Pharaoh RutinTutin

No, the Lions MUST combine. The other weapons and technology are useful. But the fight is never decided until the Lions combine to build Voltron and then Form Blazing Sword.

When I first read the comic, I thought it was a trick birthday candle that re-lights itself. But on to more important things. How will this magic change affect Noah? How will it affect Minion?

July 06 1189 – Richard I "the Lionheart" accedes to the English throne. Just two days after Henry II named him heir apparent. He spent most of his ten year reign fighting to defend his claims in France, on Crusade, or in captivity being held for ransom. But for spending very little time in England, he is remembered as one of the great English Kings. 1348 – Pope Clement VI issues a papal bull protecting the Jews accused of having caused the Black Death. No word on protecting the Jews accused of ... everything else. 1438 – A temporary compromise between the rebellious Transylvanian peasants and the noblemen is signed in Kolozsmonostor Abbey. Rebellious peasants in Transylvania? This will not end well. 1535 – Sir Thomas More is executed for treason against King Henry VIII of England. "Treason" was interpreted very broadly under the reign of Mr VIII. 1557 – King Philip II of Spain, consort of Queen Mary I of England, sets out from Dover to war with France. This voyage would result in England losing control of Calais, what had been the last English territory in France, and Philip never returning to Britain. All in all a rather unsuccessful business trip. 1885 – Louis Pasteur successfully tests his vaccine against rabies on Joseph Meister, a boy who was bitten by a rabid dog. This list has gone to the dogs. 1917 – World War I: Arabian troops led by T. E. Lawrence ("Lawrence of Arabia") and Auda ibu Tayi capture Aqaba from the Ottoman Empire during the Arab Revolt. The story of Auda ibu Tayi would not attain the legendary status in English Literature that story of T.E. Lawrence would enjoy. 1919 – The British dirigible R34 lands in New York, completing the first crossing of the Atlantic Ocean by an airship. Certainly this would mark the dawn of an age of convenient, comfortable, affordable, and safe international travel. 1957 – John Lennon and Paul McCartney meet for the first time, as teenagers at Woolton Fete. Elsewhere in Britain, someone dusts off an old set of plans from 1812 for invading the United States. 2003 – The 70-metre Yevpatoria Planetary Radar sends a METI message (Cosmic Call 2) to five stars: Hip 4872, HD 245409, 55 Cancri (HD 75732), HD 10307 and 47 Ursae Majoris (HD 95128). The messages will arrive to these stars in 2036, 2040, 2044, and 2049, respectively. Because nothing endears you to your neighbors like yelling at them and then waiting a century for a response.

The remaining teams from outside Europe have been eliminated. Any predictions for what's left of the FIFA UEFA Championship?

Tedd better break out the old lab coat and science glasses. I'm almost certain this pyromaniac Uryuom will confine these experiments with fire and magic to controlled environments in private.

www.egscomics.com/comic/sister3-297 Not a big surprise. Except for Elliot. He is actually reading his spell book on his own initiative? Amazing! I knew the change in the Magic System was going to be more significant than Tedd let on. But this is beyond all comprehension!

Will the changes to the clothes remain after she removes them? Using shapeshifting abilities for clothing alterations? Yes, I think I may have found the worst professional use for a super power. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lebhfjSTtSA

Crocodiles, lions, hyenas, sharks, and Vikings are obviously dangerous. You know where you stand with them. These Grace-a-monsters are too cute. They will lure you in and destroy you and you will thank them for it.

