalented WJM newscaster Ted Baxter on The Mary Tyler Moore Show brought Knight widespread recognition, and his greatest success. He received six Emmy Award nominations for the role, winning the Emmy for "Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in Comedy" in 1973 and 1976. After the show's run, Knight appeared in one episode of The Love Boat as a rival cruise captain opposite Mary Tyler Moore co-star Gavin MacLeod ("Captain Stubing"). After The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Knight landed the lead role as the kind, curmudgeonly cartoonist Henry Rush in the ABC series Too Close for Comfort (renamed The Ted Knight Show in later seasons) which ran from 1980 to 1986. During scenes in which Henry draws in his bedroom, Knight used his earlier acquired ventroliquism talents for comical conversations with a hand-puppet version of his comic book's main character "Cosmic Cow." Despite the series' ongoing success in first-run syndication, it unfortunately ended due to Ted Knight's terminal illness. A few months after the end of the Mary Tyler Moore Show in 1977, he was diagnosed with cancer for which he received various forms of treatment over several years. In 1985, he was diagnosed with colon cancer which, despite rigorous treatment, eventually began to spread. He died on this date in 1986 from complications due to surgery.
|Tuesday 8.25.15
|Today's Trivia: This actor has appeared in more than forty films
and more than two hundred television episodes since 1962. He is known for
his roles in MASH, Alien, Top Gun, A River Runs Through It, Up in Smoke,
and the television series Picket Fences. Who is he?
The Mariners blew a 5-0 lead, but the bullpen wasn't to blame for an 11-5 loss to Oakland last night at Safeco Field. Hisashi Iwakuma fell back to earth in the fifth inning as Seattle lost for the seventh time in 10 games. The Mariners have allowed six or more runs in five consecutive games and have now allowed double-digit runs five times in 16 days. On the night when Safeco Field commemorated Iwakuma's no-hitter 12 days earlier, he looked pretty good again -- for four innings. In the disastrous fifth, he was tagged for seven runs on six hits and a walk. The only real history came when Oakland's Pat Venditte took the mound in the seventh -- the first switch-pitcher in a Safeco game. He threw 23 pitches over two innings -- 10 with his left, and 13 with his right. Ms and As again tonight.
The constant shuffling along the Seattle Seahawks' offensive line could be coming to an end. Coach Pete Carroll and offensive line coach Tom Cable said yesterday that the starting five the Seahawks used in last week's preseason loss at Kansas City could be the unit that starts Week 1 of the regular season against St. Louis. It's been an arduous stretch through the first three weeks of training camp for the Seahawks trying to get their offensive line settled. But Cable and Carroll are moving forward with the current configuration in the hoped that a solid performance in this week's preseason game at San Diego will be validation it's the right group. Coach Carroll said, "We'll see if they can hold it together and hold off the other guys that are battling with them but we feel good enough about it. We like the way that they mix together and they have a real chance." The Seahawks are in San Diego Saturday night.
Birthdays: The first man to portray James Bond on the big screen, actor Sean Connery is 85; media personality Regis Philbin is 84; baseballs Rollie Fingers is 69; from KISS, Gene Simmons is 66; from Judas Priest, Rob Halford is 64; musician Elvis Costello is 61; director Tim Burton is 57; Mr. Achy Breaky Heart and Miley's dad, Billy Ray Cyrus is 54; actor Blair Underwood is 51; TV chef Rachael Ray is 47; model Claudia Schiffer is 45; actress Blake Lively is 28; and Seattle Mariner Logan Morrison is 28.
Today is Kiss and Make Up Day. It's also Wizard of Oz Day, marking this date in 1939 when the movie was first released. Be Kind to Humankind Week is the annual celebration of kindness that is recognized globally from August 25th through the 31st each and every year. It is basically a week of reflection and kind thoughts of others to make this world a better place. Of course, it's suggested to practice kindness daily, but this is the week you can take it to the next level. Today is National Secondhand Wardrobe Day.
Calendar notes: On this date in 1916, the United States National Park Service was created. In 1941, President Franklin Roosevelt signed the bill appropriating funds for construction of the Pentagon. In 1946, Ben Hogan won the PGA in Portland, Oregon. It was his first major golf title. In 1950, President Harry Truman ordered the US Army to seize control of the nation's railroads to avert a strike. In 1975, Bruce Springsteen's album Born to Run was released. A year later, in 1976, Boston released its self-titled debut album. In 1985, 19-year-old Dwight Gooden became the youngest major league pitcher ever to win 20 games in a season. In 1991, Linus Torvalds announced the first version of what will become Linux. In 1993, the Dow Jones Industrial Average closed at 3,652.09, an all-time high. In 1994, Robert Plant and Jimmy Page reunited in a London studio to record their MTV Unplugged show. The show was called Unledded. In 1998, a survey was released that said that 1/3 of Americans used the Internet.
The weather has been pretty much "pick your poison" for firefighters in Eastern Washington -- it's either hot and super dry which makes fighting the fires that much more exhausting and new fires easier to start, or cooler, but windy which then helps advance the wildfires already burning. But it looks like there is a change coming later this week and into the weekend that could at least bring a little bit of good news to the front fire lines: Some rain. Cross your fingers.
Meanwhile, firefighters from as far as Australia and New Zealand have arrived here in the West as massive wildfires raging here in Washington and elsewhere in the region have taxed resources and led officials to put out a wide call for help. Here in our state, that series of fires raging in the north-central part of the state that earlier killed three firefighters has now grown to become the largest in state history. The lightning-caused Okanogan Complex of fires were measured overnight the night before last at just over 400 square miles. That's slightly more than last year's Carlton Complex blazes, which also were sparked by lightning and burned in Okanogan County.
Opinion polls are one thing, but Nielsen numbers speak more loudly to television executives: Republican presidential frontrunner Donald Trump's ability to pull in viewers makes him catnip for news programs and wins a level of coverage that feeds on itself. NBC's Meet the Press had its biggest audience in more than a year for its Trump interview on August 16th, leading that show's biggest competitors -- ABC's This Week and CBS' Face the Nation -- to feature phone interviews with the Donald this past Sunday. After CNN turned Jake Tapper's interview with Trump into a prime-time special last week and earned its best ratings at that hour in a month, the network repeated it two nights later. Two Trump interviews on Sean Hannity's Fox News Channel show this month both brought in around 2.2 million viewers, well above his typical audience. Trump is generally considered the biggest reason why Fox reached a startling 24 million people for the first GOP presidential debate earlier this month -- the most watched program in Fox News history. That instantly made him a big "get" for TV producers, and the media savvy ex-reality show host has eagerly played along. Keenly aware of his drawing power, Trump suggested in a Time magazine interview that he could ask CNN to pay $10 million to charity for his participation in the next GOP debate. Danny Shea, editorial director of The Huffington Post, compared the attention news networks are giving to Trump, to CNN's non-stop coverage of the missing Malaysian airliner last year. He says, "There's an open secret that (Trump's campaign) is a joke and a spectacle and by going wall-to-wall on it you're just legitimizing it."
Former Guns 'N Roses bandmates Slash and Axl Rose have reportedly reconciled after a bitter war of words ended their friendship five years ago. In an interview with Swedish TV, Slash reportedly declared the rockers have put their differences aside and are now on speaking terms again. When a reporter asks if they are friends again, the former Velvet Revolver rocker replies, "It was probably way overdue, you know. But it's… you know, it's very cool at this point. You know, let some of that, sort of, negative… dispel some of that negative stuff that was going on for so long (sic)." However, when asked if the original Guns 'N Roses line-up would ever reform, Slash was keen to change the subject, adding, "Oh, I couldn't answer that one, though. All right, let's get off the subject, 'cause, you know, that's an old one."
Sunday's 90-minute series premiere of Fear the Walking Dead made history. With 10.1 million viewers, it took the crown as most-watched series debut in cable TV history.
There's a new app out called VHS Camcorder. It almost perfectly recreates the experience of shooting video with old school cameras. The app's creator says VHS Camcorder was designed to "look and sound like videotape recordings that have been in storage for 30 years." In true camcorder-style video it even gives your video an obnoxious date stamp.
Trivia Answer: Tom Skerritt who is 82 today. A couple of years ago, Skerritt played the title role in Pacific Northwest Ballet's production of Don Quixote. Since 1988, he has lived up here. He splits his time between his home on Lake Washington, and a second home on Lopez Island in the San Juans.
|Monday 8.24.15
|Today's Trivia: She's the youngest woman to win the Academy Award
for Best Actress in a Leading Role, which she won at the age of 21. Oh and
she's been deaf since she was 18 months old. Who is she?
A smokey weekend in the South Sound as easterly winds brought the smoke from the wildfires in eastern Washington to the western side of the state. Air quality advisories were issued here in Western Washington. as well as in southern BC and in Portland. That fierce group of fires in north-central Washington that's been burning since Thursday morning has grown to be the largest blaze in the state's history, a fire spokesman told the Associated Press. The Okanogan Complex consists of five wildfires that are burning within Washington's largest county. Authorities believe the out-of-control fire will continue to burn throughout the week. The group of fires has burned more than 400 square miles. It has surpassed last year's Carlton Complex blazes that also tore through Okanogan County, burning 268,764 acres.
Robinson Cano had a two-run homer and Nelson Cruz doubled in two runs to help the Seattle Mariners beat the Chicago White Sox 8-6 yesterday to avoid a three-game sweep. Seattle built a 7-1 lead through five innings, but the White Sox cut it to 7-6 with five runs in the sixth behind a pair of two-run homers. Have you heard this story before? Taijuan Walker got the victory despite allowing five runs on seven hits in 5 2-3 innings. Tom Wilhelmsen pitched a perfect ninth for his third save of the season. Cruz's third-inning double extended his on-base streak to a career-high 33 consecutive games. Next, Hisashi Iwakuma opens a three-game series with the Oakland As tonight at Safeco.
Meanwhile, in our it's about damn time department, after Saturday's game, the Mariners designated Fernando Rodney for assignment. That means Seattle has ten days to trade, release, or outright Rodney to the minors. They basically fired him
His former teammate Michael Robinson says Seattle Seahawks strong safety Kam Chancellor is willing to take his contract holdout through the entire season. Speaking as an analyst on NFL Network's Total Access show, Robinson said Chancellor feels he's worth more than the four-year, $28 million contract extension he signed in 2013. Despite the Seahawks' limited salary cap space, Chancellor believes the team has money available to increase his salary. Asked if Chancellor is willing to carry his contract holdout through the season, Robinson said: "From what I know of the situation, yeah, he's dug in. He really feels that they have the ability to pay him." The Seahawks preseason continues Saturday as they meet the Chargers in San Diego.
Birthdays: The English actor best known for playing R2-D2 in Star Wars, Kenny Baker is 81. He wrote the piece Classical Gas, guitarist Mason Williams is 77; wrestling promoter Vince McMahon is 70; Frank Fontana on Murphy Brown, actor Joe Regalbuto is 66; NFL coach Mike Shanahan is 63; actor Steve Guttenberg is 57; baseball Hall of Famer Cal Ripkin, Jr. is 55; the original host of The Daily Show, Craig Kilborn is 53; journalist David Gregory is 45; and actor comedian Dave Chappelle is 42.
Today is Vesuvius Day marking the date in 79 A.D. that Mount Vesuvius exploded. It was one of the largest volcanic explosions in recorded history. It destroyed Pompeii and other cities. Thousands died in the volcano's eruption. On a lighter note, today is National Waffle Day. Today is National Knife Day. Today is Weather Cliche Day, marking this date in 1897 when editor Charles Dudley Warner of the Hartford Courant published the sentence, "Everybody talks about the weather, but nobody does anything about it." Many incorrectly attribute the quotation to Warner's close friend, Mark Twain. Today is Flitting Appreciation Day, a time to recognize those who have perfected the art of flitting around.
Calendar notes: On this date in 1932, Amelia Earhart became the first woman to fly non-stop across the US, traveling from Los Angeles to Newark, New Jersey, in just over 19 hours. In 1978, Bruce Springsteen appeared on the cover of Rolling Stone. In 1979, I Wanna Be Your Lover by Prince was released. It was his first US hit. In 1981, Mark David Chapman was sentenced in New York to 20 years to life in prison for killing John Lennon. In 1989, Pete Rose was banned from baseball for gambling. In 1995, Microsoft released Windows 95. In 1996, four women became students at The Citadel, a military school in South Carolina that had fought in court to remain all male. In 1998, three parties donated 24 beads to the Indian Museum of North America at the Crazy Horse Memorial in South Dakota's Black Hills. The beads were said to be used in 1626 to buy Manhattan from the Indians. In 2005, the planet Pluto was reclassified as a "dwarf planet" by the International Astronomical Union. Pluto's status was changed due to new rules for an object qualifying as a planet. Pluto met two of the three rules because it orbits the sun and is large enough to assume a nearly round shape. However, since Pluto has an oblong orbit and overlaps the orbit of Neptune it disqualified Pluto as a planet.
