Good morning, Whitewater.

Monday will bring thunderstorms and a high of seventy-eight to Whitewater. Sunrise is 5:15 and sunset 8:35, for 15h 19m 29s of daytime. The moon is a waning crescent with 1.5% of its visible disk illuminated.

On this day in 1902, what was to become one of the most famous rail lines in the world began service:

The 20th Century Limited was an express passenger train on the New York Central Railroad from 1902 to 1967, advertised as “The Most Famous Train in the World”.^[1] In the year of its last run, The New York Times said that it “…was known to railroad buffs for 65 years as the world’s greatest train”.^[2] The train traveled between Grand Central Terminal (GCT) in New York City and LaSalle Street Station in Chicago, Illinois along the railroad’s “Water Level Route”.

The NYC inaugurated this train as competition to the Pennsylvania Railroad, aimed at upper class and business travelers. It made few station stops along the way and used track pans to take water at speed. Beginning on June 15, 1938, when it got streamlined equipment, it ran the 958 miles in 16 hours, departing New York City at 6:00 P.M. Eastern Time and arriving at Chicago’s LaSalle Street Station the following morning at 9:00 A.M. Central Time, averaging 60 miles per hour (97 km/h)^[3] For a few years after World War II the eastward schedule was shortened to 15½ hours.

Its style was described as “spectacularly understated … suggesting exclusivity and sophistication”.^[4]:48-49 Passengers walked to the train on a crimson carpet which was rolled out in New York and Chicago and was designed for the 20th Century Limited. “Getting the red carpet treatment” passed into the language from this memorable practice.^[5] “Transportation historians”, said the writers of The Art of the Streamliner, “consistently rate the 1938 edition of the Century to be the world’s ultimate passenger conveyance—at least on the ground”.^[4]:46

On this day in 1832, Gen. Scott is appointed to command United States forces during the Black Hawk War:

On this date General Winfield Scott was ordered by President Andrew Jackson to take command at the frontier of the Black Hawk War. Scott was to succeed General Henry Atkinson, thought to be unable to end the war quickly. General Scott moved rapidly to recruit troops and obtain equipment for his army. However, while in New York, the troops were exposed to an Asiatic cholera. Just outside of Buffalo, the first cases on the ships were reported and death often followed infection. By the time the ships reached Chicago, the number of soldiers had dropped dramatically from 800 to 150, due to disease and desertion. Rather than going on to the front, Scott remained with his troops in Chicago, giving Atkinson a brief reprieve. [Source: Along the Black Hawk Trail, by William F. Stark, p. 90-91]

Puzzability begins a new weekly series today.  Here’s Monday’s game:

This Week’s Game — June 15-19

Make Room for Dad

We’re mixing it up with pop this Father’s Day. For each day this week, we started with a word or phrase, added the three letters in DAD, and rearranged all the letters to get a new phrase. Both pieces are described in each day’s clue, with the shorter one first.

Example:

Overweight; heroically turned the tide from bad to good

Answer:

Heavyset; saved the day

What to Submit:

Submit both pieces, with the shorter one first (as “Heavyset; saved the day” in the example), for your answer.

Monday, June 15

Longstanding competition, as between baseball teams; Curb Your Enthusiasm star

Good morning, Whitewater.

Sunday in Whitewater will have a high of eighty-two, with scattered thunderstorms. Sunrise is 5:15 and sunset 8:34, for 15h 19m 06s of daytime. The moon is a waning crescent with 5.1% of its visible disk illuminated.

Friday’s FW poll asked whether readers would wear a coat of honey bees if, by wearing enough, they’d have a chance for a Guinness World Record. An overwhelming number of respondents (86.36%) said no thanks.

