What A Day.

Once again I had a late truck at Taco Bell. Here is a breakdown:
Scheduled delivery: 2:30 A.M.
Rescheduled time: 8:10 A.M.
(Of course, I was told about that until 9:00 A.M.)
Actual delivery time 10:30 A.M.
I got done at noon, by the time I got home and ate I was so tired that I went to bed.

I am about halfway through Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. I will probably finish it Sunday.

The Ganges is the longest river in India. Since I didn't post yesterday I will put two questions here.

Yesterday's question was Grade 5/History.

Johannes Gutenberg revolutionized bookmaking with what invention?
I knew this one. 119-21.

Today's question is Grade 1/Reading.

In mythology, what was the name of Paul Bunyan's blue ox?
I also knew this one. 120-21.

SHHH.

Someone is reading. He has waited for over a year for this to come out in paperback. Posts will be light for the next few days.
The adverb was yesterday.
Today's question is Grade 2/Geography.

The Ganges River is the longest river in what country?

• A) Europe
• B) North America
• C) India

I knew this one. 118-21.

Should He Be Allowed Back?

The NFL made their decision yesterday. Michael Vick could be playing football again as soon as October. The question now is which team is willing to take on the burden of signing him. Of course Arthur Blank and the Atlanta Falcons have washed their hands of him. Jerry Jones and the Dallas Cowboys are on record as being not interested. Whoever signs him will be facing a public relations nightmare. So who will step up and sign him? A couple of members of the Buffalo Bills are lobbying for him to be signed. It will be interesting to see who signs him.

Another question is should he be allowed a second chance. He was slow to admit what he did. He still has not expressed much remorse for it. What he did to those dogs was barbaric. So should he be tossed to the curb and forgotten about? My initial reaction when the story first broke was he should be banned from football for life. Now I do feel he should be a given a second chance, but with some major restrictions. Anybody who signs him should put a morals clause in his contract. The first time he steps out of line he should be gone. Everyone deserves a second chance, but not a third or fourth. Athletes today are given too many chances.

Vick had everything going for him and threw it all away. He may play football, but he will never again be making any extra money doing endorsements. His financial management was very poor and most of what he makes will be going to pay off those debts. He has been punished for his crimes and now has an opportunity to try again. I hope he does better this time.
Jeff was right. The Cherokee made "The Trail Of Tears". The trail began here in Calhoun. At that time the Cherokee capital was here. they had formed a government based on the United States government. When the attempt to remove them was made, they appealed it to the United States Supreme Court. The Court agreed with the Cherokee, but neither Andrew Jackson or Martin Van Buren cared and the Cherokee were forced to leave Georgia.
Today's question is Grade 3/Grammar.

Which word is the adverb in the following sentence? "Yesterday, Eric drove his dad's car."
I missed this one. 117-21.

A New Time Clock.

I really believe that some people are afraid of any type of change. A couple of weeks ago they put in a new time clock and a few are upset about it. I will concede that this time clock is a little more complicated than the old one. With the old time clock all you had to do was swipe your badge. Now you swipe your badge and you have to press one of four buttons, clock in, clock out for lunch, back from lunch, and punch out. I know, really complicated isn't it?

The main ones who do not like this are those who try to set up their own schedule. If you are not scheduled you can not clock in. With the old clock a manager could over ride that by swiping their badge, then you swiped yours. Corporate has become more involved with the scheduling. This has upset some people, mostly those who work days. Department managers have been spoiled and do not have to work weekends. Corporate wants them in the store at least one weekend a month. With the new system, you can override it, but you are now required to identify which manager approved your changing the schedule. What they are trying to do is have the store staffed at the times when we are the busiest.If a manager changes the schedule too many times, they will have some explaining to do. I have been a department manager before and I was required to work every other weekend. Working one a month is not bad at all.

An ape is an anthropoid.
Today's question is Grade 2/U.S. History.

The "Trail of Tears" describes the journey of what people from Georgia to the Indian Territory?
I had no trouble with this question. I'll talk about it tomorrow. 117-20.

Goodbye Little Friend.