July 03 The start of the Dog Days according to the Old Farmer's Almanac but not according to established meaning in most European cultures. Sorry Europe, but the Almanac says you've been doing it wrong for centuries. 987 – Hugh Capet is crowned King of France, the first of the Capetian dynasty that would rule France until the French Revolution in 1792. Eight Hundred years is not a bad run for a Royal Dynasty. 1035 – William becomes the Duke of Normandy, reigns until 1087. He will pick up the nickname "The Conqueror" and gain another land to rule before he's done. 1767 – Pitcairn Island is discovered by Midshipman Robert Pitcairn on an expeditionary voyage commanded by Philip Carteret. A newly discovered Island is named for the Midshipman? The only way this makes sense is if the Commander was making the Midshipman do all the boring paperwork. 1819 – The Bank for Savings in the City of New-York, the first savings bank in the United States, opens. Saving is still an unproven idea to many Americans. 1839 – The first state normal school in the United States, the forerunner to today's Framingham State University, opens in Lexington, Massachusetts with three students. Three Students? Not much margin to separate Valedictorian from Last in the Class. 1844 – The last pair of great auks is killed. The flightless bird of the North Atlantic had become rare. So hunters stepped up their efforts to gather specimens and eggs to stuff and mount. 1884 – Dow Jones & Company publishes its first stock average. Business and Economic concepts are drastically simplified for the average newspaper reader. Dow Jones up? Good. Dow Jones Down? Bad. 1908 – Death of Joel Chandler Harris, American journalist and author (b. 1845). It is painful to admit today that we found so much humor in nostalgia for a slavery based culture. 1952 – The Constitution of Puerto Rico is approved by the United States Congress. Don't give up hope, Virgin Islands. The Congress may someday approve your Constitution. 1989 – Death of Jim Backus, American actor and voice artist (b. 1913). It is painful to admit today that we found so much humor in the animated exploits of a legally blind man who was too stubborn to admit he couldn't see.

Leveling up spells is entirely dependent upon the reality established by the author. In many games involving magic there are a lot of spells involving fire. Some would count each as a separate spell that the caster must acquire individually. But some would see things like Ignite Fire, Create Fire, Light, Heat, Cauterize, Cook, Fireball, Flame Jet, Smoke Jet, Explosive Fire Ball, Wall of Flame, Wall of Smoke, Flaming Hands, Flaming Weapon, Flaming Armor, Dancing Flames, Smoke Writing, and Detect The Killer Rabbit of Caerbannog as learning to use a basic Fire Magic ability in different ways. The second option is more difficult to regulate in a game situation, but it can make for a smoother story.

In every job that must be done there is an element of fun You find the fun and SNAP the job's a game... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YVUdg1lUG84

July 01 1782 – Raid on Lunenburg: American privateers attack the British settlement of Lunenburg, Nova Scotia. The Americans took prisoners to Boston, but no one from Britain would pay for their ransom, so they were released. 1858 – The1st Canadian coins minted (1, 5, 10 and 20 cent). A little bit late considering that Britain had converted Canadian currency to a decimal system over a year earlier. 1867 – The British North America Act of 1867 takes effect as the Province of Canada, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia join into confederation to create the modern nation of Canada. Sir John A. Macdonald (No, he does not want fries with that) is sworn in as the first Prime Minister of Canada. This date is commemorated annually in Canada as Canada Day. And in only one hundred fifteen years, Canada would get permission from Britain to amend this Constitution which will allow Canada to amend the Constitution without permission from Britain. 1873 – Prince Edward Island joins into Canadian Confederation. Some claim the seven year delay was due to interference from Britain and/or the United States. Some say the decision to join was the result of bad business decisions. Having neighbors from PEI, I suspect that no one actually understood what the delegates from Charlotte were saying, and the other Canadians were too polite to ask the PEI officials to repeat themselves, so no decision was formally made. 1878 – Canada joins the Universal Postal Union. Can you really join the Universal Postal Union on a day when all your Post Offices are closed? 1881 – The world's first international telephone call is made between St. Stephen, New Brunswick, Canada, and Calais, Maine, United States. International telephone call? Considering the location, children with tin cans and string stretched over the river could achieve the same effect. 1885 – The United States terminates reciprocity and fishery agreement with Canada. This issue would come up repeatedly with political sentiments for and against the idea alternatively embraced and rejected by the liberals, progressives, moderates, and conservatives from both Canada and The United States. 1890 – Canada and Bermuda are linked by telegraph cable. Because the governments of Hamilton and Ottawa are determined to not have a preventable war due to the lack of communication as happened between Washington and London back in 1812. 1923 – The Canadian Parliament suspends all Chinese immigration. Because the 1903 act demanding $500 per Chinese immigrant (over $8000 today) was not restrictive enough. 1952 – Birth of Dan Aykroyd, Canadian actor, producer, and screenwriter. He is on a mission from God. 1958 – The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation links television broadcasting across Canada via microwave. So don't put metal in your Canadian television. 1959 – Specific values for the international yard, avoirdupois pound and derived units (e.g. inch, mile and ounce) are adopted after agreement between Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, the United Kingdom and the USA. The yard is exactly 0.9144 meters and the pound is exactly 0.45359237 kilogram. Forget the logical arguments about the need to use SI units like the rest of the world and celebrate the incredible stubbornness of the English speaking people. 1966 – The first colour television transmission in Canada takes place from Toronto. Those microwaves probably are to blame. 1980 – "O Canada" officially becomes the national anthem of Canada. Never mind that the original French version was one hundred years old. The most popular English translation was over seventy years old. And it had been acting as a de facto national anthem for over forty years. The Queen finally gave royal assent to what the Canadians had been singing all along.

