Good morning!
If you are just waking up, it’s Tuesday.
Imagine for a moment that you are an American, retired to Cambodia and you need something highly specific. I haven’t been to Cambodia but have been to plenty of countries that seem to have literally everything in street markets and malls until you need, really need, something.
In this case, the need would be a size 20 shoe. Designed to help accommodate an injured toe. In Cambodia.
What to do? Well, go to Ruskin, Florida, of course.
Check out Lois Kindle’s story about how a Ruskin cobbler helps people, one sole at a time: https://www.observernews.net/2017/06/14/ruskin-cobbler-helps-folks-one-sole-at-a-time/
Today’s weather: Yeah, we got this down now. From the good people at the National Weather Service Office in Ruskin:
“Scattered showers and thunderstorms, then showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm after 2pm. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 87. Heat index values as high as 97. Southeast wind 10 to 14 mph, with gusts as high as 23 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.”
Expect an overnight (actually, early morning hours) low of 76 and some isolated thunderstorms.
Personal forecast: I’ve already used, “swampy,” right? Well, it applies. And so does mosquito repellent. Perhaps consider it when you reach for your umbrella.
Eye on the tropics: Things is heatin’ up. We’re not in the path but….here’s a shocker! Yeah, we’ll get some rain from “Potential Tropical Cyclone Three.” It’s out there, looming and forecast to become Tropical Storm Cindy in the overnight hours. Tropical Storm Bret has formed way, way to our south. According to the National Hurricane Center:
For the North Atlantic…Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico:
The National Hurricane Center is issuing advisories on Tropical Storm Bret, located near Trinidad.
The National Hurricane Center is also issuing advisories on Potential Tropical Cyclone Three, located a few hundred miles south-southeast of the Louisiana coast.
* Formation chance through 48 hours…high…80 percent.
* Formation chance through 5 days…high…80 percent.
What to do?
If you have a “mini-you” check out Baby Time at the SouthShore Regional Library at 10 a.m. this morning. According to the description, “Bond with your baby through stories, bouncy rhymes and songs in this 20-minute lap-sit program that introduces early literacy skills and encourages language development. For ages 0-20 months.” Honestly, who wouldn’t like bouncy rhymes?
And from there, watch your child age before your eyes as the library moves to “Toddler Time” at 10:30 a.m., “Story Time” at 11 a.m. and then, you get a few hours of recovery from the time warp — just enough to enjoy watching your now nearly-adult offspring build the frame of a robot in “Introduction to 3D Printing” at 2 p.m. Yeah, you can make anything with a 3D Printer. But robots? They’ll learn to make themselves before you know it. For the sake of humanity, teach your kids well, please.
The SouthShore Regional Library schedule is found here: http://hcplc.evanced.info/signup/calendar?lib=10
Busch Gardens in Tampa celebrates “Summer Nights” with extended hours.
MOSI, the Museum of Science and Industry, 4801 E. Fowler Ave. in Tampa is offering free admission to exhibit galleries to active duty military personnel and up to five immediate family members from today through Aug. 13. Proof of service is required. https://www.mosi.org/explore-mosi/plan-your-visit/special-offers/
Check out what’s playing at the Ruskin Family Drive-In. And yes, I really do want to hear about the chili cheese dogs.
Happenings in Hillsborough:
Are you interested in the food industry? And seriously, who doesn’t like food? Well, the Entrepreneur Collaborative Center in Tampa has a seminar this morning offering the lowdown on getting started with a small business food enterprise — from a food cart to catering to a full-blown restaurant. Visit: http://www.hillsboroughcounty.org/en/calendar/02-business/2017/20170620-food-services
Happenings in Manatee:
The Board of Manatee County Commissioners / Port Authority is meeting at 9 a.m. today at the County Administrative Center in Bradenton. I’m still curious as to what the county has to say in tomorrow’s event, “Before You Tie the Knot.” I think we can assume they are not talking slip knots.
The Manatee County calendar is located here: https://www.mymanatee.org/home/county-calendar.html
News to know:
Pick up an actual printed copy of the Observer News — it’s filled with stuff cool stuff in surprising places.
And, in the end:
By Source, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=19833756
A lifetime ago, my wife and I were cruising in the Bahamas in a rather lazy fashion. At Staniel Cay in the Exumas, we were snorkeling and happened upon a sleeping nurse shark. It was cool and freakish to be swimming near a 6-plus foot shark (who happened to be taking a nap…WITH IT’S EYES OPEN!).
Regardless, that would never have happened had this day in 1975 not been decades in the past. Yes, kids, on this day an entire nation gained a primal fear of the ocean, and probably lakes and big puddles, too, because…Jaws was released.
It would quickly go on to become the highest grossing movie at the time and it started a trend for studios — attempting to create the next “summer blockbuster.” Yes, there was some incentive. Jaws cost $9 million to make and took in $471 million at the box office.
Jaws was filmed mostly on location near Martha’s Vineyard and director Steven Spielberg would not only make a name for himself, he would be compared to another name of movie magic (and terror): Alfred Hitchcock. Yes, back then, the guy who would go on to charm the nation with a cute alien on a flying bicycle with an enormous full-moon shot would be compared to the man who made, “The Birds” (if you are too young to have heard about it, find it, watch it and be terrorized in your own home).
In 2001, Jaws was chosen for preservation in the Library of Congress National Film Registry as being “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.”
Have a great day! Just for the heck of it…keep an eye on the water. And, it’s only Tuesday with most of the week ahead so keep your priorities straight. As Matt Hooper (Richard Dreyfuss, Jaws, 1975) said: “I’m not going to waste my time arguing with a man who’s lining up to be a hot lunch.”
Observer Today is a morning briefing out (usually) by 7 a.m. (or so) and updated until around 10 a.m. Do you have news tips or suggestions for this feature? Please email or leave a comment.