Farewell Gidget. 1994-2009. Have a taco today in memory of this great spokesman.
Travis was right. Vassal, fief, lord, and serf were a part of feudalism.
Today's question is Grade 4/Animal Science.

Which of the following is an anthropoid?

• A) bee
• B) lobster
• C) ape

I knew this one. 116-20.

Some Say I Am Spoiled.

A few of my co-workers have asked me if I am spoiled. I always answer honestly. Of course I am and I like it. Every night that we work together My Lady brings me something to eat on my break. She is always off on Saturday nights and most of the time she buys me something to eat from the Huddle House. Several of the guys have told me they wished their ladies did that for them.

I have never had this happen before. My wife's health was poor and I always supported us, at times working two jobs to do so. She Who Left In The Middle Of The Night would work for short periods of time, but always quit and I again was the main support. It really is nice being on the receiving end. She is always giving me something, clothes, DVD's, toys(I have told you I haven't grown up yet) and other things. I keep telling her she doesn't have to but she tells me she wants too. I keep telling her she is getting the short end of the deal, but she tells me just being with me is enough. Some of our friends are surprised that we aren't either engaged or are living together. We don't want that. Neither of us wants to be married right now, and I am afraid if we lived together that we would ruin what we have going. Since we work together we would be together almost all the time. I know that works for some people but it wouldn't for us. We get together outside of work at least twice a week. For now that suits us both just fine.
Zero multiplied by any number is zero.
Today's question is Grade 4/World History.

The terms vassal, fief, lord, and serf are identified with which way of life?

• A) feudalism
• B) anarchism
• C) totalitarianism

I knew this one. 115-20.

Don't Judge a Book By Its Cover.

Neurofibromatosis. A long word that doesn't come up in daily conversation and that most people are unfamiliar with. It is a condition that causes tumors to grow all over a persons body.There are two types of this. One covers the body, but not the face and hands. The other covers everything. I could be wrong, but I believe that the classic image of a witch started with someone who had this condition.

I have become familiar with this condition because My Lady has it. Her appearance is somewhat like the picture I am using today. I just posted a picture of her a couple of weeks ago. You can see it here. If judged solely on appearance, people would stay away from her because she looks different than everyone else. If you did that, you would be missing out on meeting a wonderful lady. I am sure there are those with this condition who hide from society, but My Lady delights in being around people. She is one of the friendliest and most out-going person that you will ever meet.

Every Friday night we get a milk delivery at Wal-Mart. Our driver that night was a woman, one of two female drivers that work at the dairy. She told me that she tried to call in that night but they told her there was no one to cover for her, so she came in. She had a migraine and her sinuses were bothering her. At night time the drivers have to come in through the front of the store. She was walking back to where I was working when she heard laughter. She saw it was My Lady and she told me that lifted her spirits. Just seeing the way My Lady embraced life made the driver feel better.

At times people will say that someone who has a condition like this suffers from it. If you ever meet My Lady you will see that she in no way is suffering. If you decide to turn your eyes away because of her appearance, that is your loss. You are missing a chance to meet one of the most wonderful, caring, friendly, and loving person there is. In my eyes, she is the most beautiful woman I know.

The Alps are primarily in Europe.

Today's question is Grade 2/Math.

True or False? When you multiply zero by any number the product is always zero.
I knew this one. 114-20.

Harry Potter And The Half Blood Prince.

The world of Harry Potter is getting darker. Muggles, ordinary people to those of you who aren't Potter fans, are being killed. Evil is running rampant and must be stopped. The fate of the world now rests on the shoulders of a teenager. The sixth installment of the Harry Potter series is in my opinion the best yet. Harry is almost ready for the final confrontation with Lord Voldemort. There is a lot of action packed into this movie. It runs for almost two and a half hours and to me it flew by. I was impressed with the job that Tom Felton as Draco Malfoy. The Malfoy story was one of my favorite parts of the book and it was well done here. Felton did an excellent job as he becomes a reluctant pawn in Voldemort's plans.