Straight Outta Compton dominated a trio of underwhelming new releases this weekend, providing a little proof of life in an otherwise moribund box office. The rap drama topped charts for the second weekend in a row, picking up $26.8 million propelling its domestic haul to $111.5 million -- a tidy return on the $29 million spent making the film about the early days of NWA. Straight Outta Compton hasn't been without controversy. The film has been slammed for glossing over its members' treatment of women and the blowback forced Dr. Dre to apologize for his actions. However, the negative headlines don't appear to be taking a toll on its ticket sales. Among holdovers, Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation had a second place finish. Of the new films hitting multiplexes, Sinister 2 performed the best of an inert bunch. The low-budget horror sequel nabbed $10.6 a third place finish. Hitman: Agent 47, a second attempt to transform a popular videogame series into a successful film one, hit a speed bump, earning a meagre $8.2 million and finishing fourth. The Man from U.N.C.L.E. captured the number five slot. That left American Ultra as the lowest performing of the newbies. The marijuana-encrusted secret agent film went up in smoke, grabbed $5.5 million and finished sixth.
There was a tweet early Saturday afternoon about reports of a bear cited the in the Lacey area. The conclusion was that there was a big hairy dog ... and he was really friendly. A few minutes later came another tweet from Lacey Fire that said: Strange and evolving story! So, there was a dog.... But also a bear! Fish and Wildlife out with a bear 30' up a tree. Timberline Drive area. However, I later came across a story saying that officials with the Washington Fish & Wildlife and Lacey Police shot and killed the large bear that had been roaming Lacey all week Officers say it was unfortunate, but that they had no other workable option and needed to remove the animal from the populated neighborhood—with three schools nearby. The animal was a large male black bear weighing about 225 pounds. It's being donated to tribal elders at the Nisqually Reservation.
It appears that thousands of people are suffering from Jon Stewart withdrawal. A Change.org petition calling for the former Daily Show host to moderate a 2016 presidential debate had attracted more than 140 thousand supporters as of Friday morning. The goal is 150 thousand. The petition, directed to the Commission on Presidential Debates, begins by stating, "Over the last 16 years, Jon Stewart has played an influential and iconic role in covering US politics and media. We believe he should continue that tradition as a moderator at one of the 2016 Presidential Debates." The Commission on Presidential Debates has yet to publicly respond to the petition. Stewart ended his 16-year run as host of The Daily Show on August 6th.
Actress Megan Fox has filed for divorce from actor Brian Austin Green after five years of marriage. The Transformers star cited irreconcilable differences for the breakup. The pair has two sons together, and the 29-year-old actress is seeking joint custody. Fox and Green began dating in 2004 and married in 2010. She listed June 15th as their date of separation, and her filing indicates they do not have a prenuptial agreement. The 42-year-old Green starred on Beverly Hills, 90210. Fox starred in 2014's Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie and its upcoming sequel.
Trivia Answer: Marlee Matlin who turns 50 today. She lost all hearing in her right ear and 80% of the hearing in her left ear at the age of eighteen months. She won the Academy Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role for Children of a Lesser God, and is both the only deaf performer to win the award, and, at 21, the youngest to date. Her work in film and television has resulted in a Golden Globe award, with two additional nominations, and four Emmy nominations. She is also a prominent member of the National Association of the Deaf. In 2006 Matlin was cast in season 4 of The L Word as Jodi Lerner, a gay Deaf sculptor. She appeared in seasons 4, 5 and 6 as the girlfriend of one of the show's protagonists Bette Porter (played by Jennifer Beals). In 2008, she was a competitor in the sixth season of ABC's Dancing with the Stars. She was a finalist on the NBC show The Celebrity Apprentice, competing to win money for her charity, The Starkey Hearing Foundation. She lost the finale to John Rich, finishing in second place. However, on one episode -- The Art of the Deal that aired on April 3, 2011 -- Matlin raised more funds than had ever been raised for charity in a single event on any television show before ($986,000). Donald Trump then donated an additional $14,000 to make the contribution an even million. Matlin married Burbank police officer Kevin Grandalski on August 29th of 1993 in Henry Winkler's back yard. They have four children. She lives outside Los Angeles with her family. Matlin met her future husband while she was filming a scene from Reasonable Doubts outside of the studio grounds, and the police department had assigned him to provide security and traffic control.
|Friday 8.21.15
|Today's Trivia: He stood 7-foot-1. He weighed 250 pounds as a
rookie before bulking up to 275 and eventually over 300 pounds. He's
widely considered one of the greatest and most dominant players in the
history of the NBA. In fact, he's the only player in the league's history
to score 100 points in a single NBA game. Who is he?
Of all the members of the Seattle Seahawks to be lampooned for the fateful play call on Russell Wilson's game-sealing interception in last year's Super Bowl loss to the New England Patriots, offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell has arguably taken the worst of it. Fair or not, Bevell's call to run a quick slant to wide receiver Ricardo Lockette instead of handing the ball to Marshawn Lynch will forever live in football infamy as one of the most second-guessed play calls in NFL history. Now, for the first time, Bevell has spoken (somewhat) in-depth about the thinking behind that final call -- and the backlash he dealt with in the aftermath. Speaking with Sports Illustrated in an interview published yesterday, Bevell echoed the same sentiment that coach Pete Carroll espoused all offseason: That the final call was simply a worst-case outcome, as opposed to an inherently bad decision. Bevell said, "That play we called will always be there to drive me. I wouldn't change it, I think it was the right thing." Bevell said that the toughest aspect of being the subject of the national mockery that ensued after the call was the effect that it had on his wife and daughters. But he also says that he understands that level of scrutiny simply comes with the territory of being an offensive coordinator in the NFL. He says, "I worry about my family, my girls, my wife. I worry about those people more than I do myself. I understand what comes with the job we do and they (the family) understand what comes with it. That doesn't make it any easier, but once I knew all the stuff around it, why we did it and everything that happened, I was able to move on with it." That's likely to be of little consolation to the 12s who may still be wondering why, with just one yard between them and a second-consecutive Super Bowl title, Seattle would choose to run a pass play for Lockette instead of handing it to the NFL's top power runner. The preseason continues tonight. The Seahawks are in Kansas City to take on the chiefs in Arrowhead Stadium. Kick-off is tonight at 5:00.
Oh, and the Mariners open a six-game homestand tonight. Three with the White Sox then three with the As. Game one -- with Felix and fireworks -- is tonight at 7:10.
Birthdays: Singer Kenny Rogers is 77; he was Linc on The Mod Squad, actor Clarence Williams III is 76; singer Jackie DeShannon is 74; TV personality Harry Smith is 64; former quarterback Jim McMahon is 56; Google co-founder Sergey Brin is 42; and track star Usain Bolt is 29.
Today is Crazy Day. It's not what you think. Patsy Cline recorded the Willie Nelson song Crazy on this date in 1961. Today is Cadillac Day. The first Cadillac was built on this day in 1902. Today is National Spumoni Day. Today is National Senior Citizens Day -- a day that honors our elderly population. On this day, we are encouraged to recognize and show appreciation for the value and contribution of elderly people to home, family and society. In his Presidential Proclamation in 1988, President Ronald Reagan said "For all they have achieved throughout life and for all they continue to accomplish, we owe older citizens our thanks and a heartfelt salute. We can best demonstrate our gratitude and esteem by making sure that our communities are good places in which to mature and grow older."
Calendar notes: On this date in 1887, Phillies' pitcher Dan Casey struck out in the 9th inning of a game against the New York Giants. The event inspired Ernest L. Thayer to write . . . Casey at the Bat. In 1959, Hawaii became the 50th state. President Eisenhower issued the order for the 50-star flag. In 1976, RCA Victor records announced sales of Elvis Presley records had passed 400 million. In 1979, Gary Numan's single Cars was released. In 1991, in Independence, Missouri, the owner of a Domino's Pizza restaurant, dressed as a giant red rabbit to attract business, was knocked unconscious by Bobo the Clown, who was promoting a Pizza Hut across the street. The rabbit declined to press charges. In 1994, John Denver faced drunk-driving charges after wrapping his Porsche around a tree.
That massive complex of blazes that killed three firefighters in north-central Washington state has grown by more than 100 square miles in a day as fierce winds howled across the region, and now President Obama has declared the area a disaster area. Fire spokesman Rick Isaacson said early today that the wildfires have grown to just over 252 square miles since yesterday morning. He says they are largely burning uncontrolled as flames keep jumping fire lines, spurned by high winds. The airport at Omak near the fire lines reported sustained winds of 45 miles an hour gusting to 60 miles an hour just before noon today. Out-of-control blazes in north-central Washington have destroyed buildings, but the situation is so chaotic that authorities have no idea how many homes may have been lost. The multitude of large wildfires have so overtaxed firefighters that officials took the unprecedented step of calling for volunteers to help fight the flames. It is the first time the state has asked for volunteers. It comes even after fire managers from Australia and New Zealand were recruited to help combat blazes in the West. There were 820 firefighters fighting the blazes today, two days after flames overran firefighters, killing three and injuring four.
With a broad smile and an upbeat attitude, former President Jimmy Carter told the world yesterday that he has cancer in his brain, and feels "perfectly at ease with whatever comes." Carter said doctors had removed melanoma from his liver, but found four small tumors in his brain. Later yesterday, he received radiation treatment. He also began receiving injections of a newly approved drug to help his immune system seek out and destroy the cancer cells wherever else they may appear. Wearing blue jeans and a blazer, Carter spoke with good humor and unsparing honesty, revealing that he had kept suspicions of cancer from his wife, Rosalynn, for weeks until the diagnosis was confirmed in June. He said, "Now I feel it's in the hands of God, whom I worship, and I'll be prepared for anything that comes." Carter's team of doctors say Carter's prospects are good even at the age of 90 but cautioned against the idea that Carter can be "cured." They said, "We're not looking for a cure in patients who have a disease like melanoma that has spread, The goal is control and to have a good quality of life."
Earth just keeps getting hotter. July was the planet's warmest month on record, smashing old marks, according to US weather officials. And, they said, it's almost a dead certain lock that this year will beat last year as the warmest year on record. July's average temperature was 61.86 degrees Fahrenheit, beating the previous global mark set in 1998 and 2010 by about one-seventh of a degree, according to figures released yesterday by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. That's a large margin for weather records, with previous monthly heat records broken by a 20th of a degree or less. NOAA records go back to 1880. Separate calculations by NASA and the Japanese weather agency also found July 2015 to be a record.
Sheriff's investigators plan to recommend that prosecutors file a vehicular manslaughter charge against Caitlyn Jenner for her role in a fatal car crash on the Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu last February. A Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department spokeswoman says investigators found that Jenner was driving "unsafe for the prevailing road conditions" because her SUV rear-ended a Lexus, pushing it into oncoming traffic. The Lexus driver, 69-year-old Kim Howe, was killed when her car was struck head-on by a Hummer.The spokesperson says the case will be presented for final review next week. The district attorney will determine what charges Jenner ultimately faces. If convicted of such a charge, Jenner would face up to one year in county jail.
Thirty-eight emoji are being considered for release next year by the Unicode Consortium, the group overseeing emoji standards across platforms. Among the other candidates on the list are bacon, a pregnant woman, a cowboy, a clown and a person taking a selfie.
Trivia Answer: Wilton Norman Chamberlain -- Wilt Chamberlain -- Wilt the Stilt, The Big Dipper, Chairman of the Boards -- who was born on this date in 1936. He played with the Philadelphia/San Francisco Warriors, the Philadelphia 76ers, and the Los Angeles Lakers. He also played for a time with the Harlem Globetrotters. He was enshrined in the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1978, elected onto the NBA's 35th Anniversary Team of 1980, and chosen as one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History in 1996. Rumor is that his favorite nickname was The Big Dipper -- allegedly a name he picked up because he always had to dip his head before entering a room. Chamberlain had a history of heart trouble. In 1992, he was hospitalized for three days following an irregular heartbeat, and in 1999, his condition deteriorated rapidly. After undergoing dental surgery in that year, he lost 50 pounds, was in great pain and seemed unable to recover from the stress. On October 12th of 1999, he died of congestive heart failure.
|Thursday 8.20.15
|Today's Trivia: He was a football player for the Oakland Raiders
of the American Football League and later the NFL. He later served as the
executive director of the National Football League Players' Association (NFLPA).
In 1987, he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He is also
the only player in NFL history to reach the Super Bowl in three different
decades with the same team. Who is he?
The Mariners concluded one of the most statistically perverse road trips in franchise history yesterday. During it, they set a club record by allowing 45 runs in three games in Boston, Monday lost on a walk-off walk for the first time in eight years, and ended the six-game sojourn by watching reliever Joe Beimel allow back-to-back-to-back home runs -- on just four pitches -- in the seventh, turning a 3-2 Rangers lead into a 7-2 rout. The Mariners fell to 56-and-65 and to 2-and-4 on the six-game trip. The Mariners are off today. They begin a three-game series with the White Sox tomorrow night at Safeco Field.
If the final practice of Seahawks training camp was an indicator, the reshuffling along Seattle's offensive line hasn't had much of an effect on Russell Wilson. The Seahawks quarterback appeared in midseason form during yesterday's session at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center in Renton, spreading the ball to veteran wide receivers Jermaine Kearse, Doug Baldwin, and -- on one play -- finding undrafted rookie Kasen Williams down the sideline in front of a packed berm of 12s for about a 30-yard gain. Russell is probably the least likely player in the NFL to publicly criticize a teammate, but there's ample reason to think he's comfortable playing behind a group that has yet to sort itself out. Tom Cable's offensive line has dealt with injuries and turnover since Wilson was drafted in the 2012 NFL draft. Wilson said, "No, I'm not concerned. I have full confidence in those guys up front. They've been doing a phenomenal job…. the great thing is it's a long season, 16 games, as you guys know." Translation: There is work to be done. Game two of the preseason coming up tomorrow night. It's a road game. The Hawks are at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City to meet the Chiefs tomorrow night at 5:00.