June 30 350 – Roman usurper Nepotianus, of the Constantinian dynasty, is defeated and killed in Rome by troops of the usurper Magnentius. For those who don't understand this style of politics, the goal is to make all the "Usurpers" kill each other off, then who ever is left must be the legitimate ruler. 1520 – Spanish conquistadors led by Hernán Cortés fight their way out of Tenochtitlan. Even though the Conquistadors got away that day, Montezuma would have his revenge. 1559 – King Henry II of France is mortally wounded in a jousting match against Gabriel, comte de Montgomery. Someone should have told the Comte that when you play against the boss, you never actually want to win. 1860 – The 1860 Oxford evolution debate at the Oxford University Museum of Natural History takes place seven months after the publication of Charles Darwin's On the Origin of Species. Can a university teach materials based on scientific evidence and not established religious dogma? 1905 – Albert Einstein sends the article On the Electrodynamics of Moving Bodies, in which he introduces Special Relativity, for publication in Annalen der Physik. The laws of Physics are the same in every system? The speed of light in a vacuum is the same for all observers? Equality may be a good thing, but this may be taking things too far. 1908 – The Tunguska Event, the largest impact event on Earth in human recorded history, resulting in a massive explosion over Eastern Siberia. No disrespect intended to Dr. Ray Stantz, but the event was almost certainly an airburst from an impacting meteoroid. Not "the biggest interdimensional cross-rip". 1966 – Birth of Mike Tyson, American boxer and actor. Talk with the man as much as you want, but don't let him chew your ear. 1972 – The first leap second is added to the UTC time system. Thirty days hath September, and the hour has 3600 seconds, except when the Greenwich guys say otherwise. 2015 – First observation of International Asteroid Day. The Tunguska event might have been an asteroid. However it may have been caused by a comet, some other type of space debris, or even the biggest interdimensional cross-rip. But the UN wants us all to watch for asteroids. Not comets. I suspect that the Comet Empire may be behind this.

June 29 1613 – The Globe Theatre in London burns to the ground. Blame was initially place on theatre critics. But it was really just someone who liked very crispy Bacon. 1950 – Korean War: U.S. President Harry S. Truman authorizes a sea blockade of Korea. He is then informed that the United States Navy does not have enough warships to actually enforce a blockade of Korea. 1956 – The Federal Aid Highway Act of 1956 is signed, officially creating the United States Interstate Highway System. Road Work Ahead Next 50,000 Miles. 1975 – Steve Wozniak tested his first prototype of Apple I computer. Building electronics in your home workshop might be an interesting hobby, but what would you actually do with it? 1976 – The Seychelles become independent from the United Kingdom. Commentators in the capital of Victoria dread the answer they must give when asked about women who distribute mollusk remains as souvenirs at the beach. "She sells sea shells by the Seychelles seashore." 1995 – Space Shuttle program: STS-71 Mission (Atlantis) docks with the Russian space station Mir for the first time. When the Shuttle program was being proposed to President Nixon, he was told that the big cargo bay would let the Shuttle capture Soviet spy satellites and bring them back for the US to analyze. Well, the Shuttle did reach a Soviet satellite... 2007 – Apple Inc. releases the first iPhone. And there is a significant chance that anyone reading this right now is doing so on an iPhone.