So much goes on here that a lot of familiar faces are reduced to practically cameo roles. My only complaint is this book should have been split in two like they are doing with the Deathly Hallows. However, if you haven't read the book all the major points are presented and it is a cohesive story. It is excellent set-up for what is coming. To lighten the movie a little we get to see cast act their age. After all, they are 17 years old and hormones are coming to the fore front. It is a lot of fun watching them deal with love, especially when a love potion is involved. IMDB currently rates this movie a 7.9. I gave it a 9.

In a related Harry Potter story, actor Jamie Waylett, who plays Vincent Crabbe, one of Draco Malfoy's goons, was arrested for growing marijuana in his bedroom. He was sentenced to 120 hours of community service. At least he didn't try to claim Voldemort made him do it.
Travis was right. An apostrophe is used to form a contraction.
Today's question is Grade 3/World Geography.

The Alps are a mountain range located primarily on which continent?
I knew this one. 113-20.

A Magical World.

In a couple of hours I am going to go to a theater and revisit the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. To prepare for it, this past week I have watched the previous five movies. I find the world of Harry Potter a fascinating place. I own the first six books. The only reason I haven't bought The Deathly Hallows yet is it is not out in paperback. It was supposed to be out recently, but I haven't seen it yet. I didn't get into the books until the movies had started coming out.

I have enjoyed everything that I have read and watched. To me the movies and books are two separate entities. You can enjoy the movies by themselves, but by reading the books you gain so much more. I have read complaints about certain things being left out, but unless you make a five or six hour movie you have to. I have been impressed with the adaptations that have been done. In my opinion they have been faithful to the spirit of the books, which to me is what makes them successful. Tomorrow I will give you a review of the movie.
The Punic Wars were fought between Rome and Carthage.
Today's question is Grade 2/Grammar.
What is the name for the punctuation mark used to form a contraction?

I knew this one. 112-20.

Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen.

I am just going to do a quick movie review. I saw Transformers:Revenge Of The Fallen three weeks ago. I liked the movie, but it is one that you just need to sit back and enjoy the ride. There are plot holes big enough to drive Optimus Prime through. (In case you are not familiar with Transformers, Optimus Prime transforms into a Semi.)

I knew I should have written this sooner. I am trying to recall my impressions about the movie and am coming up blank. Actually, I think that does say a lot about the movie. I went expecting to enjoy it and I did. However, when it comes out on DVD, I probably won't buy it. It was fun watching it once, but I really don't have any desire to see it again. On the IMDB it rates a 6.4. I gave it a 6.
Travis was right. There were 6 pieces.
Today's question is Grade 3/World History.

The Punic Wars were fought between whom?

• A) Rome and Athens
• B) Rome and Carthage
• C) Rome and Alexandra

I wasn't sure and made a guess. It was a wrong guess. 111-20.

Are You Hungry?

Go to Taco Bell and order 2 Burrito Supremes, one soft beef taco, a large Sierra Mist, get whichever packets you prefer, mild, hot or fire.

Then using this recipe, you can make this.

I am not sure who is behind it, but someone has started a fascinating blog called Fancy Fast Food. They are doing some amazing things with simple ingredients. Check it out when you have time.
Travis was right. Of course, Alice's Adventures In Wonderland is fiction.
Today's question is Grade 1/Math.

Andrew cuts a pizza pie in thirds. then he cuts each third in half. How many pieces of pizza does he now have?

I knew this one. 111-19. This question makes me think about a blond joke. A blond orders a pizza and the man asks her if she wants it cut into four or eight pieces. She says "Four. There is no way I could eat eight."

A Surprising Find.

I read a news article that said starting in August tattoo parlors in Illinois will be inspected by the local health department. I was amazed. I thought that had been done all along. Silly me. I then decided to check about the regulations in other states. I found out that New Mexico, North Dakota, and Washington D.C. have no regulations at all. A lot of states do not require any licensing or health inspections. The main requirement seems to be you can not tattoo minors.

I don't have a problem with tattoos, but I will never get one myself. I have this fear of needles that prevents that. I don't like getting shots or having blood drawn so there is no way that I am going to get a tattoo. I wonder how many people would if they knew about this lack of regulation.
Travis was right. Of those three states New Mexico was the furthest south.