Birthdays: Boxing promoter Don King is 84; politician RonPaul is 80; journalist Connie Chung -- she's married to Maury Povich -- is 69; a founding member of Chicago, trombone player Jimmy Pankow is 68; Led Zeppelin's lead singer Robert Plant is 67; singer-songwriter John Hiatt is 63; Gary on Thirtysomething, actor Peter Horton is 62; weatherman Al Roker is 61; Limp Bizkit frontman Fred Durst is 45; and singer Demi Lovato is 23.
Yvonne Craig, who played the sexy, crime-fighting Batgirl in the 1960s TV hit Batman, has died. Craig died Monday at her Los Angeles home from complications from breast cancer, her family said. She began her career as a ballet dancer. Then she was discovered by Hollywood, appearing in a 1958 episode of Perry Mason and in the 1959 feature The Young Land.After that, she won dozens of roles in TV shows, as well as co-starring in two 1960s Elvis Presley films, It Happened at the World's Fair and Kissin' Cousins. But she was best known as Batgirl (and her alter ego, librarian Barbara Gordon, Commissioner Gordon's daughter) in Batman. Another memorable TV role, from an episode of the original Star Trek, she was the green Orion Slave Girl who wanted to kill Captain Kirk. Yvonne Craig was 78.
Today is the Moon's Birthday, according to the ancient Aztecs. It's Bacon Lover's Day. Today is National Chocolate Pecan Pie Day. Today is National Lemonade Day. Today is National Radio Day celebrating a great invention and communications medium. The invention of the radio dates back to the late 1800s. A number of inventors played a role in creating this important medium. A number of inventions and discoveries were required to make the radio a reality. This included both transmission and reception methods and technology. Celebrating National Radio Day is easy...you're doing it now. Thank you.
Calendar notes: On this date in 1858, Charles Darwin first published his theory of evolution through natural selection in The Journal of the Proceedings of the Linnean Society of London. In 1938, Lou Gehrig hit his 23rd career grand slam -- a record that stood for 75 years until it was broken by Alex Rodriguez. In 1960, singer Connie Francis made her acting debut on the set of the movie Where the Boys Are. In 1965, The Rolling Stones released Satisfaction. It would become their first #1 song in the US. In 1973, The Rolling Stones released their single Angie. The ballad became one of their biggest singles and went to number one. In 1990, Ike Sewell died in Chicago at age 87. Ike was an all-America football player at the University of Texas, but is probably better know as the inventor of the Chicago-style deep-dish pizza. In 1998, Canada's Supreme Court ruled that Quebec could not secede without the federal government's consent. In 2003, in Rhode Island, OSHA fined the company which operated The Station club, $85,200 for one willful violation and six serious violations related to the February 20th fire that killed 100 and injured almost 200. Great White was fined $7,000 for failing to protect employees from fire hazards.
Our thoughts, prayers, and appreciation go to the families of the three Forest Service workers killed in a wildfire on DNR land near Twisp last night. The firefighters were engaged in initial attack operations and were involved in a vehicle accident when it is believed that the fire overtook their vehicle. The next time the opportunity presents itself, thank a firefighter.
Longtime Subway pitchman Jared Fogle agreed yesterday to plead guilty to allegations that he paid for sex acts with minors and received child pornography in a case that destroyed his career at the sandwich-shop chain and could send him to prison for more than a decade. Prosecutors alleged that Fogle knew the pornography had been secretly produced by the former director of his charitable foundation, which sought to raise awareness about childhood obesity and arranged for Fogle to visit schools and urge children to adopt healthy eating and exercise habits. A tight-lipped Fogle sat in federal court with his hands clasped and quietly answered "no" when the judge asked whether he had any questions about his rights. He is expected to enter the formal plea at a later date to one count each of travelling to engage in illicit sexual conduct with a minor and distribution and receipt of child pornography. The agreement released by prosecutors said Fogle will pay $1.4 million in restitution to 14 minor victims, who will each receive $100,000. He will also be required to register as a sex offender and undergo treatment for sexual disorders. According to court documents, the government agreed not to seek a sentence of more than 12½ years in prison, and Fogle agreed not to ask for less than five years.
He traded for tight end Jimmy Graham and (somehow) re-signed quarterback Russell Wilson and linebacker Bobby Wagner in the knick of time this offseason. He assembled a team that has played in consecutive Super Bowls, with one Seattle victory. And he was responsible for picking late-round NFL Draft standouts like Richard Sherman and Kam Chancellor, just to name a few. His name is John Schneider, and he's the No. 1 general manager in the NFL. Schneider won this year's NFL GM rankings by the Sporting News, just beating out the Baltimore Ravens' Ozzie Newsome and the Green Bay Packers' Ted Thompson, Schneider's former boss. Steve Keim of the Arizona Cardinals and John Elway of the Denver Broncos round out the top five. Schneider finished fourth in the Sporting News' rankings a year ago.
Trivia Answer: Eugene Thurman Upshaw, Jr. -- Gene Upshaw -- who died on this date in 2008. After playing football in college at a number of offensive line positions, he settled at left offensive guard for the Oakland Raiders for 15 years. During that time, he played in three Super Bowls; in the 1967, 1976, and 1980 seasons, making him the first player to reach the game in three different decades (Jerry Rice and Bill Romanowski would later accomplish the feat in 2003). Upshaw was an active member of the bargaining committee for the National Football League Players' Association (NFLPA) throughout the late 1970s and early 1980s. He led the NFLPA in its unsuccessful strike in 1987 and through years of anti-trust litigation against the league, including a brief period in which the NFLPA became a professional association rather than a union, that ended with the union's acceptance of a salary cap in return for free agency and an enhanced share of league revenues for the union's members. Until his death, he was the Executive Director of the Association. In August of 2008 at his home in Lake Tahoe, Upshaw began to feel ill. His wife Terri noticed that his breathing was labored, so she convinced him to go to the emergency room, where he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer on August 17th. On August 20th, Upshaw died five days after his 63rd birthday.
|Wednesday 8.19.15
|Today's Trivia: She's an author, photographer, and social issues
advocate. She has advocated for mental health, homelessness, women and
children, and LGBT issues. She rose to prominence for her work with the
Parents Music Resource Center (PMRC), voicing strong opinions for the
labeling of record covers of releases featuring profane language,
especially in the heavy metal, punk and hip hop genres. Who is she?
Some first-inning fireworks proved the difference as the Mariners secured a 3-2 road victory against the Texas Rangers last night. Hisashi Iwakuma won his third game in a row in his first appearance since his no-hitter, crossing the career 500 strikeout mark in the process. In the first, Kyle Seager doubled to left and was driven in by Nelson Cruz. Seth Smith was the next to convert, hitting his 10th homer of the season. Kuma fanned six across seven innings, surrendering two runs on five hits. The series concludes today.
The Seattle Seahawks needed roster room so they've released long snapper and US Army veteran Nate Boyer. With backup quarterback Tarvaris Jackson suffering a high-ankle sprain in Seattle's preseason opener against the Denver Broncos, the Seahawks needed an additional arm in training camp. The team signed former Kansas State quarterback Jake Waters to provide additional depth behind Russell Wilson. The 34-year-old Boyer was signed by Seattle as an undrafted free agent in May. He played five snaps against the Broncos on Friday night. Boyer was competing with incumbent Clint Gresham for the starting long snapper job. He was a long shot to make Seattle's roster as Gresham signed a new three-year contract with the team this offseason. Boyer did tours in Afghanistan and Iraq and was a member of the Green Berets. Boyer walked on to the football program at Texas and eventually won the starting job. He was the long snapper for the Longhorns his final three seasons. The Seahawks are at Kansas City Friday night.
Birthdays: Drummer Ginger Baker is 76; singer Johnny Nash is 75; actress Jill St. John is 75; actor turned Senator from Tennessee, Fred Thompson is 73; President Bill Clinton is 69; actor Gerald McRaney is 68; political consultant Mary Matalin -- married to James Carville -- is 62; the manager of the Kansas City Royals, Ned Yost is 60; actor Adam Arkin is 59; Uncle Jesse on Full House, actor John Stamos is 52; former MTV News reporter Tabitha Soren is 48; and Chandler on Friends, actor Matthew Perry is 46.
It's National Aviation Day, in honor of the birthday of aviator Orville Wright. Orville was the first person to successfully fly an airplane. His first flight was December 17th of 1903 at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. This day was selected, as it's Orville Wrights' birthday. It's Sandcastle and Sculpture Day which seems apropos with Sand in the City this weekend. Today is National Potato Day.
Calendar notes: On this date in 1909, the first automobile race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway took place. In 1934, the first All-American Soap Box Derby was held in Dayton, Ohio. In 1934, the creation of the position Führer was approved by the German electorate with 89.9% of the popular vote. In 1960, in Moscow, Russia, Soviet Union, downed American U-2 pilot Francis Gary Powers was sentenced to ten years imprisonment by the Soviet Union for espionage. In 1973, in Malibu, California, Kris Kristofferson married Rita Coolidge. In 1980, ater Alice Cooper cancelled a Toronto show because of illness, 14-hundred ticket-holders rioted. In 1991, dissolution of the Soviet Union, August Coup: Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev was placed under house arrest while on holiday in the Ukraine. In 2004, Google Inc. stock began selling on the Nasdaq Stock Market. The initial price was set at $85 and ended the day at $100.34 with more than 22 million shares traded. In 2008, Lady Gaga's album The Fame was released.
Scary times at the Tumwater Jack in the Box yesterday afternoon. A hostage standoff developed and ended with police opening fire on the knife-wielding suspect. Tumwater police and Thurston County sheriff's deputies arrived at about 3:30 after getting calls about a man with a knife, according to Lt. Cliff Ziesemer with the Thurston County sheriff's office. The suspect, who is described only as a man in his 50s, was holding a knife to an employee's neck in a storage room, according to Jennifer Kolb with the Tumwater Police Department. Officers entered the restaurant's front door and tried to talk the suspect into surrendering, but Kolb said the man was hostile and uncooperative. Officers said it appeared the man was intoxicated. While police were speaking to the man from the front of the restaurant, several other officers went through the back door. At some point the hostage was able to break free. It's unclear exactly what happened next, but at least one Tumwater police officer fired at the suspect, hitting him at least once. The suspect was airlifted to Harborview Medical Center for treatment. His current condition is not known. The hostage suffered superficial knife wounds on his hands and was treated at the scene, Kolb said. Olympia police are investigating the shooting with help from Lacey police and the Washington State Patrol.
Longtime Subway pitchman Jared Fogle is expected to plead guilty to child-pornography charges today. The 37-year-old Fogle became a Subway pitchman more than 15 years ago after shedding more than 200 pounds as a college student, in part by eating the chain's sandwiches. Subway suspended its relationship with Jared after his home was raided by authorities. The company declined to comment yesterday, saying only that the chain had "already ended our relationship with Jared."
Two women have passed the Army's Ranger School, becoming the first females to complete the grueling combat training program and earn the right to wear Ranger tabs on their uniforms. The Army's Ranger headquarters in Fort Benning, Georgia, says the women and 94 men passed the tough 62-day course that tests their ability to overcome fatigue, hunger and stress during combat operations. Allowing women to participate in the Ranger course is part of the US military's push to open more combat jobs to women. Though most of the military's approximately 1,000 occupations are open to women, some of the toughest ones remain closed to them. A graduation ceremony is being held Friday at Fort Benning.
The Seattle Mariners are in the process of deciding general manager Jack Zduriencik's future with the organization. According to a report from FOXSports.com's Ken Rosenthal, the club is in the "contemplation phase" of whether to retain Zduriencik after they signed him to a multi-year contract extension last summer. To this point, it's been one of the most disappointing seasons in team history after the Mariners were a trendy pick to snap a playoff drought that goes back to 2001. Many felt this was a make-or-break year for Zduriencik, who is in his seventh year as general manager. There was talk yesterday that perhaps Dave Dombrowki, the former top guy in Detroit, might head to Seattle but that talk ended when Dombrowki signed on with the Boston Red Sox.
If you're looking for milepost 420, you won't find it in Idaho. State officials say the mile marker has been replaced with 419.9 signs to curb thieves eager to own a number associated with marijuana enthusiasts. Turns out, Idaho isn't alone in this problem. States like Washington and Colorado have also replaced 420 signs with 419.9 after consistently having to replace them after thefts by supposed sticky-fingered stoners. Most highways in the country don't cover more than 400 miles. For example, Oregon has been spared the spike in sign thefts due to having no highways long enough to reach past a 400 milepost, even though it recently legalized marijuana. Washington has two highways long enough to have 420 mileposts that have both been plagued by thieves snatching the sign over the years, said Barbara LaBoe, spokeswoman for Washington State. That all stopped three years ago -- the same time voters legalized pot -- when officials replaced one of the signs with 419.9 along Highway 20 near the Idaho border. The other sign on US Highway 12 remains missing, with no immediate plans to be replaced.