June 28 1838 – Coronation of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom. An amazing coincidence that a Queen named Victoria is crowned near the beginning of the historical Victorian Era. 1846 – Adolphe Sax patents the saxophone. The chase scene would never be the same. 1859 – The first conformation dog show is held in Newcastle upon Tyne, England. Which dog is the most the same as the other dogs of its breed? If generations of forced inbreeding isn't healthy for humans of remote villages or royal families, why is it good for dogs? 1894 – Labor Day becomes an official US holiday. Celebrate the dignity and nobility of work by taking the day off. 1895 – The United States Court of Private Land Claims rules James Reavis' claim to Barony of Arizona is "wholly fictitious and fraudulent." Why must the American Government refuse to acknowledge the royal claims of citizens just because we have no legitimate evidence? 1902 – The U.S. Congress passes the Spooner Act, authorizing President Theodore Roosevelt to acquire rights from Colombia for the Panama Canal. Negotiations go well, until the Columbian Senate fails to ratify the initial treaty. Rather than renegotiate, Roosevelt choses to support a rebellion in Panama and then negotiate with a new puppet state. 1911 – The Nakhla meteorite, the first one to suggest signs of aqueous processes on Mars, falls to Earth, landing in Egypt. Yes, Egypt has contributions to make to science and culture that are not wrapped in linen and natron. 1914 – Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria and his wife Sophie are assassinated in Sarajevo; this is the casus belli of World War I. The shots that killed the couple were actually the second assassination attempt. Bombs had been detonated earlier in the day, but the politicians insisted upon keeping to the scheduled speeches and refused to let troops in the area enter the city to protect the Austro-Hungarian Heir Presumptive. 1926 – Birth of Mel Brooks, American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter. May the Schwartz be with you. 1997 – Holyfield–Tyson II: Mike Tyson is disqualified in the third round for biting a piece off Evander Holyfield's ear. Is it really better to be disqualified for doing something insane rather than simply losing or throwing in the towel? Also, 6.28 is 2 Pi Day, or Tau Day.

Ten from Europe Four from South America One from North America One from Asia Japan eliminated Senegal by having fewer Yellow Cards. Defending champion Germany was eliminated in the group stage. One half of the knock out bracket is Columbia and seven teams from Europe. Mexico and Brazil will face each other in their first elimination game, so at least one non-European team will be removed immediately. Denmark and Sweden could face each other in the Semi-Finals. Are those two allowed to fight each other if control of Norway isn't at stake? Well, anyone with a Viking ancestor is at least sort-of Danish. And as far as I can tell, EVERYONE has a Viking ancestor.

The election is in November, but the new Congress is not seated until January. A lame duck Senate might approve an even worse nominee.

So of the sixteen teams that survived the round robin portion of the Tournament... Ten are from Europe... Three are from South America... One is from North America... And the last two positions will be decided between three teams. One from Asia, one from Africa, and yet another from South America. Does Europe really make up over half of the world, with South America making up the biggest portion of what's left?

I still feel guilty every time I think about how my initial reaction to the death of both my parents was simply "It's over." Don't let anyone, including yourself, tell you that you should be feeling a certain way at a certain time. Take your feelings as they come. And if you find yourself not overwhelmed by mourning, give a hand to someone who is.