Today's question is Grade 3/Literature.
True or False? Alice's Adventures in Wonderland is an example of nonfiction.

I knew this one. 110-19.

Typical Thursday.

Another Thursday, another late truck. This is getting to be a habit. Just a few more weeks and it will all be over. Good night.

43 rounded to the nearest ten is 40.
Today's question is Grade 2/U.S. Geography.

Which of the following states extends the farthest south?

• A) Utah
• B) New Mexico
• C) Nebraska

I knew this one. 109-19.

Profiting From Death.

Anytime a major celebrity dies there seems to be a rush to cash in quickly. Practically anything they have ever done is rushed into stores. The celebrity magazines all publish special issues. In one sense you can't blame them. they have spent so much money in promotions this is the last gasp for most. Of course, in the case of Michael Jackson, his music will keep on going. He will certainly join the annual Forbes list of dead celebrities and will probably lead the list this year.

The ones that really bother me are those you find on eBay, Craigslist, flea markets and antique stores where they jack up the price to make a quick buck. Of course some are pure dreamers. Someone was offering Michael Jackson's Thriller album for $500. On the Chattanooga Craigslist right now someone is looking to capitalize on Steve McNair's murder. Someone is offering a football signed by McNair that they claim
"This is the ball that Steve Mcnair threw 8 td's against UT Chattanooga back in 1994. at the old stadium signed and stats are on the ball."
They only want $100,000 for it. Any takers? I don't blame people for selling their items and getting what they can for them. The ones that get me are those who shoot for the moon. Personally I hope they fall on their faces.
The origin of a river is its source.
Today's question is Grade 3/Math.

What is the number 43 rounded to the nearest ten?

I knew this one. 108-19.

The Cost of Fame.

My belief is that one of the things that contributed to Michael Jackson's early death was his fame. Certain celebrities allow it to go to their heads and not listen to the voice of reason. They do what they want and no one can tell them any different. Those around them are simply yes men who don't want to be kicked off the gravy train. Elvis was the same way. They also manage to find doctors who will prescribe whatever they want regardless of the possible consequences. Elvis' doctor was tried for over prescribing drugs to Elvis and thirteen others but he was acquitted on those charges.

Early appearances are Michael had many prescription drugs, including some that should only be used in a hospital. If this is true that doctor should face some penalty for it. Unfortunately some doctors get greedy and will prescribe whatever the celebrity wants. As with anything else, it is the minority who act that way but it does give a black eye to all of the good ones.

There is no solution to this. You can not legislate human behavior. Unless the celebrity is willing to listen to things that they don't want to hear, they will end up in an early grave. It is very sad but that is the way life works. Tomorrow I am going to talk about another aspect of celebrity death, those who profit from it.
Moss is a plant, not a fungus.
Today's question is Grade 3/Earth Science.

True or false? A river's place of origin is its mouth.
I knew this one. 107-19.

Writers Block Part 2.

I actually have a few ideas, but I don't have the time to develop them fully. I am going to combine the two movies that I have seen into one post. I also am going to make some comments about Michael Jackson's death. A third idea that I have is a tribute to My Lady, but that one is special and I will probably write it several times before I post it.

Wal-Mart was very hectic last night. I was in frozen foods where two people have been on vacation this past week. I did as much as I could, but we are still behind. I then went to Taco Bell. Last Thursday's truck was one of the largest that I have dealt with in my time there. Today's was the smallest. Normally I am there at least three hours but I finished in two hours today. Tonight's truck at Wal-Mart is bigger than what we have been getting on Mondays, but a lot of it should be feature items, which I just have to separate and work the regular stock.
Travis was right. If you mix red and white you get pink.
Today's question is Grade 5/Science.

True or False? Moss is a type of fungus.

I knew this one. 106-19.

Here's Mud In Your Eye.

My buddy in Illinois called me last week and asked if I could find out what the origin of the phrase "here's mud in your eye" was. I like doing little research projects like this. I found out there is no definitive origin. I found at least three versions.