Then there was the Russian bodybuilder who is now in a hospital. That after asking a friend to stab him in the stomach because, he claimed, his abs were knife proof.
Trivia Answer: Mary Elizabeth Gore -- we know her as Tipper Gore -- who turns 67 today. She was Second Lady of the United States from 1993 to 2001, and the wife of Al Gore, the 45th Vice President of the United States, from whom she is currently separated. It was in 1985, that Tipper co-founded the Parents Music Resource Center with Susan Baker, wife of then United States Secretary of the Treasury James Baker. The group's goal was to increase parental and consumer awareness of music that contained explicit content through voluntary labeling albums with Parental Advisory stickers. Their coalition included the National PTA and the American Academy of Pediatrics. The PMRC's efforts were successful and resulted in an agreement where recording labels voluntarily placed warning labels on music with violent or sexually explicit lyrics.
|Tuesday 8.18.15
|Today's Trivia: He's an actor who has appeared in many television
and film roles. He is also a comedian, painter, and recording artist. As
an actor, he first became known in his role on Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman
and its spin-off Fernwood 2 Night. Among his other notable roles are
Colonel Mustard in the 1985 film Clue, Leon Carp on Roseanne, Willard
Kraft on Sabrina, the Teenage Witch, and Russell the pharmacist on the hit
sitcom Two and a Half Men. Who are we talking about?
Yet another loss by one run, the 21st this season, came to the Mariners in Arlington last night. And it came in a most lame way -- a bases-loaded, walk-off walk to ex-Mariner Adrian Beltre by Fernando Rodney for a 4-3 defeat to the Texas Rangers. The Mariners had mostly solid pitching but no answer for Beltre, who drove in the Rangers' first two runs with doubles before strolling to the game-winner. Taijuan Walker was busy but solid, lasting 96 pitches over six innings, giving up three runs and 10 hits, walking one and striking out three. The walk-off loss via walk was the first by the Mariners since August of 2007. This series' second game is tonight featuring Hisashi Iwakuma making his first appearance since his no-hitter against Baltimore at Safeco Wednesday.
Disappointed in the pass protection in the first exhibition game Friday, the Seahawks moved Justin Britt to left guard, Alvin Bailey to backup left tackle and said Garry Gilliam would start at right tackle. Coach Pete Carroll insisted that that yesterday's shakeup in the Seahawks' starting offensive line was no big deal. He said after practice, "It's not like it's a surprise." I'm just guessing here but seven sacks by the Denver Broncos in the fake-season opener was a bit of a surprise. The Seahawks get another shot as the preseason continues Friday night down in Kansas City against the Chiefs.
Birthdays: Former first lady Rosalynn Carter is 88; movie director Roman Polanski is 82; actor Robert Redford is 79; comedian Elayne Boosler is 63; comedian and actor Denis Leary is 58; musician Everlast is 46; actor Christian Slater is 46; he was Theo Huxtable, actor Malcolm-Jamal Warner is 45; and celebrity daughter Frances Bean Cobain is 23.
Rob Thielke, best known to Northwest viewers as Vern Fonk in the Vern Fonk Insurance TV commercials, passed away Sunday after a battle with cancer. He was also the president of the company. Thielke starred as Vern Fonk for the past 24 years, becoming a local television icon and a beloved celebrity in the Northwest. He was 50.
Today is Bad Poetry Day -- a day to create some really bad verse. But, why you ask? Perhaps, the answer is simply "because you can". Maybe, it exists to allow us to better appreciate good poetry. Or, perhaps it is to be written to irritate someone.
Calendar notes: On this date in 1920, the Nineteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution was ratified, guaranteeing women's suffrage -- the right to vote. In 1986, Bon Jovi released their Slippery When Wet album. In 1992, Larry Bird, after 13 years with the Boston Celtics, announced his retirement. In 1992, Kurt Cobain and Courtney Love became parents to daughter Frances Bean. In 1997, Beth Ann Hogan became the first coed in the Virginia Military Institute's 158-year history. In 2004, Donald Trump unveiled his board game (TRUMP the Game) where players bid on real estate, buy big ticket items, and make billion-dollar business deals.
The 2016 Old Farmer's Almanac says the United States is headed into a colder-than-normal winter with above-average snowfall, According to the almanac:
The weather predictions are based on a secret formula that founder Robert B. Thomas designed using solar cycles, climatology and meteorology. Forecasts emphasize how much temperature and precipitation will deviate from 30-year averages compiled by government agencies. Many meteorologists generally pooh-pooh the Almanac's forecasts as too unscientific to be worth much.
Lacey Police tweeted yesterday that a large black bear was spotted near the south end of Hick's Lake in Lacey. They say if you spot it, don't approach it. They say call 9-1-1.
Trivia Answer: Martin Mull who turns 72 today. After Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman, he was on the spin-off comedy shows Fernwood 2-Night in 1977 and America 2-Night in 1978, in which he played the emcee Barth Gimble, opposite Fred Willard as sidekick Jerry Hubbard. He also later appeared as a guest on the game show Hollywood Squares, appearing as the center square in the show's final season. He also had a long-running role playing the boss of lead character Roseanne Conner on the TV series Roseanne. Despite devoting himself full time to painting, Martin has added a number of acting credits, including shows such as Family Man, Two and a Half Men, Law and Order: SVU, The New Adventures of Old Christine, The Bonnie Hunt Show. In the animated series Family Guy, the name of the elementary school is Martin Mull Elementary. In late 2004 and in 2013's Netflix-produced Season 4, he portrayed Gene Parmesan, a private investigator, on the TV series Arrested Development. During 2008 and 2009, Mull guest starred in two episodes of the television series Gary Unmarried as Allison's father. Mull also starred in the Fox sitcom, Dads.
|Monday 8.17.15
|Today's Trivia: This opened on August 17th of 1907. It's one of
the oldest continually operated markets in the United States. It's a place
of business for many small farmers, craftspeople, and merchants. It's home
to nearly 500 residents who live in 8 different buildings throughout the
Market. Most of the buildings have been low income housing in the past;
however, some of them no longer are, such as the Livingston Baker
apartments. It's a popular tourist destination seeing some 10 million
visitors annually. What are we talking about?
After a pair of historic defeats Friday losing 15-1 and Saturday 22-10, the Mariners built a 7-0 lead, survived some late-game flop sweat, and beat the Boston Red Sox 10-8 in 12 innings yesterday to avoid a broom job at Fenway Park. Franklin Gutierrez hit two home runs, Robinson Cano had five hits, including a homer, and Nelson Cruz crushed another, his MLB-leading 36th. Cano went 5-for-7 with a home run, a double and three singles. That marked the first five-hit game by a Mariner since Mike Carp in 2011. The Mariners, who finished with 18 hits, had ample opportunities to win before the 12th. They left two runners on in the fourth, fifth, seventh, and ninth innings. The 45 runs allowed by the Mariners during the series are the most in any three-game stretch in franchise history. Sixty-seven of Seattle's 118 games have been decided by two or fewer runs. The Mariners have played 19 extra-inning games. The Mariners begin a three-game series with the Texas Rangers in Arlington tonight.
The Seattle Seahawks kicked off their preseason at a soggy CenturyLink Field Friday night, turning in a sloppy performance in a 22-20 loss to the Denver Broncos. The Seahawks offense stalled, unable to sustain a drive of more than 28 yards until late in the third quarter. But a defense featuring a dearth of its usual stars was mostly up for the task against a Peyton Manning-less Broncos squad, employing a bend-but-don't-break strategy that kept Seattle in the game even after they managed just 108 yards on offense through three quarters. The bright spots for the Seahawks were undoubtedly their first two picks in May's 2015 NFL draft. Defensive end Frank Clark, the team's controversial selection at No. 63 overall in the second round, routinely made appearances in the Denver backfield and finished as the game's leading tackler. Meanwhile, third-round pick Tyler Lockett made an immediate impression on special teams with his 103-yard kickoff return touchdown early in the second quarter. The preseason continues Friday night as the Hawks are on the road at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City against the Chiefs.
Birthdays: Actress Maureen O'Hara is 95; actor Robert De Niro is 72; Go-Go Belinda Carlisle is 57; actor Sean Penn is 55; Chucky -- sportscaster and former coach Jon Gruden is 52; a founding member of New Kids on the Block, Donnie Wahlberg is 46; and tennis player Jim Courier is 45.
A leading figure from the 1960s civil rights movement who served as chairman of the NAACP after a long career in politics, Julian Bond died Saturday. Bond died in Fort Walton Beach, Florida, after a brief illness. Julian Bond was 75.
Today is National Thriftshop Day. Watch for sales and specials today at Thriftshops in celebration. Today is Coonskin Cap Day, always on the birthday of Davy Crockett, born on this date in 1786 in Hawkins County, Tennessee. Today is Drink Coffee at the Office from A Sippy Cup Day, just see if anyone notices. (I'm thinking it's for those who are too shy to wear a coonskin cap.) Today is #2 Pencil Day.
Calendar notes: On this date in 1970, Christine McVie joined Fleetwood Mac as the group's first female member. In 1987, the movie Dirty Dancing, starring Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey opened. In 1992, Las Vegas singer Wayne Newton filed for bankruptcy protection, admitting that he owed some $20 million. In 1994, actor David Caruso quit the ABC drama NYPD Blue. He was replaced by Jimmy Smits. In 1996, Ross Perot was announced to be the Reform Party's presidential candidate. It was the party's first-ever candidate. In 2001, a 45-year-old family doctor in London took do-it-yourself to a new level by performing a vasectomy on himself. Dr Jonathan Heatley performed his own surgery with the help of his wife and a nurse. The doctor, who had performed some 400 vasectomies, said everything went well, but advised others not to try it at home.
Straight Outta Compton may take place more than two decades ago, but its themes of racial tension, poverty, and police brutality still speak to moviegoers living in a post-Ferguson world. The biopic about rap group N.W.A. debuted to a blistering $56.1 million over the weekend, surpassing American Pie 2 to become the biggest ever August debut for an R-rated movie. It's debut nearly doubles Straight Outta Compton's budget of $29 million in a single weekend, meaning the film could be among the most profitable releases of the summer. Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation placed second for the weekend. Meanwhile, the success of Compton overshadowed the weekend's other new release, The Man From U.N.C.L.E. It only brought in $13.5 million and finished third. Rounding out the top five was Fantastic Four at number four and The Gift at number five.
Actor Morgan Freeman is mourning the death of his granddaughter. She was found stabbed to death yesterday on a Manhattan street. Police responding to a 911 call at about 3 in the morning found 33-year-old Edena Hines lying on the street with multiple stab wounds to the chest. She was pronounced dead at Harlem Hospital. A 30-year-old man was taken into police custody at the scene -- in front of Hines' apartment on West 162nd Street. Freeman issued a statement saying that "The world will never know her artistry and talent, and how much she had to offer." Hines had studied acting and was involved with teaching urban youth. She is the granddaughter of Freeman's first wife. Police are investigating the stabbing.
When the Seattle Seahawks are home, it means business. With a 99.6 percent season-ticket holder rate and 105 consecutive sellouts (and counting), Seattle knows this. But when the Hawks leave the Emerald City, they also draw some of the biggest crowds in the NFL, according to a study by Vivid Seats. On average, when Seattle plays on the road in the upcoming 2015 season, ticket prices increase by 25 percent from the median of its opponents' home games. The Hawks' will make the most impact on prices for their Thursday Night Football matchup against the rival San Francisco 49ers on October 22nd in Santa Clara which will see the Niners' median price hiked by 38 percent. Seattle's regular season finale against the Arizona Cardinals is calculated to raise University of Phoenix Stadium's prices by 37 percent, too. Seattle's popularity away from the CenturyLink Field makes them the seventh-highest draw in the NFL, according to the study. The Green Bay Packers are the most in-demand road team in the league, raising ticket prices 67 percent over the median. Like the Hawks, the Packers' highest road game influence is during their final road game, with a 119-percent increase when they play Arizona — the highest of any NFL game. On the flip side, the Jacksonville Jaguars have the lowest road influence at negative 25 percent.
