NYMEX October Crude Oil Fell Under $40/Bbl -- August 21, 2015; Detroit: When Seconds Count, Count On Police Being There In Minutes

Tweeting now: NYMEX October crude oil fell under $40/bbl Friday, the first time the front-month contract has traded below that mark since March 2009.

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Record Cold Across Central USA

Yes, This Is Weather, Not Climate

IceAgeNow is reporting:

15 to 25 degrees below late-August averages.

20 Aug 2015 – Denver set a daily record low of 47ºF on Wednesday, while Lubbock, Texas, dipped to a new daily record low of 57 ºF. [Remember, this is the middle of August.]

Oklahoma City dipped to 50ºF degrees on Thursday, beating its previous record for Aug. 20 of 56 ºF. This was only one degree shy of the all-time record low for the entire month of August set in 1915.

Wichita Falls, Texas, also set a daily record low on Thursday of 56 ºF.

The coolest high-temperature rankings also fell.

On Thursday, Texarkana, Arkansas set an all-time coolest high temperature for the entire month of August at 71 ºF.

Other locations setting daily record cold high temperatures on Thursday include Dallas, Texas (73 ºF), Waco, Texas (74 ºF) and Shreveport, Louisiana, with a high of only 76 ºF.
More cold on the way.

“Highs in the 50s and 60s will infiltrate parts of Montana, northern Wyoming and the western Dakotas on Saturday,” says weather.com. “This is about 15 to 25 degrees below late-August averages.

“The cool air will then spread throughout the Plains and Midwest on Sunday, dropping high temperatures 10 to 20 degrees below average from the Texas Panhandle and central Oklahoma to the Dakotas and Minnesota.

Farmer's Almanac forecasts a very cold winter. 

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Detroit's Top Cop: Get A Gun

When Seconds Count, The Police Will Be There In Minutes

Fox is reporting:

In a city plagued by chronic unemployment and crime and guarded by a dwindling police force, residents of Detroit are increasingly taking protection of themselves, their families and property into their own hands. Those who do so responsibly have the blessing and backing of Detroit Police Chief James Craig.

“When you look at the city of Detroit, we’re kind of leading the way in terms of urban areas with law-abiding citizens carrying guns,” Craig said recently.

The chief's call to arms, which first came in December, 2013, has been answered by thousands of men and women tired of being victims and eager to reclaim their beleaguered city. In 2014, some new 1,169 handgun permits were issued, while 8,102 guns were registered with city police - many to prior permit holders who bought new firearms. So for in 2015, nearly 500 permits have issued by the department and more than 5,000 guns have been registered.

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Walt Disney Backstory

The backstory / inside story / whatever you want to call it -- how Walt Disney came upon the idea of Mickey Mouse, Disneyland, Snow White, and all the rest is in the "Epilogue" in Appetite for America, by Stephen Fried.

In addition, if one wants to get an interesting insight to visiting the Grand Canyon today, Fried provides an interesting essay in "Appendix I: The Grand Tour of Fred Harvey's America." He tells you when/how to make a reservation at perhaps the most coveted destination in the world.

"Appendix II: Meals By Fred Harvey" with 55 recipes, including how to make coffee, oatmeal cookies, and lobster.

Trivia from the epilogue, and these two appendices, will make you a hit at any social event, and perhaps even find a soulmate for the evening, assuming you are free to search.