The first claimed it was started by soldiers during World War One. They fought in the trenches which many times were very muddy, so this was a toast from one soldier to another.

The second version is from the world of horse racing. In a horse race every horse except for the leader gets mud in their eyes. I am not exactly sure how that could be considered a good thing. I have always considered the phrase as a way of wishing someone well.

The third version, and the one that I believe is the correct one, comes from the Bible. In John Chapter 9 Jesus healed a blind man by spitting in the soil and rubbing that mixture on the man's eyes. I am sure there are also other explanations for this phrase. If you know of any please send them along.
Sorry Travis, but you missed it. I agreed with you that the age was 30. That is the minimum age for a Senator. For the House Of Representatives they must be 25.

The weekend question is Grade 1/Art.

To make the color pink, you should mix white with what primary color?

I knew this one. 105-19.

A Bad Dad?

My oldest daughter called me last night. Since she rarely does that I figured I knew what she wanted. She told me that my son was wanting to move back to Georgia and she wanted me to let him move in with me until could find a job. I told her my apartment is too small. She kept trying but I told her no. Then I told her something that she didn't know. I had talked to my son two weeks ago and he told me then he wanted to move back. I told him before he did he needed a job lined up and a place to live. According to him he already had that worked out. Obviously that wasn't the case.

The main reason I am against his moving back is his motive for doing so. He moved because of his divorce and he claims he has put it behind him. His wife and her new man, (She did not waste any time. She was seeing this guy before the divorce was finalized.) both work with me at Wal-Mart on third shift. I told my son if he moves back he should avoid Wal-Mart at night and come during the daytime so there is no conflict. He immediately told me it's a free country and he could do what he wants to. I told him that sounds like he just wants to cause trouble and he will get himself arrested. He quickly ended the conversation and I have not heard from him since.

My son is currently on probation for fighting. His probation ends in September. He did not tell me about it until I asked him. He was surprised I knew but the local paper prints a full court listing, which is how I knew. If I were to help him move back I am sure the first thing he would do would be to confront his ex-wife or her new guy and he would end up back in jail. Just how far he would go I am not sure. He has a temper. I can not in good conscious help him when I have doubts about his motives. I would never forgive myself if I helped him return only for someone to get hurt or possibly even killed. I really don't think he would go that far, but if he lost his temper accidents can happen. I have tried to convince him that his best bet is to stay there in Illinois and start a new life. After I told my daughter that I think she is also going to try and convince him to stay. If that makes me a bad Dad oh well. I can live with that easier than I could helping someone get hurt.
I wanted to add a little to Jeff's comments from Wednesday when the question was "Which Native American People lived in longhouses. Jeff said:

"The woodland Indians! Longhouses had several families living in them at once. That's always seemed crazy to me. I can't imagine.

And my answer comes because of all the wood you'd need to make them. Can't have been just the plains. In fact, I think they were more of a Northeastern deal, weren't they?"

The longhouses were more of a Northeastern deal. The families living in them were usually related. I agree with you it hard to imagine living in those conditions.

The Plains Indians were more nomadic, following the game available plus water sources in times of drought.

Workers, drones, and queens are all bees.
Today's question is Grade 4/Social Studies.

An American citizen must be how old to serve in the U.S. House Of Representatives?

I thought I knew this one. Sometimes I think too much. 104-19.

Another Late Truck.

Another late truck at Taco Bell. Seven more weeks and it's all over. I'm going to bed. Good night.
Jeff was right. It was the Woodland Indians. I will have a little more to say about this tomorrow.
Today's question is Grade 2/Science.

Workers, drones, and queens are which type of insect?

• A) spider
• B) ant
• C) bee

I knew this one. 104-18.

Jealousy.

Jealousy is what destroyed the relationship between She Who Left In The Middle Of The Night and me. If you love someone you may sometimes be a little jealous, but what I went through was over the top. I am not going into detail about what she did. We have spoke since she left and she acknowledged what she did was over the top and wrong and she apologized for it. Of course if she would ever decide to ask to come back the answer would be no. I have forgiven her but I will never put myself back into that situation. If you have a relationship there has to be trust. For some reason she did not trust me, even though I never gave her a reason not to.