June 27 1743 – In the Battle of Dettingen, George II becomes the last reigning British monarch to participate in a battle. And it wasn't even a British battle. It seems that just like the British Parliament didn't really need the King to run the government, the British Army didn't need the King to lead the troops. 1895 – The inaugural run of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad's Royal Blue from Washington, D.C., to New York City, the first U.S. passenger train to use electric locomotives. So the B&O Railroad and the Electric Company have the same owner? Whatever it takes, do not let that player get his hands on Marvin's Gardens or Park Place. 1927 – Prime Minister of Japan Tanaka Giichi convenes an eleven-day conference to discuss Japan's strategy in China. The Tanaka Memorial, a forged plan for world domination, is later claimed to be a secret report leaked from this conference. False plans, like the Tanaka Memorial or the Protocols of the Elders of Zion tend to get a lot of people excited. Why don't the authors of these phony world domination plans for their enemies instead write actionable plans for the causes they actually support? 1946 – In the Canadian Citizenship Act, the Parliament of Canada establishes the definition of Canadian citizenship. Despite the popular misconception, the prospective Canadian is not actually required to apologize for anything in the process. 1950 – The United States decides to send troops to fight in the Korean War, despite being woefully undermanned, under trained, and underequipped. There were a lot of reasons, but the short answer is don't appoint high level administrators who immediately agree with all your public opinions. 1981 – The Central Committee of the Communist Party of China issues its "Resolution on Certain Questions in the History of Our Party Since the Founding of the People's Republic of China", laying the blame for the Cultural Revolution on Mao Zedong. A bold statement from a government to blame all their problems on a leader who had been dead for five years. 2013 – NASA launches the Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph, a space probe to observe the Sun. Is it really an nifty acronym if the underlying name is a forced construction that only is there to make the nifty acronym?

Unfortunately, Justice Kennedy is a man of honor and independent thought. He would not have resigned his seat at the bench if he thought he was still capable of fulfilling his duties for another full term of the Supreme Court (i.e. until June of next year). And he knows that if a justice retires or dies in the middle of a term, it can derail the deliberations. President Eisenhower nominated five Justices to the high court. His third nominee was a Democrat. One legend says that when Ike was asked about it, he said there needed to be someone writing dissenting opinions. One Republican's nomination was opposed by southern Senators because he supported the decision in Brown v. the Board of Education. Is it possible that Trump will draw inspiration from the Eisenhower administration on this matter rather than the revisionist history of the Regan administration?

June 26 4 AD – Augustus adopts Tiberius. It may seem odd to some modern readers, but adopting an adult as your heir was a rather common way to determine succession and inheritance in several cultures. 221 – Roman emperor Elagabalus adopts his cousin Alexander Severus as his heir and receives the title of Caesar. If you're a Roman Emperor, emulating Augustus is probably a good idea, Even in the little details like the day you pick to adopt your heir. 363 – During the retreat from the Sasanian Empire, Roman emperor Julian the Apostate is killed. There, the day couldn't be all good news for the Caesars. Still, death in battle is far more dignified than the ways many Emperors met their demise. 1409 – Western Schism: The Council of Pisa crowns Petros Philargos as Pope Alexander V of the Roman Catholic Church. Unfortunately, Pope Gregory XII is already reigning in Rome and Pope Benedict XII is leading the faithful in Avignon. At this point, any attempt to resolve the matter by a committee would probably result in yet another Bishop of Rome in a different city. 1718 – Alexei Petrovich, Tsarevich of Russia, Peter the Great's son, mysteriously dies after being sentenced to death by his father for plotting against him. The Tsar sentences someone to death, and then they die. What is so mysterious? 1906 – The first Grand Prix motor racing event held on closed public roads near Le Mans. These motor-sports will never gain a following among the public. 1927 – The Cyclone roller coaster opens on Coney Island. Travel tip. When you go to Coney Island, wait until after riding the Cyclone before enjoying the Coney Island Hot Dog. 1948 – Shirley Jackson's short story The Lottery is published in The New Yorker magazine. This is a Lottery I think I can win. 1977 – Elvis Presley held his final concert in Indianapolis, Indiana at Market Square Arena. Elvis has left the building... for the final time. 1997 – The U.S. Supreme Court rules that the Communications Decency Act violates the First Amendment to the United States Constitution. Let this be a lesson to anyone starting a new country. If you give people the right to say and write whatever they want, they will want to say and write things you find offensive. 2003 – The U.S. Supreme Court rules in Lawrence v. Texas that gender-based sodomy laws are unconstitutional. 2013 – The U.S. Supreme Court ruled, 5–4, that Section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act is in violation of the Fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution. 2015 – The U.S. Supreme Court ruled, 5–4, that same-sex couples have a constitutional right to marriage under the 14th Amendment to the United States Constitution. So what will be the High Court's next decision regarding Decency, Love, Marriage, and Sexuality?