On this day in 1777, Congress adopts the flag of the United States:

In the United States, Flag Day is celebrated on June 14. It commemorates the adoption of the flag of the United States, which happened on that day in 1777 by resolution of the Second Continental Congress.^[1] The United States Armyalso celebrates the Army Birthday on this date; Congress adopted “the American continental army” after reaching a consensus position in the Committee of the Whole on June 14, 1775.^[2][3]

In 1916, President Woodrow Wilson issued a proclamation that officially established June 14 as Flag Day; in August 1949, National Flag Day was established by an Act of Congress. Flag Day is not an official federal holiday. Title 36 of the United States Code, Subtitle I, Part A, CHAPTER 1, § 110^[4] is the official statute on Flag Day; however, it is at the President’s discretion to officially proclaim the observance. On June 14, 1937, Pennsylvania became the first U.S. state to celebrate Flag Day as a state holiday, beginning in the town of Rennerdale.^[1] New York Statutes designate the second Sunday in June as Flag Day, a state holiday.^[5]

Perhaps the oldest continuing Flag Day parade is at Fairfield, Washington.^[6] Beginning in 1909 or 1910, Fairfield has held a parade every year since, with the possible exception of 1918, and celebrated the “Centennial” parade in 2010, along with some other commemorative events.

Quincy, Massachusetts has had an annual Flag Day parade since 1952 and claims it “is the longest-running parade of its kind in the nation.”^[7] The largest Flag Day parade is held annually in Troy, New York, which bases its parade on the Quincy parade and typically draws 50,000 spectators.^[1][8] In addition, the Three Oaks, MI Flag Day Parade is held annually on the weekend of Flag Day and is a three-day event and they claim to have the largest flag day parade in the nation as well as the oldest.^[9]

Today is also Fighting Bob’s birthday:

On this date Robert M. La Follette was born in Primrose, Dane County. A renowned lawyer, politician, governor, and U.S. Senator, La Follette was the son of a prosperous, politically active Republican farmer who died eight months after Robert was born. Robert grew up on his family’s farm and entered the UW in 1874.

While a student at UW, he edited the campus newspaper and was strongly influenced by the teachings of John Bascom. After receiving a B.A. in 1879, he studied law and was admitted to the bar in 1880. The same year, he was nominated and elected district attorney over the opposition of local political boss Elisha W. Keyes. On December 31, 1881 he married his college sweetheart, Belle Case. I

n 1884 he was elected to Congress, again defeating Keyes. Known as “Fighting Bob”, he actively advocated conservation, preservation of public lands, and conservative public spending. Defeated in the 1890 election, he returned to his Madison law practice but remained active in state politics. He served as governor from 1900 to 1906, where he pushed a broad reform agenda which became known as “the Wisconsin Idea.” As governor, he enacted a program that included direct primaries, more equitable taxation, a more effective railroad commission, civil service reform, conservation, control of lobbyists, a legislative reference library, and bank reform.

In 1905 the Wisconsin legislature elected La Follette to the U.S. Senate. He was a controversial senator almost from the beginning. After William Howard Taft became president, La Follette forged the progressive Republican opposition to the Payne-Aldrich Tariff and became a persistent critic of the administration. In 1909, he founded La Follette’s Weekly Magazine (later known as The Progressive) to promote his ideology. In 1911 he was chosen as the progressive Republican candidate to displace Taft, but he was superseded by Theodore Roosevelt in 1912.

La Follette supported most of the policies of Democratic President Woodrow Wilson until the question of U.S. entry into World War I arose. Vigorously opposed to entry, he was the victim of an unsuccessful attempt to expel him from the Senate for an antiwar speech. In the postwar period La Follette resisted the anti-Communist scare and fought for the interests of workers and farmers against the business-oriented Republican administrations. He initiated the investigation into the Teapot Dome scandal in 1922. In 1924, he ran for president on the Progressive Party ticket but lost to Calvin Coolidge. He died on June 18, 1925, still a fervent believer in democracy.

Both of La Follette’s sons, Robert Jr. and Philip, carried on his political ideals after his death. La Follette was one of the most eloquent orators of his time, consistently speaking out in favor of popular democracy and in opposition to government by special interests. He is regarded as one of the most important Progressives in American history. [Source: Dictionary of Wisconsin Biography, SHSW 1960, pg. 217]

Good morning, Whitewater.

Saturday will be cloudy, with a high of seventy-eight, and a probability of afternoon thunderstorms. Sunrise is 5:15 and sunset 8:34, for 15h 18m 39s of daytime. The moon is a waning crescent, with 11% of its visible disk illuminated.

If one were confident of safety, who wouldn’t want to pet a great white?