The woman I wrote about yesterday is obviously jealous of the relationship that I have with My Lady. She has gone as far as to tell our co-workers that My Lady comes in on her night off to make sure that I'm not talking to her. We both get a good laugh out of that. My Lady is off on Saturday nights, and some times does come in but not always. When she does come in she brings me food. A lot of Saturday nights she goes to the Huddle House to eat and when she does she brings me something to eat. I will admit she is spoiling me and I like it. She is definitely not jealous of that woman, because knows how I feel about her and about that woman. I have a good thing going and I am not going to mess that upSorry Volly, Jeff was right. The answer was 24.

Today's question is Grade 3/American History.

Which Native American people lived in longhouses?

• A) Woodland Indians
• B) Plains Indians
• C) Navajo Indians

I knew this one. 103-18.

The Ladies Man.

I never dated when I was in school. I figured if I asked someone out I would be rejected, so I never asked. It never occurred to me that someone might actually say yes. My self confidence is a little better today. Being married for almost 22 years and living with another woman for 4 years will do that to you. After She Who Left in The Middle Of The Night departed, I decided I wasn't going to get seriously involved with anyone, but I wasn't ruling anything out. I talked a little with one of my co-workers who was single, but the better I got to know her the less I wanted to.

I didn't have any plans for Christmas and My Lady invited me out. I didn't expect anything to come out of it, but it was definitely better than being alone so I went and we had a good time. We didn't get serious until three months later. I had just been burned in a relationship and I wasn't going to let it happen again. After I was sure My Lady wasn't going trying to use me we got serious. Shortly after that the one I had been talked to told My Lady the she had stolen from me from her. I always thought that if two people were going together both parties were aware of it. I never knew that I was committed to the point I could be stolen. It just showed that my instincts about the one I talked to were on target.

If that wasn't enough there is a third woman to add to this tale. This one was a friend of My Lady. My Lady had encouraged this one to talk to me and to ask me out. I had talked to her, all of worked at Wal-Mart, but I really didn't have any interest in her. After My Lady and I started going together, this one became friendlier with me. A few months later she moved to Florida, but before she did she gave me her phone number and asked me to keep in touch. Needless to say, I haven't. I was standing by a trash can and the paper that had the number on it fell in and I forgot to get it back out.

I find it funny that I had all these women interested in me. My Lady and I joke all the time about her stealing me. She has also told a lot of our friends about it. The other one is transferring to the Rome Wal-Mart, so now I am being kidded about transferring there. I have started telling people that I am transferring on July 13, one day after the other one. If anyone asks me after then why I didn't go, I am going to tell them I forgot how to get to Rome.The Vikings did sail to North America 500 years before Columbus.
Today's question is Grade 4/Math.

Billy's yard is a perfect square, 12 feet on all sides. What is half the perimeter of the yard?

I missed this one. 102-18.

Adventures In Retail.

All of the pallets that come into the store are shrink wrapped. This usually makes unloading the trucks easier, but not always. The way they stack some of the pallets you would need about a foot of wrap to keep them from falling. One of my co-workers learned a valuable lesson the other night about the shrink wrap. He was cutting it off of a pallet of two liter sodas. He cut too deep and sliced open one of the bottles. He drenched two customers who had just passed by. If you really don't know what happens when you cut a soda bottle, trust me when I tell you it is very messy. I have seen bottles explode when dropped, but this is only the second time I have seen one cut. Some people get so busy they don't think and cut too deep. We lose too much merchandise from this. I try and open boxes with my hands as much as possible to avoid this. Sadly, a lot of workers don't care.

We are at the time of the year when sales slow down. In Georgia school starts back up in a little over a month. People are saving their money for the special that the state gives consumers, the tax free weekend. There is no state sales tax on school supplies and clothes. There are restrictions on what qualifies, but we are extremely busy when it hits. Grocery sales also go up during that weekend because some people like getting everything at once. Of course once back to school is over Halloween hits and the Christmas can't be far behind. The crazy days are coming. Retail is so much fun.
The Revolutionary war ended in 1783.
Today's question is Grade 3/World History.

