Fridays, Through June 27:
• Carefree Farmer’s Market, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., locally grown produce, fresh baked breads and more.

Saturday & Sunday through May 25:
• Childplay presents “Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day,” at 1 and 4 p.m., Tempe Center for the Arts, 700 W. Rio Salado Prkwy, Tempe. For info and tickets visit www.childsplayaz.org or call 480-350-2822.

Friday, May 9:
• Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts presents R. Buckminster Fuller: The History (And Mystery) of the Universe, performed by Emmy awardwinning actor Joe Spano. For tickets go to www. scottsdaleperformingarts.org or call 480-994-2787.

Saturday, May 10:
• National Dance Week 9th annual Celebration of Dance. 8 p.m. at Cactus Shadows Fine Art Center. Tickets available at goldenlionproductions.com or by calling 623-465-2720.
• An Evening with R. Carlos Nakai, William Eaton and William Clipman, 8 p.m. Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts. For tickets go to www. scottsdaleperformingarts.org or call 480-994-2787.
• Payson Wildlife Fair, Green Valley Park, 1000 W. Country Club Dr. in Payson, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Free admission.
• National Speakers Association, 30th Anniversary. 8:30 a.m. to 12 noon, 1500 S. Priest (at Broadway) in Tempe. Registration required: nsaarizona. org or call 480-968-7443.

Monday, May 12:
• Spur Cross Ranch Guided Hike: Take your walk to the desert (easy). 8 a.m. From Cave Creek Rd, turn north on Spur Cross, parking area is approx. 4.5 miles. For more information call 480-488- 6623, or visit www.maricopa.gov/parks.

Tuesday, May 13:
• Book Club Meeting, discussing favorite books and deciding on books to read as a group in the fall. 10 a.m. to noon, Desert Foothills Library. For information visit: www.desertfoothillslibrary. org/adultprogram.htm or call 480-488-2286.
• Concert Under the Stars: Pink Martini, a 12- piece ‘little orchestra’. 7:30 p.m., Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts. For tickets go to www. scottsdaleperformingarts.org or call 480-994-2787.
• LUNAFEST, a national touring show of films by, for and about women, 7 p.m. (doors open at 6:30 p.m.) Whiteman Hall, Phoenix Art Museum, 1625 N. Central Ave. Venue info: www.phxart.org, program info: www.lunafest.org. Admission $10 (cash only) proceeds benefit The Breast Cancer Fund.

Thursday, May 15:
• Right to Carry (CCW) certification. Preregistration required, 7 a.m. – 5 p.m., at Christ Anglican Church, 35500 N. Cave Creek Rd. Class includes lunch break and range time. Instructor JP Maldonado. 623-465-1988 (or 623-363-6539).
• Music in the Gardens – Scottsdale Community Band, a large 72-member adult community concert band. FREE. Carefree Town Center, 7 p.m. Visit www.carefree.org or call 480-488-3686 for more information.

Your Horoscope
By Madam Bournard

PISCES
(February 19 to March 20)
You will be spending some quality time with close friends, which will be just the comic relief you need after a very busy couple of weeks. Keep your journal close to your bed; some dreams may be helpful in answering future life questions.

You know when it’s an election year ...

     Electile Dysfunction: the inability to become aroused over any of the choices for president put forth by either party in the 2008 election year.

Do you have trouble falling asleep?

     Sometimes the American press can be cruel. One New York newspaper printed that Abe Lincoln was so unsightly that “Barnum should buy and exhibit him as a zoological curiosity.” Abe had a tremendous sense of humor. In reply to the accusation of being “two-faced,” Lincoln quipped “If I had another face, do you think that I would wear this one?”
    Toronto, Canada is named after nearby Lake Toronto. The word toronto is Iroquois for “place where trees stand in water.” Tradition has it that the Huron tribes planted saplings in the water in an effort to trap fish.
    “Experts” (my favorite group) now claim that almost everyone experiences microsleep wherein a person’s eyes remain open, but most outside stimuli go totally unnoticed. Microsleep often occurs during business meetings, long trips and classroom lectures. The sleep intervals can last anywhere from one second to a few minutes.
    In a similar vein, it is estimated that the average mother will lose 400 to 750 hours of sleep during her baby’s first year. I’ll wager that most moms will not doubt that statement.
    Barbara Walters was the first female national news anchor (1976). The very first radio station to receive its broadcasting license was KDKA in East Pittsburgh (October 27, 1920). The owners of the station were attempting to be ready to announce the results of the Harding-Cox presidential race on November 2nd. It is estimated that the Election Day listening audience totaled about 700. In case you didn’t hear that broadcast, Harding won.
    This might come in handy: the tune to “Turkey in the Straw” is identical to the tune of “Do Your Ears Hang Low?” The old song “Blue Tail Fly” (also known as “Jimmy Crack Corn”) dates to about 1845. Jimmy Crack Corn is an apparent corruption of Gimcrack Corn which was Southern slang for homemade corn whiskey. Abraham Lincoln once said that the song was his favorite.
    Do you have trouble falling asleep at night? Recent research indicates that the scents in a sleeping area can be a significant factor influencing one’s sleep.
    The most effective sleep promoter seems to be the aroma of jasmine. A few words of caution: approximately 100,000 drivers crash their vehicles each year because they fall asleep at the wheel.
    Actual newspaper headline: “Utah Girl Does Well in Dog Shows.”
    A man named Michel Lotito ate an entire bicycle in a little over two weeks. Michel claims that he will not eat eggs or bananas because they make him sick.
    In the nineteenth century, being a leader of men in the British Army meant that you had to have a moustache. In fact, it was illegal for British Army officers to shave off their mustaches. The rule was not repealed until October 16, 1916. Well, I hope that this column did not cause you to microsleep.
    Be extra cautious should you use jasmine air freshener in your car and … have a great week.

     James White is a retired mathematics teacher who enjoys sharing fascinating trivia. He can be reached at jkwhite46@gmail.com.