Trivia Answer: Seattle's Pike Place Market overlooking the Elliott Bay waterfront. Named after the central street, Pike Place runs northwest from Pike Street to Virginia Street, and remains one of Seattle's most popular tourist destinations. The Market is built on the edge of a steep hill, and consists of several lower levels located below the main level. Each features a variety of unique shops such as antique dealers, comic book and collectible shops, small family-owned restaurants, and one of the oldest head shops in Seattle. The upper street level contains fishmongers, fresh produce stands, and craft stalls operating in the covered arcades. Local farmers and craftspeople sell year-round in the arcades from tables they rent from the Market on a daily basis, in accordance with the Market's mission and founding goal: allowing consumers to Meet the Producer. The Market is run by the quasi-government Pike Place Market Preservation and Development Authority (PDA).
|Friday 8.14.15
|Today's Trivia: Still in limited release four decades after its
premiere, this movie has the longest-running release in film history. It
opened at the USA Theatre in Westwood, Los Angeles, California on this
date in 1975. It gained notoriety as a midnight movie in 1977 when
audiences began participating with the film in theatres. Can you name the
If this offseason for the Seattle Seahawks has been about getting past what happened at the end of their Super Bowl loss to New England, then another step comes tonight. It may just be preseason, but the Seahawks will finally get on the field in their exhibition opener against Denver. Don't expect to see much of Russell Wilson, although he's likely to throw his first pass since Malcolm Butler's goal-line interception in the final seconds that preserved the Patriots victory. And don't expect to see Peyton Manning other than as a spectator on the sidelines. But there are important areas to watch for with each team as the preseason begins: Both the Seahawks and Broncos have issues on the offensive line that'll begin to shake out tonight. Then there's the Legion of Whom? Earl Thomas is still recovering. Kam Chancellor is holding out. And Richard Sherman is now dealing with a minor hip flexor injury. There won't be many familiar faces in Seattle's secondary for the preseason opener. The Broncos' biggest question mark is at kicker, where neither Connor Barth nor Brandon McManus have grabbed hold of the competition. But coach Gary Kubiak doesn't want to keep three kickers -- including punter Britton Colquitt -- because that would steal a roster spot from other position groups. Barth is accurate on field goals but struggles on kickoffs, while McManus is great on kickoffs but spotty on field goals. One of the best stories of the preseason for Seattle is the recovery of defensive tackle Jesse Williams after having a cancerous kidney removed less than three months ago. Williams returned to practice last week and head coach Pete Carroll said yesterday that Williams should have a chance to play tonight. Seattle hosts Denver starting at 7:00.
Coming off Hisashi Iwakuma's complete game no hitter the day before last, the Mariners took a day off in Boston yesterday. Now, it's back to it. The Ms have three with the Sox starting with game one at 4 this afternoon. Monday they move on to Texas to face the Rangers.
Birthdays: Half of Seals & Crofts, singer Dash Crofts is 75; the Crosby in Crosby, Stills, Nash and sometimes Young, David Crosby is 74; comedian, now a banjo player, Steve Martin is 70; Huggy Bear on Starsky and Hutch, actor Antonio Fargas is 69; Kate on Kate & Allie and she was the wife on McMillan and Wife, actress Susan St. James is 69; romance novelist Danielle Steel is 68; cartoonist of The Far Side, Gary Larson is 65; basketball's Earvin Magic Johnson is 56; Cindy Brady on The Brady Bunch, Susan Olsen is 54; actress Halle Berry is 49; Mila Kunis is 32; and football's Tim Tebow is 28.
Today is National Creamsicle Day. Today is International Nagging Day, a day to celebrate and remember the gift of positive nagging, particularly by parents. Today is Wiffle Ball Day. Wiffles were introduced on this date in 1953. Today is National Financial Awareness Day, a day established to educate the public in the basic financial principals needed to form the foundation for financially sound practices from early adulthood through retirement.
Calendar notes: On this date in 1935, President Franklin Roosevelt signed the Social Security Act, creating a system of federal income insurance for the elderly. In 1971, Rod Stewart released Maggie May. It became his breakthrough single in the United States and went to number one. In 1976, the Gagers beat the Elbows 491 to 467 in a 365-inning softball game at Monticello, New York, the longest softball game on record. Starting at 10:00 the morning of August 14th, the game was called because of rain and fog at 4:00 the afternoon of August 15th. The 70 players raised $4,000 to build a new softball field for a local hospital. In 1981, the BBC recording of the Royal Wedding of Prince Charles and Lady Diana became the #1 album in Britain. In 1992, a health board in Massachusetts briefly closed a Chinese restaurant for the way it drained water from cabbage. They restaurant workers had placed the cabbages in laundry bags between two pieces of plywood in the parking lot and drove over them in a van. In 1999, 765,000 tickets to a Backstreet Boys North American tour were sold in one day.
New forecasts are solidifying what we've been hearing for months now: El Nino is here to stay, and just keeps getting stronger. NOAA held a press conference yesterday to announce that the current El Nino is already the second strongest recorded since they've kept track of El Nino (which is around 1950) and models indicate it might pass the 1997-98 El Nino as the strongest on record. It's getting such national attention because strong El Nino's historically bring copious amounts of rain to Southern California and across the south. That aforementioned 1997-98 event is blamed for 17 weather-related deaths in California. For the Pacific Northwest, it's usually the opposite: We tend to have rather tame winters that end up warmer and drier than normal.
These Wheaties may not be so good with milk. Wheaties says it is partnering with a craft brewery to create a limited-edition beer. The 16-ounce cans will only be available in the Minneapolis-St. Paul market starting August 26th, according to Wheaties parent company General Mills. It's not exactly clear what makes it Wheaties beer, besides being made from wheat. General Mills says the beer is being called HefeWheaties in a nod to a German style of beer called hefeweizen, which is typically made with more than 50 percent malted wheat. Ryan Petz is the president of the Minneapolis-based brewery that's making the beer. He says, "We're not saying it's a breakfast beer, but we're not saying it's not."
New in theaters this weekend: The Man from U.N.C.L.E. (rated PG-13) and Straight Outta Compton (rated R).
Trivia Answer: The Rocky Horror Picture Show. It's a 1975 British musical comedy horror film based on The Rocky Horror Show, a musical stage play, book, music and lyrics by Richard O'Brien. Directed by Jim Sharman from a screenplay by Sharman and O'Brien, the production is a humorous tribute to the science fiction and horror B movies of the late 1940s through early 1970s. It introduces Tim Curry and features Susan Sarandon and Barry Bostwick along with cast members from the original Kings Road production presented at the Royal Court Theatre, London, in 1973. The film opened at the USA Theatre in Westwood, Los Angeles, on August 14th of 1975. It did well at that location, but not elsewhere. The cult following did not begin until the film began its midnight run at the Waverly Theater in New York City in April of 1976. Prior to the midnight screenings' success, the film was withdrawn from its eight opening cities due to very small audiences, and its planned New York opening (on Halloween night) was cancelled. It was re-released around college campuses on a double-bill with another rock music film parody, Brian De Palma's Phantom of the Paradise, but again it drew small audiences. With Pink Flamingos (1972) and Reefer Madness (1936) making money in midnight showings nationwide, Rocky Horror was eventually screened at midnight, starting in New York City on April Fools' Day of 1976. By that Halloween, people were attending in costume and talking back to the screen. By mid-1978, the movie was playing in over fifty locations on Fridays and Saturdays at midnight, newsletters were published by local performance groups, and fans gathered for Rocky Horror conventions. By the end of 1979, there were twice-weekly showings at over 230 theatres. In 2005, the film was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant." The Rocky Horror Picture Show 40th Anniversary edition arrives on Blu-ray, DVD, and Digital HD on September 22nd.
|Thursday 8.13.15
|Today's Trivia: He was among the most recognizable players of his
day, noted for his shaved head, thick goatee, and patch of pine tar on the
right hip of his uniform. He was drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the
second round of the 1984 Major League Baseball Draft and was traded
shortly thereafter to the New York Yankees. He made his major league debut
on September 11th of 1987, appearing in seven games that year. He was
traded again the next summer, on July 21st of 1988 in a trade considered
by many to be one of the worst made by the Yankees during that period. The
trade was even mentioned on an episode of Seinfeld. Who is he?
Hisashi Iwakuma threw the fourth individual no-hitter in Mariners history yesterday at Safeco, blanking the Baltimore Orioles 3-0. Kuma had never before recorded a complete game or a shutout in 87 major league starts. Kuma's is the first no-hitter in the American League since teammate Felix Hernandez tossed a perfect game against Tampa Bay nearly three years ago on August 15th of 2012. Iwakuma received several standing ovations, took a couple of curtain calls, and absorbed a Gatorade bath led by Charlie Furbush, who participated in a combined (six pitchers) no-hitter for Seattle in June of 2012. The Ms are off today, they open a three-game set with the Red Sox in Boston tomorrow afternoon.
The NFL preseason kicks into full gear tonight. Action includes the Saints at the Ravens, the Jets at the Lions, the Packers at the Patriots, the Redskins at the Browns, the Dolphins at the Bears, and the Cowboys at the Chargers. There are another six games tomorrow night including the Broncos at the Seahawks at the CLink at 7:00.
A federal judge put the NFL on the defensive over its four-game suspension of New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady on Wednesday, demanding to know what evidence directly links Brady to deflating footballs and belittling the drama of the controversy. Judge Richard M. Berman repeatedly asked NFL lawyer Daniel L. Nash at the first hearing in the civil case in Manhattan federal court as Brady and Commissioner Roger Goodell looked on, "What is the direct evidence that implicates Mr. Brady?" Nash responded there was "considerable evidence Mr. Brady clearly knew about this," including records of text messages and phone calls between the quarterback and one of two Patriots employees implicated in the scandal known as Deflategate. But he also said there was no smoking gun showing Brady had direct knowledge that the balls were underinflated for the first half of the Patriots' 45-7 win over the Indianapolis Colts in the AFC championship game January 18th. Two weeks ago, the NFL asked Berman to declare that its punishment of Brady was properly carried out. The players' union countersued, asking him to nullify the suspension. The judge has signaled from the start that he wants the parties to reach a swift settlement.Both sides are scheduled to return to court next week.
Birthdays: The former President of Cuba, Fidel Castro is 89; Schneider on One Day at a Time, actor Pat Harrington is 86; former Surgeon General of the United States, Joycelyn Elders is 82; Danny Partridge on The Partridge Family, Danny Bonaduce is 56 (he and his wife maintain homes in both Los Angeles and Seattle), Roger Sterling on Mad Men, actor John Slattery is 53; The Bone, baseball's Jay Buhner is 51; and singer Tal Bachman is 47.
Today is National Skinny Dipping Day. Today is National Filet Mignon Day. Today is Left-Handers Day, according to LeftHandersDay.com, 13% of the world is left-handed. Word is that right handed people operate in the left side of the brain and left handed people use the right side. Therefore, it is said, only left handed people are in their right minds.
Calendar notes: On this date in 1910, nursing pioneer Florence Nightingale died at age 90. She had taken to her bed 34 years earlier, convinced she was dying of heart disease. In 1942, Walt Disney's 5th full-length animated film, Bambi, was released to theaters. In 1952, Big Mama Thornton recorded You Ain't Nothin' But A Hound Dog, almost four years before Elvis did it. In 1953 Big Mamas version hit #1 on the R&B charts. In 1961, East Germany closed the Brandenburg Gate and prepared to start building the infamous Berlin Wall. In 1967, the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) refused to allow Joan Baez to perform at Constitution Hall in Washington, DC, because of her opposition to the Vietnam War. Baez responded with a performance at a free concert at the base of the Washington Monument. In 1985, the engagement of Maria Shriver and Arnold Schwarzenagger was announced. In 1995, baseball Hall of Famer Mickey Mantle died at a Dallas hospital of liver cancer at age 63. In 1999, the movie Detroit Rock City opened. In 2004, the Summer Olympic Games opened in Athens, Greece, with a record 202 countries and 10,500 athletes taking part.
Former President Jimmy Carter revealed that recent liver surgery found cancer has spread in his body but gave few details about his prognosis in a brief statement released yesterday. The statement makes clear that Carter's cancer is widely spread, but not where it originated, or even if that is known at this point. The liver is often a place where cancer spreads and less commonly is the primary source of it. It said further information will be provided when more facts are known, possibly next week. The 90-year-old Carter announced on August 3rd that he had surgery to remove a small mass from his liver.
Not only are Americans not using all their vacation time, they aren't doing much relaxing during the days they do take off. According to a survey of 1,000 adults, a majority of Americans spend vacation days dealing with various errands, and many of them feel guilty about relaxing.
Then there was the lawyer in Boston facing drunk-boating charges after an accident in Boston Harbor. The irony was the name of his boat: Naut Guilty. That's what he pleaded, too.
Trivia Answer: Jay Buhner who turns 51 today. Bone was a powerful right-handed hitter in Major League Baseball. He was traded from the Yankees to the Mariners along with two career minor leaguers (Rich Balabon and Troy Evers) in exchange for Ken Phelps. While the trade was considered one of the worst for the Yankees, it was considered one of the best in Mariner history. The trade was once noted humorously on the television program Seinfeld, in an episode in which the Yankees' owner, George Steinbrenner, appears at the home of George Costanza's parents to inform them – mistakenly – that their son is dead. All Mr. Costanza can say is, "What the hell did you trade Jay Buhner for?! He had 30 home runs, over 100 RBIs last year! He's got a rocket for an arm. You don't know what the hell you're doing!" The clip was played at Safeco Field when Buhner was inducted into the Mariners' Hall of Fame in 2004.
|Wednesday 8.12.15
|Today's Trivia: He is a singer songwriter, guitarist, record
producer, and film score composer. He's best known as the lead guitarist,
lead singer, and songwriter for the rock band which he co-founded with his
younger brother, David, in 1977. That group disbanded in 1995. He is a
fingerstyle guitarist and is ranked 27th on Rolling Stone magazine's list
of 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time. Who is he?
The Mariners' 18th extra-inning game of the year ended in dramatic fashion, with centerfielder Austin Jackson drilling a bases-loaded single down the first-base line to beat Baltimore 6-5 last night. It's Seattle's seventh win in the past 11 games. Nelson Cruz was on the field long enough to hit his 34th home run of the season and extend his hitting streak to 21 games -- matching the longest in baseball this year -- but a bigger moment came during the sixth inning, when he had to come out of the game with neck spasms. Cruz has dealt with a similar issue before, so it doesn't look serious, but the health of the Mariners' best hitter took center stage. Hisashi Iwakuma takes the mound this afternoon as the Ms and Os wrap up the series.