Miranda v. Arizona, 384 U.S. 436 (1966), was a landmark decision of the United States Supreme Court. In a 5–4 majority, the Court held that both inculpatory and exculpatory statements made in response to interrogation by a defendant in police custody will be admissible at trial only if the prosecution can show that the defendant was informed of the right to consult with an attorney before and during questioning and of the right against self-incrimination before police questioning, and that the defendant not only understood these rights, but voluntarily waived them.

This had a significant impact on law enforcement in the United States, by making what became known as the Miranda rights part of routine police procedure to ensure that suspects were informed of their rights. The Supreme Court decided Miranda with three other consolidated cases: Westover v. United States, Vignera v. New York, and California v. Stewart.

The Miranda warning (often abbreviated to “Miranda,” or “Mirandizing” a suspect) is the name of the formal warning that is required to be given by police in the United States to criminal suspects in police custody (or in a custodial situation) before they are interrogated, in accordance with the Miranda ruling. Its purpose is to ensure the accused are aware of, and reminded of, these rights under the U.S. Constitution, and that they know they can invoke them at any time during the interview. The circumstances triggering the Miranda safeguards i.e. Miranda rights are “custody” and “interrogation.” Custody means formal arrest or the deprivation of freedom to an extent associated with formal arrest. Interrogation means explicit questioning or actions that are reasonably likely to elicit an incriminating response.

Per the U.S. Supreme Court decision Berghuis v. Thompkins (June 1, 2010), criminal suspects who are aware of their right to silence and to an attorney, but choose not to “unambiguously” invoke them, may find any subsequent voluntary statements treated as an implied waiver of their rights, and which may be used in evidence.

Good morning, Whitewater.

Friday will bring early showers but then a cloudy-but-dry afternoon to Whitewater, with a high of sixty-nine. Sunrise today is 5:15 and sunset 8:33, for 15h 18m 08s of daytime. The moon is a waning crescent with 19.7% of its visible disk illuminated.

WEST BERLIN, June 12 — President Reagan sought today to undercut Europe’s perception of Mikhail S. Gorbachev as a leader of peace, bluntly challenging the Soviet leader to tear down the Berlin wall.

Speaking 100 yards from the wall that was thrown up in 1961 to thwart an exodus to the West, Mr. Reagan made the wall a metaphor for ideological and economic differences separating East and West.

”There is one sign the Soviets can make that would be unmistakable, that would advance dramatically the cause of freedom and peace,” the President said.

”Secretary General Gorbachev, if you seek peace – if you seek prosperity for the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe – if you seek liberalization: come here, to this gate. ”Mr. Gorbachev, open this gate. ”Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall.”

Mr. Reagan made the remarks with the Brandenburg Gate in East Berlin in the background. An East Berlin security post was in view….

On this day in 1899, Wisconsin experiences her most deadly tornado, claiming over one-hundred lives:

1899 – New Richmond Tornado
On this date the worst tornado disaster in Wisconsin history occurred. The storm virtually leveled New Richmond on the day the Gollmar Brothers Circus came to town. At the time, New Richmond was a prosperous town of 2500 people and one of the most scenic places in Wisconsin. On the day of the storm, the streets were filled with residents and tourists waiting for the afternoon circus parade. Shortly after the circus ended, the tornado passed through the very center of town, completely leveling buildings. Over 300 buildings were damaged or destroyed. Massive amounts of flying debris resulted in multiple deaths in at least 26 different families. In all, the storm claimed 117 lives and caused 150 injuries. [Source: National Weather Service]

Good morning, Whitewater.

Thursday will bring thunderstorms to Whitewater, on a day with a high of seventy-one. Sunrise is 5:15 and sunset 8:33, for 15h 17m 33s of daytime. The moon is a waning crescent with 29.8% of its visible disk illuminated.

On this day in 1982, Universal Pictures releases E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial.

