A Few of FR's Finest....Every Day....08-11-04...The Dog Days of Summer

Mama_Bear

[Mama_Bear]

A Few of FR's Finest....Every Day

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~ Billie, Mama_Bear, dutchess, Aquamarine ~

The Dog Days of Summer are almost behind us. For some it will be a reason to celebrate, for others (like me) it is a time to lament the passing of the summer season.

"While the dog days have made many us feel like we're swaddled in fur, the period is actually named after Sirius, the Dog Star. Sirius rises with the sun when summer is at its hottest. The dog days traditionally run from July 3 to August 11.

The ancients believed extra heat generated by Sirius in conjunction with the sun caused this sizzling spell of weather. Sirius is the brightest star at night, after all.

But Sirius, which is found in the Canis Major (big dog) constellation, is some 50 trillion miles (80 trillion kilometers) from Earth—too far away to influence temperatures here.

In Roman times the dog days—or dies caniculares in Latin—were associated with intolerable heat, lethargy, disease, and, appropriately enough, mad dogs." James Owen for National Geographic News July 16, 2004

What was the highest summer temperature ever recorded in the United States?

A - 114 degrees Fahrenheit
B - 124 degrees F.
C - 134 degrees F.
D - 144 degrees F.

Answer >>> C - The highest temperature ever recorded in the U.S. was in California's Death Valley. The temperature reached 134 degrees. The hottest record on Earth took place in El Aisisa, Libya. That temp was 136F.

When does summer officially start in the Northern Hemisphere?

A - June 19th
B - June 21st
C - June 22nd
D - It varies

Answer >>> D - It varies. The summer solstice doesn't always occur on June 21. In 1896, summer began on June 20. It won't begin on that same date again until 2012.

It's not just the heat. It really is the humidity! When the thermometer reads 100 degrees Fahrenheit, and the humidity stands at 60%, how hot do you really feel, according to the National Weather Service's heat index?

A - 116 degrees F.
B - 126 degrees F.
C - 136 degrees F.
D - 146 degress F.

Answer >>> C - According the heat index, 100 degrees F at 60% relative humidity will warm the human body as much as heat at 136 degrees F at 0% humidity. When the Heat Index gets above 90 then it's time to take some precautions. About 175 people die in this country every year due to excessive heat.

What is the official definition of a heat wave?

A - Two or more days of 90+ degree weather.
B - Three or more days of 90+ degree weather.
C - Any period of unusually hot weather.
D - A period of 48 consecutive hours when the air temperature is 15% or more above normal.
E - There is no "official" definition.

Answer >>> E - There is no universal "official" definition. The National Weather service has set no temperature or duration to define a heat wave. The American Heritage dictionary defines a heat wave as, "a period of unusually hot weather."

THIS WEEK'S THREADS 08-09-04 Military Monday 08-10-04 God Bless the USA ~ Lift Every Voice (Rerun)

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[Gabz]

Good Night and God Bless.

Thank you for inviting me to spend time with the finest.

As I said, I love FReepers!!!!

Hope you feel better tomorrow.

I think I'm going to call it a night myself.

[Dubya]

Here's a funny quote for you to ponder today:

"The world is full of willing people: some willing to work
and some willing to let them."

---

Seest thou a man diligent in his business? he shall stand
before kings; he shall not stand before mean men.
-Proverbs 22:29

[Kitty Mittens]

Thank you for the thread, Mama Bear! I love the hot summer weather, but I'm also already lookin' forward to Christmas!

Sorry your dentist visit didn't go as well as you'd hoped. :(

[LadyX]

Another precious graphic for you, Kitty Mittens!

Billie and Mama_Bear and Louie are so wonderful about creating them for us "Inept Ones"..:))

[Kitty Mittens]

That white bunny in your picture is adorably cute!

Having hundreds of bunnies hopping past the yard's edge like you did would be NEAT! We have some little brownish-colored bunnies here where we live, part-time, in the city; they are real cute. Each one has a little white "collar" around it's neck, and beautiful dark eyes. The Lord designed them so beautifully!

Sorry your little Shadow disappeared; I had two cats that happened to in the past, and I never knew what fate befell them. :(

[Kitty Mittens]

We lost a couple of cats that way..

That happened to me, too; my cats, The Toy and Black Kitty just vanished into thin air, leaving two holes in my heart; I never knew what happened to them. It would be nice if someone simply took them, and gave them a good home, but I was the only human my Black Kitty would let touch her, so that couldn't be it, at least not for her. :(

[Kitty Mittens]

Oh, my Lady, you're here "live"! I've been systematically reading the thread! Your posts at #98 and #116 are facinating!

Hope you're having a wonderful night!

[LadyX]

Afraid I need to Exit Stage Left here on the East Coast, KM...it soon will be 1 a.m.

Hope to see you tomorrow afternoon/evening/night/whenever..:))

~ LadyX

[Dubya]

History Lesson (this is interesting!!!)