NFL preseason action tomorrow night has the Saints at the Ravens, the Jets at the Lions, the Packers at the Patriots, the Redskins at the Browns, the Dolphins at the Bears, and the Cowboys at the Chargers. There are another six games Friday night including the Broncos at the Seahawks at the CLink at 7:00.
Birthdays: Actor George Hamilton -- he of the perpetual tan -- is 76; singer-songwriter-guitarist Mark Knopfler is 66; guitarist Pat Metheny is 61; Seattle's Sir Mix-A-Lot is 52; retired tennis player Pete Sampras is 44; and Ben Affleck's little brother, actor Casey Affleck is 40.
Authorities say a man who has appeared as a ship captain on the Discovery Channel's Deadliest Catch has died in Sturgis, South Dakota, during its famous motorcycle rally. The sheriff says he's waiting on autopsy results to help determine the cause of 50-year-old Tony Lara's death. The sheriff says Lara died early Saturday morning at a private residence in Sturgis.
Today is National Toasted Almond Bar Day. It's Middle Child's Day. Today is Vinyl Record Day. Vinyl Record Day is organised by (you guessed it) the Vinyl Record Day Company – a not-for-profit organization dedicated to preserving vinyl music, its culture, art, and sound. Today is PC Day, marking IBM's introduction of the personal computer on August 12th of 1981. And today is Thumper's birthday. Remember Thumper, Bambi's buddy, the well-fed rabbit with Restless Foot Syndrome? Sorry, I have no idea how old Thumper is, was, or might have been.
Calendar notes: On this date in 1851, Isaac Singer was granted a patent for his sewing machine. In 1877, Thomas Edison invented the phonograph and made the first sound recording. In 1964, Mickey Mantle set a major league baseball record when he hit home runs from both the left and ride sides of the plate in the same game. in 1970, Janis Joplin played Harvard University. It turned out to be her final gig before she died of a drug overdose less than two months later. In 1985, Madonna and Sean Penn got their marriage license. In 1994, Major League Baseball players went on strike. The strike lasted for 232 days. This forced the cancellation of the 1994 World Series. Tthe World Series was wiped out for the first time in 90 years.
When the Seattle Mariners beat Baltimore 6-5 in 10 innings last night, it marked the first time in baseball history all 15 home teams won on the same day. Viewing every game as a 50-50 proposition independent of all others, STATS figured the odds of a home sweep on a night with a full major league schedule at 1 in 32,768. There's no place like home.
They're going off across the sky right now, but it's light out and they're a little sparse. That said, we're in the thick of the Perseid meteor shower of 2015. If you want to see the celestial fireworks, you'll have a great chance tomorrow morning, a pre-dawn sort of thing. From EarthSky.org: The Perseid meteor shower is perhaps the most beloved meteor shower of the year for the Northern Hemisphere. Fortunately, the slender waning crescent moon rising at or near dawn will not obtrude on this year's shower. The Perseid shower builds gradually to a peak, often produces 50 to 100 meteors per hour in a dark sky at the peak, and, for us in the Northern Hemisphere, this shower comes when the weather is warm. The Perseids tend to strengthen in number as late night deepens into midnight, and typically produce the most meteors in the wee hours before dawn.
Dysfunction and the New York Jets have seemed to go hand in hand over the years. Things got dysfunctional a little early this year. Jets quarterback Geno Smith will be out six to 10 weeks with a broken jaw after being punched out yesterday by linebacker I.K. Enemkpali in a locker-room fight. The Jets promptly released the linebacker. He was drafted by the Jets in the sixth round last year and was scheduled to make $510,000 this season.
Trivia Answer: Mark Knopfler who is 66 today. That younger bother was David Knopfler. The band was Dire Straits. Since Dire Straits disbanded, Mark has recorded and produced eight solo albums. He has composed and produced film scores for eight films. In addition to his work with Dire Straits and as a solo artist and composer, Knopfler has recorded and performed with many prominent musicians, including Chet Atkins, Chris Botti, John Anderson, The Chieftains, Eric Clapton, Bob Dylan, Bryan Ferry, George Jones, Emmylou Harris, Jools Holland, Sonny Landreth, Phil Lynott, Van Morrison, Steely Dan, Sting, and James Taylor. He has produced albums for Tina Turner, Bob Dylan, and Randy Newman. He's a four-time Grammy Award winner, the recipient of the Edison Award, the Steiger Award and the Ivor Novello Award, as well as holding three honorary doctorate degrees in music from universities in the United Kingdom. Knopfler has a collection of classic cars which he races and exhibits at shows, including a Maserati 300S and an Austin-Healey 100S.
|Tuesday 8.11.15
|Today's Trivia: He was the author of the book Roots: The Saga of
an American Family which was adapted by ABC as a TV mini-series of the
same name and aired to a record-breaking 130 million viewers. Who was he?
The Mariners couldn't capitalize on their series win over the Rangers, managing just five hits in a 3-2 loss to Baltimore last night. Nelson Cruz extended his hitting streak to a career-best 20 games. Taijuan Walker gets the start as the Ms and Os go at it again tonight.
Birthdays: Guess Who bassist Jim Kale is 72; businessman Fred Smith, founder of FedEx, is 71; singer Eric Carmen is 66; computer pioneer Steve Wozniak (co-founder of Apple) is 65; from Devo, lead guitarist and occasional vocalist, Bob Mothersbaugh, Jr.is 63, wrestler and actor Hulk Hogan is 62; singer Joe Jackson is 61;and, he hosted Fear Factor, comedian Joe Rogan is 47.
Today is the last Dog Day of 2015. Today is Presidential Joke Day, marking this date in 1984 when President Ronald Reagan, during a thought-to-be off-the-record voice test, instead of "testing 1-2-3," said, "My fellow Americans, I am pleased to tell you I just signed legislation which outlaws Russia forever. The bombing begins in five minutes." The statement was picked by live TV cameras and carried worldwide. Today is also National Play in the Sand Day. And National Apple Week begins, as proclaimed by The Beatles in 1965 when announcing their Apple record label.
Calendar notes: On this date in 1929, Babe Ruth became the first baseball player to hit 500 home runs in his career with a home run at League Park in Cleveland, Ohio. In 1951, the first major league baseball game to be televised in color was broadcast. The Brooklyn Dodgers defeated the Boston Braves 8-1. In 1965, Race riots -- the Watts Riots -- began in the Watts area of Los Angeles. In 1966, The Beatles arrived at Chicago's O'Hare Airport to start their last tour of the US. In 1972, the last United States ground combat unit left South Vietnam. In 1973, The Edgar Winter Group's Free Ride was released. In 1984, Carl Lewis won his fourth gold medal in the 1984 Summer Olympics. In 1992, in Bloomington, Mimmesota, the Mall of America opened. It was the largest shopping mall in the United States.
Another day of Seahawks training camp, another day without Kam Chancellor. Chancellor missed his ninth consecutive practice yesterday while continuing to hold out in hopes of renegotiating the four-year, approximately $28-million contract extension he signed in 2013. The Seahawks can fine Chancellor a maximum of $30,000 for every day missed since practice began July 31st. That means the 27-year-old is now facing penalties up to $330,000, plus the possibility of losing, at most, 25 percent of this season's $1 million signing bonus if he doesn't report by the end of training camp. However, teams rarely choose to inflict such a penalty when a player reports. It remains unclear whether Chancellor will show up before the Seahawks open their preseason schedule Friday against the Denver Broncos at CenturyLink Field.
On TV tonight, the season premier of Hard Knocks. This 5-episode season (more like a mini-series) covers the training camp and the preseason schedule of the Houston Texans. It starts tonight on HBO.
Jennifer Aniston and Justin Theroux recruited close pal Jimmy Kimmel to officiate at their surprise wedding last week, while Courteney Cox and Tobey Maguire were among the stars asked to give speeches at the low-key ceremony. The party was last Wednesday. Aniston and Theroux disguised it as a birthday bash for Theroux at the couple's Bel Air home. Other guests, included Ellen DeGeneres and Whitney Cummings. The new Mr. and Mrs. Theroux are currently enjoying a honeymoon with Kimmel and Cox and other pals in Bora Bora.The marriage is the second for 46-year-old Aniston, who divorced from Brad Pitt in 2005, and the first for 44-year-old Theroux.
The US women's soccer team, which recently won the World Cup, will take the field at CenturyLink on October 21st to play Brazil. US Soccer announced the match yesterday, as well as a game against Brazil on October 25th in Orlando. The games are the fifth and sixth to be announced as part of the 10-match tour to celebrate the USA's world title this summer in Canada. The remaining four match dates, venues and opponents will be announced once confirmed.
Trivia Answer: Alex Haley who was born on this date in 1921. Haley died in 1992. It was in 1976 that Haley published Roots: The Saga of an American Family, a novel based on his family's history, going back to slavery days. It started with the story of Kunta Kinte, who was kidnapped in the Gambia in 1767 and transported to the Province of Maryland to be sold as a slave. Haley claimed to be a seventh-generation descendant of Kunta Kinte, and his work on the novel involved ten years of research, intercontinental travel and writing. Roots was eventually published in 37 languages. Haley won a special Pulitzer Prize for the work in 1977. The same year, the miniseries of the same name was aired.
|Monday 8.10.15
|Today's Trivia: On this date in 1993, Ruth Bader Ginsburg was
sworn in as the US Supreme Court's 107th justice, and the Court's second
female member. Who was the first?
Jesus Montero and Nelson Cruz smacked home runs and Felix Hernandez continued his long mastery of the Texas Rangers as the Mariners won 4-2 yesterday at the Safe to take the three-game series 2-games-to-1. Hernandez, with the win, tied Pittsburgh's Gerrit Cole for the most wins in the majors at 14. With his 33rd long ball, Cruz matched the Angels' Mike Trout for the AL lead, extended his hitting streak to 19 games and his extra-base hitting streak to nine. The nine consecutive games with an extra-base hit is the longest since Ken Griffey Jr. had a 10-game streak in 1993. Cruz has 12 home runs since the All-Star break, most in the majors. Only nine of Cruz's 33 home runs have come at Safeco Field. The Mariners have won five of their past seven, seven of their past nine against Texas, and are 6-and-3 following a four-game losing streak. The Mariners begin a three-game series with the Baltimore Orioles tonight at Safeco Field.
The countdown continues. The Seahawks continue their pursuit of that missing yard when they open the preseason Friday night hosting the Denver Broncos. The game is Friday night at 7:00.
Birthdays: Singer Ronnie Spector is 72; Jethro Tull frontman Ian Anderson is 68; singer Patti Austin is 65; actress Rosanna Arquette is 56; actor Antonio Banderas is 56; INXS drummer Jon Farriss is 54; and actor, director, screenwriter Justin Theroux -- he just married Jennifer Aniston last week -- is 44.
Famed sports broadcaster and Hall of Fame football player Frank Gifford has died. In a statement released yesterday, Gifford's family said the veteran sports journalist died of natural causes. Gifford played for the New York Giants from 1952 through 1964 and was league MVP in 1956. He began his sports broadcasting career as a commentator for CBS, and is widely known as a co-host of ABC's Monday Night Football. Frank Gifford was 84.
Elvis Week began Saturday in Memphis. Sponsored by Graceland, it runs through a week from tomorrow. Today is National Duran Duran Appreciation Day. Today is National S'Mores Day. Today is National Lazy Day, a day to take it easy.
Calendar notes: On this date in 1985, Michael Jackson paid $47.5 million for ATV Music, a catalog of the Beatles' copyrights, which included 251 songs written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney. Also in 1985, Madonna's Like A Virgin album became the first album by a female to be certified for sales of 5 million. in 1995, Hollywood madam Heidi Fleiss was convicted of conspiracy, tax evasion, and money laundering. In 2005, a 48-year-old man in Simi Valley, California, became so annoyed by a noisy car alarm he grabbed a handgun, went out and fired at least three bullets into a Toyota Camry. He silenced the alarm, but also brought out police who hauled him away in handcuffs. The charge was reckless discharge of a firearm and felony vandalism. In 2013, Katy Perry's song Roar was released.
Scathing reviews and an indiscreet tweet left Fantastic Four on the slab after the franchise reboot flopped at the weekend box office. Fox's hopes of rejuvenating the comicbook characters and turning the super-team into a cinematic juggernaut to rival X-Men have flamed out given that the film debuted to a dreadful $26.2 million. With a production budget of $120 million, plus millions more in marketing costs, the film will need to get a boost from foreign crowds if it wants to avoid being a write-off. The studio was banking on a cast of up-and-coming actors and wunderkind director Josh Trank to push the Fantastic Four into the modern era, but production difficulties may have doomed the project. Trank reportedly exhibited bizarre behavior on set that was so extreme it cost him his gig directing a Star Wars spinoff. He seemed to acknowledge those tensions, blaming studio-mandated reshoots for the poor critical notices in a tweet Thursday that he subsequently deleted. Fantastic Four's opening is well below the $40 million-plus debut that most analysts had projected. Tom Cruise in Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation claimed the top spot for the weekend. Fantastic Four finished second. The thriller The Gift finished third. The top five was rounded out by Vacation in fourth and Ant-Man at number five.