On this date Gene Wilder (aka Jerome Silberman) was born in Milwaukee. Wilder graduated from Washington High School in Milwaukee in 1951. He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Iowa in 1955. and studied judo, fencing, gymnastics and voice at the Old Vic Theatre School in Bristol, England. Wilder won the Clarence Derwent award for the Broadway play “The Complaisant Lover” in 1962. He continued to perform on Broadway in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (1963), Dynamite Tonight (1964), and The White House (1964). Wilder made his film debut in Bonnie and Clyde (1967), then earned an Oscar nomination the following year as the accountant Leo Bloom in The Producers, the first of three films he made for writer-director Mel Brooks. Wilder is known for his work in such films as Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (1971), Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex (But Were Afraid to Ask) (1972), Blazing Saddles (1973), and Young Frankenstein (1974).

After his second wife Gilda Radner died of ovarian cancer, Wilder co-founded Gilda’s Club, a support group to raise awareness of the disease. [Source: Internet Movie Database]

Here’s Puzzability‘s Thursday game in this week’s Disappearing Acts series:

This Week’s Game — June 8-12

Disappearing Acts

They’re all trick questions this week. For each day, we started with the name of a magic or mentalist act as it would be billed. We removed all the letters that appear more than once, leaving just the singly occurring letters. Each day’s clue gives the unique letters in order (with any spaces removed), along with the word lengths of the act’s name in parentheses.

Example:

AYOUDN (5,7)

Answer:

Harry Houdini

What to Submit:

Submit the name (as “Harry Houdini” in the example) for your answer.

Thursday, June 11

PADTR (4,3,6)

Good morning, Whitewater.

Midweek in Whitewater will be sunny with a high of eighty-four. Sunrise is 5:15 and sunset 8:32, for 15h 16m 54s of daytime. The moon is waning crescent with 40.8% of its visible disk illuminated.

On this day in 1692, Bridget Bishop becomes thew first person executed during the Salem witch trials:

Bishop was accused of bewitching five young women, Abigail Williams, Ann Putnam, Jr., Mercy Lewis, Mary Walcott, and Elizabeth Hubbard, on the date of her examination by the authorities, 19 April 1692.

A record was given of her trial by Cotton Mather in “The Wonders of the Invisible World.” In his book, Mather recorded that several people testified against Bishop, stating that the shape of Bishop would pinch, choke or bite them. The shape also threatened to drown one victim if she did not write her name in a certain book. During the trial, anytime Bishop would look upon one of those supposed to be tortured by her, they would be immediately struck down and only her touch would revive them. More allegations were made during the trial including that of a woman saying that the apparition of Bishop tore her coat, upon further examination her coat was found to be torn in the exact spot. Mather mentions that the truth of these many accusations carried too much suspicion, however.

William Stacy, a middle aged man in Salem Town, testified that Bishop had previously made statements to him that other people in the town considered her to be a witch. He confronted her with the allegation that she was using witchcraft to torment him, which she denied. Another local man, Samuel Shattuck, accused Bishop of bewitching his child and also of striking his son with a spade. He also testified that Bishop asked him to dye lace, which apparently was too small to be used on anything but a poppet (doll used in spell-casting). John and William Bly, father and son, testified about finding poppets in Bishop’s house and also about their pig that appeared to be bewitched, or poisoned, after a dispute with Bishop. Other victims of Bishop, as recorded by Mather, include Deliverance Hobbs, John Cook, Samuel Gray, Richard Coman, and John Louder.^{[citation needed]}

During her sentencing, a jury of women found a third nipple upon Bishop (a sure sign of witchcraft) but upon a second examination the nipple was not found. In the end Mather states that the biggest thing that condemned Bishop was the gross amount of lying she committed in court. According to Mather, “there was little occasion to prove the witchcraft, it being evident and notorious to all beholders.” Bishop was sentenced to death and hanged.

Here’s Puzzability‘s Wednesday game:

This Week’s Game — June 8-12

Disappearing Acts

They’re all trick questions this week. For each day, we started with the name of a magic or mentalist act as it would be billed. We removed all the letters that appear more than once, leaving just the singly occurring letters. Each day’s clue gives the unique letters in order (with any spaces removed), along with the word lengths of the act’s name in parentheses.

Example:

AYOUDN (5,7)

Answer:

Harry Houdini

What to Submit:

Submit the name (as “Harry Houdini” in the example) for your answer.

Wednesday, June 10

DOUHEI (4,7)