True or false? The Vikings sailed to North America 500 years before Columbus.

I knew this one. 102-17.

Paper Wedding Dress.

I ran across a link to this picture and found it fascinating. This dress is not made of just any type of paper. It is toilet paper, tape and glue. It was made for a website called Cheapchicwedding.com and was sponsored by Ripley's Believe It Or Not! Museum. The top six entries will be displayed in one of the Ripley's Museums.

The summer solstice occurs in June.

The weekend question is Grade 5/U.S. History.

The Revolutionary War began one year before Americans declared their independence from Great Britain in 1776. In what year did the war end?

I knew this one. 101-17.

Catching Up.

There were a few stories that came out during my sabbatical that I want to comment on. A news story from today goes along with this theme. The state of California is in a deep financial mess. Just today there was a story that the state was going to start paying with IOU's. There are many reasons for their problem. One thing that doesn't help the state is their consumer protection laws, which allow for frivolous suits to be filed. Before you think I am against consumer protection I am all for it. I am glad that all of these recalls we have seen recently have been taking place. We should be able to eat without worrying that our food is going to make us sick. However, we should not be able to file a lawsuit against....let's say Quaker Oats, complaining that we were lead to believe that the crunchberries in Captain Crunch's Crunchberries were actual berries. Anybody reading this think that crunchberries are an actual fruit? If you will buy that I've got some real estate I want to sell you. I am not kidding about that suit. You can read about it here. The lady claimed she had been eating the cereal for four years when she discovered it was not the health food that she thought. Gee, go figure. I like Captain Crunch. I will occasionally buy a box, but I know this isn't health food. Fortunately a judge ruled that:

"In this case . . . while the challenged packaging contains the word "berries" it does so only in conjunction with the descriptive term "crunch." This Court is not aware of, nor has Plaintiff alleged the existence of, any actual fruit referred to as a "crunchberry." Furthermore, the "Crunchberries" depicted on the [box] are round, crunchy, brightly-colored cereal balls, and the [box] clearly states both that the Product contains "sweetened corn & oat cereal" and that the cereal is "enlarged to show texture." Thus, a reasonable consumer would not be deceived into believing that the Product in the instant case contained a fruit that does not exist. . . . So far as this Court has been made aware, there is no such fruit growing in the wild or occurring naturally in any part of the world."

Her attorney appealed this decision but that was rejected also. The judge also noted that her attorney had filed an earlier suit complaining that Froot Loops were not real loops of fruit. California's law needs revised so suits like this aren't wasting the courts time.

This probably did not waste any state money, but the city of Oakland spent three months over the major debate of which member of the city council got the closest parking space to city hall. They even had the city attorney write a five page opinion on the issue. The debate probably would have lasted longer, but a reporter for the San Francisco Chronicle wrote about it. Amazingly the next day the dispute was settled by a coin flip.

The comedian Gallagher made this observation years ago. "Living in California is like living in a bowl of granola. What's not nuts and fruits is flakes." I think Gallagher is a very wise man.
Sorry Volly, Jeff was right. It is an Isosceles triangle. By the way, I'll be at work on the fourth. Do I know how to party or what?

Today's question is Grade 2/Earth Science.

In the Northern Hemisphere, the summer solstice occurs in what month?

• A) July
• B) June
• C) August

I knew this one. 100-17.

A Late Truck.

The Taco Bell truck was late today so I will have to delay what I was going to write today. I have to be at Wal-Mart at 10:00 tonight and if I don't do as well as I used to with little sleep. For 4 years I managed to get by on about 5 hours sleep a night. I just can't do that anymore. The Taco Bell job ends in about 8 weeks. I will miss it a little, but after days like this not that much. Tomorrow I am going to discuss a couple of reasons why California is having a financial crisis.

Mike was correct. a moose does shed its antlers every year.

Today's question is Grade 5/Math.

What is the name for a triangle that has at least two sides of the same length.?

I knew that one. 99-17.