Taylor Swift played CenturyLink Saturday night. A 13-year-old boy fell from the 300 level to the 200 level just before the start of the show. The boy told firefighter he couldn't remember how it happened or what he was doing just before the fall. The boy was taken to Harborview Medical Center for treatment. Yesterday, Harborview listed the boy in serious condition. Taylor, by the way, brought Russell Wilson and Ciara out on stage during the show.
Eight former NFL players were inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame on Saturday in Canton, Ohio. Most notable was the late linebacker Junior Seau, who died by suicide in 2012, an event apparently brought on by brain damage from concussions he suffered on the field. Controversy surrounded his induction because his daughter, Sydney, was not allowed to speak at the ceremony. Charles Haley, Will Shields, Tim Brown, Ron Wolf, Mick Tinglehoff, Bill Polian, and Jerome Bettis were also inducted. There was football last night. The Hall of Fame Game in Canton, Ohio, The Minnesota Vikings beat the Pittsburgh Steelers, 14-3.
William Shakespeare may have been stoned when writing his famous plays. New research shows that four old pipes found in the garden of his English home contained residues of cannabis.
Researchers say people with simple, common, shorter first names have more success in life.
Trivia Answer: On July 7th of 1981, President Ronald Reagan -- who had pledged during his 1980 presidential campaign to appoint the first woman to the Court -- nominated Sandra Day O'Connor as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court, to replace the retiring Potter Stewart. In several speeches, she mentioned feeling some relief from the media clamor when Ruth Bader Ginsburg joined her as an Associate Justice of the Court in 1993. O'Connor retired from the Court in 2006. On August 12th of 2009, she was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian honor of the United States, by President Barack Obama.
|Friday 8.7.15
|Today's Trivia: In 1973, he saw an article in a copy
of Melody Maker, which said that the band Deep Purple was auditioning for
singers to replace Ian Gillan. This guy had fronted a group called The
Government, which had played with Deep Purple on the same bill in 1969, so
both he and the band were familiar with one another, and after sending a
tape and later auditioning, he was admitted into the band. Who is he?
And so it begins... The Seattle Seahawks kick off the preseason in one more week. Next Friday night, the Hawks host the Denver Broncos.
The Seattle Mariners are back home at the Safe. The homestand kicks off with a three-game set against the Texas Rangers. Game one tonight at 7:10. Tomorrow, Jamie Moyer -- who has won more games than any other Seattle pitcher -- becomes the ninth inductee into the Mariners' Hall of Fame. The ceremony is set to begin at 12:30 tomorrow just before game two of the Mariners and Rangers series.
Birthdays: He was recently at the Chateau Ste. Michelle Winery, humorist Garrison Keillor is 73; singer B.J. Thomas is 73; Seinfeld's Newman, actor Wayne Knight is 60; former Seattle mayor Greg Nickels is 60; actor David Duchovny is 55; actress Charlize Theron is 40; and baseball's Mike Trout -- the current MLB homerun leader -- is 24.
Today is Particularly Preposterous Packaging Day, a day to focus on why some packages are so freakin' hard to open. Today is Professional Speakers Day. Today is National Lighthouse Day, a day that honors and commemorates a beacon of light that symbolizes safety and security for boats at sea. On August 7, 1789, through an Act of Congress, the Federal Government took over responsibility for building and operating our nation's lighthouses.
Calendar notes: On this date in 1782, George Washington ordered the creation of the Badge of Military Merit to honor soldiers wounded in battle. It was later renamed and became the more poetic Purple Heart. In 1955, Ed Sullivan played host to Bill Haley & the Comets, who performed Rock Around the Clock. In 1959, the Lincoln Memorial design on the penny went into circulation. It replaced the sheaves of wheat design. In 1963, Jacqueline Kennedy became the first wife of a president since the days of Grover Cleveland to give birth while he was in the White House. The infant, a boy, died two days later. In 1971, The Bee Gees got their first number one hit with How Can You Mend a Broken Heart. In 1978, President Jimmy Carter declared a federal emergency at Love Canal due to toxic waste that had been negligently disposed of. In 1985, Atlanta's Ted Turner paid $1.5-billion for MGM, including all the Tom & Jerry cartoons. In 2000, the family of Jimi Hendrix won a case at an international panel to evict the holder of the Internet address jimihendrix.com. In 2005, Peter Jennings, anchor and senior editor of ABC News World News Tonight, who had been fighting lung cancer, died at his New York home at the age of 67. In 2007, Barry Bonds of the San Francisco Giants broke baseball great Hank Aaron's record by hitting his 756th home run (where'd I put my asterisks?).
Rand Paul and Chris Christie got into a yelling match over NSA record collection during last night's GOP candidate debate. Paul said, "I want to collect more records from terrorists, but less records from innocent Americans." Christie shot back, "That's a completely ridiculous answer. How are you supposed to know? When you're sitting in a subcommittee blowing hot air, then you can say things like that." Fox showed the lengthy confrontation on a split screen -- with no time buzzer. It was one of many jaw-dropping moments in the first hour of the debate, which included fellow candidate Donald Trump refusing to support the eventual nominee -- unless it was him.
Jennifer Aniston and Justin Theroux have sparked fresh rumors suggesting they have secretly married after the actress' representative refused to confirm or deny reports a private party held at the couple's Los Angeles home on Wednesday was actually a low-key wedding ceremony and reception. The event was touted as a surprise 44th birthday bash for Theroux, with guests including Aniston's former Friends co-star Lisa Kudrow, and pal and comedienne Chelsea Handlerl photographed arriving at the stars' Bel Air mansion. However, eagle-eyed paparazzi also spotted a man dressed as a reverend and carrying a Bible enter the home, while catering staff were also seen transporting a large cake featuring likenesses of the couple on top. The preparations suggest the party was more than just a birthday celebration, but Aniston's spokesperson isn't giving up any information. Theroux actually turns 44 on Monday -- August 10th. The couple has been engaged since 2013. If the marriage reports are true, it will mark Aniston's second union -- she was previously married to Brad Pitt from 2000 to 2005.
A Jumanji remake is coming. Sony's going to remake Jumanji, a childhood classic for many millennials starring Robin Williams, who died one year ago this month. Meanwhile, new in theaters this weekend: Fantastic Four (PG-13), The Gift (R), Ricki and the Flash (PG-13), and Shaun the Sheep Movie (PG).
Trivia Answer: David Coverdale. He was the lead singer of Deep Purple from late 1973 until March of 1976, when he resigned from the band. After the demise of Deep Purple, Coverdale embarked on a solo career. He released his first album in February of 1977, titled White Snake. Even though the album was not successful, its title inspired the name of Coverdale's future band.
|Thursday 8.6.15
|Today's Trivia: She's an actress, director and
screenwriter. She began her career as a child actor at the age of two.
When she was seven years old, she won the role of Penelope Punky Brewster
in the sitcom Punky Brewster. Who is she?
Fernando Rodney's absurd meltdown in the ninth inning allowed Colorado to rally from a 5-3 deficit, score twice and tie the score at 5. Two innings later, Michael McKenry's two-run homer into the left-field seats gave the Rockies a 7-5, walk-off victory over the Mariners at Coors Field in Denver. The loss snapped Seattle's three-game winning streak and marked the M's 19th loss this season in an opponent's final at-bat. Rodney threw 21 pitches in his ill-fated ninth, only eight for strikes, and came away with his sixth blown save. Although Nelson Cruz failed to extend his home-run streak to six consecutive games, he did stretch his hitting streak to 16 contests. The Mariners are off today and start a three-game series with the Texas Rangers tomorrow at at Safeco.
Birthdays: He was Dr. Jerry Robinson on The Bob Newhart Show and went on to direct, Peter Bonerz is 77; singer and bass player with the family singing group DeBarge, Randy DeBarge is 57; former NBA player -- former Seattle Supersonic -- Dale Ellis is 55; ten-time NBA All-Star David Robinson is 50; from The Spice Girls. Ginger Spice, singer Geri Halliwell is 43; and she will love you always forever, singer Donna Lewis is 42.
Today is Wiggle Your Toes Day. Those ten extremities at the ends of your feet, are crying out for a little freedom. Cramped up inside a pair of shoes or sneakers all day long, your stinky toes just don't get the chance to move about freely, as they would like to do. Celebrate Wiggle Your Toes Day. Today is National Fresh Breath Day -- a day created to appreciate oral hygiene and it's importance. Dentists and oral care professionals hail this day as a day dedicated to fighting bad breath. The root beer float is celebrated every August 6th with its own special day. Today is National Root Beer Float Day. Today is National Pamper Yourself Day -- I'm thinking you will act accordingly. Today is also Garfiled's dog friend Odie's birthday.
Calendar notes: On this date in 1980, on General Hospital Luke and Laura spent a romantic evening locked inside Wyndham's department store. In 1981, Stevie Nicks released her first solo album, Bella Donna, which went to number one. In 1994, newlyweds Michael Jackson and Lisa Marie Presley made their first public appearance together in Budapest. In 1998, former White House intern Monica Lewinsky spent 8 1/2 hours testifying before a grand jury about her relationship with President Clinton. In 2003, Arnold Schwarzenegger used an appearance on NBC's The Tonight Show with Jay Leno to announce his successful bid to replace California Governor Gray Davis. In 2000, it was announced that Ice-T would play a detective on the TV series Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. In 2004, Superfreak singer Rick James was found dead in his Los Angeles home. He was 56.
Kam Chancellor's holdout from Seattle Seahawks' training camp has extended to a sixth day. The second-team All-Pro strong safety was absent again from camp yesterday as he continues to seek a new contract from the team. Head coach Pete Carroll said it's an issue of concern for both sides. Carroll said he has not had any communication with Chancellor in a few days. Carroll said, "Here we have to keep moving and he knows that's what we are called to do and so we're going to do that but it's a very difficult time for him I think." In addition to the $30,000 a day the team can fine him for his holdout, the Seahawks can now seek a percentage of Chancellor's prorated signing bonus. His daily fines have reached $180,000 with an additional $150,000 kicking in for his sixth day missed.
Experts in Malaysia have confirmed that the debris found on Reunion Island last week was indeed that of Malaysia Airlines flight 370 that went missing last year. That word yesterday from Malaysia's prime minister. Not everybody, however, agrees. The Boeing 777 jetliner disappeared on March 8th while on a flight from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing with 239 people on board. It is believed to have crashed in the Indian Ocean, but the reason remains one of aviation's biggest mysteries. The first ever physical evidence-- if that's what it is -- of the aircraft was found on the French territory of Reunion Island in the Indian ocean, thousands of miles from the site near Australia where the plane is believed to have gone down.
George W. Bush reported for jury duty at George Allen courthouse in Dallas, Texas yesterday. Bush spent about three hours in court but was not selected to serve as a juror.
Leading up to Stewart's final show tonight is a marathon of old episodes, featuring some of Stewart's more famous guests. It's been on Comedy Central all day today.
Trivia Answer: Soleil Moon Frye who turns 39 today. After the Punky Brewster ended, Frye continued her career in guest spots on television and supporting roles in films. She attended The New School during the late 1990s, and directed her first film, Wild Horses, in 1998. In 2000, she joined the cast of Sabrina, the Teenage Witch as Roxie King, Sabrina Spellman's (Melissa Joan Hart) roommate and close friend. Frye remained with the series until its end in April 2003. She has since continued her acting career working mainly as a voice actor.
|Wednesday 8.5.15
|Today's Trivia: This actress became famous in the
1980s for appearing in several rock videos for Whitesnake, including the
hit Here I Go Again. She was married to Whitesnake lead singer David
Coverdale from 1989 to 1991. Who is she?
The Mariners' bats got going early last night and never stopped, delivering 14 hits for an emphatic 10-4 road win over the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field. Seattle has won three in a row. Nelson Cruz homered for the fifth consecutive game. Cruz's homer came in the top of the seventh, his 31st of the season going well past the 415 foot wall in deep center. Cruz is one behind the Angels' Mike Trout in the home run race in the American League. The 10 runs by the Ms is the second time they have put up double-digit numbers this season. The series winds up this afternoon. A win makes for a Seattle series sweep and would match a season-best streak of four wins in a row.
Birthdays: Jennifer Marlowe on WKRP in Cincinnati, actress Loni Anderson is 70; singer-songwriter-guitarist Rick Derringer is 68; singer Samantha Sang is 64; Marcia on The Brady Bunch, actress Maureen McCormick is 59; novelist David Baldacci is 55; basketball's Patrick Ewing is 53; and former big leaguer John Olerud is 47.
Work Like a Dog Day, a day that honors and recognizes the hardest working among us. Some people skate by, doing as little as possible. Others, do only what they have to. Others work like a Dog. Today is Take a Walk on the Moon Day. It's Neil Armstrong's birthday. He was born on this date in 1930. The world's first electric traffic signal was put into place on the corner of Euclid Avenue and East 105th Street in Cleveland, Ohio, on this date in 1914. Today is National Underwear Day.