So Denmark made it to the Sweet Sixteen by scoring... NOTHING with France? And Egypt. Why? Sure you had been eliminated from advancing by losing to both Uruguay and Russia. But by the tie breaks, you were still ahead of Saudi Arabia. A win or a tie with KSA in the last group play game would mean that you would at least not finish in last place.

June 25 1900 – The Taoist monk Wang Yuanlu discovers the Dunhuang manuscripts, a cache of ancient texts that are of great historical and religious significance, in the Mogao Caves of Dunhuang, China. If you have a closet full of junk in your own lifetime, it is just trash. But if you lock that closet full of junk away and let it be discovered after a thousand years, you have created an archeological treasure. 1945 – Birth of Carly Simon, American singer-songwriter. I'm still upset she wrote that song about me. 1948 – Cold War: The Berlin airlift begins. Perhaps the last time a decent meal was served by an airline. 1950 – The Korean War begins with the invasion of South Korea by North Korea. This conflict ended tbd... 1960 – Cold War: Two cryptographers working for the United States National Security Agency left for vacation to Mexico, and from there defected to the Soviet Union. Rumor has it that they were going to New Mexico but made a wrong turn at Albuquerque... 1978 – The rainbow flag representing gay pride is flown for the first time during the San Francisco Gay Freedom Day Parade. Descendants of Betsy Ross have not yet persuaded Congress that she also created this flag. Although there is almost as much solid historical evidence tying her to this flag as there is tying her to the Revolutionary War flag. 1987 – National Catfish Day is proclaimed by Ronald Reagan. In recognition of the value of farm-raised catfish, the Congress, by House Joint Resolution 178, has designated June 25, 1987, as "National Catfish Day" and authorized and requested the President to issue a proclamation in its observance. Now, Therefore, I, Ronald Reagan, President of the United States of America, do hereby proclaim June 25, 1987, as National Catfish Day. I call upon the people of the United States to observe this day with appropriate ceremonies and activities. Just what ARE the "appropriate ceremonies and activities" for Catfish Day?

June 24 1374 – A sudden outbreak of St. John's Dance causes people in the streets of Aachen, Germany, to experience hallucinations and begin to jump and twitch uncontrollably until they collapse from exhaustion. "Dance "Til You Drop" in this case is not an invitation to party. 1497 – John Cabot lands in North America at Newfoundland leading the first European exploration of the region since the Vikings. If the Vikings didn't bother to return, what makes you think there will be something interesting this time? 1509 – Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon are crowned King and Queen of England. Did Henry buy or rent that crown for the Queen? 1535 – The Anabaptist state of Münster is conquered and disbanded. The profession of Münster hunting can have political uses besides simple public safety. 1779 – American Revolutionary War: The Great Siege of Gibraltar begins. Because the attempt by France and Spain to seize Gibraltar is purely to support the American cause. Not an attempt to push Britain out of the Mediterranean. 1813 – Battle of Beaver Dams: A British and Indian combined force defeats the United States Army. If you fight a battle, you may lose. That is simply a part of war. But it can not be pleasant to explain how you lost the Battle of Beaver Dams. 1916 – Mary Pickford becomes the first female film star to sign a million-dollar contract. Ridiculous decision. Nobody goes to the movies to look at pretty girls. 1918 – First airmail service in Canada from Montreal to Toronto. Does this mean everything west of Ontario still depends on smoke signals?