Look what happens when a President gets elected in a year with a "0"
at the end.

1840: William Henry Harrison (died in office)
1860: Abraham Lincoln (assassinated)
1880: James A. Garfield (assassinated)
1900: William McKinley (assassinated)
1920: Warren G. Harding (died in office)
1940: Franklin D. Roosevelt (died in office)
1960: John F. Kennedy (assassinated)
1980: Ronald Reagan (survived assassination attempt)
2000: George W. Bush ????????????

And to think that we had two guys fighting it out
in the courts to be the one elected in 2000.

You might also be interested in this.
Have a history teacher explain this if they can.

Abraham Lincoln was elected to Congress in 1846.
John F. Kennedy was elected to Congress in 1946.

Abraham Lincoln was elected President in 1860.
John F. Kennedy was elected President in 1960.

Both were particularly concerned with civil rights.
Both wives lost a child while living in the White House.

Both Presidents were shot on a Friday.
Both Presidents were shot in the head.

Now it gets really weird.

Lincoln's secretary was named Kennedy.
Kennedy's Secretary was named Lincoln.

Both were assassinated by Southerners.
Both were succeeded by Southerners named Johnson.

Andrew Johnson, who succeeded Lincoln, was born in 1808.
Lyndon Johnson, who succeeded Kennedy, was born in 1908.

John Wilkes Booth, who assassinated Lincoln, was born in 1839.
Lee Harvey Oswald, who assassinated Kennedy, was born in 1939.

Both assassins were known by their three names.
Both names are composed of fifteen letters.

Now hang on to your seat.

Lincoln was shot at the theater named "Ford."
Kennedy was shot in a car called "Lincoln" made by "Ford."

Booth and Oswald were assassinated before their trials.

And here's the "kicker":

A week before Lincoln was shot, he was in Monroe, Maryland.
A week before Kennedy was shot, he was with Marilyn Monroe.

AND......................:



Lincoln was shot in a theater and the assassin ran to a warehouse...
Kennedy was shot from a warehouse and the assassin ran to a theater...

Creepy, huh? Send this to as many people as you can, because:
Hey, this is one history lesson people don't mind reading...

[Kitty Mittens]

Praying you will sleep well, most precious sister in Christ.

[Gabz]

How sad for you.

Last fall a momma and 3 kittens showed up in our barn - we immediately started to feed them and our daughter fell in love, because the kittens let her pick them up and would play. Momma disappeared after less than a week, but the kittens stayed and we kept feeding them. They were also gone within 2 weeks.

I have absolutely no idea what happened to them, but my daughter still gets upset about it every so often. She loved the idea of barn kitties and was very good about making sure that there was food and water for them everyday.

I'm waiting for one of my friends that have cats to wind up with a litter they wish to adopt out - so that my daughter can have her barn kitties. We have dogs - so there will be no kittens in the house.

[Gabz]

Goodnight and sleep well, dear FReeper FRiend.

[Gabz]

While I have seen that before - it always fascinates me every time I re-read it.

[Dubya]

Thanks me too.

[Kitty Mittens]

Sorry your kitties disappeared, my friend! Not knowing what happens to them when they vanish like that is SO hard!

I still miss my two cats, and dream about one of them every so often: my sweet little Black Kitty. She was special because, for some reason, she was totally wild, and would run away if anyone ever went near her. Anyone except me.Why she picked me out to love, I don't know. But she was my friend for 12 good years, until she disappeared without a trace.

[Kitty Mittens]

I read your post, too, Dubya, and it was extremely interesting! Thank you for posting it. :)

[Gabz]

I will have to re-upload it - but I have an wonderful (IMHO) picture of my daughter holding the 3 kittens in front of the barn.

My hubby is not much of a cat person, but he was as upset as we were when they disappeared....he was thrilled with them, they were catching mice within 2 days after they arrived!!!!

Actually hubby thinks it was either a fox or a predatory bird that got them. I'm inclined to agree with him, because it definitely wasn't our dogs - they don't go near the barn and the one time the kittens showed up near the house and the dogs were out the kitties sent both dogs scurrying. And I don't have small dogs!!!

[Kitty Mittens]

I would love to see the picture of your daughter and her kitties!

I lost my last kitty, the Fang-Face, only a a month and a half ago; I miss him terribly, but hope to get another kitty sometime in the future.

[Gabz]

I'm so sorry about the loss of your kitty - I understand the loss of a pet and the hole it leaves. They are so much a part of the family.

I lost one of my dogs last year, the week after we had sold our house in Delaware and while my husband was away. Just last week our daughter commented how much she still misses Sambuca, even though we did get her another dog after we moved.

I envision going through the same thing in the not very distant future because I have another one that is now 11 and is having huge problems with her hind quarters and the internal parts located there.

[Gabz]

OKAY - I'm going to be a total show-off. I just looked and realized I didn't have to upload the pix again because I hadn't taken them off line.