Calendar notes: On this date in 1861, the United States Army abolished flogging. Also in 1861, in order to help pay for the Civil War effort, the United States government levied the first income tax as part of the Revenue Act of 1861 (3% of all incomes over $800; rescinded in 1872). In 1957, American Bandstand, a show dedicated to the teenage baby-boomers by playing the songs and showing popular dances of the time, debuted on the ABC television network. In 1962, Nelson Mandela was jailed. He wasn't released until 1990. In 1972, Clive Davis signed a young band called Aerosmith to CBS Records after seeing them play Max's Kansas City in New York. They received 125-thousand dollars at the signing. In 1981, Ronald Reagan fired 11,359 striking air-traffic controllers who ignored his order for them to return to work.
Gwen Stefani has filed for divorce from her husband, Bush frontman Gavin Rossdale, following 13 years of marriage. The No Doubt singer and The Voice judge cited irreconcilable differences in the divorce petition, according to TMZ. Stefani requested joint custody for the couple's three kids: 9-year-old Kingston, 6-year-old Zuma and 1-year-old Apollo. Rossdale filed a response concurrently and is also asking for joint custody. Stefani and Rossdale said in a joint statement to the press, "While the two of us have come to the mutual decision that we will no longer be partners in marriage, we remain partners in parenthood and are committed to jointly raising our three sons in a happy and healthy environment, To that end, we respectfully request privacy from the media during this time."
Tom Brady denied under oath to NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell that he tampered with footballs before the AFC title game, and investigator Ted Wells said in a transcript that he never warned the New England Patriots quarterback he would be punished if he didn't turn over his cellphone. In a 457-page transcript released on Tuesday, Brady maintained his innocence in the NFL scandal known as Deflategate. He denied discussing air level with the ballboys or even thinking about how inflated the footballs were when he selected them. He also said he's never asked anyone from the Patriots to tamper with footballs. Brady was suspended four games and the team was docked $1 million and two draft picks after a NFL-sanctioned investigation by Wells found the Patriots supplied improperly inflated footballs for the conference championship game against the Indianapolis Colts, which New England won 45-7. Brady appealed the punishment. Goodell decided to hear the appeal himself and upheld the penalty. Both sides went to federal court, and U.S. District Judge Richard Berman told the sides to work out a settlement. To encourage them, he ordered both Brady and Goodell to appear in court in person during the NFL preseason.
Trivia Answer: Tawny Kitaen who turns 54 today. She was named Julie but began using the name Tawny at the age of 12, on her own initiative. Kitaen became associated with the glam metal scene because of her high school sweetheart, Ratt guitarist and founder Robbin Crosby. Her legs appeared on the cover of Ratt's self-titled EP wearing black fishnet stockings and red pumps. In 1987, her boyfriend was David Coverdale, the lead singer of Whitesnake, and she appeared in several of the band's music videos, the most famous of which was for the song Here I Go Again, in which she did the splits and rolled around on the hood of two Jaguars while wearing a white negligee. She also appeared in the videos for Is This Love and Still of the Night. In 1989, she appeared in the videos for The Deeper the Love and Fool For Your Loving. After her music-video appearances, Kitaen took on a number of television roles. She was co-host of America's Funniest People with Dave Coulier from 1992 to 1994 and was a regular cast member on The New WKRP in Cincinnati from 1991 to 1993. She guest-starred in an episode of Seinfeld in 1991 and in an episode of Married... with Children in 1994.
|Tuesday 8.4.15
|Today's Trivia: He was an assistant to the President and White
House Press Secretary under Ronald Reagan. After nearly being killed and
becoming permanently disabled as a result of the attempted assassination
of Ronald Reagan in 1981, he became an ardent supporter of gun control.
Who was he?
The thin air of Coors Field suited the Mariners last night as they hit three home runs and three doubles that helped produce an 8-7 win in the first of three interleague games with the Colorado Rockies. Felix Hernandez was knocked around for 11 hits, but only four runs in 6.2 innings. All eight Seattle runs came with two outs. The Rockies scored three times in the ninth. A four-run first inning provided a lead the Mariners never lost. In the second inning, Nelson Cruz hit his 30th homer. It followed a solo homer by Kyle Seager, his 16th. In the third, Brad Miller hit his ninth. All three ended up with three hits. Robinson Cano had two hits, and his seventh-inning, RBI double was his team-high 25th. Ms and Rockies go at it again tonight.
Birthdays: Actor and comedian Richard Belzer is 71; actor Billy Bob Thornton is 60; gole medal winner, track star Mary Decker is 57; the president of these United States of America, Barack Obama is 54; former pitcher Roger Clemens is 53; and racecar driver Jeff Gordon is 44.
Today is US Coast Guard Day, a day that honors the military branch that protects our waters and shorelines. This date in 1693 is the date traditionally ascribed to Dom Perignon's invention of Champagne, although he actually didn't have anything to do with sparkling wine.
Calendar notes: On this date in 1958, the Billboard Hot 100 was published for the first time. In 1977, President Jimmy Carter signed legislation creating the United States Department of Energy. In 1980, John Lennon and Yoko Ono began recording the album Double Fantasy. In 1984, Carl Lewis won a gold medal in the Los Angeles Olympics. In 1993, a federal judge sentenced Los Angeles Police Department officers Stacey Koon and Laurence Powell to 30 months in prison for violating motorist Rodney King's civil rights.
Today is election day. Make sure your ballot gets returned and counts, Find a dropbox or be certain to get today's postmark.
Gwen Stefani has filed for divorce from her husband, Bush frontman Gavin Rossdale, following 13 years of marriage.
Autopsy results have revealed Parks and Recreation writer/producer Harris Wittels died from an accidental heroin overdose. The 30-year-old was found dead at his Los Angeles home in February, and initial reports suggested he passed away from a suspected drug overdose.Officials have since ruled he died from "acute heroin intoxication," according to the coroner's report. The documents also detail the state of Harris' home at the time of his death, as investigators noted "drug paraphernalia, including a spoon, syringe cap and remnants of latex balloons were recovered from the scene." Wittels had previously battled drug addition and went to rehab twice. He passed away just days before the Parks and Recreation series finale.
A fire chief says a worker died after being stung by bees that swarmed a Southern California construction site. The Riverside Battalion Chief says three construction workers were stung yesterday morning when a contractor was grading a parking lot. He says the grader struck an underground sprinkler control vault that housed a bee hive. Workers say the bees began swarming and the crew panicked and started to run. Two men covered their faces with their hands and rolled on the ground and a third swatted at bees with a vest. One of the men had an allergic reaction and died after being transported to a hospital in critical condition.
Trivia Answer: James Scott Brady -- Jim Brady -- who died on this date in 2014. Brady was one of four people shot during John Hinckley, Jr.'s attempted assassination of Ronald Reagan, suffering a serious head wound. During the confusion that followed the shooting, all major media outlets erroneously reported that Brady had died. Although Brady survived, the wound left him with slurred speech and partial paralysis that required the full-time use of a wheelchair. Brady was unable to work as the White House Press Secretary but remained in the position until the end of the Reagan Administration with Larry Speakes and Marlin Fitzwater performing the job on an acting or deputy basis. Brady died in Alexandria, Virginia, at the age of 73. His family announced his death on August 4, 2014. On August 8, 2014, in a controversial decision due to the length of time involved, his death was ruled a homicide caused by the gunshot wound he received in 1981, approximately 33 years after the fact.
|Monday 8.3.15
|Today's Trivia: This actor began a prolific career as
a child actor at the age of six, he became a household name during the
early 1960s for his role as the well-meaning but mischievous Dennis
Mitchell on the CBS situation comedy Dennis the Menace, based on the comic
strip created by Hank Ketcham. Who is he?
After the Mariners in the person of Nelson Cruz and the Twins in the person of Brian Dozier exchanged ninth-inning home runs to even the score 1-1 in what had been a scoreless pitching duel, Seattle busted through for three runs in the 11th and defeated Minnesota 4-1 yesterday at Target Field in Minneapolis. The Ms split the four-game series but remained 12 back in the AL West and seven in arrears of the second wild card. The Mariners have played an AL-high 15 extra-inning games. The Mariners begin a three-game series against the Rockies at Coors Field tonight. Felix Hernandez starts for Seattle.
When coach Pete Carroll said after Russell Wilson signed his new deal that the Seahawks were working hard on getting done a deal for Bobby Wagner, he wasn't kidding. Saturday night it was reported that Wagner has agreed to a $43 million extension over four years, a record for an NFL linebacker. The deal keeps Wagner with the Seahawks through 2019 and contains guarantees of $22 million. Getting both deals done represents a major off-season accomplishment for the Seahawks. The Wagner deal makes him the sixth Seahawk to make $10 million-plus annually: Wilson $21.9, Richard Sherman $14, Marshawn Lynch $12, and Earl Thomas and Jimmy Graham at $10 million each.
Not really surprising then the that the team has reportedly released starting defensive tackle Tony McDaniel in a cost-cutting move. McDaniel started 29 regular-season games since signing a three-year, $5.75 million contract with Seattle as an unrestricted free agent ahead of the 2013 season.
Welcome to August. It was the 6th month of the Roman year and was called Sextilis. In the year 8 BC the Emperor Augustus Caesar persuaded the Senate to change the month's name to Augustus in his honor.
August is Happiness Happens Month, Get Ready for Kindergarten Month, Children's Eye Health & Safety Month, Children's Vision and Learning Month, Make Your Reading Be A Haven Month, National Catfish Month, National Inventors' Month, National Toddler Month, Mental & Educational Wellness Month, Spinal Muscular Atrophy Awareness Month, National Back-to-School Month, Family Meal Month, National Goat Cheese Month, Family Fun Month, and National Toddler Month.
Birthdays: Singer Tony Bennett is 89; actor Martin Sheen is 75; lifestyle guru Martha Stewart is 74; movie producer and director John Landis is 65; from Metallica, singer James Hetfield is 52; Collective Soul singer Ed Roland is also 52; and actor Isaiah Washington is 52; football's Tom Brady is 38; and US Olympic swimmer Ryan Lochte is 31.
Today is National Watermelon Day. Today is Colorado Day, marking this date in 1876 when Colorado became the 38th state.
Calendar notes: On this date in 1900, Firestone Tire & Rubber Co. was founded. In 1933, the Mickey Mouse Watch was introduced for the price of $2.75. In 1943, General George S. Patton verbally abused and slapped a private. Later, General Dwight D. Eisenhower ordered him to apologize for the incident. In 1966, comedian Lenny Bruce died of a morphine overdose. In 1977, after building and testing 25 units, Radio Shack issued a press release introducing its TRS-80 computer. Within weeks, the company had thousands of orders. In 1981, air traffic controllers with PATCO, the Professional Air Traffic Controllers Organization, went on strike. They were fired just as President Reagan had warned. In 1986, despite pouring rain, some 82,000 Brits watched the Chicago Bears whip the Dallas Cowboys 17 to 6 in the first All America Bowl in England. The fans seemed especially to enjoy 340-pound William 'The Refrigerator' Perry, and an unknown streaker who dashed across the field wearing only socks. In 1987, Def Leppard released their album Hysteria. In 2004, in New York, the Statue of Liberty re-opened to the public. The site had been closed since the terrorist attacks on the US on September 11th of 2001.
Tom Cruise's Mission: Impossible -- Rogue Nation dominated the US box office over the weekend with an impressive $56 million opening. The movie generated $20.3 million at the Friday box office, setting an opening day mark for the sturdy franchise - and signaling that Cruise still carries plenty of star power. The launch of Mission: Impossible -- Rogue Nation outperformed forecasts by a significant margin. It had been on track for an opening weekend of $40 million, according to recent studio estimates. Meanwhile, Warner Bros.' Vacation has gone off track. The poorly-reviewed, $30 million film earned $14.8 million over the weekend, enough to finish second. Rounding out the Top Five: Ant-Man was number three, Minions placed fourth, and Pixels finished fifth.
Our heart goes out to the folks in and around Matlock. Residents and livestock evacuated Friday as a wildfire burned more than 150 acres. By yesterday, the fire was 50% contained. Yesterday, officials said 13 structures had burned in the fire, five of which were residences.
An airplane wing flap possibly from missing Malaysian Airlines Flight 370 arrived Saturday at a French testing facility. Malaysian officials said they would seek help from territories near Rénuion Island, where the wing flap piece was found, to search for more debris. Yesterday there were reports of part of a plane door found on the same island as the wing flap, but officials said it was a ladder, not part of the missing aircraft. The airplane has been missing since March 2014.
Joe Biden may be looking to stick around the White House. The New York Times reports Biden is considering a 2016 presidential run.
Trivia Answer: Jay North who is 64 today. Dennis the Menace premiered on CBS on Sunday, October 4, 1959, and quickly became a hit with audiences. North was paid $500 per episode, by the fourth season, North was earning $3,500 an episode. However, by 1962, the eleven-year-old had begun to outgrow the childish antics that the character was known for. On January 18th of 1990 North received a phone call telling him that former child star Rusty Hamer from The Danny Thomas Show had committed suicide. Hamer's death was a turning point for North when childhood friends, concerned that North was heading down the same path, stepped in and put him in touch with a therapist who specialized in helping troubled former child actors. North later credited his friends and therapist as being instrumental in helping him deal with his long-held anger and resentment regarding his unhappy childhood growing up in Hollywood. In 1999, he was interviewed by E! and concluded by saying, "I am so happy that I was able to have such a positive impact on people's lives. I'm going to write my autobiography and then I'm just going to live a contented, happy life here in Lake Butler with the people I love, and kind of just vanish into the mists of time."