Next week's challenge: Name a famous Olympics champion past or present — first and last names. Remove every letter from the name that appears exactly twice. The remaining letters in order will name certain minerals. Who is this Olympics star?

This is the "Nine Lives" I know:
http://www.nola.com/events/…

See above.

Ah, I missed it: "Takes you back to The Pelican State, with scents reminiscent of magnolia, honeysuckle, country jasmine, and Louisiana sweet potato."

No Louisiana yet. Crawfish boil?

You walk through a series of arches, so to speak, and then, presently, at the end of a corridor, a door opens and you see backward through time, and you feel the flow of time, and realize you are only part of a great nameless procession. - John Huston (August 5, 1906 – August 28, 1987)

It was from "Le Petit Prince" that I learned the word "éphémère", and thus its English translation "ephemeral." I was a teenager and hadn't encountered that concept in either language.

Also, today is Samson's 30th birthday - here is a video from two years ago of SPEx, Sam is the man behind the machine. The vocalist is my son, Amen Five (not the name I gave him) and the kid on the guitar is Cruse:

If God has spoken, why is the world not convinced? – Percy Bysshe Shelley (4 August 1792 – 8 July 1822)

Gabba-gabba-hey!

I have neighbors named Nora and Charles. The first time I met them was at a "Night Out Against Crime" where we were all wearing name tags, and, as I told them, "Oh, I thought at first y'all were Nick and Nora Charles." I wasn't the first one. They are quite nice, both talented artists, but no William Powell and Myrna…

What a child doesn’t receive, he can seldom later give. – P. D. James (3 August 1920 - 27 November 2014)

People who treat other people as less than human must not be surprised when the bread they have cast on the waters comes floating back to them, poisoned. - James Baldwin (August 2, 1924 – December 1, 1987)

Did you know that recipe when you were ten?

My Pop used to drink Wild Turkey and water every evening after work. Any of his five kids could mix one just right.

When I am faced with that situation, I move on without commenting.

Will Nick Jonas get to tell Bear Grylls "Rock-n-roll doesn't wear a watch!"

That woman shark who looks like Sandy Duncan is annoying!

At present I would prefer not to be a little reasonable. – Bartleby, Bartleby the Scrivener, Herman Melville (August 1, 1819 – September 28, 1891)

Ack-ack!